In 2 Corinthians: 8-9, Paul is exhorting the Corinthians to fulfill their pledge to contribute towards a love offering being taken up among the gentile churches for the poor saints at Jerusalem. You can read the details about Paul’s instructions to the church at Corinth for this offering in 1 Corinthians 16: 1-9. You can also read in Acts 11:28 about how a prophet named Agabus by the Spirit foretold this famine before it happened. Additionally, Paul makes mention to the Romans that he plans on visiting the church at Rome on his way to Spain after he delivers this love offering to Jerusalem (see Romans 15:22-33). Of course, we Bible readers know God had other plans for how and when Paul will get to Rome. However as we are fond to say, “but that is another story!”

The point of the Biblical narrative outlined above is that the Corinthians, being fully aware of this collection for the famine relief, had failed to save for their contribution. This is just one more example of how far the Corinthians had strayed from the path of Christian love. Now Paul, being a servant of Christ, is to the Corinthians as a father, who while chastising them is also exhorting them to live the Gospel. Those who God loves he chastens. Those whom God doesn’t chasten are not his children. (See Hebrews 12:5-8).

Jesus had this to say about living the Gospel:

Luke 6:45-49 KJV ― “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. [46] And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? [47] Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: [48] He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. [49] But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”

Paul is doing his best to lead these Corinthians to spiritual maturity. When reproving the Galatians for a somewhat different problem, Paul soothes his hard rebuke with a loving explanation: Galatians 4:19 KJV ― “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”

Paul is not so gentle with the Corinthians, as every child is different. However, the end goal of spiritual maturity in the love of Christ is the same.

Any man claiming to be a bishop, pastor, teacher or any other spiritual leader, who is not willing to lay down his own life to warn those in his care is subject to the wrath of God. It would be better for that man to never be born, than to deceive someone trying to get into the Kingdom of Heaven.

That is “What love has to do with it.”