“But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have. For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord. With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his proclaiming the good news; and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this generous undertaking for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill. We intend that no one should blame us about this generous gift that we are administering, for we intend to do what is right not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others. And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found eager in many matters, but who is now more eager than ever because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker in your service; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.” 2 Cor. 8:16-24

In these verses Paul is commending the “brethren” who were sent to them to collect their charity; and as it were, he is giving them letters of credential, so that, if they were stopped and questioned, people would know who they were and why they were there — as if that might be necessary. So who were these men who were sent to collect the donation?

We, first he commends Titus by name, for his care and great heart for them, and desire in all things to promote their welfare. This is mentioned with thankfulness to G-d (v. 16), and it is a cause of thankfulness if G-d puts it into the hearts of any of us to care for others.

The he commends another brother, who was sent with Titus — and scholars believe this was Luke. He is mentioned as a man of the gospel who is known through all the churches, and he had approved himself praiseworthy in what he had done. But also, Luke was chosen by the churches (v. 19) and joined with Paul in this ministry. And finally, he commends another brother who joined the others in this affair. This brother is thought to be Apollos, but whoever they are, it is certainly a guess — possibly Apollos, Epenetus, or Sosthenes, or any other of a number of candidates.

So what do we learn? We learn that there are any number of us who are called to do the ministry of Jesus — the collection of souls — the giving of gifts — the sharing of the gospel. Paul and his compatriots were ready and willing to be employed in this service, and so should we, when called upon by the Holy Spirit. We must first be open and attentive to that calling……

Pastor Dave