Titus Sent to Receive the Collection

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

22 In 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. 23 As for Titus,(K) he is my partner(L) and co-worker(M) among you; as for our brothers,(N) they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24 Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you,(O) so that the churches can see it.

There is no need(P) for me to write to you about this service(Q) to the Lord’s people.(R) For I know your eagerness to help,(S) and I have been boasting(T) about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year(U) you in Achaia(V) were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers(W) in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.(X) For if any Macedonians(Y) come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers(Z) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,(AA) not as one grudgingly given.(AB)

16 But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

17 For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.

18 And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;

19 And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:

20 Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:

21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

23 Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

24 Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:

Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.