2 Corinthians 8-10

New American Standard Bible

Great Generosity

8 Now, brothers and sisters, we make known to you the grace of God which has been ^(A)given in the churches of ^(B)Macedonia, ² that in a ^[a]great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the ^(C)wealth of their liberality. ³ For I testify that ^(D)according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily, ⁴ begging us with much urging for the ^(E)favor ^[b]of participation in the ^[c](F)support of the ^[d]saints, ⁵ and this, not as we had ^[e]expected, but they first ^(G)gave themselves to the Lord and to us by ^(H)the will of God. ⁶ So we ^(I)urged ^(J)Titus that as he had previously ^(K)made a beginning, so he would also complete in you ^(L)this gracious work as well.

⁷ But just as you ^(M)excel ^(N)in everything, in faith, speaking, knowledge, and in all earnestness and in the ^[f]love we inspired in you, see that you also ^(O)excel in this gracious work. ⁸ I ^(P)am not saying this as a command, but as proving, through the earnestness of others, the sincerity of your love as well. ⁹ For you know ^(Q)the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ^(R)though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. ¹⁰ I ^(S)give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin ^(T)a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. ¹¹ But now finish ^[g]doing it also, so that just as there was the ^(U)willingness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. ¹² For if the willingness is present, it is acceptable ^(V)according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. ¹³ For this is not for the relief of others and for your hardship, but by way of equality— ¹⁴ at this present time your abundance will serve as assistance for ^(W)their need, so that their abundance also may ^[h]serve as assistance for ^(X)your need, so that there may be equality; ¹⁵ as it is written: “^(Y)The one who had gathered much did not have too much, and the one who had gathered little did not have too little.”

¹⁶ But ^(Z)thanks be to God who ^(AA)puts the same earnestness in your behalf in the heart of ^(AB)Titus. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted our ^(AC)appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ We have sent along with him ^(AD)the brother whose fame in the things of the ^(AE)gospel has spread through ^(AF)all the churches; ^19 (AG)and not only that, but he has also been ^(AH)appointed by the churches to travel with us in ^(AI)this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our ^(AJ)readiness, ^20 [i]taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; ²¹ for we ^(AK)have regard for what is honorable, not only in ^(AL)the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of other people. ²² We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for ^(AM)Titus, he is my ^(AN)partner and fellow worker ^[j]among you; as for our ^(AO)brothers, they are ^[k](AP)messengers of the churches, ^(AQ)a glory to Christ. ²⁴ Therefore, ^[l]openly before the churches, ^[m]show them the proof of your love and of our ^(AR)reason for boasting about you.

God Gives Most

9 For ^(AS)it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ^(AT)ministry to the ^[n]saints; ² for I know your willingness, of which I ^(AU)boast about you to the ^(AV)Macedonians, namely, that ^(AW)Achaia has been prepared since ^(AX)last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. ³ But I have sent the brothers, in order that our ^(AY)boasting about you may not prove empty in this case, so that, ^(AZ)as I was saying, you will be prepared; ⁴ otherwise, if any ^(BA)Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to mention you—would be put to shame by this confidence. ⁵ So I considered it necessary to urge the ^(BB)brothers that they go on ahead to you and arrange in advance your previously promised ^[o](BC)generous gift, that the same would be ready as a ^[p](BD)generous gift, and not as one grudgingly given due to greediness.

⁶ Now I say this: ^(BE)the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows ^[q]generously will also reap ^[r]generously. ⁷ Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not ^(BF)reluctantly or under compulsion, for ^(BG)God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And ^(BH)God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; ⁹ as it is written:

¹⁰ Now He who supplies ^(BJ)seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and ^(BK)increase the harvest of your righteousness; ¹¹ you will be ^(BL)enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing ^(BM)thanksgiving to God. ¹² For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying ^(BN)the needs of the ^[t]saints, but is also overflowing ^(BO)through many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ Because of the proof given by this ^(BP)ministry, they will ^(BQ)glorify God for your obedience to your ^(BR)confession of the ^(BS)gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your ^[u]contribution to them and to all, ¹⁴ while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. ^15 (BT)Thanks be to God for His indescribable ^(BU)gift!

Paul Confronts the Corinthians

10 Now ^(BV)I, Paul, myself ^(BW)urge you by the ^(BX)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who ^(BY)am ^[v]meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! ² I ask that ^(BZ)when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be courageous against ^(CA)some, who regard us as if we walked ^(CB)according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle ^(CC)according to the flesh, ⁴ for the ^(CD)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ^[w]divinely powerful ^(CE)for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵ We are destroying arguments and all ^(CF)arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ^(CG)obedience of Christ, ⁶ and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^(CH)your obedience is complete.

^7 [x](CI)You are looking at ^[y]things as they are outwardly. ^(CJ)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, ^(CK)so too are we. ⁸ For if ^(CL)I boast somewhat ^[z]more about our ^(CM)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, ^9 [aa]for I do not want to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his ^[ab]personal presence is ^(CN)unimpressive and ^(CO)his speech contemptible.” ¹¹ Have such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

¹² For we do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with ^[ac]some of those who ^(CP)commend themselves; but when they ^[ad]measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding. ¹³ But we will not boast ^(CQ)beyond our measure, but ^[ae](CR)within the measure of the ^[af]domain which God assigned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for ^(CS)we were the first to come even as far as you in the ^(CT)gospel of Christ; ¹⁵ not boasting ^(CU)beyond our measure, that is, in ^(CV)other people’s labors, but with the hope that as ^(CW)your faith grows, we will be, ^[ag]within our ^[ah]domain, ^(CX)enlarged even more by you, ¹⁶ so as to ^(CY)preach the gospel even to ^(CZ)the regions beyond you, and not to boast ^[ai](DA)in what has been accomplished in the domain of another. ¹⁷ But ^(DB)the one who boasts is to boast in the Lord. ¹⁸ For it is not the one who ^(DC)commends himself that is approved, but the one ^(DD)whom the Lord commends.