2 Corinthians / The Example and Principle of Generous Giving

The Example and Principle of Generous Giving

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Chapter 8

¹ But we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God that has been given in the churches of Macedonia, ² that in much trial of tribulation the abundance of their joy and their poverty according to depth abounded into the wealth of their simplicity; ³ that according to their power—and beyond their power—I bear witness—they gave voluntarily, ⁴ with much exhortation, begging us for the grace and the fellowship of the ministry to the saints— ⁵ and not as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us through the will of God, ⁶ so as to exhort Titus that just as he began before, so also he might complete toward you both this grace. ⁷ But just as you abound in everything—in faith and word and knowledge and all diligence and the love from us in you—so that you may also abound in this grace. ⁸ I say this not as a command, but to test the genuineness of your love by the zeal of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake, being rich, he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. ¹⁰ And I give this advisement; for this is beneficial for you, who not only began to do but also to will before from last year. ¹¹ But now also complete the doing of it, so that just as there is the eagerness to will, so also there may be the completion from what you have. ¹² For if the eagerness is present, it is acceptable according as one has it, not according as one does not have it. ¹³ For it is not that others receive relief while you experience tribulation, but equality. ¹⁴ In the present time, your abundance meeting their need, so that their abundance may also meet your need, so that there may be equity. ¹⁵ As it is written, "The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not fall short."