Atlas Biblica

    2 Corinthians · 24 verses

    2 Corinthians 8

    Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.

    The chapter

    What happens here

    Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.

    Macedonia’s impoverished churches do something rather untidy with the arithmetic: they turn shortage into an offering, then plead to be allowed to give it.

    The grace of givingvv. 1–15

    The churches of Macedonia are introduced in hardship, poverty, and joy—and somehow the poverty overflows. They give beyond their ability, not because they are ordered to, but because they earnestly ask for the privilege. The addressed church is urged to complete its own earlier desire, while the speaker carefully calls it no command and then sets the earnestness of others beside it as a test of love. The measure is not what anyone lacks, but what each has; surplus is meant to meet need, and need in turn may meet surplus. The whole arrangement is summed up by a wonderfully brisk piece of arithmetic: much has no excess, little has no shortfall.

    The deputationvv. 16–24

    The collection now acquires a small travelling company. Titus comes eagerly, and two brothers accompany him: one praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel, the other repeatedly proven earnest and now especially confident in the addressed church. The offering is handled with conspicuous care, so that generosity need not arrive wearing the hat of suspicion. Titus is called a partner and fellow worker; the brothers are messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ. Their reception is to be visible before the churches, where love is expected to produce evidence and boasting is expected to have something to stand on.

    The text

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    Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

    1. 2 Cor 8:1Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.

    2. 2 Cor 8:2In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.

    3. 2 Cor 8:3For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord,

    4. 2 Cor 8:4they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

    5. 2 Cor 8:5And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, through the will of God.

    6. 2 Cor 8:6So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

    7. 2 Cor 8:7But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

    8. 2 Cor 8:8I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the earnestness of others.

    9. 2 Cor 8:9For 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.

    10. 2 Cor 8:10And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.

    11. 2 Cor 8:11Now finish the work, so that you may complete it with the same eager desire, according to your means.

    12. 2 Cor 8:12For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

    13. 2 Cor 8:13It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.

    14. 2 Cor 8:14At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. This way there will be equality.

    15. 2 Cor 8:15As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”

    16. 2 Cor 8:16But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you.

    17. 2 Cor 8:17For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.

    18. 2 Cor 8:18Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.

    19. 2 Cor 8:19More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious offering we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.

    20. 2 Cor 8:20We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.

    21. 2 Cor 8:21For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.

    22. 2 Cor 8:22And we are sending along with them our brother who has proven his earnestness to us many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.

    23. 2 Cor 8:23As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

    24. 2 Cor 8:24In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

    01 — Also here

    Who else the chapter reaches

    Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

    Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

    02 — Read alongside

    Where this is echoed

    Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 285 passages were voted onto 24 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

    • 9Romans 8:32He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
    • 9Philippians 2:6–8Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
    • 9Matthew 20:28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
    • 15Exodus 16:18When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.
    • 9Romans 5:8But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
    • 92 Corinthians 6:10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
    • 15Luke 22:35Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.
    • 9John 1:14The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
    • 9Ephesians 2:7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
    • 2James 2:5Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
    • 72 Corinthians 9:8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
    • 72 Peter 1:5–8For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;
    • 72 Thessalonians 1:3We are obligated to thank God for you all the time, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith is growing more and more, and your love for one another is increasing.
    • 12Mark 12:42–44Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.
    • 21Romans 12:17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
    • 7Philippians 1:9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

    Onward

    Keep reading

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