³ But I am sending the brothers^(A) in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.^(B)

⁶ So we urged^(A) Titus,^(B) just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion^(C) this act of grace on your part.

Saved in Order to Do Good

3 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities,^(A) to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,^(B)

⁴ For if any Macedonians^(A) come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers^(B) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,^(C) not as one grudgingly given.^(D)

¹⁷ For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.^{(A) 18} And we are sending along with him the brother^(B) who is praised by all the churches^(C) for his service to the gospel.^{(D) 19} What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us^(E) as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.^{(F) 20} We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. ²¹ For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.^(G)

²² In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for Titus,^(H) he is my partner^(I) and co-worker^(J) among you; as for our brothers,^(K) they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you,^(L) so that the churches can see it.

¹⁴ I had boasted to him about you,^(A) and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus^(B) has proved to be true as well.

The Collection for the Lord’s People

16 Now about the collection^(A) for the Lord’s people:^(B) Do what I told the Galatian^(C) churches to do. ² On the first day of every week,^(D) each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.^{(E) 3} Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve^(F) and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.