page 1331 • 2 Corinthians 9to go and see you. We are also sendinganother brother with Titus. All the churchespraise him as a preacher of the Good News.19He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem*—a service that glorifies the Lord andshows our eagerness to help.20We are traveling together to guardagainst any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. 21We are careful to behonorable before the Lord, but we also wanteveryone else to see that we are honorable.22We are also sending with them anotherof our brothers who has proven himselfmany times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now evenmore enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. 23 If anyone asks about Titus,say that he is my partner who works withme to help you. And the brothers with himhave been sent by the churches,* and theybring honor to Christ. 24 So show them yourlove, and prove to all the churches that ourboasting about you is justified.18The Collection for Christians in JerusalemI really don’t need to write to you aboutthis ministry of giving for the believersin Jerusalem.* 2 For I know how eager youare to help, and I have been boasting to thechurches in Macedonia that you in Greece*were ready to send an offering a year ago. Infact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up9many of the Maced onian believers to begingiving.3But I am sending these brothers to be sureyou really are ready, as I have been tellingthem, and that your money is all collected.I don’t want to be wrong in my boastingabout you. 4 We would be embarrassed—notto mention your own embarrassment—ifsome Maced onian believers came with meand found that you weren’t ready after all Ihad told them! 5 So I thought I should sendthese brothers ahead of me to make sure thegift you promised is ready. But I want it to bea willing gift, not one given grudgingly.6Remember this—a farmer who plantsonly a few seeds will get a small crop. Butthe one who plants generously will get agenerous crop. 7 You must each decide inyour heart how much to give. And don’t givereluctantly or in response to pressure. “ForGod loves a person who gives cheerfully.”*8And God will generously provide all youneed. Then you will always have everythingyou need and plenty left over to share withothers. 9 As the Scriptures say,“They share freely and give generouslyto the poor.7:13 Greek his spirit. 8:1 Greek brothers. 8:4 Greek forGod’s holy people. 8:7 Some manuscripts read your love forus. 8:15 Exod 16:18. 8:19 See 1 Cor 16:3-4. 8:23 Greek areapostles of the churches. 9:1 Greek about the offering for God’sholy people. 9:2 Greek in Achaia, the southern region of theGreek peninsula. Macedonia was in the northern region of Greece. 9:7 See footnote on Prov 22:8. GivingPaul urges the Corinthians to show the genuineness of their repentance for thebreakdown of relationship with him by giving—not to him, but to the poor andsuffering Jerusalem church. He holds up the generous Macedonians as bothexample and provocation (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).Four principles undergird Paul’s encouragements about giving. First, Godloves a giver, for when we give, we reflect our giving God who gave us his Son(8:9). Second, God loves a generous giver, and when we sow generously withour resources we always reap a harvest (9:6-11). Third, God loves a willing giver(9:7), for giving out of a sense of duty is not true giving. Fourth, God loves acheerful giver (9:7)—though cheerfulness alone can be a false indicator, for itis easy to be cheerful if our giving costs us nothing. Of course, we should nevergive in order to receive, as some preachers encourage. But if we give as Godprompts us, he will meet our needs in the way he knows is best.Paul does not give guidelines about how much the Corinthians should give—that is between the giver and God. But his Jewish traditions would certainly haveled him to tithe as a starting point (see Should Christians still tithe?, page 1052).
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