HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1421
page 1051
this to condemn you. I said before that you are
in our hearts, and we live or die together with
you. 4 I have the highest confidence in you, and
I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all
our troubles.
Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance
5 When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no
rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the
inside. 6 But God, who encourages those who
are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival
of Titus. 7 His presence was a joy, but so was
the news he brought of the encouragement he
received from you. When he told us how much
you long to see me, and how sorry you are for
what happened, and how loyal you are to me,
I was filled with joy!
8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to
you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was
painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad
I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because
the pain caused you to repent and change your
ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his
people to have, so you were not harmed by us in
any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us
to experience leads us away from sin and results
in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of
sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced
in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear
yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such
longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you
have done everything necessary to make things
right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write
about who did the wrong or who was wronged.
I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you
could see for yourselves how loyal you are to
us. 13 We have been greatly encouraged by this.
In addition to our own encouragement, we
were especially delighted to see how happy
Titus was about the way all of you welcomed
him and set his mind* at ease. 14 I had told him
how proud I was of you—and you didn’t disappoint me. I have always told you the truth,
and now my boasting to Titus has also proved
true! 15 Now he cares for you more than ever
when he remembers the way all of you obeyed
him and welcomed him with such fear and deep
respect. 16 I am very happy now because I have
complete confidence in you.
A Call to Generous Giving
Now I want you to know, dear brothers and
sisters,* what God in his kindness has done
through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are
being tested by many troubles, and they are
8
7:13 Greek his spirit. 8:1 Greek brothers. 8:4 Greek for God’s
holy people. 8:7 Some manuscripts read your love for us.
2 COR INTHIANS 8
very poor. But they are also filled with abundant
joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.
3 For I can testify that they gave not only what
they could afford, but far more. And they did
it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again
and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift
for the believers in Jerusalem.* 5 They 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.
6 So 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.
7 Since 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.
• Salvation
2 C OR I N THI A N S 5:18-21
Once, our relationship with God was
damaged beyond repair. We could do
nothing to undo the sin that we had
placed between ourselves and God.
God, in his grace, reached out to us
through Christ, blotting out our sins and
reconciling us to himself. According to
Paul, the most natural thing in the world
to do with this kind of Good News is to
share it. Who in your circle of friends and
acquaintances needs to know the joy
and relief of reconciliation with God?
• Compromise
2 C OR I N THI A N S 6:14-15
Your convictions will be put to the test if
you enter into a binding relationship with
an unbeliever, be it marriage, business,
or some other contract. God’s warning
is clear concerning this because such a
partnership has the tendency to weaken
our Christian commitment, integrity, and
values. Nothing is worth compromising
your relationship with God. But what if
you are already married to or involved in a
business partnership with an unbeliever?
You have agreed to be a partner, so now
the issue is how to make the best of it.
Sometimes it is best in those cases to
recognize the points of agreement and
disagreement, to work together on the
points of agreement, and to “agree to
disagree” in areas where your convictions
do not allow you to give in.