[Steve Myers] This is Epistles of Paul. We left off last time just starting 2 Corinthians 7. Paul has been defending his ministry, went through quite a few things in Chapter 2, outlining the things that he went through, outlining what we need to do as we face the challenges and difficulties we do today, and comes to the conclusion we'd better be yoked to Christ. We'd better be in a right relationship with God. And as he begins Chapter 7, he kind of continues with that, defending himself and also encouraging that connection that we all should have. So take a look at 2 Corinthians 7.

2 Corinthians 7:1 He says, "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let's cleanse ourselves from all of the filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Yeah, he just got done quoting that passage as, "Come out and be separate. You will be my sons and daughters." He's talking about those promises of God, the plan of God. His purpose is to bring us into His family forever. And because we have those promises, he says, "All right, let's have that relationship with God. Let's be spiritual creations in Christ. Let's go on to maturity, perfecting." That's what he's talking about, perfecting holiness. Let's make sure that's our direction. That should be our focus. And so as he begins this chapter, he's saying, "All right, let's have that focus. And, of course, if we're going to have that focus, Corinthians, open your hearts to us." Remember in Chapter 6,

2 Corinthians 7:2 He said, "My heart's wide open." He says, "If there's any problem, it's on your side." So, now, he's saying, "You open your hearts. We've wronged no one. We have corrupted no one. We have cheated no one."

So Paul is saying, "I haven't been deceitful in any way." What was he doing? Whatever it was, he was doing it for their own good. And, now, he's moved from just making a logical appeal. If you say, "Open your heart," what does that speak to? Hopefully, you recognize it's not just a logical thing. It's an emotional thing. He's emotionally appealing to them. And so he's making an appeal on all these levels, spiritual, emotional. Yeah, he sure is. And so, now, he's going to use that idea to help them to really come to see the truth.

2 Corinthians 7:3 He says, "I don't say this to condemn," verse 3, "for I've said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together."

Yeah, in a way, he's using this perspective of maybe a little psychology in a sense, that I am interested in you. I care about you. I want the best for you. He's interested in their welfare. He's not just all about him. And he's reminding them how much he does care about them. It's interesting if they really got to the truth, if they really looked at the facts, what do you suppose they'd find? Would they be able to disagree with Paul? I think they'd say, "Oh, yeah, I guess he's right. He's right. We shouldn't be listening to these false teachers."

2 Corinthians 7:4 He says, "Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I'm exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation."

So, yeah, had he been bold in correcting them? Well, that whole first letter was corrective, wasn't it? Yeah, he was definitely bold in doing that. Had he been worried about that? Well, yeah, he was worried about what their reaction to that letter would be. And so being bold to correct them, he's actually relieved in the way that they took it. You ever been in a situation like that? You had to talk to somebody about a difficult thing. How are they going to take it? Boy, when people take that well, it's such a relief. And here's Paul kind of expressing that same thing. Notice what he says in verse 5.

2 Corinthians 7:5-6 He says, "Indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears." Yeah, this was a difficult time on this journey. He says, "Nevertheless, God who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus."

How did they take that first letter? He was worried about that. Yeah, they were troubled, not only as they were preaching and teaching, but he was troubled inside, worried about how the Corinthians would take that letter. And when Titus returns from Corinth, he tells Paul, "Wow, this has done a lot of good. They're starting to get it. They're starting to change. They're starting to change." And so those fears that Paul had were quelled. And so it's interesting that he makes an overriding statement in that regard as well.

Notice what he says here, "God who comforts the downcast." That's a promise you can take to the bank. When we're down and discouraged, we turn to God. What's God's reaction? He will encourage us. He will be there for us. He's not going to leave us or forsake us. He will be the one who encourages us. That's that encouraging word, that word that's connected to the comforter, the encourager, God's Spirit, in other words. So here he says, "God comforted us when Titus came." And he says, verse 7.

2 Corinthians 7:7 "And not only by his coming but also by the encouragement or the consolation with which he was comforted in you." So it worked both ways. Titus was comforted in the Corinthians, probably because they accepted the message and they changed. He says, "When he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me so that I rejoiced even more."

Yet Paul was worried about what might happen, but he's encouraged by their encouragement, by their willingness to change. And so he didn't feel great that he had to correct them.

2 Corinthians 7:8 In fact, he says, "Even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it, although I did regret it."

So he had these mixed feelings about sending this very strong, corrective letter, and he was bold in doing it. But, now, he's glad that they were changing, that they were taking it to heart, that it was actually helping the Corinthians to repent.

