SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:15
Gracias a Dios por su don inefable.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 9:15
Verse 15. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.] Some contend that Christ only is here intended; others, that the almsgiving is meant. After all the difference of commentators and preachers, it is most evident that the anekdihghtov dwrea, unspeakable gift, is precisely the same with the uperballoush cariv, superabounding grace or benefit, of the preceding verse. If therefore Jesus Christ, the gift of God s unbounded love to man, be the meaning of the unspeakable gift in this verse, he is also intended by the superabounding grace in the preceding. But it is most evident that it is the work of Christ in them, and not Christ himself, which is intended in the 14th verse ; and consequently, that it is the same work, not the operator, which is referred to in this last verse.
A FEW farther observations may be necessary on the conclusion of this chapter.
1. JESUS CHRIST, the gift of God's love to mankind, is an unspeakable blessing; no man can conceive, much less declare, how great this gift is; for these things the angels desire to look into. Therefore he may be well called the unspeakable gift, as he is the highest God ever gave or can give to man; though this is not the meaning of the last verse.
2. The conversion of a soul from darkness to light, from sin to holiness, from Satan to God, is not less inconceivable. It is called a new creation, and creative energy cannot be comprehended. To have the grace of God to rule the heart, subduing all things to itself and filling the soul with the Divine nature, is an unspeakable blessing; and the energy that produced it is an unspeakable gift. I conclude, therefore, that it is the work of Christ in the soul, and not Christ himself, that the apostle terms the superabounding or exceeding great grace, and the unspeakable gift; and Dr. Whitby's paraphrase may be safely admitted as giving the true sense of the passage.
"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift: i.e. this admirable charity (proceeding from the work of Christ in the soul) by which God is so much glorified, the Gospel receives such credit, others are so much benefited, and you will be by God so plentifully rewarded." This is the sober sense of the passage; and no other meaning can comport with it. The passage itself is a grand proof that every good disposition in the soul of man comes from God; and it explodes the notion of natural good, i.e. good which God does not work, which is absurd; for no effect can exist without a cause; and God being the fountain of good, all that can be called good must come immediately from himself. See James i. 17.
3. Most men can see the hand of God in the dispensations of his justice, and yet these very seldom appear. How is it that they cannot equally see his hand in the dispensations of his mercy, which are great, striking, and unremitting? Our afflictions we scarcely ever forget; our mercies we scarcely ever remember! Our hearts are alive to complaint, but dead to gratitude. We have had ten thousand mercies for one judgment, and yet our complaints to our thanksgivings have been ten thousand to one! How is it that God endures this, and bears with us? Ask his own eternal clemency; and ask the Mediator before the throne. The mystery of our preservation and salvation can be there alone explained.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift .] Meaning either the goodness of God, both to the giver and receiver; for that the one gave so liberally, and the other received so largely, was from the grace of God, who so powerfully inclines the hearts of his children to do good, and offer so willingly of what he has given them, and who so wonderfully provides for the supply of the poor and needy; or else that exceeding grace of God which was so eminently, largely, and freely bestowed on the Corinthians in their effectual calling; or, as some think, Christ himself, who is to be sure the unspeakable gift of God; who, though his Son, his own Son, his only begotten Son, the Son of his love, his Son and heir, yet he gave him to be a covenant to the people, the head of his church, the Saviour of sinners, and to be a sacrifice in their room and stead: none can tell how great this gift is, which is so suitable and seasonable, so large and comprehensive, nor declare the love both of the Father and the Son, expressed in it. Thankful we should be for it; and our thankfulness should be shown by highly prizing and valuing this gift; by laying the whole stress of our salvation on Christ; by ascribing all the glory of it to him; by giving up ourselves to him, and to his interest; by walking worthy of him in all well pleasing, and by communicating to the support of his cause, and the supply of his poor ministers and members. And thus the apostle tacitly suggests one of the strongest arguments that can be used, to stir up the saints to generosity and liberality, taken from the wonderful grace of God in the gift of his Son; for if he of his free grace, and unmerited love, has given his Son to, and for his people, and with him all things freely, both the riches of grace and glory, then they ought freely and bountifully to communicate temporal good things to the poor members of Christ, for whom God and Christ have an equal love, as for themselves.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 6-15 - Money bestowed in charity, may to the carnal mind seem thrown away, but when given from proper principles, it is seed sown, from which valuable increase may be expected. It should be given carefully. Work of charity, like other good works, should be done with thought an design. Due thought, as to our circumstances, and those we are about to relieve, will direct our gifts for charitable uses. Help should be given freely, be it more or less; not grudgingly, but cheerfully. Whil some scatter, and yet increase; others withhold more than is meet, an it tends to poverty. If we had more faith and love, we should wast less on ourselves, and sow more in hope of a plentiful increase. Can man lose by doing that with which God is pleased? He is able to make all grace abound towards us, and to abound in us; to give a larg increase of spiritual and of temporal good things. He can make us to have enough in all things; and to be content with what we have. God gives not only enough for ourselves, but that also wherewith we ma supply the wants of others, and this should be as seed to be sown. We must show the reality of our subjection to the gospel, by works of charity. This will be for the credit of our profession, and to the praise and glory of God. Let us endeavour to copy the example of Christ, being unwearied in doing good, and deeming it more blessed to give than to receive. Blessed be God for the unspeakable gift of his grace, whereby he enables and inclines some of his people to besto upon others, and others to be grateful for it; and blessed be his glorious name to all eternity, for Jesus Christ, that inestimable gif of his love, through whom this and every other good thing, pertainin to life and godliness, are freely given unto us, beyond all expression measure, or bounds __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
χαρις 5485 N-NSF δε 1161 CONJ τω 3588 T-DSM θεω 2316 N-DSM επι 1909 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF ανεκδιηγητω 411 A-DSF αυτου 846 P-GSM δωρεα 1431 N-DSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. Thanks, etc. These abrupt thanksgivings are common in Paul's writings. See Rom. ix. 5; xi. 33; 1 Cor. xv. 57; Gal. i. 5; Eph. iii. 20.Unspeakable (anekdihghtw). Lit., not to be told throughout. Only here in the New Testament.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:15 {Thanks be to God} (caris twi qewi). Third time (verses #11,12,15). {For his unspeakable gift} (epi tei anekdiegetwi autou dwreai). One of Paul's gems flashed out after the somewhat tangled sentence (verses #10-14) like a gleam of light that clears the air. Words fail Paul to describe the gift of Christ to and for us. He may have coined this word as it is not found elsewhere except in ecclesiastical writers save as a variant (B L) for adiegeton in Aristeas 99 (qaumasmon anekdiegeton, "wonder beyond description," Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_). See similar word in #Ro 11:33 (anexicniasta, unsearchable) and #Eph 3:8.
