Greetings from Paul

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. I am writing to God’s church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece.

Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance

When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.

A Call to Generous Giving

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.

I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.

We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News.

He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.

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, and they bring honor to Christ.

So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.

For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.

I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost.

Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.

The only thing I failed to do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!