And so he says, "I perceive the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while."

Well, what is he getting at? Why did he say it in that regard? Okay. Sorrow is part of what they began to feel, but is being sorry enough? Well, notice where he goes with this in verse 9.

2 Corinthians 7:9 He says, "I rejoice that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing."

And so, now, he begins to point out the fact, you can feel bad about something. They were sinful. They were allowing sinful behaviors within the congregation. There were divisions, there were schisms, there was sin blatantly living right in front of their eyes. Yeah, they were sorry when they got caught. But Paul says, "It led to repentance." So being sorry for something isn't enough. It's not enough just to feel bad about something, just to feel bad about sin for someone calling them out. Yeah, Paul called them out in 1 Corinthians, no doubt about that. But he did it not just to make them feel bad, not just to say your behavior was wrong and you need to feel bad about that. No, it was to help them to really change, to really repent.

And so he says, "Yeah, that was good. You were made sorry in a godly manner." So it's interesting. He's going to begin to contrast what it means to have a godly sorrow versus an everyday kind of worldly sorrow. And he's going to compare and contrast those two things. He says, "It wasn't just to put you down. It wasn't just to cause you to suffer loss." No, that's not what it was about at all as he says that at the end of verse 9. He says, "If you really want forgiveness, it's not just about feeling bad. It's about changing. It's about repentance. It's about repentance. That's really what it's about. It's about changing." And this word for repentance is an interesting one. It's the word metanoia. Metanoia is the Greek word here. And it's actually a combination of two Greek words. The meta is the word that has to do with change. Noia, if you get back to the base word there is knowing or knowledge. But this refers to knowing things in your mind.

So metanoia is changing your mind, changing your mind. That's repentance, changing your thinking. It wasn't good enough just to feel sorry for what you did. It wasn't good enough just to acknowledge what you did was wrong. No, and it's not enough just to ask for forgiveness for what we did. The change in our thinking is what becomes so critical when we talk about repentance. Repentance is a change of thought. And if you change your thinking, you change your actions, that has to be the result. And so when you think about repentance, sometimes you may hear the example of, well, I was walking down the road, and I was going opposite of God's way. So I turned around 180 degrees and went the other direction. Sometimes that's given as an example of repentance. Not a bad thing. If you find you're going the wrong way, you better turn and go God's way. No doubt about that. Absolutely. That is a sense of repentance.

But true repentance that Paul is going to describe here takes it to the next level. It takes us to the point of how did I get on that road going opposite of God's way? I have to think about that. In fact, I have to change my thinking. I have to rethink. How did I get there? Because if I just turn and go the other way without considering what was it in my mind that led me the wrong way, if I don't rethink my actions, where am I going to end up next time? Same place. I'll end up doing the same thing if I never rethink. That's what repentance requires, rethinking, changing our thinking so that we don't end up in that same place all over again. And we rethink, we reconsider all of these things that took us that way. So it's not just feeling sorry and asking God to forgive us. No, Paul says that sorrow, they sorrowed in a godly manner because it caused them then to rethink their actions. And so he says, this is in verse 10.

2 Corinthians 7:10 "Godly sorrow produces repentance."

Yeah, feeling sorry about something in a godly manner causes us to rethink our actions, to rethink what happened, to change our thinking, which then will change our actions. We change the way we think, we change the way we act. And so he says, "Godly sorrow produces repentance and that leads to salvation." Yeah, because repentance then brings us to a right relationship with God. When we change our thinking, we go before God, He forgives us, and, now, we're declared righteous. We're justified before God. That leads to salvation. Yeah, you don't have to feel bad about that. It's not to be regretted.

But then, on the other hand, he says, "Sorrow of the world produces death." That's just, I feel bad I got caught. Yeah, if I'd done it differently, I probably wouldn't have gotten caught. So he compares his godly sorrow with worldly sorrow, the sorrow of the world. Yeah, that's what most people are. That's where they're at. They don't really want to change the way they act. They want to justify why they did what they did. They want to make excuses for what they did. They don't want to change and have a righteous perspective. Let's see if we claim to be godly people. That's what we need to do. We need to have that godly sorrow that produces repentance, which is interesting. This godly sorrow produces something.

