2 Corinthians 8:16-24
16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness in your behalf in the heart of Titus.
17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.
18 We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches;
19 and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness,
20 taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;
21 for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of other people.
22 We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.
23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.
24 Therefore, openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.
A Short Letter of Recommendation
Concerning Titus
Today’s passage serves as a letter of recommendation for the three workers whom Paul is sending to Corinth to collect the offering. First, Titus is mentioned. (1) Titus shares the same concern as Paul. That is, he is not interested in the money of the Corinthian believers but is more concerned about whether they will receive a blessing. (2) Such concern on the part of Paul and Titus shows that God’s love for the Corinthian believers dwelt in their hearts. (3) Paul urged Titus to go to Corinth, but in fact, Titus himself was willing to go of his own accord (from this we can see that Titus was working as an independent evangelist).
The two workers
Next, two workers are mentioned. (1) Their names are not given. Perhaps they were well-known, so there was no need to mention their names. (2) One of them was a man who was praised throughout all the churches (probably the churches of Macedonia) for his work in the gospel. In other words, he probably had gifts as an administrator, as well as gifts as a teacher and evangelist. He had also been appointed by the churches (the churches of Macedonia) to accompany Paul. (3) The other was a man whose earnestness in the faith had been recognized by many of the brothers. He also had great confidence in the Corinthian believers. The reason Paul intended to send two additional workers besides Titus was to avoid giving anyone any grounds for criticism concerning the offering. The offering for the believers in Jerusalem was expected to amount to a considerable sum. If rumors were to arise that Paul was taking a commission from it, his ministry would suffer serious damage. Paul writes, “for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of other people” (v 21). This is a quotation from Proverbs 3:4: “So you will find favor and a good reputation in the sight of God and man.” What do you learn from Paul’s careful consideration in this matter? Let us seek not only to be faithful before God, but also to be trusted by people.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, I have now taken to heart the teaching, “So you will find favor and a good reputation in the sight of God and man.” May this teaching become a guiding principle for my life. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.