2 Corinthians 8–9

Generosity in Giving

8Now we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, ²that with a great ordeal of affliction, the abundance of their joy and the extreme depth of their poverty have overflowed to the wealth of their generosity. ³I testify that they gave^* according to their ability, and beyond their ability, by their own choice, ⁴requesting of us with much exhortation the favor and the fellowship of the ministry to the saints, ⁵and not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, by the will of God. ⁶So we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun it, thus he would also complete for you this act of grace. ⁷But just as you excel in everything—in faith and in speaking and in knowledge and with all diligence and in the love from us that is in you—so may you excel in this grace also. ⁸I am not saying this as a command, but proving the genuineness of your love by means of the diligence of others. ⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he^* was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich. ¹⁰And I am giving an opinion in this matter, because this is profitable for you who not only began previously, a year ago, to do something, but also to want to do it. ¹¹So now also complete the doing of it, in order that just as you have the eagerness to want to do it, thus also you may complete it from what you have. ¹²For if the eagerness is present according to what one has^a, it is acceptable not according to what one does not have^b. ¹³For this is not that for others there may be relief, and for you difficult circumstances, but as a matter of equality. ¹⁴At the present time your abundance will be for their need, in order that their abundance may also be for your need, so that there may be equality, ¹⁵just 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.”^c

Arrangements for Administering the Corinthians’ Gift

¹⁶But thanks be to God, who has put in the heart of Titus the same devotion on your behalf^d, ¹⁷because he not only welcomed our request, but being very earnest, by his own choice he went out^* to you. ¹⁸And we have sent at the same time with him the brother whose praise in the gospel has become known throughout all the churches. ¹⁹And not only this, but he was also chosen by the churches as our traveling companion together with this gift that is being administered by us to the glory of the Lord himself and to show our readiness to help. ²⁰We are trying to avoid this, lest anyone should find fault with us in this abundant gift that is being administered by us. ²¹For we are taking into consideration what is honorable not only before the Lord, but also before people. ²²And we are sending with them our brother whom we have tested many times in many things that he is diligent, but now much more diligent because of his great confidence in you. ²³If there is a question concerning Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. If there is a question concerning our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. ²⁴Therefore show to them the proof of your love and our boasting about you openly before^e the churches.

God Loves a Cheerful Giver

9For it is unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the ministry to the saints, ²because I know your readiness to help, concerning which I keep on boasting to the Macedonians about you, that Achaia has been ready to help since last year, and your zeal has stirred up the majority of them. ³But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you would not prove to be empty in this case, so that you may be prepared just as I was saying, ⁴lest somehow if Macedonians should come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you^a—would be humiliated in connection with this project. ⁵Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers that they should go on ahead to you and make arrangements in advance for your generous gift that was promised previously, so this would be prepared as a generous gift and not as grudgingly granted.

⁶Now the point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly^b or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to cause all grace to abound to you, so that in everything at all times, because you^* have enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work. ⁹Just as it is written,

“He scattered widely, he gave to the poor;

his righteousness remains forever^c.”^d

¹⁰Now the one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed, and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow, ¹¹being made rich in every way for all generosity, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God, ¹²because the service of this ministry is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but also is overflowing through many expressions of thanksgiving to God. ¹³Through the proven character of this service they will glorify God because of the submission of your confession to the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your participation toward them and toward everyone, ¹⁴and they are longing for you in their prayers for you, because of the surpassing grace of God to you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!