Well, actually both do produce something. The godly sorrow produces what? Changing your thinking, the metanoia. It leads to repentance and that is the path to salvation. Worldly sorrow produces what? Death. Death. Because there's no forgiveness. There's no right relationship there with God. And so he says the only path to salvation is through true repentance, through godly sorrow. And so he brings that to their attention. This is the kind of perspective that we should have, don't have a worldly sorrow. Our sorrow has to be a godly sorrow. And what does that godly sorrow produce? That's a permanent change. A permanent change in our behavior that's a result of our permanent change in our thinking. And so we change our thinking and we permanently change our behavior. That's what becomes so critical. And he highlights that.

2 Corinthians 7:11 He says, "Observe this very thing," verse 11, "observe this very thing that you sorrowed in a godly manner."

He says, "Maybe it didn't start that way, maybe first you just felt bad, but it led to that. You sorrowed in a godly manner." Sorrowing in a godly manner. And this is what's so critical about this section of Scripture, contrasting worldly and godly sorrow. The right way to repent, how do we come to a true change of mind? Here's what it looks like. And he outlines what that metanoia, what that change of our thinking really looks like. He says, "Sorrowing in a godly manner," he says, "what diligence it produced in you." First thing he mentions then, true repentance produces diligence, which really translates to an eagerness. This diligence is a commitment, an earnestness, a diligence to do what's right. Yeah, when we recognize we're out of alignment with God, a true change of thinking then has an eagerness to work things out God's way. It's got to start there. And when we do, you want to do things God's way? You want to talk about true repentance?

He says, "What clearing of yourselves." It's the second thing. The second aspect of what real repentance is, what real godly sorrow produces, he says, "We want to clear this up. I recognize I'm not in balance with God." Yeah, you can't walk together unless you agreed. What connection does light have with darkness? None. I've got to get this cleared up. And so I want to clear up this wrong. And so what a clearing of yourselves. We've got to get rid of the darkness and turn on the light. And that true repentance leads to doing just that. In fact, he goes on to a third aspect.

He says, "What indignation." That's an interesting word there because you usually will think of something having to do with being mad or angry. What indignation. Have you ever felt that way? How did I mess that up? And you're just angry with yourself. Yeah, I think it is getting at that very thing. It's not being angry with God, not at all, but that you're upset with yourself that you sinned. You got off the path. You allowed yourself to fall to that temptation. And you're not happy with yourself. Yeah, what indignation. You're upset with your... Yeah, godly sorrow produces that. I don't want to do that. I am upset with myself that I allowed myself to think that way and then to behave that way. Yeah, true godly sorrow produces that kind of a perspective. Also leads to this next item that Paul mentions here.

He says, "What fear." Yeah, that can have that connotation of an awe or a respect for God. I think it can also entail the fact that we sinned not just that I sinned, but I sinned against Almighty God. I sinned against my Creator. And I recognize that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. This is something that needs to be made right. This is something I need to correct. I have an awe and a reverence and a love to God that this has to be made right. I need to change my thinking and recognize God is merciful, and He's the one that I've sinned against. And so I recognize that very fact. And if I don't repent, what's going to be the result? Well, we know the penalty for sin is death. That's a fearful thing. That's what worldly sorrow produces. It produces death. We can't have that. We don't want that. We don't want that. And so we want to make it right. We want to repent before God and seek His forgiveness. Seek His forgiveness. In fact, in a way, this next facet that he mentions when it comes to true repentance, when it comes to what godly sorrow produces, he says, "What vehement desire." Now, that's an interesting combination of words.

This desire, this intense yearning that I'm not right with God, and I've got to be right with God. That desire to make things right, that longing, that commitment to do that. He says it's not just any old desire, but he describes it in an interesting way. We're probably all familiar with probably the most terrifying dinosaur of all time. Is there a particular dinosaur that comes to mind? Okay, I heard it. A T-Rex, right? What's its full name? Tyrannosaurus rex. What does it mean? Terrible lizard, right? A terrible lizard. But more, specifically, it means a vehement lizard. That tyrannosaurus is the same base word as vehement. What terrible desire we have that we can't get away from it. We are so vehement about making things right with God. That's what he's getting at here. This idea of just the intensity of the desire that we have is so terrible, it's inescapable. It's inescapable. And true godly sorrow produces that kind of repentance, that I can't escape my sin unless I go before God and seek His forgiveness and seek that opportunity to have it cleared. Yeah, what vehement desire. What a vehement desire.

