2 Corinthians 8:20

Avoiding this. Or, “taking precautions about this.” Paul sought to avoid any basis for the charge that he was making a personal profit from the project. Strict honesty may not always be sufficient in money matters, where the least carelessness may become the occasion for criticism. The Christian minister, especially, must exercise scrupulous care in handling money matters (cf. 1 Timothy 3:3; 1 Peter 5:2).

Blame. Or, “reproach,” here implying that someone might charge that Paul had not been strictly honest with the funds entrusted to him.

Abundance. Or, “liberality.” The collection had every appearance of proving successful, taking into account what Paul anticipated from the comparatively well-to-do Corinthian church. The Corinthians were popularly considered wealthy people, as reflected in the proverb, “Not every man can pretend to live in Corinth.”