2 Corinthians 8-10

1Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.

2In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.

3For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord,

4they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

5And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, through the will of God.

6So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

7But 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.

8I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the earnestness of others.

9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

10And 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.

11Now finish the work, so that you may complete it with the same eager desire, according to your means.

12For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

13It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.

14At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. This way there will be equality.

15As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”

16But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you.

17For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.

18Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.

19More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious offering we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.

20We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.

21For 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.

22And we are sending along with them our brother who has proven his earnestness to us many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.

23As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

24In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

1Now about the service to the saints, there is no need for me to write to you.

2For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting to the Macedonians that since last year you in Achaia were prepared to give. And your zeal has stirred most of them to do likewise.

3But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove empty, but that you will be prepared, just as I said.

4Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of you—would be ashamed of having been so confident.

5So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly.

6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

7Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

9As it is written: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.”

10Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.

11You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will produce thanksgiving to God.

12For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.

13Because of the proof this ministry provides, the saints will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all the others.

14And their prayers for you will express their affection for you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.

15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

1Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.

2I beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.

3For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.

4The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

5We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

7You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does.

8For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.

9I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters.

10For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”

11Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.

12We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.

13We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you.

14We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of Christ.

15Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well,

16so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory.

17Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.