2 Corinthians 8
8
Help for God’s People in Judea
1And now, brothers and sisters, we want to tell you what God’s grace has done in the churches in Macedonia. 2These believers have been tested by great troubles, and they are very poor. But their great joy caused them to be very generous in their giving. 3I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able and even more than they could afford. No one told them to do this. It was their idea. 4But they asked us again and again—they begged us to let them share in this service for God’s people. 5And they gave in a way that we did not expect: They gave themselves to the Lord and to us before they gave their money. This is what God wants.
6So we asked Titus to help you finish this special work of giving. He is the one who started this work. 7You are rich in everything—in faith, in speaking ability, in knowledge, in the willingness to help, and in the love you learned from us. So now we want you to be rich in this work of giving too.
8I am not ordering you to give, but I want to see how real your love is by comparing you with others who have been so ready and willing to help. 9You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that he gave up his heavenly riches for you. He gave up everything so that you could be richly blessed.
10This is what I think you should do: Last year you were the first to want to give, and you were the first who gave. 11So now finish the work you started. Then your “doing” will be equal to your “wanting to do.” Give from what you have. 12If you want to give, your gift will be accepted. Your gift will be judged by what you have, not by what you don’t have. 13We don’t want you to have troubles while others are comforted. We want everything to be equal. 14At this time you have plenty and can provide what they need. Then later, when they have plenty, they can provide what you need. Then everyone will have an equal share. 15As the Scriptures say,
“Those who gathered much did not have too much,
and those who gathered little did not have too little.” Exodus 16:18
Titus and His Companions
16I thank God because he gave Titus the same love for you that I have. 17Titus agreed to do what we asked. In fact, he himself wanted very much to come see you. 18We are sending with Titus the brother who is praised by all the churches. He is praised because of his service to the Good News. 19Also, he was chosen by the churches to go with us when we carry this gift. We are doing this service to bring honor#8:19 honor Or “glory.” See “glory” in the Word List. to the Lord and to show that we really want to help.
20We are being careful so that no one will criticize us about the way we are caring for this large gift. 21We are trying to do what is right. We want to do what the Lord accepts as right and also what people think is right.
22Also, we are sending with them our brother who is always ready to help. He has proved this to us in many ways. And he wants to help even more now because he has much faith in you.
23Now about Titus—he is my partner. He is working together with me to help you. And about the other brothers—they are sent from the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. 24So show these men that you really have love. Show them why we are proud of you. Then all the churches can see it.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
2 Corinthians 8
8
Appeal to Complete the Collection
1We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches # Mt 16:18; 1Co 14:4; Rv 1:4 of Macedonia: # Ac 16:9 2During a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity. # Php 4:10 3I testify that, on their own, according to their ability and beyond their ability, 4they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing # Ac 24:17; Rm 15:26,31; 2Co 8:19-20; 9:1,12-13 in the ministry to the saints, 5and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will. # Ps 143:10; Pr 16:9; Jn 5:30; Gl 1:4; Eph 1:9; 1Jn 2:17 6So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so he should also complete this grace to you. 7Now as you excel in everything — faith, speech, knowledge, # Php 3:8; 1Jn 4:8 and in all diligence, and in your love for us # Other mss read in our love for you — excel also in this grace.
8I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, # Mt 20:28; 2Co 6:10; Php 2:6-7 for your sake He became poor, # Php 2:7 so that by His poverty you might become rich. 10Now I am giving an opinion on this because it is profitable for you, who a year ago began not only to do something but also to desire it. # Lit to will # 1Co 16:1-4; 2Co 9:1-2 11But now finish the task # Lit finish the doing as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have. 12For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. # Lk 21:3 13It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality # Lit but from equality — 14at the present time your surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so there may be equality. 15As it has been written:
The person who gathered much
did not have too much,
and the person who gathered little
did not have too little. # Ex 16:18 # Ex 16:18
Administration of the Collection
16Thanks be to God who put the same concern for you into the heart of Titus. 17For he accepted our urging and, being very diligent, went out to you by his own choice. 18We have sent with him the brother # 2Co 12:18 who is praised throughout the churches for his gospel ministry. # Lit churches, in the gospel 19And not only that, but he was also appointed by the churches to accompany us with this gift # Or grace that is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20We are taking this precaution so no one can criticize us about this large sum administered by us. 21For we are making provision # 1Tm 5:8 for what is right, # 1Pt 2:12 not only before the Lord but also before men. 22We have also sent with them our brother. We have often tested him in many circumstances and found him to be diligent — and now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. 23As for Titus, he is my partner # Phm 17 and coworker # 1Co 3:9 serving you; as for our brothers, they are the messengers # Jn 13:16 of the churches, the glory of Christ. # Mk 10:37 24Therefore, show them proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting # 2Co 12:5; Jms 4:16 about you.
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