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Great
Generosity |
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2 Corinthians 8:1
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Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you
the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, |
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2 Corinthians 8:2
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that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance
of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. |
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2 Corinthians 8:3
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For I testify that according to their ability,
and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, |
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2 Corinthians 8:4
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begging us with much urging for the favor of
participation in the support of the saints, |
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2 Corinthians 8:5
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and this, not as we had expected, but they first
gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. |
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2 Corinthians 8:6
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So we urged Titus that as he had previously
made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. |
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2 Corinthians 8:7
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But just as you abound in everything, in faith
and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired
in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. |
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2 Corinthians 8:8
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I am not speaking this as a command, but as
proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. |
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2 Corinthians 8:9
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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. |
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2 Corinthians 8:10
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I give my opinion in this matter, for this is
to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this,
but also to desire to do it. |
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2 Corinthians 8:11
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But now finish doing it also, so that just as
there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it
by your ability. |
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2 Corinthians 8:12
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For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable
according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. |
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2 Corinthians 8:13
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For this is not for the ease of others and for
your affliction, but by way of equality-- |
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2 Corinthians 8:14
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at this present time your abundance being a
supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your
need, that there may be equality; |
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2 Corinthians 8:15
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as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID
NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK." |
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2 Corinthians 8:16
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But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness
on your behalf in the heart of Titus. |
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2 Corinthians 8:17
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For he not only accepted our appeal, but being
himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. |
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2 Corinthians 8:18
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We have sent along with him the brother whose
fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches; |
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2 Corinthians 8:19
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and not only this, but he has also been appointed
by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered
by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness, |
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2 Corinthians 8:20
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taking precaution so that no one will discredit
us in our administration of this generous gift; |
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2 Corinthians 8:21
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for we have regard for what is honorable, not
only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. |
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2 Corinthians 8:22
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We have sent with them our brother, whom we
have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent
because of his great confidence in you. |
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2 Corinthians 8:23
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As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker
among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to
Christ. |
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2 Corinthians 8:24
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Therefore openly before the churches, show them
the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you. |
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