Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which hath been given in the churches of Macedonia;
how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their {Greek: singleness. See Romans 12:8.}liberality.
For according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord,
beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints:
and this, not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.
Insomuch that we exhorted Titus, that as he had made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace also.
But as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in {Some ancient authorities read our love to you.}your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.
And herein I give my judgment: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.
But now complete the doing also; that as there was the readiness to will, so there may be the completion also out of your ability.
For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according as a man hath, not according as he hath not.
For I say not this that others may be eased and ye distressed;
but by equality: your abundance being a supply at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become a supply for your want; that there may be equality:
as it is written, {Exodus 16:18.}He that gathered much had nothing over; and he that gathered little had no lack.
But thanks be to God, who putteth the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.
For he accepted indeed our exhortation; but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accord.
And we have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the {See marginal note on chapter 2:12.}gospel is spread through all the churches;
and not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in the matter of this grace, which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord, and to show our readiness:
avoiding this, that any man should blame us in the matter of this bounty which is ministered by us:
for we take thought for things honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he hath in you.
Whether any inquire about Titus, he is my partner and my fellow-worker to you-ward; or our brethren, they are the {Greek: apostles.}messengers of the churches, they are the glory of Christ.
{Or, Show ye therefore in the face…on your behalf unto them.}Show ye therefore unto them in the face of the churches the proof of your love, and of our glorying on your behalf.
Querverweise zu 2. Korinther 8,9 2Kor 8,9
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth;And the heavens are the work of thy hands.
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure;Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
But thou art the same,And thy years shall have no end.
For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth.
For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; {Or, that we should look upon him, not beauty &c.}and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
And the Word became flesh, and {Greek: tabernacled}dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of {Or, an only begotten from a father Compare Hebrews 11:17}the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him; and without him {Or, was not anything made. That which hath been made was life in him; and the life &c.}was not anything made that hath been made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Thus saith Jehovah, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sake, that I may not destroy them all.
And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have {Greek: lodging-places.}nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not.
Jesus answered and said, This voice hath not come for my sake, but for your sakes.
But, lest we cause them to stumble, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a {Greek: stater.}shekel: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?
But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
All things whatsoever the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he taketh of mine, and shall declare it unto you.
And for their sakes I {Or, Consecrate}sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
And {Or, law}the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly:
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church;
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of {Or, Jacob}James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were {Greek: caused to stumble.}offended in him.
Wherefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours;
that, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
I thank {Some ancient authorities omit my.}my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus;
for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
and Joanna the wife of Chuzas Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered unto {Many ancient authorities read him.}them of their substance.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to {Greek: bring good tidings of the &c. Compare chapter 2:17.}preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
to the praise of the glory of his grace, {Or, wherewith he endued us}which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:
in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
{Or, wherewith he abounded}which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
and he is before all things, and in him all things {That is, hold together.}consist.
And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have {Greek: lodging-places.}nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, {Or, ready to sympathize}willing to communicate;
that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus:
hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in {Greek: a Son.}his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the {Greek: ages. Compare 1 Timothy 1:17}worlds;
who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, taking the form of a {Greek: bondservant.}servant, {Greek: becoming in.}being made in the likeness of men;
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to {Greek: bring good tidings of the &c. Compare chapter 2:17.}preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
{Or, And again, when he bringeth in}And when he again {Or, shall have brought in}bringeth in the firstborn into {Greek: the inhabited earth.}the world he saith, {Deuteronomy 32:43 Septuagint Version; compare Psalm 97:7}And let all the angels of God worship him.
And of the angels he saith, {Psalm 104:4}Who maketh his angels winds,And his ministers a flame of fire:
but of the Son he saith, {Psalm 14:6 f} { Or, Thy throne is God for &c.}Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever;And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of {The two oldest Greek manuscripts read his.}thy kingdom.
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity;Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed theeWith the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
And, {Psalm 102:25 ff.}Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth,And the heavens are the works of thy hands:
They shall perish; but thou continuest:And they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
And as a mantle shalt thou roll them up,As a garment, and they shall be changed:But thou art the same,And thy years shall not fail.
But of which of the angels hath he said at any time, {Psalm 110:1}Sit thou on my right hand,Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet?
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?
I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.
and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.
He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.