2 Corinthians 8:16-24
New Living Translation
Titus and His Companions
16 But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. 17 Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. 18 We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. 19 He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem[a]—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.
20 We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. 21 We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.
22 We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. 23 If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches,[b] and they bring honor to Christ. 24 So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 8:19 See 1 Cor 16:3-4.
- 8:23 Greek are apostles of the churches.
2 Corinthians 8:16-24
New English Translation
The Mission of Titus
16 But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same devotion[a] I have for you, 17 because he not only accepted our request, but since he was very eager,[b] he is coming[c] to you of his own accord.[d] 18 And we are sending[e] along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in spreading the gospel.[f] 19 In addition,[g] this brother[h] has also been chosen by the churches as our traveling companion as we administer this generous gift[i] to the glory of the Lord himself and to show our readiness to help.[j] 20 We did this[k] as a precaution so that no one should blame us in regard to this generous gift we are administering. 21 For we are concerned about what is right not only before the Lord but also before men.[l] 22 And we are sending[m] with them our brother whom we have tested many times and found eager in many matters, but who now is much more eager than ever because of the great confidence he has in you. 23 If there is any question[n] about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; if there is any question about our brothers, they are messengers[o] of the churches, a glory to Christ. 24 Therefore show[p] them openly before the churches the proof of your love and of our pride in you.[q]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Corinthians 8:16 tn Or “eagerness.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:17 tn The comparative form of this adjective is used here with elative meaning.
- 2 Corinthians 8:17 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
- 2 Corinthians 8:17 tn Or “of his own free will.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:18 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
- 2 Corinthians 8:18 tn Grk “the brother of whom the praise in the gospel [is] throughout all the churches.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:19 tn Grk “gospel, and not only this, but.” Here a new sentence was started in the translation.
- 2 Corinthians 8:19 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the brother mentioned in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Corinthians 8:19 tn That is, the offering or collection being taken to assist impoverished Christians.
- 2 Corinthians 8:19 tn The words “to help” are not in the Greek text but are implied (see L&N 25.68).
- 2 Corinthians 8:20 tn “This” refers to sending the brother mentioned in 2 Cor 8:18 to Corinth along with Titus. The words “We did this” have no equivalent in the Greek text, but are necessary to maintain the thought flow in English. The Greek participle that begins v. 20 continues the sentence begun in v. 18 which concerns the sending of the other brother mentioned there.
- 2 Corinthians 8:21 sn An allusion to Prov 3:4.
- 2 Corinthians 8:22 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
- 2 Corinthians 8:23 tn Grk “If concerning Titus” (εἴτε ὑπὲρ Τίτου, eite huper Titou); the Greek sentence opens with an ellipsis which must be supplied: If [there is any question] about Titus.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:23 tn Grk “apostles.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:24 tc The sense of this translation is attested by the fact that most of the later mss, along with several early and significant ones (א C D2 Ψ 0225 0243 1739 1881 M lat), have the imperative verb ἐνδείξασθε (endeixasthe) in place of the participle ἐνδεικνύμενοι (endeiknumenoi), which is found in B D* F G 33. Since an imperatival participle is more Hebraic in style, many scribes would not have understood the idiom as easily and would have been likely to change the participle to an imperative (so TCGNT 513-14). But there is no good reason why scribes would change the imperative into a participle. Thus, ἐνδεικνύμενοι is almost surely the wording of the original text.tn In the Greek text ἐνδεικνύμενοι (endeiknumenoi) is a present participle which is translated as an imperative verb (see BDF §468; ExSyn 650-52).
- 2 Corinthians 8:24 tn Or “our boasting about you.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.