Paul had known the church at Corinth for a long time, being the one who established the church in that city. He knew them well. He knew they were faithful and generous in their giving. He praised the generosity of the Corinthians to the saints in Macedonia. The Macedonians were stirred up by the zeal of the Corinthians and wanted to follow their example in giving (v.1-2).
Well, that was BEFORE problems began to surface in the church at Corinth that we read about in First Corinthians. Now that the church had settled its problems, Paul wrote in this chapter to remind them of the gift they had pledged to the poor saints at Jerusalem.
Paul told the Corinthians: “But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be” (v.3, ESV).
Paul had boasted to the Macedonians about Corinth’s generosity and that Corinth had already set aside the gift a year ago (v.2, 3). Some from the church in Macedonia wanted to see first-hand the generosity of the Corinth church that Paul spoke about. They were coming with Paul to Corinth. So, Paul sent some brethren to Corinth in advance to get the Corinthians to prepare for the gift lest when his guests appeared, they should find them unprepared. Paul wanted to ensure that neither he nor the Corinthians should be humiliated (embarrassed) should the Macedonians find them not ready, or worst, unwilling to give: “Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting” (v.4).
The Bible gives us some principles about Giving.
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