2 Corinthians 8:16-24

16 Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of others.
22 In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24 Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.

Questions to consider:

• What is Paul’s main concern in administering such a large fund?
• Why does Paul take such precautions to appear blameless?
• To what extents are you blameless in your personal accounts?
• What do you see in the relationship between Paul and Titus throughout this letter that you desire in your relationships with Christians in your group?

Possibilities for prayer:

Paul seems to have concern not only for doing things in a way that is right not only in the eyes of God, but also in the eyes of others around. We should consider the way in which we live our lives as well. Of course, of highest priority is making decisions that are pleasing to God, but we want to do our best to live lives that are above reproach by the rest of the world as well. Today, let’s ask God to show us ways where we can live as examples of right lives--not for our own glory but for God’s.