2-corinthians 8:10
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.
American King James Version (AKJV)
And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.
American Standard Version (ASV)
And herein I give my judgment: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And in this I give my opinion: for it is to your profit, who were the first to make a start a year before, not only to do this, but to make clear that your minds were more than ready to do it.
Webster's Revision
And in this I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.
World English Bible
I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing.
English Revised Version (ERV)
And herein I give my judgment: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.
Clarke's 2-corinthians 8:10 Bible Commentary
Herein I give my advice - For I speak not by way of commandment, 2 Corinthians 8:8.
For this is expedient for you - It is necessary you should do this to preserve a consistency of conduct; for ye began this work a year ago, and it is necessary that ye should complete it as soon as possible.
Not only to do, but also to be forward - Το ποιησαι - και το θελειν, literally, to do and to will; but as the will must be before the deed, θελειν, must be taken here in the sense of delight, as it frequently means in the Old and New Testaments. See several examples in Whitby.
Some MSS. transpose the words: allowing this, there is no difficulty.
A year ago - Απο περυσι. It was about a year before this that the apostle, in his first epistle, 1 Corinthians 16:2, had exhorted them to make this contribution and there is no doubt that they, in obedience to his directions, had begun to lay up in store for this charitable purpose; he therefore wishes them to complete this good work, and thus show that they were not led to it by the example of the Macedonians, seeing they themselves had been first movers in this business.
Barnes's 2-corinthians 8:10 Bible Commentary
And herein I give my advice - Not undertaking to command them, or to prescribe how much they should give. Advice will go much further than commands on the subject of charities.
For this is expedient for you - (συμφέρει sumpherei). That is, this will be of advantage to you; it will be profitable; it will be becoming. The idea is, that they were bound by a regard to consistency and to their own welfare, to perform what they had purposed. It became them; it was proper, and was demanded; and there would have been manifest disadvantages if it had not been done.
Who have begun before - Who commenced the collection a year before; see 2 Corinthians 8:6. It had been commenced with fair prospects of success, but had been interrupted probably by the dissensions which arose in the church there.
Not only to do - Not merely to accomplish it as if by constraint, or as a matter of compulsion and drudgery.
But also to be forward - Margin, "Willing." So the Greek τὸ θέλειν to thelein. They were voluntary in this, and they set about it with vigorous and determined zeal and courage. There was a resolute determination in the thing, and a willingness and heartiness in it which showed that they were actuated by Christian principle. Consistency, and their own reputation and advantage, now demanded that they should complete what they had begun.
