Study Desk

And his affection for you is all the greater as he remembers how ready you were to obey and how you received him with reverence and respect.

They begged and pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service for God's people.

Just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in diligence of every kind, and in your love for us — see that you excel in this gift too.

For you know how generous our Lord Yeshua the Messiah was — for your sakes he impoverished himself, even though he was rich, so that he might make you rich by means of his poverty.

For if the eagerness to give is there, the acceptability of the gift will be measured by what you have, not by what you don't have.

It is not that relief for others should cause trouble for you, but that there should be a kind of reciprocity:

Now I thank God for making Titus as devoted to you as we are;

for he not only responded to our urging, but, being so devoted, he is coming to you on his own initiative.

And with him we are sending the brother whose work for the Good News is praised in all the congregations;

for we take pains to do what is right not only in the sight of God but also in the sight of other people .

As for Titus, he is my partner who works with me on your behalf; and the other brothers with him are emissaries of the congregations and bring honor to the Messiah.

There is really no need for me to write you about this offering for God's people —

For if some Macedonians were to come with me and find you unprepared, we would be humiliated at having been so confident — to say nothing of how you would feel.

Each should give according to what he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver .

Moreover, God has the power to provide you with every gracious gift in abundance, so that always in every way you will have all you need yourselves and be able to provide abundantly for every good cause —

He who provides both seed for the planter and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your tzedakah.

because rendering this holy service not only provides for the needs of God's people, but it also overflows in the many thanks people will be giving to God.

And in their prayers for you they will feel a strong affection for you because of how gracious God has been to you.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

For although we do live in the world, we do not wage war in a worldly way;