Parallel Bible results for "2-Corinthians 8"

2 Corinthians 8

New International Reader's Version NIRV

1 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given to the churches in Macedonia.

2 They have suffered a great deal. But their joy was more than full. Even though they were very poor, they gave very freely.

3 I give witness that they gave as much as they could. In fact, they gave even more than they could. Completely on their own,

4 they begged us for the chance to share in serving God's people in that way.

5 They did more than we expected. First they gave themselves to the Lord. Then they gave themselves to us in keeping with what God wanted.

6 Titus had already started collecting money from you. So we asked him to get you to finish making your kind gift.

7 You do well in everything else. You do well in faith and in speaking. You do well in knowledge and in complete commitment. And you do well in your love for us. So make sure that you also do well in the grace of giving to others.

8 I am not commanding you to do it. But I want to put you to the test. I want to find out if you really love God. I want to compare your love with that of others.

9 You know the grace shown by our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though he was rich, he became poor to help you. Because he became poor, you can become rich.

10 Here is my advice about what is best for you in that matter. Last year you were the first to give. You were also the first to want to give.

11 So finish the work. Then your longing to do it will be matched by your finishing it. Give on the basis of what you have.

12 Do you really want to give? Then the gift is received in keeping with what you have, not with what you don't have.

13 We don't want others to have it easy at your expense. We want things to be equal.

14 Right now you have plenty in order to take care of what they need. Then they will have plenty to take care of what you need. That will make things equal.

15 It is written, "Those who gathered a lot didn't have too much. And those who gathered a little had enough."(Exodus 16:18)

16 God put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. I am thankful to God for this.

17 Titus welcomed our appeal. He is also excited about coming to you. It was his own idea.

18 Along with Titus, we are sending another brother. All the churches praise him for his service in telling the good news.

19 He was also chosen by the churches to go with us as we bring the offering. We are in charge of it. We want to honor the Lord himself. We want to show how ready we are to help.

20 We want to keep anyone from blaming us for how we take care of that large gift.

21 We are trying hard to do what is right in the Lord's eyes and in the eyes of people.

22 We are also sending another one of our brothers with them. He has often proved to us in many ways that he is very committed. He is now even more committed because he has great faith in you.

23 Titus is my helper. He and I work together among you. Our brothers are messengers from the churches. They honor Christ.

24 So show them that you really love them. Show them why we are proud of you. Then the churches can see it.

New International Version NIV

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.

2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,

4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.

5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.

7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

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

10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.

11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

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

13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.

14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality,

15 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 Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.

17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.

18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.

19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.

20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift.

21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.

22 In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.

23 As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.

24 Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.