"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift."
2 Corinthians 9:15
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In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul has two ideas that he is sharing with the Corinthians. First, is the great need for an offering to be taken for the believers that are in Jerusalem (vv. 1-5). The second is the opportunity for believers to be gracious givers to people in need (vv. 6-15). An underlying theme in the chapter is the believer’s thanks to God for His goodness. This idea comes up at least three times in this chapter.
“Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God,” (2 Corinthians 9:11).
“For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God,” (2 Corinthians 9:12).
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift,” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
“Thanks be unto God”
We owe everything to God! How can we not be thankful to Him? Actually, as the children of Adam, it’s not as hard for us to be unthankful as it might appear.
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened,” (Romans 1:21).
Adam’s children became unthankful, and the sinful spiral downward from there influenced all humankind. When a man is unthankful, that is just the beginning of his devolving into sin.
The new believer has a different pattern of life, and that is one of thanksgiving. We are thankful to our God! A great motivation for the believer’s giving, and for his service to God and others is his thankfulness to God for His blessings.
Believers are thankful people!
“For his unspeakable gift,”
This phrase “unspeakable gift” has confused some who think that His gift to us should never be spoken of. That is not what Paul meant by “unspeakable gift.” As Paul, from his thankful heart, tried to write down an adequate expression of God’s great gift to us he came up empty, not being able to put his thoughts into satisfactory words—so he said, we thank Him for “His unspeakable gift.”
What is this gift that Paul could not find the words to describe it?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16).
God gave His Son, who provides salvation. What could be greater than this gift? Jesus is a gift, and salvation is a gift. This gift can never be bought, nor earned, nor bargained for, for then it would not be a gift but become a commodity to be traded to the highest bidder.
Even though this great gift of salvation may be challenging to put into words adequately, yet we are all charged with going, and telling the good news far and wide. Let’s be faithful to tell others what a wondrous salvation that Jesus has given to us.
Be thankful for your Savior and His salvation!