8Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.G1161G80G1107G5213G1107G5485G2316G1325G1722G1577G31092They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.G3754G1722G4183G1382G2347G4050G846G5479G2532G846G899G2596G4432G4052G1519G4149G846G5723For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.G3754G2596G1411G3140G2532G5228G1411G8304They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.G1189G2257G3326G4183G3874G2248G1209G5485G2532G2842G1248G1519G405They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.G2532G3756G2531G1679G235G4412G1325G1438G2962G2532G2254G1223G2307G23166So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.G1519G2248G3870G5103G2443G2531G4278G3779G2005G2532G2005G1519G5209G5026G5485G25327Since you excel in so many ways-in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.G235G5618G4052G1722G3956G4102G2532G3056G2532G1108G2532G3956G4710G2532G5216G26G1537G1722G2254G2443G4052G1722G5026G5485G25328I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.G3004G3756G2596G2003G235G1223G4710G2087G2532G1381G1103G5212G269You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.G1063G1097G5485G2257G2962G2424G5547G3754G5607G4145G1223G5209G1223G4433G2443G5210G1565G4432G414710Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it.G2532G1722G5129G1325G1106G1063G5124G4851G5213G3748G4278G3756G3440G4160G235G2532G2309G4070G57511Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.G3570G1161G2532G2005G4160G3704G2509G4288G2309G3779G2005G2532G1537G219212Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.G1063G1487G4295G4288G2144G2526G1437G5100G2192G3756G2526G2192G375613Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality.G1063G3756G2443G243G425G1161G5213G234714Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal.G235G1537G2471G3568G1722G2540G5216G4051G1519G1565G5303G2443G1565G4051G2532G1096G1519G5216G5303G3704G1096G247115As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.”G2531G1125G3588G4183G4121G3756G4121G2532G3588G3641G1641G3756G1641
Titus and His Companions
16But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have.G1161G5485G2316G3588G1325G846G4710G1722G2588G5103G5228G521617Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you.G3754G3303G1209G3874G1161G5225G4707G830G1831G4314G520918We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News.G1161G4842G3326G846G80G3739G1868G1722G2098G1223G3956G157719He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.G1161G3756G3440G235G5500G2532G5500G5259G1577G4898G2257G4862G5026G5485G3588G1247G5259G2257G4314G1391G846G2962G2532G5216G428820We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift.G4724G5124G3361G5100G3469G2248G1722G5026G100G3588G1247G5259G225721We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.G4306G2570G3756G3440G1799G2962G235G2532G1799G44422We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you.G1161G4842G846G2257G80G3739G1381G4178G1381G5607G4705G1722G4183G1161G3570G4183G4707G4183G4006G3588G1519G520923If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ.G1535G5228G5103G1699G2844G2532G4904G1519G5209G1535G2257G80G652G1577G1391G554724So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.G3767G1731G1519G846G2532G1519G4383G1577G1732G5216G26G2532G2257G2746G5228G5216G5228
Dublin, OH
, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.G1161
