2 Corinthians
Chapter 8
Overview
Paul now turns from strained personal matters to a practical test of care: a collection for fellow believers in need. He points to the Christian communities in Macedonia, whose generosity grew in the unlikely soil of hardship and poverty. He then urges the Corinthians to finish what they had already begun, without giving beyond their means. The aim is fairness, not pressure. Finally, Paul explains why Titus and two trusted delegates are coming: to help complete the collection openly and honorably, so that both God and people can see that the money is handled with care.
1Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the generous grace God has given to the churches in Macedonia.
2During a severe test of suffering, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty overflowed into rich, wholehearted generosity.
3I can confirm that they gave as much as they could—and even more than they could—entirely by their own choice.
4They urgently begged us for the privilege of sharing in this service for God’s people.
5They did more than we had expected. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then, by God’s will, to us.
6So we urged Titus to bring this gracious act of giving to completion among you, just as he had begun it.
7You excel in everything—in faith, speech, knowledge, complete eagerness, and the love that has grown in you through us. Make sure that you also excel in this act of generosity.
8I am not saying this as a command. I am using other people’s eagerness to test whether your love is genuine.
9You know the generous grace shown by our Lord Jesus the Messiah. Although he was rich, he became poor for your sake, so that through his poverty you might become rich.
10Here is my advice, because this is best for you: last year you began not only to do this, but also to want to do it.
11Now finish the work. Complete it with what you have, showing the same eagerness you had when you first wanted to do it.
12If the willingness is there, a person’s gift is accepted based on what that person has, not on what the person does not have.
13I do not mean that others should have relief while you suffer. Rather, there should be fairness.
14At the present time, your abundance should meet their need, so that their abundance may also meet your need. In that way there will be fairness.
15As Scripture says, “The person who had much did not have too much, and the person who had little did not have too little.”
16Thank God for putting into Titus’s heart the same eager concern for you that we have.
17He welcomed our appeal. In fact, he was so eager that he set out for you by his own choice.
18We are also sending with him a fellow believer who is praised among all the churches for his work in spreading the good news.
19More than that, the churches chose him to travel with us as we administer this generous collection. We do this to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.
20We are taking this precaution so that no one can criticize us over the large collection we are administering.
21We are taking care to do what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight, but also in people’s sight.
22With them we are sending another fellow believer. We have tested him many times in many situations and found him eager to help. Now he is even more eager because he has great confidence in you.
23As for Titus, he is my partner and my coworker in serving you. As for the other believers, they are delegates of the churches, and they bring honor to the Messiah.
24Therefore, show these men your love, and show them why we are proud of you. Do this openly before the churches.