2 Corinthians 8:17

17 because he not only welcomed our request, but being very earnest, by his own choice he went out to you.

2 Corinthians 8:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Corinthians 8:17

For indeed, he accepted the exhortation
The Macedonians besought the apostle with much entreaty to give unto him, ( 2 Corinthians 8:4 2 Corinthians 8:6 ) or which being moved by their example, they gave unto him, namely, that he would go and finish what he had already begun; and accordingly he did not refuse, but readily accepted the exhortation: yea, not only so,

but being more forward;
than was known or could have been expected; which shows that this was put into his heart by God, before it was moved unto him; so that if he had never been asked, or exhorted hereunto, he would have gone of himself:

of his own accord he went unto you;
so great is his care of you; so great his love unto you so willing was he to come again and pay another visit: and especially on this account, where he had before been treated with so much respect and kindness. Titus having been at Corinth already, and being well known there, the apostle forbears saying anything more in his commendation.

2 Corinthians 8:17 In-Context

15 just 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 But thanks [be] to God, who has put in the heart of Titus the same devotion {on your behalf},

17 because he not only welcomed our request, but being very earnest, by his own choice he went out to you.

18 And we have sent at the same time with him the brother whose praise in the gospel [has become known] throughout all the churches.

19 And 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].

Footnotes

• [a]. *Or "he is going out" (if this verb is understood as an epistolary aorist)