And he ties that in with the next thing, "What zeal." This seems to then take it to the next level, not just to clear myself, not just to have this vehement desire to make things right with God. You see, this then results from that godly sorrow, that repentance. Now, I have that zeal, this passion to do what's right. So not only is this resolve then but I have this intensity, this fervor to do things right, to have that zeal because ultimately we have this vindication. So we have these seven things that ultimately the sin is forgiven. We're exonerated. That's this vindication. It carries this idea of the wrong has been avenged, that idea of vindication. Yeah, we've avenged the wrong by what? By seeking God's forgiveness, by changing our thinking, by recognizing our behavior was wrong, and, now, I have a whole different frame of mind, I have a spiritual frame of mind, so I'm not going back there again. I'm not going that way ever again. My thinking has changed, and, now, I'm putting on a spiritual frame of mind. That's what true repentance is all about. What an amazing thing.

And so he says to those Corinthians who were of that frame of mind, that of a godly sorrow that produced true repentance, end of verse 11, he says, "In all things, you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter." So Paul is encouraged by the report that came from Titus that they truly did repent. The most of them had come to that frame of mind. And so this is a beautiful summary of really where we all need to be when we fall short of God's way, when we haven't measured up to the standard of Christ, when we recognize we've been on the wrong path. Here's the guidelines that were given of what real repentance looks like, what it really to change our thinking so that we ultimately put on that godly behavior and we're refocused in a spiritual way. That's really what the repentance that God has called us to do

And so when we recognize that, this helps us then when we do get off the path to clear things up absolutely as soon as possible and get on the right path. And so this is what Paul was hoping for. He was hoping that they would take it this way. Can you imagine the relief he must have felt when he heard back that that was the case? And so he expresses that. Look at verse 12,

2 Corinthians 8:12 He says, "Therefore, although I wrote to you, I didn't do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong."

Well, who would that be? Well, that would be that one sinner, that one man that he told them to cast him out. It wasn't just about that one person. No. He says, "It wasn't for the sake of him who suffered wrong." All right. Well, if it wasn't for those individuals, well, what was it? He says, "But that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you." Who among us hasn't sinned? Who among us can claim that we're perfectly righteous before God? Well, none of us can. None of us can.

And so he's saying this is for all of us. This is for all of us. And as you think about the fruits of repentance and what that looks like in the diligence and the clearing and the indignation, all of these things, the fear and the desire and the zeal and the vindication, that's something all of us. We recognize that difference from having an inward focus in a worldly sorrow sense. It's just focused on the fact, well, I'm the one who got caught. We have self-pity. We worry about being punished or the embarrassment that might come from falling short. Well, wait a second. That's totally different than the godly sorrow that produces transformational change. That's what God's after. That's what God's after. And that genuine repentance, then is manifested in our thinking and our attitude. And so Paul's saying, "I didn't write this letter, the first letter, just for one evildoer. That wasn't about it. It wasn't just about the one that was sinned against. No, that's not the case at all. But that overall, we all could put on Christ. We could all become more Christ-like."

Also that the fact that you cared about Paul becomes evident as well. This was a benefit for everybody overall.

2 Corinthians 7:13-14 And so he says, "Therefore," verse 13, "we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus because his spirit has been refreshed by you all." Yeah, even Titus was encouraged by all of this. He says, "For if anything, I've boasted to him about you, I'm not ashamed."

Yeah, I'm sure that was probably part of the package, wasn't it? Can you imagine Paul sending that first letter? What did he say to Titus? He says, "Hey, you're going to take this letter. There's a lot of rough things in here." Paul must have been encouraged. He must have been telling him, "Titus, they're going to respond well to this. They're going to respond well to this." And so, "I've boasted to him about you, I'm not ashamed." Our boasting to Titus was found true. So their behavior did change.

2 Corinthians 7:15-16 It says, "And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. Therefore, I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything."

And so that's a pretty powerful, positive statement, isn't it? After Paul really corrected them, he verbalizes the confidence that he had in them, that with God's help, they could change. And so he had confidence, not just in them but that if they responded to God, they would change. And so what did it bring? Well, some of those things that he had talked about earlier. When one is blessed, we all rejoice. We all rejoice. We are one. And so certainly that's the case, that they did obey and there was great rejoicing. And so what a blessing for those who had changed, who had truly repented. And so that concludes Chapter 7.

Now, kind of leaving that behind, he begins to kind of paint a bigger picture here as he gets to some of the other motivations for writing. Here he kind of changes the subject just a little bit as he gets into Chapter 8. So let's notice this little change in perspective here after talking about what true repentance really looks like and being thankful that some of them had truly changed.

2 Corinthians 8:1-2 He says, "Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed upon the churches of Macedonia." Remember he's probably writing from there. He says, "That in great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality."

