2 Corinthians 9:6-8

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But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NKJV)

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV)

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (KJV)

Remember this — a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NLT)

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (ESV)

Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed]. Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift]. And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (AMP)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (MSG)

Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

New Covenant Meaning

Generosity Operates on a Sowing and Reaping Principle

Paul uses an agricultural metaphor that every reader in the ancient world understood: you reap what you sow, and you reap in proportion to what you sow. A farmer who plants a handful of seeds will not harvest an abundant crop. A farmer who plants generously will reap generously. This principle is not manipulation or prosperity gospel in the negative sense. It is the way God designed the system of generosity to work. Giving is seed. It has a harvest. The harvest is proportional to the seed. This is not about earning from God. It is about participating in a covenant system that God designed to bless those who give.

God Loves the Heart Behind the Gift

Verse 7 is the heart of the passage: God loves a cheerful giver. The word in Greek is hilaros, from which we get "hilarious." God is drawn to the person who gives with delight, freely, from an overflowing heart, not under pressure or religious guilt. This disqualifies compulsion-based giving as the model. Giving should flow from a heart that has already received from God and wants to participate in what He is doing. The amount matters less than the heart behind it. God is not primarily interested in your dollars. He is interested in your heart, and the dollars reveal the heart.

Verse 8 is the guarantee that underwrites the whole passage: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." The reason you can give generously is that God is able to replenish. You are not depleting a fixed resource. You are participating in an economy backed by God's unlimited grace. Generosity is not foolish risk. It is faith in the One who promises to make all grace abound toward you.

Application for Your Life

Give From a Place of Joy, Not Obligation

If giving feels like a tax, something to be minimized and done reluctantly, this passage is a reset. The model Paul describes is a giver who has purposed in his heart, decided freely what to give, and gives with delight. Before you give again, ask yourself: am I giving from guilt, pressure, or fear? Or am I giving because I genuinely believe in what God is doing and I want to participate? The goal is the latter. When you get there, generosity stops being a burden and starts being one of the most joyful expressions of your covenant relationship with God.

Plant Generously Into What God Is Blessing

The sowing and reaping principle applies to where you plant, not just how much. A farmer does not throw seed randomly on concrete and expect a harvest. He plants in good soil. Giving generously into ministries that are genuinely advancing the kingdom, into people who are in need, into the things God is blessing, is sowing in good soil. The harvest follows. This does not mean you give only when you can calculate the return. It means you give with wisdom, intention, and faith that the God who made the principle will honor it.

Prayer Based on This Verse

Father, I want to be the kind of giver You love: cheerful, free, generous, not grudging or compelled by pressure. I receive the truth that giving operates on a sowing and reaping principle. What I sow bountifully, I will reap bountifully. I trust You to make all grace abound toward me so that I always have all sufficiency in all things and an abundance for every good work. I give from a place of faith and joy today, not from fear or obligation. You are the source that never runs out. In Jesus' name. Amen.