New Testament · Letters

2 Corinthians chapter 8

Now, , we want you to know about the God has given to the in .In the middle of a severe of , their overwhelming joy and their deep poverty overflowed into an abundance of .I can that they gave as much as they could afford, and even beyond what they could afford, entirely .They urgently begged us for the of in this for .And they didn’t just do what we expected — they first gave themselves to the and then to us, because that’s .So we urged — since he had already started this work of among you — to also bring it to completion.But since you in everything — in , in speech, in knowledge, in complete , and in your love for us — make sure you also overflow in this act of .I’m not saying this as a . I’m using the dedication of others to test whether your love is .You already know the of our Lord Jesus, — that although he was , he made himself for your sake, so that through his poverty you could become rich.And here’s my on the matter: This is in your best interest, since you were not only the first to give but also the first to want to give, starting a year ago.Now finish what you started, so that your to begin is matched by completing it according to what you have.Because if the is there, the gift is based on what a person has, not on what they don’t have.I don’t want this to be a burden on you while giving relief to others. The goal is .Right now your can meet their need, so that in turn their abundance can meet your need. That’s how equality works.: “The one who a lot didn’t have too much, and the one who gathered a little didn’t have too little.”But thanks be to God, who put the same for you into the heart of Titus.He not only responded to our appeal, but being so himself, he’s coming to you .And we’re sending along with him who is praised by all the for his work in spreading the .And more than that, he was by the gathered communities to travel with us as we carry out this act of — which we’re doing to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.We’re taking this precaution so that no one can us about how we handle this .Because we’re committed to doing — not only in the Lord’s eyes but also .And we’re also sending with them our brother who has his many times over in many situations, and now even more so because of his great in you.As for Titus, he is my and among you. As for our brothers, they are of the , an to .So show them the of your and the reason we’re so of you — and do it where all the can see.