UBF Daily Bread

WE TAKE PAINS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT

Passage: 2_Corinthians 8:10~24

Key verse: 21

¹⁰And here is my judgment^(A) about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.^(B) ¹¹Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness^(C) to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹²For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has,^(D) not according to what one does not have.

¹³Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. ¹⁴At the present time your plenty will supply what they need,^(E) so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, ¹⁵as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”^[a]^(F)

Titus Sent to Receive the Collection

¹⁶Thanks be to God,^(G) who put into the heart^(H) of Titus^(I) the same concern I have for you. ¹⁷For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.^(J) ¹⁸And we are sending along with him the brother^(K) who is praised by all the churches^(L) for his service to the gospel.^(M) ¹⁹What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us^(N) as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.^(O) ²⁰We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. ²¹For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.^(P)

²²In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. ²³As for Titus,^(Q) he is my partner^(R) and co-worker^(S) among you; as for our brothers,^(T) they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. ²⁴Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you,^(U) so that the churches can see it.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 8:15 Exodus 16:18

Paul advises the Corinthians to complete their earlier pledge of offering. They didn’t need to be burdened by any amount of giving as long as they had willingness. For no offering is too small in the sight of God if it is given willingly and sacrificially (Lk 21:2). Offering is not to make one party poor to make another party rich. Rather, it is to bring about equality. When Christians voluntarily share their plenty with those in need, they lay up treasures in heaven and enhance equality so that no one has too much and no one has too little as shown in God’s provision for the Israelites.

Paul sent Titus, his partner, to Corinth to collect the offering from them along with a trustworthy brother, chosen and praised by all the churches. Paul was careful in administering the offering of the Gentiles to the churches in Jerusalem. He did not do it all by himself but worked with several trustworthy representatives of the churches. It was for the sake of accountability, transparency and to avoid any criticism. In administering the offering from the Gentile churches, Paul took pains to do what is right, not only in the sight of God but also in the eyes of people, to honor God and encourage the believers through wise administration.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your abundant blessing. Help me willingly share it with those in need and do what is right not only in your sight but in the eyes of people in the use of offering.

One Word: Honor Christ with the use of money