Experiment
An Archaic Use of 'Experiment'
The word "experiment" appears once in the King James Version, in 2 Corinthians 9:13, where Paul writes about the collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem. The KJV reads: "Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ." Modern translations render the key phrase as "by the proof you have given through this ministry" or "by their experience of this ministry."
In seventeenth-century English, "experiment" meant "a test," "a proof," or "a demonstration of something." It did not carry the modern scientific connotation of a controlled investigation. The KJV translators used it to convey that the Corinthians' generous giving served as tangible evidence of the genuineness of their faith.
The Greek Word Dokime
The underlying Greek word is dokime, which means "approvedness," "tested character," or "proof through trial." It comes from the root dokimos, meaning "tested" or "approved," the way a metal is tested by fire to prove its purity. Paul uses this word family throughout his letters to describe the process by which faith is tested and found genuine (Romans 5:4; 2 Corinthians 2:9; Philippians 2:22).
In 2 Corinthians 9:13, dokime refers specifically to the way the Corinthians' financial generosity toward the Jerusalem church proved the sincerity of their confession of the gospel. Their willingness to give sacrificially demonstrated that their faith was not merely verbal but practical and real.
The Context: The Jerusalem Collection
Paul devoted significant energy to organizing a financial collection from Gentile churches for the impoverished Jewish believers in Jerusalem. This project is described at length in 2 Corinthians 8-9, Romans 15:25-28, and 1 Corinthians 16:1-4. The collection was not merely a charitable act but a profound statement of unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians, demonstrating that the gospel had created one family across ethnic and cultural lines.
Paul encouraged the Corinthians by noting that their generosity would accomplish multiple purposes: it would meet the physical needs of the Jerusalem saints, it would produce thanksgiving to God, and it would serve as a "proof" (experiment/dokime) of the Corinthians' genuine faith (2 Corinthians 9:12-14).
Tested and Proven Faith
The concept behind "experiment" connects to a major theme in Paul's theology. Faith that is real will inevitably be demonstrated through action. James echoed this principle when he wrote, "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17). Paul's use of dokime in 2 Corinthians 9:13 teaches that generosity is one of the clearest tests of whether someone's profession of faith is genuine.
Romans 5:3-4 traces the progression from suffering to perseverance to tested character (dokime) to hope. In this framework, proven character is not something claimed but something demonstrated through the pressures and opportunities of real life. The Corinthians' financial gift was precisely such an opportunity.
The Joy of Giving as Proof
Paul frames the entire discussion of giving in 2 Corinthians 9 around joy and grace rather than obligation. "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7) is one of the Bible's most quoted verses on generosity. The "experiment" of their ministry was not a grudging test but a joyful demonstration. By giving freely and generously, the Corinthians showed that the grace of God was genuinely at work in their hearts, transforming not only their beliefs but their relationship to their possessions.
Biblical Context
The word 'experiment' (dokime) appears in 2 Corinthians 9:13 within Paul's discussion of the collection for the Jerusalem church (2 Corinthians 8-9). The same Greek word family appears in Romans 5:4 (proven character through suffering), 2 Corinthians 2:9 (testing obedience), and Philippians 2:22 (Timothy's proven worth). All uses convey the idea of faith demonstrated through action.
Theological Significance
The concept behind 'experiment' teaches that genuine faith produces visible fruit. Paul's argument in 2 Corinthians 9 is that generosity serves as proof of the gospel's transforming power. When believers give sacrificially, they demonstrate that God's grace has changed their hearts. This connects to the broader biblical theme that faith without works is dead (James 2:17) and that tested character produces hope (Romans 5:4).
Historical Background
The Jerusalem collection was a major project in Paul's ministry, undertaken between approximately AD 55-57. The church in Jerusalem faced poverty due to various factors including famine (Acts 11:28), economic marginalization, and the sharing of possessions described in Acts 2-4. Paul saw the collection as a practical expression of Gentile-Jewish unity in Christ. The English word 'experiment' in its older sense of 'proof' or 'test' was standard usage in the early 1600s and appears in other literature of the period.