2 Corinthians 8
1 Moreover we make known unto you, brethren, the favour of God which hath been given in the assemblies of Macedonia, —
We want to remind you, friends, of the love that God has shown to the churches in Macedonia –
2 That, in a great testing of tribulation, the superabounding of their joy and their deep destitution, superabounded unto the riches of their liberality;
How, tired though they were by many a trouble, their overflowing happiness, and even their deep poverty, resulted in a flood of generosity.
3 That, according to power, I bear witness, and beyond power, of their own accord, [they acted], —
I can bear witness that to the full extent of their power, and even beyond their power, spontaneously,
4 With much exhortation, entreating of us the favour and the fellowship of the ministry which was for the saints; —
and with many an appeal to us for permission, they showed their love, and contributed their share towards the fund for their fellow Christians.
5 And, not merely as we hoped, but, themselves, gave they, first, unto the Lord and unto us through God’s will,
And that, not only in the way we had expected; but first they gave themselves to the Lord, and to us also, in accordance with God’s will.
6 To the end we should exhort Titus, in order that, according as he before made a beginning, so, he should also complete unto you this favour also.
And this led us to beg Titus, that since he had started the work for you, he should also see to the completion of this expression of your love.
7 But, just as, in everything, ye superabound, —in faith, and discourse, and knowledge, and all earnestness, and in the love among you which proceedeth from us, in order that, in this favour also, ye would superabound.
And, remembering how you excel in everything – in faith, in teaching, in knowledge, in unfailing earnestness, and in the affection that we have awakened in you – I ask you to excel also in this expression of your love.
8 Not by way of injunction, do I speak, but through, others’, earnestness, and, the genuineness of your own love, putting to the test.
I am not laying a command on you, but I am making use of the earnestness shown by others to test the genuineness of your affection.
9 For ye are taking knowledge of the favour of our Lord Jesus [Christ], —how that, for your sakes, he became destitute—although he was, rich, in order that, ye, by his destitution, might be enriched.
For you do not forget the loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ – how that for your sakes, although he was rich, he became poor, so that you also might become rich through his poverty.
10 And, a judgment, herein, do I give, —for, this, unto you, is profitable, —who, indeed, not only of the doing, but of the desiring, made for yourselves a beginning a year ago; —
I am only making suggestions on this matter; for this is the best course for you, since you were a year before others, not only in taking action, but also in showing your readiness to do so.
11 Howbeit, now, the doing also, complete ye, in order that, even according to the forwardness of the desiring, so, may be the completing—out of what ye have.
And now I want you to complete the work, so that its completion may correspond with your willing readiness – in proportion, of course, to your means.
12 For, if the forwardness is set forth, according to what one may have, he is well approved, not according to what one hath not.
For, where there is willingness, a person’s gift is valued by its comparison with what they have, and not with what they do not have.
13 For, not that unto others should be relief, and unto you distress [do I speak], but, by equality, in the present season, your surplus for their deficiency, —
For our object is not to give relief to others and bring distress on you. It is a matter of a fair balance.
14 In order that their surplus may come to be for your deficiency: that there may come about an equality: —
On this occasion what you can spare will supply what they need, at another time what they can spare may supply your need, and so things will be equal.
15 Even as it is written—He that [gathered] the much, had not more than enough, and, he that [gathered] the little, had not less,
As scripture says – ‘Those who had much had nothing over, and those who had little did not lack!’
16 Thanks, however, unto God!—who is putting the same earnestness in your behalf in the heart of Titus,
I thank God for inspiring Titus with the same keen interest in your welfare that I have;
17 In that, though, indeed, the exhortation, he welcomed; yet already being, greatly in earnest, of his own accord, hath he gone forth unto you.
for Titus has responded to my appeals and, in his great earnestness, is starting to go to you of his own accord.
18 Howbeit, we also set forward, with him, the brother, whose praise in the Glad Tidings, [hath gone] through all the assemblies: —
We are sending with him one of the Lord’s followers whose fame in the service of the good news has spread through all the churches;
19 Not only so, however, but he hath also been appointed by the assemblies, as a fellow-traveler with us in this favour, which is being ministered by us with a view to the Lord’s glory and our earnest desire: —
and not only that, but he has been elected by the churches to accompany us on our journey, in connexion with this expression of your love, which we are personally administering to the honor of the Lord, and to show our deep interest.
20 Arranging this—lest anyone, upon us, should cast blame, in this munificence which is being ministered by us;
What we are specially guarding against is that any fault should be found with us in regard to our administration of this charitable fund;
21 For we provide things honourable, not only before [the] Lord, but also before men.
for we are trying to make arrangements which will be right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of people.
22 Moreover we have set forward, with them, our brother whom we have proved, in many things, ofttimes, earnest, —but, now, much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence [which he hath] towards you.
We are also sending with them another of our friends, whose earnestness we have many a time proved in many ways, and whom we now find made even more earnest by his great confidence in you.
23 Whether as regardeth Titus, he is a partner of mine, and, towards you, a fellow-worker. or our brethren, apostles of assemblies, and Christ’s glory.
If I must say anything about Titus, he is my intimate companion, and he shares my work for you; if it is our friends, they are delegates of the churches, an honor to Christ.
24 The proof of your love, therefore, and of our boasting in your behalf, shew ye, unto them, in the face of the assemblies.
Show them, therefore – so that the churches may see it – the proof of your affection, and the ground for our boasting to them about you.
