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Encouragement to Be Generous

We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; ²for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, ⁴begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— ⁵and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, ⁶so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. ⁷Now 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. ⁹For 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. ¹⁰And 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— ¹¹now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. ¹²For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. ¹³I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between ¹⁴your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. ¹⁵As it is written,

“The one who had much did not have too much,

and the one who had little did not have too little.”

Commendation of Titus

¹⁶ But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have. ¹⁷For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord. ¹⁸With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his proclaiming the good news; ¹⁹and 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. ²⁰We intend that no one should blame us about this generous gift that we are administering, ²¹for we intend to do what is right not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others. ²²And 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. ²³As 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. ²⁴Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

18. We have sent with him the brother. The circumstance that three persons are sent, is an evidence, that great expectations were entertained respecting the Corinthians, and it became them to be so much the more attentive to duty, that they might not disappoint the hopes of the Churches. It is uncertain, however, who this second person was; only that some conjecture that it was Luke, others that it was Barnabas. Chrysostom prefers to consider it to have been Barnabas. I agree with him, because it appears that, by the suffrages of the Churches, ⁶⁹⁰⁶⁹⁰ “Par le commun accord des Eglises;” — “By the common agreement of the Churches.” he was associated with Paul as a companion. As, however, it is almost universally agreed, that Luke was one of those who were the bearers of this Epistle, I have no objection that he be reckoned to be the third that is made mention of.

Now the second person, whoever he may be, he honors with a signal commendation, that he had conducted himself as to the gospel in a praiseworthy manner, that is, he had earned applause by promoting the gospel. For, although Barnabas gave place to Paul in the department of speaking, yet in acting they both concurred. He adds farther, that he had received praise, not from one individual, or even from one Church merely, but from all the Churches. To this general testimony he subjoins a particular one, that is suitable to the subject in hand — that he had been chosen for this department by the concurrence of the Churches. Now it was likely, that this honor would not have been conferred upon him, had he not been long before known to be qualified for it. We must observe, however, the mode of election — that which was customary among the Greeks — χειροτονία, (a show of hands,) ⁶⁹¹⁶⁹¹ “Laquelle les Grecs appellent d’vn nom qui signifie Eleuation des mains;” — “Which the Greeks express by a term that signifies a show of hands.” in which the leaders ⁶⁹²⁶⁹² “Les principaux ou gouerneurs;” — “The leaders or governors.” took the precedence by authority and counsel, and regulated the whole proceeding, while the common people intimated their approval. ⁶⁹³⁶⁹³ Beza, in his Annotations on Acts 14:23, when commenting on the word χειροτονήσαντες made use of in that passage in connection with the ordaining of elders in every Church, remarks, that the word in this application took its rise from the practice of the Greeks — “qui porrectis manibus suffragia ferebant: unde illud Ciceronis pro L. Flacco, Porrexerunt mantus: psephisma nature est;” — “Who gave their votes by holding up their hands: hence that statement made by Cicero in his Oration in behalf of L. Flaccus — They held up their hands — a decree was passed.” Allusion is made to the same custom among the Greeks in the writings of Xenophon, Καὶ ὅτῳ δοκεῖ ἔφη ταῦτα αἰρέτω τὴν χεῖρα ἀνέτειναν πάντες — “Whoever is of this mind,” says he, “let him lift up his hand — they all lifted up their hands.” (Xen. deExped. Cyri. lib. v. p. 283.)” Ενδοξε δ ἀναβαλέσθαι ἐς ἑτέραν ἐκκλησίαν τότε γὰρ ὀψὲ ἦν καὶ τὰς χεῖρας οὐκ ἄν καθεώρων — “But it seemed good to postpone the matter till another assembly, for it was then late, and they could not see the hands.” — (Xen. Hist. Grace. lib. 1, p. 350.) — Ed.

⁶⁹⁰ “Par le commun accord des Eglises;” — “By the common agreement of the Churches.”

⁶⁹¹ “Laquelle les Grecs appellent d’vn nom qui signifie Eleuation des mains;” — “Which the Greeks express by a term that signifies a show of hands.”

⁶⁹² “Les principaux ou gouerneurs;” — “The leaders or governors.”

⁶⁹³ Beza, in his Annotations on Acts 14:23, when commenting on the word χειροτονήσαντες made use of in that passage in connection with the ordaining of elders in every Church, remarks, that the word in this application took its rise from the practice of the Greeks — “qui porrectis manibus suffragia ferebant: unde illud Ciceronis pro L. Flacco, Porrexerunt mantus: psephisma nature est;” — “Who gave their votes by holding up their hands: hence that statement made by Cicero in his Oration in behalf of L. Flaccus — They held up their hands — a decree was passed.” Allusion is made to the same custom among the Greeks in the writings of Xenophon, Καὶ ὅτῳ δοκεῖ ἔφη ταῦτα αἰρέτω τὴν χεῖρα ἀνέτειναν πάντες — “Whoever is of this mind,” says he, “let him lift up his hand — they all lifted up their hands.” (Xen. deExped. Cyri. lib. v. p. 283.)” Ενδοξε δ ἀναβαλέσθαι ἐς ἑτέραν ἐκκλησίαν τότε γὰρ ὀψὲ ἦν καὶ τὰς χεῖρας οὐκ ἄν καθεώρων — “But it seemed good to postpone the matter till another assembly, for it was then late, and they could not see the hands.” — (Xen. Hist. Grace. lib. 1, p. 350.) — Ed.