What is the indescribable gift in 2 Corinthians 9:15?

This section ends with thanksgiving unto God, "for His unspeakable gift." There is no need to add what that gift is, for every saint knows, God's unspeakable gift is His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. — Every Christian ought instinctively to answer that it is His grace in Christ. Nothing else in "unspeakable"; nor is anything easier to count than a little money in remembrance of the saints poor in this world. So, in urging liberality according to God in 2 Cor. 8:9, the apostle points to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who "being rich became poor that by His poverty ye might become rich" in a way incomparably above the world's wealth. Only Christ applied in faith gives us the truth of anything.

(Vv. 13, 14.) Moreover, this gift from Gentile converts to Jewish believers becomes an occasion for glorifying God that the Gentiles had received the gospel of Christ, as well as for their liberality. Further it drew out their prayers on behalf of these saints as well as thanksgiving to God.

(V. 15.) But, above all temporal gifts, for which we may rightly be thankful, the Apostle reminds us never to forget to thank God for His "unspeakable gift" — the gift of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

For it is not only that the need of the poor saints was supplied by the administration of this provision, but also it would draw forth "many thanksgivings to God." Is this not an excellent reason for our liberality? Others would glorify God on account of this precious proof of their subjection to the truth of the gospel of Christ, in the freehearted communication of their means for the Lord's sake. So there are not only results in blessings to the giver, but results in glory being given to God. And besides, the prayers of those receiving would be drawn out more ardently for the givers, not a small consideration, for the reality of the grace of God in some draws out the affections of others.

The subject is closed now by an ascription of thanksgiving to God "for His unspeakable gift." Who can doubt that he speaks of the Lord Jesus in all that He is and all He has done? What child of God can fail to echo such thanksgiving from the depths of his heart?

On this last thought, the worthy conclusion of all previously urged, the apostle dilates to the end of the chapter. "Because the ministration of the service is not only filling up the wants of the saints, but also abounding through many thanksgivings to God; through the proof of this service [they] glorified God for the subjection of your confession unto the gospel of Christ and liberality of fellowship toward them and toward all; and their supplication for you, while longing for you, on account of the surpassing grace of God [bestowed] on you. Thanks [be] to God for his unspeakable gift." (Vers. 12-15.) Thus is shown the true and proper character of such a loving contribution for the poor saints. It is an honourable service and a ministry of love. It meets their wants, but it flows over, and rises into many thanksgivings to God. It draws out praise from those who receive it in this subjection to His name; for why also thus liberally remember them at all? It rouses them to prayer with earnest longing for those who manifest such grace. And if such be the blessed effect of love working in the heart and the supplying the poor saints with that which otherwise perishes in the using, what shall we say or feel, as we think of Christ? Thanks to God for His undescribable gift. The reader will agree with me that it is strong to suppose the apostle could speak in such unmeasured terms of liberality in earthly things, however of grace. Spoken of Christ, of all God is to us in and by Him, what can be more proper? One would scarcely have deemed it needful to make even this brief remark, if Calvin and many others had not allowed a turn so derogatory, as it seems to me.

All giving by the Christian flows from that which has been given to him from God. Hence the Apostle cannot close his exhortation on this theme without leading our thoughts to God's supreme gift from which all our giving flows. It is so great a gift as to be beyond all our powers of expression or description. We can only utter thanks for it.

Verse 15. "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." The apostle brings this part of his communication to a close, by one of those abrupt outbreakings of the deep-seated love of Christ which so entirely possessed him, and which so often meet us in his writings. Yet his ejaculation has a method in its fervency, and is in strictest keeping with his previous subject. He had been treating of practical charity — of giving and receiving for the sake of Christ. At the outset of his exhortation, he had referred the strong love of the Macedonian churches to the grace of God; and when addressing himself directly to the saints at Corinth, he had thrown upon their hearts the most powerful of all possible appeals (2 Cor. 8:1-9). And now that he has set before them the motive, and showed to them the spirit which should mark their participation in this work of well-pleasing, he returns, as to his soul's true rest, to the grateful and adoring remembrance of God's one unspeakable Gift. All blessings are from Him, and other gifts, remotely due to his unerring grace, might have their honourable mention, and receive their fit measure of acknowledgment; but the love of God in Christ is neither known nor uttered yet, according to its worth. Paul's words are a strong climax of comparison. Very abundant was the grace bestowed on the Corinthian saints, and rich should be the fruits resulting; but what was this lesser mercy to the gift which had made their darkness light; which drowned their sin in everlasting righteousness, and made them cease from their natural heritage of wrath, by calling them into the fellowship of God's own Son!

