2 Corinthians 9:3-5 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, in order that, just as I said, you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.
Paul restates the purpose for sending to Corinth Titus and the two brothers mentioned at the end of ch. 8. Paul has bragged on the generosity and growth of the Corinthians. He does not want this to be untrue. This is not manipulative but should be inspiring to the Corinthians. Positive feedback like this can be a strong motivation. Now a third party (to whomever Paul boasted, possibly wherever he had been traveling) is witness of this boasting. When a third party is involved, it should encourage the first party to step up to meet or achieve what has been said about them. The Corinthians should now step up to the high standard Paul has put before them. This idea is found in the purpose clause in v. 3. The reason Paul wrote is so that the Corinthians will be ready with their offering once the brothers arrive. He does not want the Corinthians to be embarrassed (humiliated or shamed) before the Macedonians who were coming with him (v. 4) and caught off guard, and thus having another reason to criticize Paul.
Paul is working hard in these two chapters to 1) convince the Corinthians to participate in the offering with their whole heart, and 2) develop relationships among the churches and keep the mission unified. He wants them to be prepared for the arrival of the brothers whom he has sent ahead of time (v. 5). The key here is that this offering will be of freewill. They have heard of the need. They have been reminded. The next step would be confrontation and shame. Paul does not want this to happen accidentally because of a lack of knowledge or forgetfulness. He does not want this offering to be viewed as extortion or manipulation. There are certain preachers and ministries today who are almost manipulative in how they ask for money. A simple plea with clear facts should be enough to move God’s people to give to a certain ministry or need. This requires a great degree of trust in God’s grace working in the hearts of those who give.
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