Giving Freely to the Lord’s People
1Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given to the churches in Macedonia. 2They have suffered a great deal. But in their suffering, their joy was more than full. Even though they were very poor, they gave very freely. 3I tell you that they gave as much as they could. In fact, they gave even more than they could. Completely on their own, 4they begged us for the chance to share in serving the Lord’s people in that way. 5They did more than we expected. First they gave themselves to the Lord. Then they gave themselves to us because that was what God wanted. 6Titus had already started collecting money from you. So we asked him to help you finish making your kind gift. 7You do well in everything else. You do well in faith and in speaking. You do well in knowledge and in complete commitment. And you do well in the love we have helped to start in you. So make sure that you also do well in the grace of giving to others.
8I am not commanding you to do it. But I want to test you. I want to find out if you really love God. I want to compare your love with that of others. 9You know the grace shown by our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though he was rich, he became poor to help you. Because he became poor, you can become rich.
10Here is my opinion about what is best for you in that matter. Last year you were the first to give. You were also the first to want to give. 11So finish the work. Then your desire to do it will be matched by your finishing it. Give on the basis of what you have. 12Do you really want to give? Then the gift is measured by what someone has. It is not measured by what they don’t have.
13We don’t want others to have it easy at your expense. We want things to be equal. 14Right now you have plenty in order to take care of what they need. Then they will have plenty to take care of what you need. The goal is to even things out. 15It is written, “The one who gathered a lot didn’t have too much. And the one who gathered a little had enough.” (Exodus 16:18)
Paul Sends Titus to Corinth to Receive the Offering
16God put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. Thanks should be given to God for this. 17Titus welcomed our appeal. He is also excited about coming to you. It was his own idea. 18Along with Titus, we are sending another brother. All the churches praise him for his service in telling the good news. 19He was also chosen by the churches to go with us as we bring the offering. We are in charge of it. We want to honor the Lord himself. We want to show how ready we are to help. 20We want to keep anyone from blaming us for how we take care of that large gift. 21We are trying hard to do what both the Lord and people think is right.
22We are also sending another one of our brothers with them. He has often proved to us in many ways that he is very committed. He is now even more committed because he has great faith in you. 23Titus is my helper. He and I work together among you. Our brothers are messengers from the churches. They honor Christ. 24So show them that you really love them. Show them why we are proud of you. Then the churches can see it.
О скупљању прилога
1Желимо да знате, браћо, о Божијој милости која је дата црквама у Македонији. 2Јер, иако су кушани невољама, њихова радост је изобилна, а њихово посвемашње сиромаштво се преточило у богатство великодушности. 3Сведок сам да су, сходно својим могућностима, па и преко њих, добровољно давали, 4жарко нас молећи да их почаствујемо учешћем у потребама светих. 5Они су, чак, превазишли и наша очекивања, јер су, себе пре свега, ставили на располагање Господу и нама ради Божије воље. 6Зато смо замолили Тита да доврши међу вама ово дело милосрђа које је започео. 7Па, пошто у свему обилујете, у вери, у речи, у знању, у сваковрсној ревности, као и у љубави према нама, обилујте и у овом делу милости.
8Ово вам не заповедам, него проверавам искреност ваше љубави, поредећи је с ревношћу других. 9Ви, наиме, знате за милост Господа нашега Исуса Христа, да је он, иако богат, постао сиромах ради вас, да би ви његовим сиромаштвом постали богати.
10Што се тиче ове ствари, мислим да вама и приличи да довршите оно што сте сами започели прошле године. Ви, наиме, не само да сте то учинили, него сте и желели да учините. 11Сада довршите то дело! Учините онако како сте желели, сходно својим могућностима. 12Јер, ако је присутна добра воља, онда је и ваш дар добродошао; свакако, не на основу онога што немате, него на основу онога што имате.
13Ипак, не желим да нечије олакшице постану ваш терет, него да влада једнакост. 14Ваше садашње изобиље треба да покрије њихову оскудицу, да би њихово изобиље једном покрило вашу оскудицу. Тако ће бити једнакост. 15Као што је написано:
„Ономе који је скупио више није преостало,
а нити је недостајало ономе који је скупио мање.“
Павле препоручује Тита и његове сараднике
16Хвала Богу који је ставио Титу у срце такву ревност за вас. 17Он не само да је прихватио нашу молбу, него је, будући веома ревностан, драговољно отишао к вама. 18Са њим шаљемо и брата кога хвале по свим црквама због проповедања Радосне вести. 19Шта више, цркве су га изабрале да путује с нама ради ове службе дарежљивости, коју драговољно вршимо Господу на славу, 20да бисмо избегли примедбе на наше располагање овим обилним даром. 21Јер, ми се трудимо да чинимо добро не само пред Господом, већ и пред људима.
22Са њим шаљемо и нашег брата, чију смо ревност често у многим стварима искусили. Он је сада још ревноснији због великог поуздања у вас. 23Што се тиче Тита, он је мој друг и сарадник; а што се тиче наше браће, они су апостоли цркава, слава Христова. 24Стога им пружите доказ ваше љубави, да цркве знају да се с правом поносим вама.