Paul knew how to use acceptable words, wise preacher that he was, and when occasion demanded, he could pile superlative upon superlative, as when he wrote of "the exceeding greatness of God's power," and "the exceeding riches of His grace," and His ability "to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think," and of "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." But when he wrote of this gift of God, there were no words that could describe it. If there had been any in human language that could have conveyed to human intelligence the fullness and immensity of it, the Holy Spirit would have known them and given them to him, but there were none. We try to encompass this great gift with words, and we call it "great," "ineffable," "wonderful," "incomparable," "boundless," and "perfect," but they all fail. All these, or their equivalents in the languages of Paul's day were duly considered and found wanting by the divinely-inspired writer. Overwhelmed by the character of the gift, he tells us in one brief sentence that it defies definition and baffles all description, that it is inexpressible, unspeakable. "Thanks be to God," he says, "for HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT."

The gift is the proof and measure of God's love. We may consider it, but never fully comprehend it; we may know it, yet it surpasses knowledge; we may speak of it, yet it is unspeakable; we may search the breadth, length, depth, and height of it; yet it is unsearchable; its dimensions and magnitude are for ever beyond the creature's range! The incarnation and the Cross, the rough way that Jesus trod, His sighs and sorrows, His suffering in Gethsemane, and the shame of Golgotha, the darkness, the woe, His death and blood-shedding, were all God's voice to men, speaking with a growing intensity; they were God's utterance of unutterable love; His love declared by His unspeakable gift. Whether we think of the love that gave the gift, or the gift that the love gave, or the flood of blessing that flows to men, and will yet flow to them as a result of it, there is only one thing we can do, unless we are hardened and blinded by the devil, and that is to give thanks to God for His unspeakable gift. "Unto me, the vile, the guilty, Flows the living flood; I, an enemy, am ransomed By the precious blood. Prostrate at Thy feet I lie, Lost in Love's immensity."

The effect upon those who benefit by the free-hearted liberality is that their hearts, discerning the real source of the gift, are lifted in praise to God. The service "is abundant also by many thanksgivings to God," and God is glorified. Thus not only are the wants of the saints supplied, but there is a harvest for God Himself in which He delights.

Upon the onlooker, such as Paul himself was in this case, the effect is similar to that produced in the recipients. In thus giving, the saints were reflecting to others the grace which they had received, and Paul delighted in it. His thoughts were naturally diverted from the reflection to the great reality which produced the reflection, and lifting up his soul he closes the chapter with the joyous outburst, "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift." The smallest gift of the humblest believer, if offered in THE NAME, is a reproduction and a reminder of the unspeakable gift, and is consequently fragrant; acceptable to God, and promoting praise in those who behold it.

In closing those exhortations to give according to their ability, he commends them to the rich goodness of God, who was able to make them abound in all things, so that they should be in circumstances to multiply their good works, enriched to all bountifulness, so as to produce in others (by means of the apostle's services in this respect) thanksgiving unto God. For, he adds, the happy effect of your practical charity, exercised in the name of Christ, would not only supply the want of the saints (through his administration of the collection made at Corinth) but abound also in thanksgiving to God; for, those who received it blessed God that their benefactors had been brought to confess the name of Christ, and to act with this practical liberality to them and to all. And this thought stirred them up to pray with fervent desire for those who provided in this way for their need, because of the grace of God manifested in them. Thus the bonds of eternal charity were strengthened on both sides, and glory redounded to God. Thanks be to God, says the apostle, for His unspeakable gift; for whatsoever may be the fruits of grace, we have the proof and the power in that which God has given. Here ends the matter of the epistle properly so called.