2 Corinthians 8-10

II Corinthians 8

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

²how in a severe ordeal of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity.

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

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

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

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

⁷But 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.

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

⁹For 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.

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

¹¹But 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.

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

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

¹⁴but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack, that there may be equality.

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

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

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

¹⁸We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known throughout all the assemblies.

¹⁹Not only so, but he 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.

²⁰We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us.

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

²²We 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.

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

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

II Corinthians 9

¹It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the service to the saints,

²for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to those of Macedonia, that Achaia has been prepared for the past year. Your zeal has stirred up very many of them.

³But I have sent the brothers so that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,

⁴lest by any means, if anyone from Macedonia comes there with me and finds you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be disappointed in this confident boasting.

⁵I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.

⁶Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

⁷Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.

⁹As it is written, “He has scattered abroad. He has given to the poor. His righteousness remains forever.”

¹⁰Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

¹¹you being enriched in everything for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.

¹²For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through much giving of thanks to God,

¹³seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all,

¹⁴while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you.

¹⁵Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!

II Corinthians 10

¹Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

²Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

³For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh;

⁴for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

⁵throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

⁶and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.

⁷Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that even as he is Christ’s, so we also are Christ’s.

⁸For even if I boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed,

⁹that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

¹⁰For, “His letters”, they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.”

¹¹Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

¹²For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

¹³But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.

¹⁴For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,

¹⁵not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

¹⁶so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.

¹⁷But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

¹⁸For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.