8. I am not commanding you to give. But I want to see if your love is true by comparing you with others that 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 so that by his becoming 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 you started. Then your “doing” will be equal to your “wanting to do.” Give from what you have.
12. If you want to give, your gift will be accepted. It will be judged by what you have, not by what you do not have.
13. We do not want you to have troubles while other people are at ease, but we want everything to be equal.
14. At this time you have plenty. What you have can help others who are in need. Then later, when they have plenty, they can help you when you are in need, and all will be equal.
15. As it is written in the Scriptures, “The person who gathered more did not have too much, nor did the person who gathered less have too little.”
16. I thank God because he gave Titus the same love for you that I have.
17. Titus accepted what we asked him to do. He wanted very much to go to you, and this was his own idea.
18. We are sending with him the brother who is praised by all the churches because of his service in preaching the Good News.
19. Also, this brother was chosen by the churches to go with us when we deliver this gift of money. We are doing this service to bring glory to the Lord and to show that we really want to help.