So, now, you see he's turning. Now, he's going to talk about giving and serving others. He turns to citing the Macedonians for their willingness to help and to serve and to give, even though were they well off? He says, "No, they were in deep poverty, and yet they were liberal."

In fact, through Chapter 8 and really most of Chapter 9, he's going to devote almost two chapters to the subject of the collection that we had talked about previously. 1 Corinthians 16, we talked about the collection that they were going to take up for those who were suffering famine in Judea. He's kind of going to focus on that for these next two chapters. If you remember, we're not that far removed from 1 Corinthians. We're just about six months' difference here, six months later or so. And, now, he's going to focus on that once again. Now, here's a way that the Corinthians can demonstrate their willingness to give. And by citing the Macedonians, he's going to try to help encourage them. He's going to, in a way, go over some of the principles that we should keep in mind when it comes to giving. And so Paul is going to rehearse some of those things with them. And so first he cites the Macedonians example in giving. And so he begins that. He says that "they were in deep poverty but they gave liberally."

2 Corinthians 8:3 "For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing."

So even though they weren't well off financially, they gave beyond their means. And not only that, is they asked Paul, "Hey, you need to accept our generosity." Look at verse 4.

2 Corinthians 8:4 He says, "Imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints."

I mean, you could probably imagine the scene a little bit, couldn't you? The Apostle Paul knew them, and they're giving more than they're able, they're willing. Maybe Paul was telling them, "Well, that's too much. No, you don't need to help that much." Maybe that was part of what Paul might have been telling them. And their reaction? "Imploring Paul with much urgency that we would receive the gift." Yeah, beyond expectations. No, you have to, you have to take... And so it's interesting, their perspective. And Paul recites their perspective to the Corinthians, kind of helping them to have that point of view. Look at verse 5.

2 Corinthians 8:5 He says, "Not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us by the will of God."

You see, as Paul is observing their giving, it started by being a self-sacrifice. They were sacrificing themselves first to God and then to the Apostle Paul, to what he was hoping they would do in giving to those who were in need, in serving, ministering, the saints, helping those who were suffering in Judea. And so he's rehearsing that with the Corinthians that, well, in a sense, he's trying to motivate the Corinthians by the example of the Macedonians. And so he's giving them a good example to follow.

2 Corinthians 8:6-7 And so he says, "We urged Titus," verse 6, "that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us, see also you abound in this grace also."

So remember, fulfill this need. He says they've done well. And, of course, if we remember back even to 1 Corinthians how gifted the church in Corinth was that God had blessed them with many spiritual gifts, and they were abounding. And so, now, he's saying, "Here's another way, abound in this as well. Follow the Macedonian example in putting together this collection for those who are in need."

2 Corinthians 8:8-9 Now, in verse 8, he says, "It's not a command. I speak not by commandment, but I'm testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

You think that puts a little bit of pressure on the Corinthians? He says, "Hey, you've got these Macedonians over here, and they're living in poverty, and they've given over the top more than they're able. Oh, that's not a good enough example? Let's think of the example of Jesus Christ then. If you're not convinced by the Macedonians, how about Jesus Christ?"

Remember the example of Jesus Christ that, yeah, He was rich, spiritually speaking, right? But He became poor, that you might be... Well, how did He become poor? Well, the idea that He sacrificed His life, He gave His life, for you. He gave His life, He gave everything, for you. You talk about going over the top. Well, Christ certainly did that for each of us. So what should that do to our giving? If Christ gave it all for us, how should that impact my help to those in need? That's a pretty good example, isn't it? Pretty good example that he gives in that regard, that ultimately you're rich. You have been so blessed, and, of course, he's citing the spiritual blessings we have. You have been so blessed spiritually. Can we give a little bit physically to help these that are struggling through this famine? Yeah, I think the answer has to be an unqualified yes. Yes, we certainly can. And so instead of giving a commandment.

2 Corinthians 8:10-11 He says, "And in this I give advice. It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago, but, now, you also must complete the doing of it, that as there was a readiness and desire," he says, "so also may be a completion out of what you have." So in a way, he's saying, "Let's finish what you started. You started this a while ago, and so let's get on with it."

Yeah, it's not good enough just to want to. Oh, I really want to do that. Okay, well, how good is that? Well, that's only the start. That's only the start. And so, yes, it's good to have a willingness, but you got to follow through. Yes, you have to have a willing mind.

2 Corinthians 8:12 "If there's first a willing mind," yeah, great, I'm glad you want to, he says, "it's accepted according to what one has and not according to what he does not have, for I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened."

And so here he's saying, yes, the willingness is a good thing, but then act upon that willingness. It's accepted to do that then. You've got to make it happen. You got to make it happen. And so, yeah, interesting, interesting. Also in the sense, this almost brings us back to a number of different things, how God provides? How God provides for us? That they have been very blessed. Macedonians, not so much. But even in that, does God provide? It kind of connects all the way back to gathering manna. Just like the case of gathering manna, he's going to bring this to mind. Let's read on, and we'll see this interesting connection that he makes here.

2 Corinthians 8:13-15 So he says, "I don't mean that others should be eased and you burdened," in verse 13, "but," verse 14, "by an equality that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, and that their abundance may also supply your lack, that there may be equality." And let's finish that thought. "As it's written, 'He who has gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered a little had no lack.'"

That's the manna statement that he's referring to. And isn't it interesting? He still hasn't given up on this zugos idea, this balance idea, right? He hasn't given up on that being equally yoked versus unequally yoked. Yes, he's still there. He says, "Your abundance may supply their lack." So what's the problem? They're lacking, but you have an abundance. So what does that do? Well if you give, you're in a right relationship. It balances out. It's a beautiful thing. And so he says, "Their abundance," what's their abundance? Well, the spiritual side of things. They are abundant in their spirituality. That can help you as well, that there may be equality. And so when God's Church works in balance, he says there's a sense of the right spirituality there. There's an equality. And that's referring to ultimately a right relationship with God.

When we're in a right relationship with God, we'll serve the best way that we can so that everyone's needs are met, physical and spiritual as well. And so he equates that with the gathering of manna, that whether you have an abundance or not, yeah, you're not going to run out. You're going to supply what's needed to those in Judea, and you're going to gather much yourself. There's going to be blessings all around.

2 Corinthians 8:16-18 And so he says, "Thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus." And so what a blessing is what he's really getting at here, that ultimately God is the one that should be honored, that even Titus had this care for you. Notice how he expands on that. He says, "Not only accepted the exhortation but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord." Even Titus took it upon himself."We've sent him with the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches."

Well, who's this guy? Well, he mentions Titus, and he mentions the brother whose praise is in the gospel also was sent with him. Could be maybe Luke, maybe. Could it have been maybe Barnabas? There's quite a few individuals that could come to mind here, maybe Sylvanus, Silas, John Mark, Apollos, maybe. Could be maybe any of those. Not mentioned by name, not mentioned by name, but says that "he's known throughout all the churches." It would have been interesting to figure out, well, who exactly is this? We don't know.

2 Corinthians 8:19 But it's interesting, "He was 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 readiness of mind, bringing this collection back."

So interesting, chosen by the churches to travel with Paul. We know that happened back in Antioch, didn't it? When you look at the book of Acts, it reminds us of that very fact. Antioch chose Barnabas and Paul. Could it be Barnabas? Maybe, but we don't know for whatever reason, this brother goes unnamed. But it's interesting.

2 Corinthians 8:20-21 he says, verse 20, "That anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which was administered by us, providing honorable things not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of man."

Okay, yeah, it's interesting here that it's about handling this collection for those who were suffering.

2 Corinthians 8:22 He says, "We've 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."

So we're not even going to have to mention his name. You know who we're talking about. Yes, he's diligent, but well-proven as well. Well-proven, you can count on him in other words. Yeah, we have great confidence. We all have confidence. That word is kind of the faith word there. We have faith in him. We have faith in you too.

2 Corinthians 8:23 "If anyone inquires about Titus, he's my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ."

And so here we see they're fellow workers, they're joined together, they're partners in these things, and so he gives a little summary about them. We've got not only one unnamed individual, we actually have two of them being mentioned here as well as Titus. And they're messengers of the churches. Kind of interesting here. Why mention Titus and not the others? I don't know. We don't know why. But he makes this point that it's all about proving by your actions, which ties back to that idea of true repentance. True repentance has shown then that we have a true change of mind, a change in direction, change in thinking that changes our behavior. Now, here's a way. Here's a way to show it.

2 Corinthians 8:24 "Therefore, show to them and before the churches the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf."

You know what they say, "The proof's in the pudding," right? Yeah, it's in the doing. You've done well Corinthians. Now, let's demonstrate it. Let's take it to the next level and show by your actions that you really do love. And so that concludes Chapter 8.