2 Corinthians 8:2 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

In a great trial of affliction; how great the afflictions of the churches in Macedonia were, both from the Jews and pagans, may be read in Acts 16:1-40 and Acts 17:1-34. Afflictions are called trials, because under them God maketh a trial of our faith, patience, and constancy; and the devil also, ordinarily, by them trieth to draw out our lusts and corruptions. The abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded into the riches of their liberality; God made their inward peace and joy in the Holy Ghost so to abound in them under their trials, that though they were poor, (deeply poor), yet they abounded in the riches of liberality; not ministering to the necessities of their poor brethren in proportion to their abilities, or as might have been expected from men under their circumstances, but showing themselves rich in their liberality, though poor in their estates, and as to what they had of this world's goods.