2 Corinthians 8

1 We would remind you, Brothers, of the love that God has shown to the Churches in Macedonia —

Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.

2 How, tired though they were by many a trouble, their overflowing happiness, and even their deep poverty, resulted in a flood of generosity.

In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.

3 I can bear witness that to the full extent of their power, and even beyond their power, spontaneously,

For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord,

4 and with many an appeal to us for permission, they showed their love, and contributed their share towards the fund for their fellow-Christians.

they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

5 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.

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.

6 And this led us to urge upon Titus that, as he had started the work for you, he should also see to the completion of this expression of your love.

So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

7 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.

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.

8 I am not laying a command upon you, but I am making use of the earnestness shown by others to test the genuineness of your affection.

I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.

9 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.

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.

10 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.

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.

11 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.

Now finish the work, so that you may complete it just as eagerly as you began, according to your means.

12 For, where there is willingness, a man’s gift is valued by its comparison with what he has, and not with what he has not.

For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

13 For our object is not to give relief to others and bring distress on you, but, by equalising matters, to secure that,

It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.

14 on the present occasion, what you can spare may supply their need, so that at another time what they can spare may supply your need, and thus matters may be equalised.

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.

15 As Scripture says — ‘The man who had much had nothing over, and the man who had little did not lack!’

As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”

16 I thank God for inspiring Titus with the same keen interest in your welfare that I have;

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

17 for Titus has responded to my appeals and, in his great earnestness, is starting to go to you of his own accord.

For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.

18 We are sending with him the Brother whose fame in the service of the Good News has spread through all the Churches;

Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.

19 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 honour of the Lord, and to show our deep interest.

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.

20 What we are specially guarding against is that any fault should be found with us in regard to our administration of this charitable fund;

We hope to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.

21 for we are trying to make arrangements which shall be right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.

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.

22 We are also sending with them another of our Brothers, 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.

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.

23 If I must say anything about Titus, he is my intimate companion, and he shares my work for you; if it is our Brothers, they are delegates of the Churches, an honour to Christ.

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.

24 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.

In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.