2 Corinthians8

¹Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

²that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

³For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,

⁴imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

⁵And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

⁶So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.

⁷But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.

⁸I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.

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

¹⁰And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago;

¹¹but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.

¹²For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

¹³For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened;

¹⁴but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.

¹⁵As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

¹⁶But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

¹⁷For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord.

¹⁸And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches,

¹⁹and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind,

²⁰avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—

²¹providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²²And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you.

²³If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

²⁴Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.