2 Corinthians 8:6,16 - Compare All Versions

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So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.

Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.

Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace.

But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you.

So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.

But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have.

So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so he should also complete among you this act of grace.

Thanks be to God, who put the same concern for you into the heart of Titus.

Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.

But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives. That’s what prompted us to ask Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so well begun could be finished up. You do so well in so many things—you trust God, you’re articulate, you’re insightful, you’re passionate, you love us—now, do your best in this, too.

So here’s what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart’s been in the right place all along. You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hands. This isn’t so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you’re shoulder to shoulder with them all the way, your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out even. As it is written, Nothing left over to the one with the most, Nothing lacking to the one with the least. I thank God for giving Titus the same devoted concern for you that I have. He was most considerate of how we felt, but his eagerness to go to you and help out with this relief offering is his own idea. We’re sending a companion along with him, someone very popular in the churches for his preaching of the Message. But there’s far more to him than popularity. He’s rock-solid trustworthy. The churches handpicked him to go with us as we travel about doing this work of sharing God’s gifts to honor God as well as we can, taking every precaution against scandal.

So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.

But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness in your behalf in the heart of Titus.

So we urged Titus that, as he began it, he should also complete this gracious work among you as well.

But thanks be to God who puts the same genuine concern for you in the heart of Titus.

Thus we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun this work, so also he should complete this act of kindness for you.

But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you