2 Corinthians 8
8
Christian Giving
1 #
Rom 15.26
Our brothers and sisters, we want you to know what God's grace has accomplished in the churches in Macedonia. 2They have been severely tested by the troubles they went through; but their joy was so great that they were extremely generous in their giving, even though they are very poor. 3I can assure you that they gave as much as they could, and even more than they could. Of their own free will 4they begged us and pleaded for the privilege of having a part in helping God's people in Judea. 5It was more than we could have hoped for! First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God's will they gave themselves to us as well. 6So we urged Titus, who began this work, to continue it and help you complete this special service of love. 7You are so rich in all you have: in faith, speech, and knowledge, in your eagerness to help and in your love for us.#8.7 your love for us; some manuscripts have our love for you. And so we want you to be generous also in this service of love.
8I am not laying down any rules. But by showing how eager others are to help, I am trying to find out how real your own love is. 9You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; rich as he was, he made himself poor for your sake, in order to make you rich by means of his poverty.
10My opinion is that it is better for you to finish now what you began last year. You were the first, not only to act, but also to be willing to act. 11On with it, then, and finish the job! Be as eager to finish it as you were to plan it, and do it with what you now have. 12If you are eager to give, God will accept your gift on the basis of what you have to give, not on what you haven't.
13-14I am not trying to relieve others by putting a burden on you; but since you have plenty at this time, it is only fair that you should help those who are in need. Then, when you are in need and they have plenty, they will help you. In this way both are treated equally. 15#Ex 16.18As the scripture says, “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”
Titus and his Companions
16How we thank God for making Titus as eager as we are to help you! 17Not only did he welcome our request; he was so eager to help that of his own free will he decided to go to you. 18With him we are sending the brother who is highly respected in all the churches for his work in preaching the gospel. 19And besides that, he has been chosen and appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this service of love for the sake of the Lord's glory, and in order to show that we want to help.
20We are taking care not to stir up any complaints about the way we handle this generous gift. 21#Prov 3.4 (LXX)Our purpose is to do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of others.
22So we are sending our brother with them; we have tested him many times and found him always very eager to help. And now that he has so much confidence in you, he is all the more eager to help. 23As for Titus, he is my partner and works with me to help you; as for the other brothers who are going with him, they represent the churches and bring glory to Christ. 24Show your love to them, so that all the churches will be sure of it and know that we are right in boasting about you.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
II Corinthians 8
8
Excel in Giving
1Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and #Mark 12:44their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and #Acts 11:29; 24:17; Rom. 15:25, 26; 1 Cor. 16:1, 3, 4; 2 Cor. 9:1the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5And not only as we had hoped, but they first #(Rom. 12:1, 2)gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the #(Eph. 6:6)will of God. 6So #2 Cor. 8:17; 12:18we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. 7But as #(1 Cor. 1:5; 12:13)you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see #2 Cor. 9:8that you abound in this grace also.
Christ Our Pattern
8#1 Cor. 7:6I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, #Matt. 8:20; Luke 9:58; Phil. 2:6, 7that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become #Rom. 9:23; (Eph. 1:7; Rev. 3:18)rich.
10And in this #1 Cor. 7:25, 40I give advice: #(Prov. 19:17; Matt. 10:42; 1 Tim. 6:18, 19; Heb. 13:16)It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and #1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:2were desiring to do a year ago; 11but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. 12For #Mark 12:43, 44; Luke 21:3, 4; 2 Cor. 9:7if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
13For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15As it is written, #Ex. 16:18“He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
Collection for the Judean Saints
16But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. 17For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. 18And we have sent with him #1 Cor. 16:3; 2 Cor. 12:18the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, 19and not only that, but who was also #Acts 14:23; 1 Cor. 16:3, 4chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us #2 Cor. 4:15to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, 20avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us— 21#Rom. 12:17; Phil. 4:8; 1 Pet. 2:12providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
22And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you. 23If anyone inquires about #2 Cor. 7:13, 14Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are #(John 13:16); Phil. 2:25messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our #2 Cor. 7:4, 14; 9:2boasting on your behalf.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.