Parallel Bible results for "2 corinthians 8"

2 Corinthians 8

Third Millennium Bible TMB

1 Moreover, brethren, we want you to know of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

2 how in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing to give of themselves,

4 praying us with earnest entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of ministering to the saints.

5 And this they did, not as we had hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God,

6 insomuch that we urged Titus that, as he had begun, so he would finish in you the same grace also.

7 Therefore as ye abound in everything -- in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us -- see that ye abound in this grace also.

8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forthcoming of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.

10 And herein I give my advice, for this is expedient for you, who began earlier not only to do, but also to be in the forefront a year ago.

11 Now therefore perform the doing of it, that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not.

13 For I do not mean that other men should be eased and ye burdened,

14 but that there be an equality: that now at this time your abundance may supply their want, that their abundance may also supply your want, that there may be equality.

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

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

17 For indeed he accepted the exhortation, but being even more zealous, of his own accord he went unto you.

18 And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the churches.

19 And not that only, but he was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and to declare your ready mind.

20 For we are avoiding having any man blame us in this abundance which is administered by us,

21 providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men.

22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved to be diligent in many things, but now much more diligent because of the great confidence which I have in you.

23 If any should inquire about Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you. Or if our brethren be inquired about, they are the messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ.

24 Therefore show ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know how God showed his kindness to the churches in the province of Macedonia.

2 While they were being severely tested by suffering, their overflowing joy, along with their extreme poverty, has made them even more generous.

3 I assure you that by their own free will they have given all they could, even more than they could afford.

4 They made an appeal to us, begging us to let them participate in the ministry of God's kindness to his holy people [in Jerusalem].

5 They did more than we had expected. First, they gave themselves to the Lord and to us, since this was God's will.

6 This led us to urge Titus to finish his work of God's kindness among you in the same way as he had already started it.

7 Indeed, the more your faith, your ability to speak, your knowledge, your dedication, and your love for us increase, the more we want you to participate in this work of God's kindness.

8 I'm not commanding you, but I'm testing how genuine your love is by pointing out the dedication of others.

9 You know about the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor in order to make you rich through his poverty.

10 I'm giving you my opinion because it will be helpful to you. Last year you were not only willing [to take a collection] but had already started to do it.

11 So finish what you began to do. Then your willingness will be matched by what you accomplish

12 with whatever contributions you have. Since you are willing to do this, [remember] that people are accepted if they give what they are able to give. God doesn't ask for what they don't have.

13 I don't mean that others should have relief while you have hardship. Rather, it's a matter of striking a balance.

14 At the present time, your surplus fills their need so that their surplus may fill your need. In this way things balance out.

15 This is what Scripture says: "Those who had gathered a lot didn't have too much, and those who gathered a little didn't have too little."

16 I thank God for making Titus as dedicated to you as I am.

17 He accepted my request and eagerly went to visit you by his own free will.

18 With him we have sent our Christian brother whom all the churches praise for the way he tells the Good News.

19 More than that, the churches elected him to travel with us and bring this gift of God's kindness. We are administering it in a way that brings glory to the Lord and shows that we are doing it willingly.

20 We don't want anyone to find fault with the way we are administering this generous gift.

21 We intend to do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of people.

22 We have also sent with them our Christian brother whom we have often tested in many ways and found to be a dedicated worker. We find that he is much more dedicated now than ever because he has so much confidence in you.

23 If any questions are raised, remember that Titus is my partner and coworker to help you. The other men are representatives of the churches and bring glory to Christ.

24 So give these men a demonstration of your love. Show their congregations that we were right to be proud of you.