Study Desk

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been ^(a)given in the churches of ^(b)Macedonia,

that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the ^(c)wealth of their liberality.

For I testify that ^(d)according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,

begging us with much urging for the ^(e)favor ^[a]of participation in the ^[b](f)support of the ^[c]saints,

and this, not as we had ^[d]expected, but they first ^(g)gave themselves to the Lord and to us by ^(h)the will of God.

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.

But just as you ^(m)abound ⁽ⁿ⁾in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the ^[e]love we inspired in you, see that you ^(o)abound in this gracious work also.

I ^(p)am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.

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.

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.

But now finish ^[f]doing it also, so that just as there was the ^(u)readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability.

For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable ^(v)according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality—

at this present time your abundance being a supply for ^(w)their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for ^(x)your need, that there may be equality;

as it is written, "^(y) He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack ."

But ^(z)thanks be to God who ^(aa)puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of ^(ab)Titus.

For he not only accepted our ^(ac)appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.

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;

^(ag)and not only this, 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,

^[g]taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;

for we ^(ak)have regard for what is honorable, not only in ^(al)the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

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.

As for ^(am)Titus, he is my ^(an)partner and fellow worker ^[h]among you; as for our ^(ao)brethren, they are ^[i](ap)messengers of the churches, ^(aq)a glory to Christ.

Therefore ^[j]openly before the churches, ^[k]show them the proof of your love and of our ^(ar)reason for boasting about you.

For ^(a)it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ^(b)ministry to the ^[a]saints;

for I know your readiness, of which I ^(c)boast about you to the ^(d)Macedonians, namely, that ^(e)Achaia has been prepared since ^(f)last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

But I have sent the brethren, in order that our ^(g)boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, ^(h)as I was saying, you may be prepared;

otherwise if any ⁽ⁱ⁾Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—will be put to shame by this confidence.

So I thought it necessary to urge the ^(j)brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised ^[b](k)bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a ^[c](l)bountiful gift and not ^[d](m)affected by covetousness.

Now this I say, ⁽ⁿ⁾he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows ^[e]bountifully will also reap ^[f]bountifully.

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not ^(o)grudgingly or under compulsion, for ^(p)God loves a cheerful giver.

And ^(q)God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

as it is written, "^(r) He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor , His righteousness ^[g] endures forever ."

Now He who supplies ^(s)seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and ^(t)increase the harvest of your righteousness;

you will be ^(u)enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing ^(v)thanksgiving to God.

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying ^(w)the needs of the ^[h]saints, but is also overflowing ^(x)through many thanksgivings to God.

Because of the proof given by this ^(y)ministry, they will ^(z)glorify God for your obedience to your ^(aa)confession of the ^(ab)gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your ^[i]contribution to them and to all,

while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

^(ac)Thanks be to God for His indescribable ^(ad)gift!

Now ^(a)I, Paul, myself ^(b)urge you by the ^(c)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who ^(d)am ^[a]meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!

I ask that ^(e)when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against ^(f)some, who regard us as if we walked ^(g)according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war ^(h)according to the flesh,

for the ⁽ⁱ⁾weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ^[b]divinely powerful ^(j)for the destruction of fortresses.

We are destroying speculations and every ^(k)lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ^(l)obedience of Christ,

and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^(m)your obedience is complete.

^[c](n)You are looking at ^[d]things as they are outwardly. ^(o)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, ^(p)so also are we.

For even if ^(q)I boast somewhat ^[e]further about our ^(r)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,

^[f]for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.

For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his ^[g]personal presence is ^(s)unimpressive and ^(t)his speech contemptible."

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

For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with ^[h]some of those who ^(u)commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

But we will not boast ^(v)beyond our measure, but ^[i](w)within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.

For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for ^(x)we were the first to come even as far as you in the ^(y)gospel of Christ;

not boasting ^(z)beyond our measure, that is, in ^(aa)other men's labors, but with the hope that as ^(ab)your faith grows, we will be, ^[j]within our sphere, ^(ac)enlarged even more by you,

so as to ^(ad)preach the gospel even to ^(ae)the regions beyond you, and not to boast ^[k](af)in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.

But ^(ag) he who boasts is to boast in the Lord .

For it is not he who ^(ah)commends himself that is approved, but he ^(ai)whom the Lord commends.