2 Corinthians / Question
Paul says each person should give as decided in the heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. He then states, "God loves a cheerful giver." See 2 Corinthians 9:7.
In 2 Corinthians 9:6–7, Paul frames giving with farming language: the “size” of sowing sets the “size” of reaping. He then shifts from outcome to manner: each person should give what they have already decided internally, without resentment or being pushed into it. These lines sit in Paul’s larger appeal about a money collection he is organizing and wants the Corinthians to complete (chs. Just before this, he stresses readiness and avoiding an embarrassing shortfall when others arrive (9:3–5).
Paul connects giving to a familiar cause-and-effect picture: sowing and harvesting. The explicit point is proportionality—small sowing lines up with small reaping, and generous sowing lines up with generous reaping (verse 6).
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with 2 Corinthians 9:7, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
7Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.