People make commitments all the time. Whenever we sign a contract or a lease, we are making a commitment to fulfill the terms of that agreement. In our personal lives, making commitments is a daily, if not hourly, activity. And, of course, we make commitments in church. That is what Paul is discussing in this chapter of his second letter to the church in Corinth. A year before, they had made a pledge to support the Christians in Jerusalem and now it was time to fulfill that commitment.
It would be easy to pit the Corinthians against the Christians in Macedonia – to create a competition between the two groups. While it may appear that is what Paul is doing, he is really telling the Corinthians that the churches in Macedonia have accepted this idea of supporting their fellow Christians and have joined in the collection. Paul is careful to praise the Corinthians for their work and faith while encouraging them to fulfill their pledge.
