But this I say, He who sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Paul is referring to misers when he talks about people who sow sparingly. He says this here because the Corinthians had promised to send something and had subsequently backtracked. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
And since the apostle himself says: “Now this I say: he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly,” you should understand that now is the time, while we are still in this life, to be swift and eager to purchase the gift of eternal life, for when the end of the world comes it will be given only to those who have bought it for themselves by faith before they were able to see it.
He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Literally, he which soweth in blessings, i.e, liberally scatters, as it were, seeds among the poor, shall reap of them again. For God, who reckons that to be done to Himself which is done to the poor, does not suffer Himself to be surpassed in liberality, but to the liberal is far more liberal, and repays them in greater abundance, both corporal and spiritual gifts. For parallel expressions, cf. Joshua 15:19; 1 Samuel 25:27; Genesis 48:25. In this last passage, Jacob hints at the reason why the Hebrew calls beneficence blessing. It is because, by a pious form of speech, they wish to point out that the beneficence of God, which is the fount and origin of all ours, flows from His benediction. With God to bless is to do, and is the same as to benefit, and therefore God by His word alone bestows on us all good things. (2.) Another reason is that the Patriarchs and early Christians, such as the hermits and other Saints of the New T...
Accordingly, let us not simply have the recipient in view in showing generosity in almsgiving, but consider who it is who takes as his the kindnesses shown to the poor person and who promises recompense for favors done; and thus let us direct our attention to him while showing all zeal in making offerings with complete enthusiasm, and let us sow generously in season so that we may also reap generously. Scripture says, remember, “he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly.” Let us consequently sow these good seeds generously so that in due season we may reap generously. Now, after all, is the time for sowing, which I beseech you not to ignore, so that on the day of harvesting we may gather the returns of what was sown here and be regaled with loving kindness from the Lord.
He that sows sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he that sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully. And he did not say niggardly, but a milder expression, employing the name of the sparing. And he called the thing sowing; that you might at once look unto the recompense, and having in mind the harvest, might feel that you receive more than you give. Wherefore he did not say, 'He that gives,' but He that sows: and he said not 'ye, if you sow,' but made what he said general. Neither did he say, 'largely,' but bountifully, which is far greater than this. And again, he betakes himself to that former point of gladness;
