Kutoa Kwa Ukarimu
18:1 Mdo 16:9Basi sasa ndugu, nataka ninyi mjue kuhusu ile neema ambayo Mungu amewapa makanisa ya Makedonia. 28:2 Kut 36:9; 2Kor 9:11Pamoja na majaribu makali na taabu walizopata, furaha waliyokuwa nayo ilikuwa kubwa, ingawa walikuwa maskini kupindukia, kwa upande wao walifurika kwa wingi wa ukarimu. 38:3 1Kor 16:2Kwa maana nashuhudia kwamba wao walitoa kwa kadiri wawezavyo, hata na zaidi ya uwezo wao, kwa hiari yao wenyewe, 48:4 Mdo 24:17; 9:13wakitusihi kwa bidii wapewe fursa ya kushiriki katika huduma hii ya kuwasaidia watakatifu. 5Wala hawakufanya tulivyotazamia, bali walijitoa wao wenyewe kwa Bwana kwanza na ndipo wakajitoa kwa ajili yetu, kufuatana na mapenzi ya Mungu. 68:6 2Kor 12:18; 2:13Kwa hiyo tulimsihi Tito, kwa kuwa ndiye alianzisha jambo hili, akamilishe tendo hili la neema kwa upande wenu. 78:7 2Kor 9:8; Rum 15:14; 1Kor 1:5; 12:8; 13:1-2; 14:6Lakini kama vile mlivyo mbele sana katika yote: Katika imani, katika usemi, katika maarifa, katika uaminifu wote na katika upendo wenu kwetu sisi, vivyo hivyo tunataka pia mzidi katika neema hii ya kutoa.
88:8 1Kor 7:6Siwaamrishi, lakini nataka kujaribu unyofu wa upendo wenu kwa kuulinganisha na bidii ya wengine. 98:9 Rum 3:24; 2Kor 13:14; Mt 20:28; 2Kor 6:10Kwa maana mnajua neema ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo, kwamba ingawa alikuwa tajiri, kwa ajili yenu alikubali kuwa maskini, ili kwa umaskini wake ninyi mpate kuwa matajiri.
108:10 1Kor 7:25, 40; 16:2-3; 2Kor 9:2Ushauri wangu kuhusu lile lililo bora kwenu juu ya jambo hili ni huu: Mwaka uliopita ninyi mlikuwa wa kwanza si tu kutoa lakini pia mlikuwa na shauku ya kufanya hivyo. 118:11 Kut 25:2; 2Kor 9:2Sasa ikamilisheni kazi hii kwa shauku kama mlivyoanza, jitoleeni kulingana na uwezo wenu. 128:12 Mk 12:43, 44; 2Kor 9:7Kwa kuwa kama nia ya kutoa ipo, kitolewacho kinakubalika kulingana na kile mtu alicho nacho, wala si kwa kile ambacho hana.
13Nia yetu si kwamba wengine wasaidike wakati ninyi mnateseka, bali pawe na uwiano. 148:14 Mdo 4:34; 2Kor 9:12Kwa wakati huu, wingi wa vitu mlivyo navyo usaidie kutosheleza mahitaji yao, ili wakati wao watakapokuwa na wingi wa vitu, nao wapate kutosheleza mahitaji yenu. 158:15 Kut 16:18Ndipo patakuwa na usawa, kama ilivyoandikwa: “Aliyekusanya zaidi hakuwa na ziada, wala aliyekusanya kidogo hakupungukiwa.”
Tito Atumwa Korintho
168:16 2Kor 2:14; Ufu 17:17; 2Kor 2:13Ninamshukuru Mungu ambaye amemtia Tito moyo wa kuwajali ninyi kama mimi ninavyowajali. 178:17 2Kor 8:6Si kwamba Tito amekubali tu ombi letu, bali anakuja kwenu akiwa na shauku kuliko wakati mwingine, tena kwa hiari yake mwenyewe. 188:18 2Kor 12:18; 1Kor 7:17; 2Kor 2:12Nasi tunamtuma pamoja naye ndugu ambaye anasifiwa na makanisa yote kwa huduma yake ya kuhubiri Injili. 198:19 Mdo 14:23; 1Kor 16:3-4Zaidi ya hayo, alichaguliwa na makanisa ili asafiri pamoja nasi tulipokuwa tunapeleka matoleo ya ukarimu, kwa ajili ya utukufu wa Bwana mwenyewe, na ili kuonyesha hisani yetu kuwasaidia. 20Tunataka kuepuka lawama yoyote kuhusu jinsi tunavyosimamia matoleo haya ya ukarimu. 218:21 Rum 12:17; 14:18; Tit 2:14-15Kwa kuwa tunakusudia kufanya kile kilicho haki si machoni mwa Bwana peke yake, bali pia machoni mwa watu wengine.
22Pamoja nao, tunamtuma ndugu yetu ambaye mara kwa mara ametuthibitishia kwa njia nyingi kwamba ana shauku, naam, zaidi sana sasa kwa sababu analo tumaini kuu kwenu. 238:23 2Kor 2:13; Flp 1:17; 2:25Kwa habari ya Tito, yeye ni mwenzangu na mtendakazi pamoja nami miongoni mwenu. Kwa habari za ndugu zetu, wao ni wawakilishi wa makanisa, na utukufu kwa Kristo. 248:24 2Kor 7:4, 14; 9:2Kwa hiyo waonyesheni wazi hawa ndugu uthibitisho wa upendo wenu na sababu inayotufanya tujivune kwa ajili yenu, mbele ya makanisa, ili yapate kuona.
The Collection for the Lord’s People
1And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you8:7 Some manuscripts and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
10And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”8:15 Exodus 16:18
Titus Sent to Receive the Collection
16Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
22In 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. 23As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.
