1. And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God gave the churches in Macedonia.
2. They have been tested by great troubles. And they are very poor. But they gave much because of their great joy.
3. I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able. They gave even more than they could afford. No one told them to do it.
4. But they asked us again and again—they begged us to let them share in this service for God’s people.
5. And they gave in a way that we did not expect: They first gave themselves to the Lord and to us. This is what God wants.
6. So we asked Titus to help you finish this special work of grace. He is the one who started this work.
7. You are rich in everything—in faith, in speaking, in knowledge, in truly wanting to help, and in the love you learned from us. And so we want you to be rich also in this gift of giving.
8. I am not commanding you to give. But I want to see if your love is true love. I do this by showing you that others really want to help.
9. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that Christ was rich, but for you he became poor. Christ did this so that by his being poor you might become rich.
10. This is what I think you should do: Last year you were the first to want to give. And you were the first who gave.
11. So now finish the work that you started. Then your “doing” will be equal to your “wanting to do.” Give from what you have.