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2 Corinthians Chapter 9

2 Corinthians Chapter 9

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Arrangements for the Gift

(Parallel teachings: 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; Romans 15:25-28)

  • 1 For indeed, it’s superfluous for me to write to you about service to the holy ones.
  • 2 For I *know your eagerness, which I boast about for your sake to the Macedonians, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal provoked more of them.
  • 3 But I sent the brothers so that our boast about you wouldn’t be emptied in this matter, so that you might be *prepared, just as I was saying.
  • 4 Lest if the Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we – that’s not to mention you – would be put to shame in this confidence [of our boast].
  • 5 Therefore, I thought it was essential to urge the brothers so that they might go to you and prepare beforehand this blessing from you which was *promised beforehand.  Thus, it’s ready to be given as a blessing and not as from reluctant greed.fn“greed” could also be translated “covetousness”.  Paul seems to be saying the gift should be freely given without a greedy wish that they wouldn’t have to give what they’d promised.
  • 6 Yet remember this: the man sowing sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the man sowing on blessings will also reap on blessings,fnquotation/allusion to Proverbs 11:24-25.
  • 7 just as each man *decided in the heart, not from grief or from compulsion, for God ^loves a joyfully voluntaryfn“joyfully voluntary” is one word in Greek, which properly means joyful and not under compulsion; i.e. voluntary and happy about it. giver.fnquotation/allusion to the version of Proverbs 22:8 found in the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek, usually abbreviated “LXX”). Nearly all modern translations of the Old Testament are based on the Hebrew text, and thus read differently in Proverbs 22:8.
  • 8 And God can make all grace overflow into you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you might overflow in every good work.
  • 9 Just as it’s *written, “He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness endures throughout the ages.”fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 112:9.  “throughout the ages” is literally “throughout the age” and is often translated “forever”. In the plural (“through the ages”), this phrase emphasizes the succession of multiple ages. In the singular, it emphasizes the totality of a time period, the length of which depends entirely on the context. It could be a person’s lifetime, (e.g., John 8:35) an age/epoch (e.g., 1 Cor 8:13), or time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The preposition translated “throughout” typically means “through” in temporal contexts (Thayer’s), but “throughout” was chosen to more precisely capture the sense of totality.
  • 10 And the One supplying seed for the man sowing will also abundantly provide bread for food,fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 55:10 and will multiply your seed, and will grow the fruits of your righteousness,fnquotation/allusion to the version of Hosea 10:12 found in the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek, usually abbreviated “LXX”). Nearly all modern translations of the Old Testament are based on the Hebrew text, and thus read differently in Hosea 10:12.
  • 11 enriching you in everything, into all generosity which produces thanksgiving to God through us.
  • 12 For the ministry of this service is not only completely supplying the needs of the holy ones, but also overflowing through much thanksgivingfnliterally “many thanksgivings” to God.
  • 13 Because this service is proof of your genuineness,fn“proof of your genuineness” is one word in Greek.  It’s a noun, derived from the adjective “δόκιμος” (dokimos) which means something that has been tested to prove it’s genuine.  It was used of testing coins to prove they weren’t counterfeit or mixed with lesser metals. they’re glorifying God at the submission of your confession to the good news of the Anointed, and the generosity of your partnership to them and to all men.
  • 14 And their earnest prayer is for your sake, longing for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.
  • 15 Thanksfn“Thanks” is literally “Grace”.  The Greek word here is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace” or “gift”.  It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place.  The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis) for someone.  A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron.  The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful”.  Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation.  A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons.  The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met.  Christian Grace and Faith is well pictured by this system.  The Heavenly Patron (God the Father) freely gave a gift (Jesus’ blood), and the clients who accept it (Christians) are expected to “be faithful” out of gratitude. be to God for His indescribable gift!

 

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