Generosity Commended (Philippians 4:10–20)
1 UDB We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about how God has been kindly working in wonderful ways among the churches in the province of Macedonia. BSB BSB: Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.
2 UDB Although the believers there were suffering very much, they were rejoicing so much that, although they are poor, they gave much money for the collection for the believers in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.
3 UDB They gave as much as they were able—I testify it is true—and some sacrificed and gave so much they suffered need themselves, but they still gave. They wanted to give, BSB BSB: For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord,
4 UDB and they begged us over and over and pleaded with us to allow them to give to this collection so they could help those believers whom God has set apart for himself. BSB BSB: they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
5 UDB We did not think they could give like that. But they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then they gave themselves to us. BSB BSB: And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, through the will of God.
6 UDB Titus had already begun encouraging you to contribute money, so we urged him to guide the collection to its end. BSB BSB: So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.
7 UDB As you do better than others—not only in your trust in God, in your encouraging words, in what you have learned, in taking a task to completion, and in your love for us—make sure you do very well by completing this collection also. BSB BSB: But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
8 UDB I am not giving you an order, but I want you to prove how much you love the Lord by comparing how you give to how others give to people in need. BSB BSB: I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the earnestness of others.
9 UDB I say this because you know how kind Jesus Christ has been to you. Although he possessed everything, he gave it all up and became poor. He did this in order to make you rich. BSB BSB: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
10 UDB And in this I have some encouragement to give you: You started this ministry of help a year ago, and when you began it you were eager to do it. BSB BSB: And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.
11 UDB In the same way, you should finish this work. Just as you were eager to begin this work, you should be eager to finish it, and to do this as quickly as you can. BSB BSB: Now finish the work, so that you may complete it with the same eager desire, according to your means.
12 UDB God will accept what you do in this task if you are eager to do it. You must finish the work by giving money from the money that you have. You cannot give what you do not have. BSB BSB: For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
13 UDB We are not taxing you, because we do not want others to have to support themselves. But it is fair for you to help them. BSB BSB: It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.
14 UDB You have more than you need at this time; what you have left over will also be enough for them. In the future, they will have more than they need and, perhaps then, they will be able to help you. That is fair for everyone. BSB BSB: At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. This way there will be equality.
15 UDB This is what is written in the scriptures: "The one who had much did not have anything left to share, but the one who had only a little did not need anything more." BSB BSB: As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”
Titus Commended (Titus 1:1–4)
16 UDB We thank God because he has caused Titus to care for you as much as I do. BSB BSB: But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you.
17 UDB When we asked him to help you, he agreed to do so. He was so eager to help you that he decided to visit you himself. BSB BSB: For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.
18 UDB We have sent Titus along with another Christian brother who is praised by all the believers in the churches for the work he did telling people about the gospel. BSB BSB: Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.
19 UDB The believers in the churches asked this brother to go with us to Jerusalem to help us take the gift of money that you and the others are giving to them. We all want to give them this money in order to honor the Lord and to show everyone how much we believers help each other. BSB BSB: More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious offering we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.
20 UDB We are doing everything we can to keep anyone from criticizing us for the way we handled this generous gift of money that you are giving. BSB BSB: We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.
21 UDB We are careful to do all this in an honest and open way. We want everyone to know how we are doing this, and we know that the Lord sees us also. BSB BSB: For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.
22 UDB And with these brothers we are sending to you, we are adding still one more brother. We have seen that this brother does important work in a very faithful manner. He now desires even more to help you because he trusts you very much. BSB BSB: And we are sending along with them our brother who has proven his earnestness to us many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.
23 UDB As for Titus himself, he is my partner; he works alongside me. The churches in our region have chosen the other brothers to go with us to Jerusalem. When other people see them, they will praise Christ very much because of them. BSB BSB: As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.
24 UDB So show these brothers how you love them; show them why we spoke so well about you and why we could not stop telling all the churches how proud we are of you. BSB BSB: In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.