Parallel Bible results for "2 corinthians 8"

2 Corinthians 8

New Revised Standard NRS

1 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia;

2 for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

3 For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means,

4 begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints—

5 and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us,

6 so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you.

7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you —so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

8 I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others.

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

10 And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something—

11 now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.

12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have.

13 I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between

14 your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.

15 As it is written, "The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little."

16 But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have.

17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord.

18 With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his proclaiming the good news;

19 and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this generous undertaking for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill.

20 We intend that no one should blame us about this generous gift that we are administering,

21 for we intend to do what is right not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of others.

22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found eager in many matters, but who is now more eager than ever because of his great confidence in you.

23 As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker in your service; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

24 Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.

The Message Bible MSG

1 Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province.

2 Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts.

3 I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could - far more than they could afford! -

4 pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.

5 This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives.

6 That's what prompted us to ask Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so well begun could be finished up.

7 You do so well in so many things - you trust God, you're articulate, you're insightful, you're passionate, you love us - now, do your best in this, too.

8 I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you.

9 You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us - in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.

10 So here's what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale.

11 Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it.

12 Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands.

13 This isn't so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you're shoulder to shoulder with them all the way,

14 your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out even.

15 As it is written, Nothing left over to the one with the most, Nothing lacking to the one with the least.

16 I thank God for giving Titus the same devoted concern for you that I have.

17 He was most considerate of how we felt, but his eagerness to go to you and help out with this relief offering is his own idea.

18 We're sending a companion along with him, someone very popular in the churches for his preaching of the Message.

19 But there's far more to him than popularity. He's rock-solid trustworthy. The churches handpicked him to go with us as we travel about doing this work of sharing God's gifts to honor God as well as we can,

20 taking every precaution against scandal.

21 We're being as careful in our reputation with the public as in our reputation with God.

22 That's why we're sending another trusted friend along. He's proved his dependability many times over, and carries on as energetically as the day he started. He's heard much about you, and liked what he's heard - so much so that he can't wait to get there.

23 I don't need to say anything further about Titus. We've been close associates in this work of serving you for a long time. The brothers who travel with him are delegates from churches, a real credit to Christ.

24 Show them what you're made of, the love I've been talking up in the churches. Let them see it for themselves!