Thematic Bible: In stimulating benevolent giving


Thematic Bible



Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which hath been bestowed in the churches of Macedonia; that under a great trial of distress the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty increased the riches of their liberality; for according to their power, I bear witness, and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, read more.
begging of us with much entreaty the favor of sharing in the ministration to the saints; and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God; so that we urged Titus, that, as he had already made a beginning, so he would also finish among you this bounty also. But as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this exercise of liberality also. I speak not by way of command, but by reason of the earnestness of others, and to prove the genuineness of your love.

For concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you. For I know your readiness of mind, of which I boast in behalf of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was prepared a year ago; and your zeal stirred up the greater part of them. But I sent the brethren, that our boasting of you should not prove unfounded in this respect; that, as I said, ye may be prepared; read more.
lest, should the Macedonians come with me, and find you unprepared, we (not to say ye) should be put to shame in respect to this confidence. I thought it necessary therefore to exhort the brethren to go before to you, and make up beforehand your bounty, which was already announced, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not of covetousness.