14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
9:14
and by their prayer for you,
The Corinthians would receive intercessory prayer from the churches in Judea. This would create strong ties between the two churches. The believers in the churches in Judea were primarily from a Jewish background. The mostly Gentile Corinthian church would receive intercession at the throne of grace from Jewish Christians.
who long for you
The churches in Jerusalem and the surrounding area voiced a thanksgiving and intercessory prayer to God for the Corinthian church. This was an expression of their longing for fellowship with the Gentile churches.
because of the exceeding [surpassing] grace of God in you.
The believers in Judea would recognize that the Corinthians’ generous gifts were the grace of God in them.
9:15
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Paul concluded his two chapters on grace-giving with personal thanks to God for His greatest gift of grace—the Lord Jesus Christ. No one can fully explain God’s “indescribable gift.” That gift is eternal salvation by the death of Christ. The gift of Jesus Christ and His work made this kind of generosity possible.
PRINCIPLE:
Jesus is the ultimate motive for grace-giving because He is the epitome of grace expression.
APPLICATION:
The ultimate expression of grace is Jesus Christ and His work. This grace is the catalyst for all other graces. Gratitude and giving are the cause and effect of biblical giving. Those who are grateful for what Christ has done for them want what they have for others.
