Motivations for Giving

Now concerning the ministry to the saints, it is unnecessary for me to write to you. For I know your eagerness, and I brag about you to the Macedonians:[a](A) “Achaia[b](B) has been prepared since last year,” and your zeal(C) has stirred up most of them.(D) But I sent the brothers so our boasting about you in the matter would not prove empty, and so you would be prepared just as I said. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be embarrassed in that situation.[c] Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift(E) you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:2 Macedonia was a Roman province in the northern area of modern Greece.
  2. 2 Corinthians 9:2 Achaia was the Roman province, south of Macedonia, where Corinth was located.
  3. 2 Corinthians 9:4 Or in this confidence

Now gar concerning peri the ho service diakonia · ho to eis the ho saints hagios, there is eimi no necessity perissos for me egō to write graphō to you hymeis, for gar I know oida · ho your hymeis readiness prothumia to help, about which hos I keep boasting kauchaomai to the Macedonians Makedōn, saying that hoti Achaia Achaia has been ready paraskeuazō since apo last year perysi, and kai · ho your hymeis zeal zēlos has stirred up erethizō · ho most of them polys. But de I am sending pempō these ho brothers adelphos so that hina what ho we hēmeis say in praise kauchēma of hyper you hymeis may not · ho be an empty boast kenoō in en · ho this houtos instance meros, that hina you may be eimi ready paraskeuazō just as kathōs I said legō you would be. Lest perhaps pōs if ean some Macedonians Makedōn should come erchomai with syn me egō and kai not find heuriskō you hymeis ready aparaskeuastos, we hēmeis to hina say legō nothing of you hymeis would be humiliated kataischunō by en · ho this houtos confidence hypostasis. Therefore oun I considered hēgeomai it necessary anankaios to urge parakaleō the ho brothers adelphos to hina go proerchomai to eis you hymeis in advance and kai to arrange beforehand prokatartizō the ho generous contribution eulogia you hymeis had previously promised, so that eimi it houtos would be eimi ready hetoimos as hōs a generous gift eulogia and kai not as hōs something you had to do pleonexia.

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