2Cor 8:1 Cross References

2 Corinthians 8:1

1: Now I want to tell you, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done for the churches in Macedonia.

I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ's mighty power that works within me.

But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me--and not without results. For I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

Indeed, your love is already strong toward all the Christians in all of Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we beg you to love them more and more.

That night Paul had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia in northern Greece, pleading with him, "Come over here and help us."

Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.

When he arrived and saw this proof of God's favor, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.

Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity.
For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of their own free will.
They begged us again and again for the gracious privilege of sharing in the gift for the Christians in Jerusalem.
Best of all, they went beyond our highest hopes, for their first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to us for whatever directions God might give them.
So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to complete your share in this ministry of giving.

For you see, the believers in Greece have eagerly taken up an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem, who are going through such hard times.

And when I was with you and didn't have enough to live on, I did not ask you to help me. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me another gift. I have never yet asked you for any support, and I never will.

For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to our friends in Macedonia that you Christians in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of them to begin helping.

I would be humiliated--and so would you--if some Macedonian Christians came with me, only to find that you still weren't ready after all I had told them!

So two good things will happen--the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God.

As a result, you yourselves became an example to all the Christians in Greece.
And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Greece, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it,

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