Outline
- Thanksgiving for Divine Comfort in Affliction (1:3-11)
- The Integrity of Paul's Motives and Conduct (1:12;2:4)
- Forgiving the Offending Party at Corinth (2:5-11)
- God's Direction in Ministry (2:12-17)
- The Corinthian Believers -- a Letter from Christ (3:1-11)
- Seeing the Glory of God with Unveiled Faces (3:12;4:6)
- Treasure in Clay Jars (4:7-16a)
- The Prospect of Death and What It Means for the Christian (4:16b;5:10)
- The Ministry of Reconciliation (5:11;6:10)
- A Spiritual Father's Appeal to His Children (6:11;7:4)
- The Meeting with Titus (7:5-16)
2 Corinthians 8 NIV
1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want
you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
2 In the midst of a very severe trial,
their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich
generosity.
3 For I testify that they gave as much as
they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
4 they urgently pleaded with us for the
privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.
5 And they exceeded our expectations: They
gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to
us.
6 So we urged Titus, just as he had
earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your
part.
7 But since you excel in everything—in
faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have
kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
8 I am not commanding you, but I want to
test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.
9 For 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.
10 And here is my judgment about what is
best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also
to have the desire to do so.
11 Now finish the work, so that your eager
willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your
means.
12 For if the willingness is there, the
gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does
not have.
13 Our desire is not that others might be
relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.
14At the present time your plenty will supply
what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The
goal is equality,
15 as it is written: “The one who gathered
much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too
little.”
16 Thanks be to God, who put into the heart
of Titus the same concern I have for you.
17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal,
but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.
18 And we are sending along with him the
brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.
19 What is more, he was chosen by the
churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order
to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.
20 We want to avoid any criticism of the
way we administer this liberal gift.
21 For we are taking pains to do what is
right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
22In addition, we are sending with them our
brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now
even more so because of his great confidence in you.
23 As for Titus, he is my partner and
co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the
churches and an honor to Christ.
24 Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the
reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.
2 Corinthians 9 NIV
1 There is no need for me to write to you
about this service to the Lord’s people.
2 For I know your eagerness to help, and I
have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last
year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of
them to action.
3 But I am sending the brothers in order
that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that
you may be ready, as I said you would be.
4For if any Macedonians come with me and find
you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having
been so confident.
5So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers
to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you
had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly
given.
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously.
7 Each of you should give what you have
decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God
loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to bless you abundantly,
so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound
in every good work.
9 As it is written: “They have freely
scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower
and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will
enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
11 You will be enriched in every way so
that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will
result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not
only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many
expressions of thanks to God.
13 Because of the service by which you have
proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies
your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing
with them and with everyone else.
14 And in their prayers for you their
hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given
you.
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
