Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

7 Therefore, since we have these promises, loved ones, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Godly Sorrow and Joy

² Make room for us in your hearts. We wronged no one, ruined no one, took advantage of no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts—to die together and to live together with you. ⁴ Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I have been filled with encouragement. I overflow with joy in all our troubles.

⁵ For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest. But we were hard pressed on every side—conflicts outside, fears within. ⁶ But God, who encourages the downcast, encouraged us with the arrival of Titus; ⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your deep concern for me—so that I rejoiced still more.

⁸ For even if I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that my letter grieved you, but just for a while. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to the point of repentance. For you were grieved according to God’s will, so that you might in no way suffer loss from us. ¹⁰ For the grief that God wills brings a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret. But the world’s grief brings death. ¹¹ For see what this very thing—this grieving that God wills—has brought you! What diligence, what defense, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what rendering of justice! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹² So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for the sake of the wrongdoer or for the sake of the one who was wronged, but to make known to you your diligence for us in the sight of God. ¹³ For this reason we have been encouraged.

Besides our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. ¹⁴ For if I have boasted some to him about you, I was not put to shame. But as we spoke all things truthfully to you, so also our boasting to Titus has proved to be the truth. ¹⁵ His feelings toward you overflow when he remembers everyone’s obedience—how you received him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.

Eagerness to Give

8 Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, the grace God has given to Messiah’s communities in Macedonia— ² that in much testing by affliction, the abundance of their joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³ For I testify that according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, they gave of their own free will— ⁴ begging us with much urging for the favor of sharing in the relief of the kedoshim. ⁵ Moreover, it was not just as we had hoped, but they gave of themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. ⁶ So we urged Titus that, just as he had made a start before, so he should also complete this gracious service for you. ⁷ But as you excel in everything—in faith and speech and knowledge and all diligence, and in your love for us—also excel in this grace. ⁸ I am saying this not as a command, but I am trying to prove by the diligence of others the genuineness of your love as well. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah—that even though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that through His poverty you might become rich. ¹⁰ Now I give my opinion in this matter, that it is a credit to you that a year ago you were the first to start—not only to do but even to be willing. ¹¹ But now finish doing it, so that just as there was eagerness to be willing, so also to finish it, out of what you have. ¹² For if the eagerness is present, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he doesn’t have. ¹³ For it is not relief for others and hardship for you, but as a matter of equality. ¹⁴ Your abundance at this present time meets their need, so that their abundance may also meet your need—so that there may be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”^[a]

An Offering by Special Delivery

¹⁶ But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion for you. ¹⁷ For indeed he not only accepted our appeal, but went to you with eagerness and on his own initiative. ¹⁸ We are sending along with him the brother whose fame in connection with the Good News has spread throughout all of Messiah’s communities. ¹⁹ Not only that, but he has also been appointed by the communities as our travel companion with this gracious gift, which is administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help. ²⁰ We are taking this precaution, so that no one will blame us in regard to the way we administer this generous gift. ²¹ We have regard for what is honorable—not only before the Lord, but also before people. ²² Also with them we are sending our brother whom we have tested many times and found to be diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are the emissaries of the communities, a glory to Messiah. ²⁴ Therefore, before Messiah’s communities show them the proof of your love and of our boasting about you.

9 Now about this service to the kedoshim, it is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you— ² for I know your eagerness. I boast about it to the Macedonians, that Achaia has been preparing for a year already; and your zeal has stirred up most of them. ³ But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not be in vain in this case, so that you may be prepared, just as I kept saying. ⁴ Otherwise, if any Macedonians were to come and find you unprepared, we—not to mention you—would be put to shame in this undertaking. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on to you and arrange ahead of time your generous gift that had been promised beforehand, so that it would be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.

Sowing and Reaping Generosity

⁶ The point is this: whoever sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. ^{[b] 7} Let each one give as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion—for God loves a cheerful giver. ^{[c] 8} And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that by always having enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work. ⁹ As it is written,

¹⁰ Now the One who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. ^{[e] 11} You will be enriched in everything for all generosity, which through us brings about thanksgiving to God. ¹² For this service of giving is not only supplying the needs of the kedoshim, but is also overflowing with many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ Because of the evidence of this service, they praise God for the obedience of your affirmation of the Good News of Messiah and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to everyone. ¹⁴ And in their prayer for you, they long for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!