16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. 17 For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. 18 And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, 19 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, 20 avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—21 providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 22 And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you. 23 If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 Therefore show to them, and before the churches the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.
Commentary
Vs. 16 "But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus."
The Apostle Paul was not the only one who had a deep concern for the Corinthians, Titus also exemplified the same Spirit of love and concern for them as well. And so here the Apostle not only makes the Corinthians aware of this, but gives God thanks for this, for His putting in Titus's heart the same earnest care for them as well.
Vs. 17 "For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. "
When the Apostle Paul told Titus of all of his concerns for them, Titus not only accepted the Apostles exhortation to go to them with this epistle, but he had already wanted to go them of his own accord, and so it was not the Apostle's exhortation that was bringing Titus to them in such a spirit of love and concern, it was Titus whose heart God had already moved, who was diligently coming to them of his own accord.
Vs. 18 "And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches"
Titus though eagerly desiring to go to them would not be travelling alone. A certain brother, who is described as a one "whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches" would be travelling with Titus. Why the man is unnamed is not known, clearly by the description of him he was a man who had a very noble reputation amongst believers everywhere, and so maybe it was for security reasons, since he would be the one bearing the Corinthians gift (vs. 19).
Vs. 19 "and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind"
The Apostle Paul now commends to the Corinthians the noble brother mentioned in vs. 18, this man was chosen by the churches to be the one who would bear the Corinthians gift. The gift then would be administered (in accord with the Corinthians will) by the Apostle/s to the glory of the Lord, and so this gift was going to demonstrate the Corinthians own willing mind; that is their own willingness to help out the brethren in Jerusalem and Judea, just as Titus was willing to help them all out.
Vs. 20-21 20 avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—21 providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
The Apostle Paul wanted to be above any reproach in regards to any sort of real or imagined conflict of interest in regards to Corinthians lavish gift. Therefore the Apostle Paul had taken steps to make sure that all of this would be done in way which would not only be honorable in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. This then is a very important principal that should mark each and every assembly in the Lord when it comes to all monetary collections and there distribution.
Vs. 22 "And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you."
Along with Titus and the brother chosen by the churches, the Apostle Paul was also sending another brother in the Lord. Apparently this man had proved a great help personally to the Apostle Paul in many ways, and so he is being sent here as an assistant to them as well. Now to put to rest any questions that may arise amongst the Corinthians as to why the Apostle would send him, Paul declares his own great confidence in them, and thus this should be understood by them as only being done to assist them (in whatever ways they would need assistance with their gift), but not to override them.
Vs. 23-24 23 If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 Therefore show to them, and before the churches the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.
To make sure that Titus is received and treated well by the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul now says' of him, that "he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you." And so the Apostle Paul expects them to treat Titus just as they would treat himself. Same with the two men being sent with him, for these men are also fellow workers in the Gospel, and thus are described here as "messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ." Therefore they too should be received by the Corinthians in a manner worthy of their persons as trusted church workers, because what they do, and the manner in which they do it, also brings glory to Christ. Therefore the Apostle Paul's wants the Corinthians to show them the kind of hospitality and love of which he has already boasted about them having to them.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Vs. 16 "But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus."
The Apostle Paul was not the only one who had a deep concern for the Corinthians, Titus also exemplified the same Spirit of love and concern for them as well. And so here the Apostle not only makes the Corinthians aware of this, but gives God thanks for this, for His putting in Titus's heart the same earnest care for them as well.
Vs. 17 "For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. "
When the Apostle Paul told Titus of all of his concerns for them, Titus not only accepted the Apostles exhortation to go to them with this epistle, but he had already wanted to go them of his own accord, and so it was not the Apostle's exhortation that was bringing Titus to them in such a spirit of love and concern, it was Titus whose heart God had already moved, who was diligently coming to them of his own accord.
Vs. 18 "And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches"
Titus though eagerly desiring to go to them would not be travelling alone. A certain brother, who is described as a one "whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches" would be travelling with Titus. Why the man is unnamed is not known, clearly by the description of him he was a man who had a very noble reputation amongst believers everywhere, and so maybe it was for security reasons, since he would be the one bearing the Corinthians gift (vs. 19).
Vs. 19 "and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind"
The Apostle Paul now commends to the Corinthians the noble brother mentioned in vs. 18, this man was chosen by the churches to be the one who would bear the Corinthians gift. The gift then would be administered (in accord with the Corinthians will) by the Apostle/s to the glory of the Lord, and so this gift was going to demonstrate the Corinthians own willing mind; that is their own willingness to help out the brethren in Jerusalem and Judea, just as Titus was willing to help them all out.
Vs. 20-21 20 avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—21 providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
The Apostle Paul wanted to be above any reproach in regards to any sort of real or imagined conflict of interest in regards to Corinthians lavish gift. Therefore the Apostle Paul had taken steps to make sure that all of this would be done in way which would not only be honorable in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. This then is a very important principal that should mark each and every assembly in the Lord when it comes to all monetary collections and there distribution.
Vs. 22 "And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you."
Along with Titus and the brother chosen by the churches, the Apostle Paul was also sending another brother in the Lord. Apparently this man had proved a great help personally to the Apostle Paul in many ways, and so he is being sent here as an assistant to them as well. Now to put to rest any questions that may arise amongst the Corinthians as to why the Apostle would send him, Paul declares his own great confidence in them, and thus this should be understood by them as only being done to assist them (in whatever ways they would need assistance with their gift), but not to override them.
Vs. 23-24 23 If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 Therefore show to them, and before the churches the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.
To make sure that Titus is received and treated well by the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul now says' of him, that "he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you." And so the Apostle Paul expects them to treat Titus just as they would treat himself. Same with the two men being sent with him, for these men are also fellow workers in the Gospel, and thus are described here as "messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ." Therefore they too should be received by the Corinthians in a manner worthy of their persons as trusted church workers, because what they do, and the manner in which they do it, also brings glory to Christ. Therefore the Apostle Paul's wants the Corinthians to show them the kind of hospitality and love of which he has already boasted about them having to them.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
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