2 Corinthians 8:1–15

The Collection for the Lord’s People

8And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian^g churches. ²In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.^{h 3}For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,ⁱ and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing^j in this service^k to the Lord’s people.^{l 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. ⁶So we urged^m Titus,ⁿ just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion^o this act of grace on your part. ⁷But since you excel in everything^p—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,^q in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^a—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

⁸I am not commanding you,^r but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹For you know the grace^s of our Lord Jesus Christ,^t that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,^u so that you through his poverty might become rich.^v

¹⁰And here is my judgment^w 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.^{x 11}Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness^y to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹²For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has,^z not according to what one does not have.

¹³Our 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,^a so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, ¹⁵as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”^bb