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- And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
- Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
- For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
- they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
- And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.
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- Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,
- that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
- For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
- begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,
- and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
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- So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.
- But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
- I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.
- For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
- And here is my advice 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.
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- So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.
- But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
- I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
- For 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.
- I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.
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- Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.
- For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
- Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.
- At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,
- as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
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- But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability.
- For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
- For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality--
- at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality;
- as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK."
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