“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

“We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.” 2 Cor. 8:1-7

Here we read of the work of charity that was near and dear to Paul–to collect for the needs of the poor saints at Jerusalem and in Judea, according to the good example of the churches in Macedonia (Rom. 15:26). The Christians at Jerusalem, through war, famine, and persecution, had become poor, many of them had fallen into decay, and perhaps most of them were but poor when they first embraced Christianity — as such they were but in a low condition, and themselves in distress — and yet they contributed to the relief of others.

These saints were not wealthy themselves, and yet, as they had the ability and the joy to give, they strove to give out of the little they had, trusting in G-d to provide for them. And as we learn, they gave large amounts — making anyone believe they were actually wealthy — for it was a large contribution they made, all things considered; it was according to and beyond what could be expected of them.

We might look at their example and wonder “How did they do it?” We often look at our own “lack” and think “I cannot give any more.” Paul tells us that they were ready and actually looked forward to this collection — even to the point that Paul asked them if they were actually able to do it. What if instead of beginning from a stance of “lack”, we were to approach our giving (to any charity, organization, and yes even the church) from a position of abundance?

I think what is most important to notice is the progression of the people in Corinth in approaching this gift: first them gave themselves generously to the Lord, in their faith, their speech and in their love, and then they gave generously to the collection for the saints.

Pastor Dave