New Testament Plan

¹We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that was given to the churches of Macedonia:

²During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

³I can testify that, according to their ability and even beyond their ability, of their own accord,

⁴they begged us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints,

⁵and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us by God’s will.

⁶So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so he should also complete among you this act of grace.

⁷Now as you excel in everything — in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us  — excel also in this act of grace.

⁸I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.

⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

¹⁰And in this matter I am giving advice because it is profitable for you, who began last year not only to do something but also to want to do it.

¹¹Now also finish the task, so that just as there was an eager desire, there may also be a completion, according to what you have.

¹²For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

¹³It is not that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality.

¹⁴At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may in turn meet your need, in order that there may be equality.

¹⁵As it is written: The person who had much did not have too much, and the person who had little did not have too little.

¹⁶Thanks be to God, who put the same concern for you into the heart of Titus.

¹⁷For he welcomed our appeal and, being very diligent, went out to you by his own choice.

¹⁸We have sent with him the brother who is praised among all the churches for his gospel ministry.

¹⁹And not only that, but he was also appointed by the churches to accompany us with this gracious gift that we are administering for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.

²⁰We are taking this precaution so that no one will criticize us about this large sum that we are administering.

²¹Indeed, we are giving careful thought to do what is right, not only before the Lord but also before people.

²²We have also sent with them our brother. We have often tested him in many circumstances and found him to be diligent — and now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.

²³As for Titus, he is my partner and coworker for you; as for our brothers, they are the messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

²⁴Therefore, show them proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you.

¹Now concerning the ministry to the saints, it is unnecessary for me to write to you.

²For I know your eagerness, and I boast about you to the Macedonians: “Achaia has been ready since last year,” and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

³But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you in this matter would not prove empty, and so that you would be ready just as I said.

⁴Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be put to shame in that situation.

⁵Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.

⁶The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.

⁷Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.

⁹As it is written: He distributed freely; he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.

¹⁰Now the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

¹¹You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.

¹²For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

¹³Because of the proof provided by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone.

¹⁴And as they pray on your behalf, they will have deep affection for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

¹⁵Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

¹Now I Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ — I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent.

²I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving according to the flesh.

³For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh,

⁴since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments

⁵and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

⁶And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

⁷Look at what is obvious. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, let him remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we.

⁸For if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame.

⁹I don’t want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters.

¹⁰For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak and his public speaking amounts to nothing.”

¹¹Let such a person consider this: What we are in our letters, when we are absent, we will also be in our actions when we are present.

¹²For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding.

¹³We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even to you.

¹⁴For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ.

¹⁵We are not boasting beyond measure about other people’s labors. On the contrary, we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged,

¹⁶so that we may preach the gospel to the regions beyond you without boasting about what has already been done in someone else’s area of ministry.

¹⁷So let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

¹⁸For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends.