2 Corinthians 8:6-7 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
Paul commissioned Titus to take up this offering with the Corinthians. Paul wrote earlier to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 about this offering, so they knew about it and had likely started giving towards this. Now, they needed to finish this task because the need was urgent. When we feel compelled to give, we should give right away. Titus could help spur them on to complete this giving so that the funds could be transported when Paul and his companions return to Jerusalem. Again, this gift to Jerusalem is an act of grace. God’s grace was powerfully at work in the Corinthians, and this grace compelled them to be agents of reconciliation and ambassadors of the gospel. What they did with their resources showed their deeper attitudes and motives. God’s grace always compels us to transformation, but this grace can be hindered by a lack of faith and obedience.
Again, Paul boasts in the spiritual growth of the Corinthians, building up their self-image and preparing rhetorically for a key exhortation about giving to the special offering. This should not be seen as manipulative but as a way to tap into the strengths of the church and help them realize how God’s grace is working in their lives. They excel in “everything,” perhaps a bit of an overstatement, but Paul gives some examples of this. “In faith” shows their commitment to the gospel and lordship of Jesus. It would have demanded a lot for both Jews and Gentiles to become Christians. These were not social Christians but committed believers in Jesus. “In speech” (literally “in word”) recalls some of the challenges they had in 1 Corinthians with speaking in tongues. If their communication was directed in the right way, it should strengthen believers and evangelize unbelievers. Their “word” should be based on God’s “word” to them, namely the gospel of Jesus. “In knowledge” could reflect another issue from 1 Corinthians in which the church had grown. They were coming to know the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) and how to love one another. There were people around who taught the wrong type of knowledge. Some of these ideas would later evolve into Gnosticism. The church needed to focus its learning on the core elements of the gospel Paul and other early leaders taught. “In earnestness” shows their enthusiasm and zeal to grow in Christ. They did not easily give up but kept at it, even when it brought persecution or social shame. “In our love for you” shows how their response to God’s grace affected Paul and his companions. We can make it easier for people to love us when we are instruments of grace. That does not mean that people will not or should not love us back, but our love for people through Christ can help the love of others grow. We can be catalysts in so many ways to spur others on to growth.
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