8:1 Now, sisters and brothers, we want to tell you about the favor God granted to the Congregations in Macedonia.

8:2 Their extreme happiness matched their extreme hardship, and the height of their generosity matched the depth of their poverty.

8:3 They went beyond their ability, by their own free will,

8:4 begging to participate with us in service to the holy ones.

8:5 In contrast to what we expected, they willingly gave first to the Master and then to us, according to God’s will.

8:6 So we encouraged Titus that, just as he did before, he should complete this gift with you also.

8:7 Just as you excel in faith, speech, knowledge, dedication, and the love that flows from you to us, now excel in this gift.

8:8 I am not giving you a command, but I want to test the genuineness of your love in light of the dedication of these others.

8:9 For you know about the favor of our Master Jesus the Anointed, how he gave up his riches to become poor for your sakes, so that through his poverty you could become rich.

8:10 And in my opinion, this is for your own good, because for the past year you have been putting your intentions into action.

8:11 So now you need to finish the job from what you have.

8:12 If someone is eager to give, it is accepted on the basis of what they have, not on what they don’t have.

8:13 And the purpose is not to make them comfortable at your expense but to bring equality.

8:14 Right now your excess will meet their need, but there may come a time when they will have excess to meet your need; that is equality.

8:15 As it is written: “The one who gathered a lot had no extra, and the one who gathered little had enough.”

8:16 I am so grateful to God for putting into Titus’ heart the same dedication to you that we have.

8:17 He not only gladly accepted the assignment to visit you but was all the more intent upon doing so.

8:18 Now we stand together with this brother, whose reputation with the Gospel extends to all the Congregations.

8:19 Not only that, he was the one chosen by them to travel with us to take this gift we eagerly dispense, to the honor of the Master Himself.

8:20 So we need to be extra careful about how we handle this generous gift.

8:21 We need to be above reproach, both in the sight of the Master and the sight of people.

8:22 Now we sent along with them our brother, who has often been tested and found dedicated and is now much more so. I have a lot of confidence in you,

8:23 whether by virtue of Titus, my partner and your co-worker, or our sisters and brothers, the Ambassadors of the Congregations and the honor of the Anointed.

8:24 Then your love and our bragging about you will be displayed for all the Congregations to see.