Parallel Bible results for "2 corinthians 8"

2 Corinthians 8

Good News Translation GNT

1 Our friends, we want you to know what God's grace has accomplished in the churches in Macedonia.

2 They have been severely tested by the troubles they went through; but their joy was so great that they were extremely generous in their giving, even though they are very poor.

3 I can assure you that they gave as much as they could, and even more than they could. Of their own free will

4 they begged us and pleaded for the privilege of having a part in helping God's people in Judea.

5 It was more than we could have hoped for! First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God's will they gave themselves to us as well.

6 So we urged Titus, who began this work, to continue it and help you complete this special service of love.

7 You are so rich in all you have: in faith, speech, and knowledge, in your eagerness to help and in your love for us. And so we want you to be generous also in this service of love.

8 I am not laying down any rules. But by showing how eager others are to help, I am trying to find out how real your own love is.

9 You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; rich as he was, he made himself poor for your sake, in order to make you rich by means of his poverty.

10 My opinion is that it is better for you to finish now what you began last year. You were the first, not only to act, but also to be willing to act.

11 On with it, then, and finish the job! Be as eager to finish it as you were to plan it, and do it with what you now have.

12 If you are eager to give, God will accept your gift on the basis of what you have to give, not on what you don't have.

13 I am not trying to relieve others by putting a burden on you; but since you have plenty at this time, it is only fair that you should help those who are in need. Then, when you are in need and they have plenty, they will help you. In this way both are treated equally.

15 As the scripture says, "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

16 How we thank God for making Titus as eager as we are to help you!

17 Not only did he welcome our request; he was so eager to help that of his own free will he decided to go to you.

18 With him we are sending the brother who is highly respected in all the churches for his work in preaching the gospel.

19 And besides that, he has been chosen and appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this service of love for the sake of the Lord's glory and in order to show that we want to help.

20 We are being careful not to stir up any complaints about the way we handle this generous gift.

21 Our purpose is to do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of others.

22 So we are sending our brother with them; we have tested him many times and found him always very eager to help. And now that he has so much confidence in you, he is all the more eager to help.

23 As for Titus, he is my partner and works with me to help you; as for the other brothers who are going with him, they represent the churches and bring glory to Christ.

24 Show your love to them, so that all the churches will be sure of it and know that we are right in boasting about you.

World English Bible WEB

1 Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia;

2 how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality.

3 For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord,

4 begging us with much entreaty in regard to this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints.

5 This was not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

6 Insomuch that we exhorted Titus, that as he made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace.

7 But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace.

8 I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

10 I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing.

11 But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability.

12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don't have.

13 For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed,

15 As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack."

16 But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

17 For he indeed accepted our exhortation, but being himself very earnest, he went forth to you of his own accord.

18 We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the gospel is known through all the assemblies.

19 Not only so, but who was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness.

20 We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us in concerning this bounty which is served by us.

21 Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

22 We have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has in you.

23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker toward you. As for our brothers, they are the messengers of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.

24 Therefore show the proof of your love to them in front of the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf.