1. My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia have shown others how kind God is.
2. Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously.
3. They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to.
4. They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God's people.
5. And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do.
6. Titus was the one who got you started doing this good thing, so we begged him to help you finish what you had begun.
7. You do everything better than anyone else. You have stronger faith. You speak better and know more. You are eager to give, and you love us better. Now you must give more generously than anyone else.
8. I am not ordering you to do this. I am simply testing how real your love is by comparing it with the concern that others have shown.
9. You know that our Lord Jesus Christ was kind enough to give up all his riches and become poor, so that you could become rich.