2 Corinthians 8
1 Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.
Now, my fellow believers, I want to tell you [what happened because of] God’s [acting] kindly [in the lives] of [the believers in] the congregations [here] in Macedonia [province].
2 In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.
Even though [the non-believers here] have been causing the believers to suffer severely, the believers are always very joyful. [Although they] are very poor, [they gave] very generously [to help other believers].
3 For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord,
[I know that this is true], because I have seen for myself that they not only gave [money] [EUP] that they were able [to give], they gave [so much money that they did] not even keep enough [to buy what they needed for themselves]. Without anyone telling them [to share their possessions],
4 they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
they themselves kept requesting us to let them participate in what [other believers] are doing in [sending a gift of money to] [EUP] God’s people [in Judea province].
5 And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, because it was the will of God.
I thought [that they would give only a little of their money, but] they did much [more than that]. First, they told the Lord [Jesus] that they wanted to do [what pleases him. After that, they told] me that they wanted to do [whatever I thought was good for them to do, because they were sure that] would be what God [wanted them to do].
6 So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.
So, because Titus was the one who [helped you to] begin [gathering the money] [EUP, MTY] for your gift, I urged him to also [help you] finish [collecting the rest of] your generous and loving gift.
7 But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
You are doing very well in so many [other] ways. [God’s Spirit enables you to] believe that [God] will [do miracles. His Spirit has given you the ability to] tell [God’s message to others. His Spirit makes you able to] know things that he reveals to you. You eagerly [want to help people], and you love us [(exc)] very much. [So now], try to also do well in getting your generous [gift of money] [EUP] [ready to send to the believers in Judea province].
8 I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.
I am not commanding you [to do this]. But [because I have seen how believers in] other [places] are eager [to help other believers who do not have] ([what they need/enough to live on]), I want you similarly to show that you love others sincerely.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
You already know [how much] our Lord Jesus [did for you] that you did not deserve. Everything [in heaven] belonged to him. But in order to benefit you, [he left all of those things behind and became a human being. Here on earth he had] very few possessions [of his own]. But because he became poor like that, he is [able to cause] you [(pl)] to become [spiritually] rich.
10 And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.
So, [as you think of our Lord’s example, I will tell you] what I think that you should do in this matter [of giving money. As you know], last year, because you desired [to give money to help God’s people in Judea province], you began [collecting money] [EUP].
11 Now finish the work, so that you may complete it just as eagerly as you began, according to your means.
So now you should finish [collecting] the money [EUP] that you began [to gather]. In that way, [everyone will know that you are just] as ready to finish [collecting this gift] as you were to begin collecting it. Give what you are able to give.
12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
[Keep in mind that] if you really want to [give something to help others], whatever any one of you is [able to give] will be pleasing [to God. God does not expect his people to give more] than they can afford to give.
13 It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.
I do not mean that [you should give so much to help others that] you yourselves do not have what you need. No, what I want is that [both you and others] will have what [you need].
14 At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. Then there will be equality.
Right now, when you have (more [than you need/] ) and [the believers in Judea] do not have (enough/all that they need), [with your gift you will enable them to have enough. Maybe some day] when you do not have (enough/all that you need) and they have more than they need, they will [be able to] help you. Then everyone will have enough (OR, In that way each will share alike).
15 As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”
[If that happens, the result will be like it is written] {[like someone/Moses] wrote} [in the Scriptures about the time when God provided manna for his people], If someone gathered a lot [of manna], he still did not have more than he needed, [because he gave some to someone who did not have enough]. And those who gathered only a little [manna] still had all that they needed [LIT], [because others who gathered more than they needed gave some manna to them].
16 But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you.
[So now I am sending Titus to visit you again]. God has caused him to be just as eager [to help you prepare your gift] as I am. I thank God for that.
17 For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.
[He is going there], not only because we urged him to go, but because he himself is very eager [to visit you again].
18 Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.
I am sending with Titus another believer [whom you know well]. All the groups of believers [in this area] think highly of him because he has [faithfully taught] the good message [about Christ].
19 More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the offering —the gracious gift we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.
Not only that, but he was appointed by the congregations [in this area] {the congregations [in this area] appointed him} to [go] to Jerusalem with us [(exc)]. He [will go] with us [when we take] the generous gift of money [EUP] [to the believers in Jerusalem. We are taking this] gift to honor the Lord [Jesus] and to show them that we all [very much] want to [help them].
20 We hope to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.
[The believers have] given money [EUP] generously. So, [by sending that fellow believer along with Titus] to take the money [to Jerusalem], we are trying to make sure that no one will be able to accuse us [(exc) of taking some of the money for ourselves].
21 For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.
[I say that] because we [(exc)] want to make sure that the Lord [God] will see that what we [(exc)] do is right, and other people will see it, too.
22 And we are sending along with them our brother whose earnestness has been proven many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.
Furthermore, there is also another believer [here] whom we are sending [to you along with the two] men [whom I have just mentioned]. Many times I have seen his good work [for the Lord], and I know that he is eager [to serve the Lord]. Now, because he knows for sure that you [want to give this gift the same as other believers do], he is even more eager than he was before [to go with the two other men].
23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, to the glory of Christ.
As for Titus, [I have chosen him because] he is my partner, and he has worked faithfully with me [to help you]. As for the other two men, the congregations [in this area] are sending them as their messengers. These two men honor Christ [by everything they do].
24 In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.
So then, show them that you truly love [others], and [in that way] help other congregations to understand [why] we [(exc)] are always saying such good things about you.
