^18 (A)I urged Titus to go, and sent ^(B)the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

⁶ Accordingly, ^(A)we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you ^(B)this act of grace.

¹² and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

²¹ For ^(A)to this you have been called, ^(B)because Christ also suffered for you, ^(C)leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus ^(A)to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. ²⁰ For I have no one ^(B)like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. ²¹ For they all ^(C)seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know Timothy's^{[a] (D)}proven worth, how ^(E)as a son^[b] with a father ^(F)he has served with me in the gospel.

Commendation of Titus

¹⁶ But ^(A)thanks be to God, ^(B)who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. ¹⁷ For ^(C)he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going^[a] to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ With him we are sending^{[b] (D)}the brother who is famous among ^(E)all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. ¹⁹ And not only that, but he has been ^(F)appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of ^(G)grace that is being ministered by us, ^(H)for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. ²⁰ We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, ²¹ for ^(I)we aim at what is honorable ^(J)not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. ²² And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for Titus, he is ^(K)my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers^[c] of the churches, the glory of Christ.

⁶ But ^(A)God, who comforts the downcast, ^(B)comforted us by the coming of Titus,

Paul's Joy

^2 (A)Make room in your hearts^[a] for us. ^(B)We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.

Triumph in Christ

¹² When ^(A)I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though ^(B)a door was opened for me in the Lord, ¹³ my spirit ^(C)was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.