Begging us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Because the Macedonians were offering more than they could afford, Paul was inclined to refuse their contribution, fearing that hardship would later cause them to reconsider their good deed. But because they showed themselves to be of such character that they stood firm, with a pure mind in the confidence of faith, attaching more importance to the promises for the future than to immediate rewards in the present, in the end it seemed right for him to accept their contribution. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
Praying us. Begging us to undertake the gracious work of collection, and take our part in it. The Apostle often applies the word χάÏις (gift) to what is gratuitous and munificent. Here he applies it to the work of collection. In ver7 and elsewhere he applies it to the alms itself.
Begging of us the grace We may translate, benevolence, or charity, meaning their charitable alms or contributions. It also may be called a grace, a favour, or a charity, which they did for the poor. He exhorts them to these charitable contributions by the example of Christ, who being the God of glory, made himself the lowest and poorest of men to enrich us with grace and glory. (Witham)
Towards the saints. The saints whom St. Paul is here speaking of, are the faithful of Jerusalem, who had been deprived of all their property at the beginning of their conversion, by their countrymen, for their steady adherence to the Christian faith, and were now reduced to the greatest want. It is for the support of their brethren in Palestine that the charitable contributions here mentioned by St. Paul, were raised in the Churches of Macedon. (Calmet)
In the Greek we read, entreating us to receive the alms which they offered as a contribution to the charitable fund destined for the saints, or faithf...
Not only did the Macedonians give voluntarily, they insisted that Paul take what they had to offer. Their actions prove just how much they desired spiritual gifts.
With much intreaty. Lo! Yet a third and a fourth. Praying us. Lo! even a fifth. And when they were in affliction and in poverty. Here are a sixth and seventh. And they gave with excessiveness. Then since this is what he most of all wishes to provide for in the Corinthians' case, namely, the giving deliberately, he dwells especially upon it, saying, with much intreaty, and praying us. 'We prayed not them, but they us.' Pray us what? That the grace and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints. Do you see how he again exalts the deed, calling it by venerable names. For since they were ambitious of spiritual gifts , he calls it by the name grace that they might eagerly pursue it; and again by that of fellowship, that they might learn that they receive, not give only. 'This therefore they intreated us,' he says, 'that we would take upon us such a ministry. '
