2 Corinthians 9 12

2 Corinthians 9:12 kjv

For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

2 Corinthians 9:12 nkjv

For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,

2 Corinthians 9:12 niv

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

2 Corinthians 9:12 esv

For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

2 Corinthians 9:12 nlt

So two good things will result from this ministry of giving ? the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

2 Corinthians 9 verses

2 Corinthians 9 12 Meaning

The administration of this practical service, which involves the collection and distribution of aid, achieves two significant outcomes. Firstly, it directly meets the material needs and alleviates the deficiencies of the saints, providing essential physical support. Secondly, and perhaps more profoundly, this act of giving produces an abundant overflow of thanksgivings and praise directed back to God from those who receive the aid. Thus, a human act of generosity culminates in divine glorification.

2 Corinthians 9 12 Context

This verse is embedded in a significant section of Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, specifically chapters 8 and 9, which address the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Paul has been encouraging the Corinthian believers to complete their promised contribution, which they had initiated a year prior. He holds up the Macedonian churches as a shining example of generous, even sacrificial, giving rooted in grace, rather than compulsion. Paul's message is not merely about fundraising; it's a deep theological exposition on grace-motivated giving, demonstrating practical love within the Body of Christ. This collection had a dual purpose: to provide crucial material aid to the struggling Jewish believers in Jerusalem, and to serve as a tangible expression of unity and solidarity between the predominantly Gentile churches (like Corinth) and the Jewish mother church, overcoming ethnic and cultural barriers.

2 Corinthians 9 12 Word analysis

• For the administration: (Greek: hoti hē diakonia)
  • hoti: "because, for." Introduces the reason for the exhortation to give.
  • diakonia: "service, ministry, administration." This word emphasizes the practical, active, and relational aspect of ministry, often involving care or distribution. Here, it signifies the process or act of dispensing the collection. It is a work undertaken on behalf of others, providing assistance.
• of this service: (Greek: tēs leitourgias tautēs)
  • tēs leitourgias: "of the service, of the ministry, public service, liturgy." While diakonia refers to the general ministry or administration, leitourgia carries a stronger connotation of a public, solemn, or even priestly act of service or offering. In the New Testament, it elevates the act of giving to the level of a spiritual offering, a form of worship, similar to priestly functions in the temple. Paul intentionally uses both diakonia and leitourgia to convey both the practical delivery and the spiritual significance of this act of benevolence.
  • tautēs: "this." Refers specifically to the collection Paul is urging them to complete.
• not only supplies: (Greek: ou monon esti pros anaplērōma)
  • ou monon: "not only." Highlights that this is one, but not the only, benefit.
  • esti pros: "it is for, it tends towards." Denotes the purpose or result.
  • anaplērōma: "a filling up, complement, making up for a lack." This term signifies that the giving completes what is missing or brings to a sufficient level what was deficient. It implies a genuine alleviation of a recognized need.
• the needs: (Greek: tōn hysterēmatōn)
  • tōn hysterēmatōn: "the deficiencies, wants, lack, privations." This directly points to the material poverty and insufficient resources faced by the saints in Jerusalem, necessitating the collection. It speaks of genuine, dire want.
• of the saints: (Greek: tōn hagiōn)
  • tōn hagiōn: "of the holy ones, the consecrated ones." This term designates believers in Christ. Paul consistently uses "saints" to refer to fellow Christians, emphasizing their redeemed status and inclusion in God's people, making their needs a concern for the entire Christian community. It underscores the communal bond.
• but also overflows: (Greek: alla kai perisseuei)
  • alla kai: "but also." Introduces the second, equally important outcome.
  • perisseuei: "to be over and above, to abound, to excel, to be in abundance, to overflow." This word conveys the idea of superabundance, going beyond what is merely sufficient. It suggests a bountiful, generous production of the second outcome, exceeding expectations or simple sufficiency. The giving not only meets the deficit but triggers a surplus of another kind.
• in many thanksgivings: (Greek: dia pollōn eucharistiōn)
  • dia pollōn: "through many, by means of many." The act of giving becomes the channel or catalyst for this numerous expression of gratitude.
  • eucharistiōn: "thanksgivings, expressions of gratitude." This is not just a general feeling of thankfulness but concrete acts or declarations of praise and appreciation. The "many" implies a rich and diverse outpouring of praise.
• to God: (Greek: tō theō)
  • tō theō: "to God." Crucially, the thanksgiving is directed to God. It emphasizes that God is recognized as the ultimate provider and the source of grace that prompted both the giving and the meeting of needs. The spiritual outcome is divine glorification, not human.

• "the administration of this service" (hē diakonia tēs leitourgias tautēs): This phrase powerfully connects the practical act of financial relief (diakonia) with a solemn, almost liturgical or priestly service (leitourgia). It suggests that gathering and distributing aid to fellow believers is not merely a social obligation but a sacred act of worship, deeply connected to one's devotion to God.
• "not only supplies the needs... but also overflows in many thanksgivings to God": This highlights the dual blessing of Christian giving. It directly addresses tangible, earthly deficiencies while simultaneously producing an immeasurable, spiritual dividend of praise and gratitude that ascends directly to God. The material provision fuels spiritual worship.

2 Corinthians 9 12 Bonus section

The concept of leitourgia (service/liturgy) is crucial here. In secular Greek, it referred to a public service performed by a wealthy citizen at his own expense (e.g., funding a warship or festival). In the Septuagint, it denoted priestly service in the temple. Paul's use here spiritualizes and elevates the practical financial contribution to the level of a solemn, worshipful offering to God, enacted through the meeting of needs for His people. This intertwines practical aid with spiritual devotion, reminding us that Christian acts of charity are part of our offering to God, a form of worship that actively glorifies Him and not merely satisfies human need or praise for the givers. This underscores that Christian giving is an act of grace that redounds to God's grace and glory, binding communities in a web of dependence and gratitude towards the divine Giver.

2 Corinthians 9 12 Commentary

2 Corinthians 9:12 distills Paul's profound theology of giving, showing that Christian generosity achieves both immediate material benefit and ultimate divine glorification. The act of the Corinthians completing their contribution to the Jerusalem saints, viewed as an "administration of service" (diakonia leitourgias), is understood not merely as social welfare but as a consecrated offering to God. This dual-layered interpretation emphasizes that the believers' benevolence will tangibly relieve the severe "needs" (hysterēmatōn) of their fellow "saints," demonstrating practical love and unity within the body of Christ. However, the spiritual ripple effect extends far beyond the material; it produces an abundant "overflow" (perisseuei) of "many thanksgivings" (pollōn eucharistiōn) directed toward God. This signifies that God is recognized as the ultimate source of both the enablement to give and the provision itself. Thus, the human act of giving transcends human benefit, becoming a catalyst for worship and acknowledging God's sustaining grace. This reinforces the principle that practical acts of charity are deeply spiritual and contribute to God's glory.