Here are a few of the main principles so far in this section of 2 Corinthians on giving (2 Cor 8-9):

• Whether or not you should give generously has nothing to do with how much you have. Everyone should give, no matter how much or little they are capable of giving.
• Your motivation for giving is more important than the amount you give. “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have” (8:12)
• How much you give should be decided by the needs of others, not your own needs. 
• You should give voluntarily, never under compulsion. 
• The primary motivation for giving should be realizing that Christ became poor so that we would be rich.
• Financial blessings = Financial Responsibility. God gives more to some and less to others so that those with more can serve those with less. 

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16 I thank 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.

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It occurred to me when I read these verses that Paul didn’t thank Titus. He thanked God for putting this concern in Titus’ heart. That’s worth pondering and putting up against current church “volunteer appreciation day events.”

I have a passionate disagreement with (1) Calling Christians who minister “volunteers” since we are all called by God to be ministers; and (2) Thanking ministers, as if they are good heartedly giving time that they otherwise could devote to something else, when they are simply doing what they (we all) were recreated by God to do. This isn’t volunteering for the PTA. This is introducing a dead world to the Author of Life. Ministers are who we are, not what we choose to be.

Paul rightly thanks God for Titus’ ministry.

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18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.

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For what it’s worth, there is no way to know who this brother is. Could be Luke, and there are several reasons to speculate that it was him, but we don’t know. And it doesn't really matter, or else God would have made it clear.

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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 men. 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 fellow 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.

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Paul speaks here to the issue of accountability. Accountability in ministry is extremely important. In our own day there have been numerous megachurches who have been slapped for misallocation of funds and embezzlement. But those aside, we members of a congregation should be able to see transparently how money is used. Most churches I’ve been to do publish a budget and expense report annually. However, things such as salaries are almost always absent. Often specific expenses are group together, such as “missions” and “worship” with no detail.

Most of where modern American congregations spend money would be foreign to first century churches. I have a feeling Paul would call us out harshly.

He mentions three people who will be responsible for collecting and distributing the money that is collected from the Corinthian church.

1. Vv. 16-17, Titus has been mentioned several times in 2 Corinthians. He is a ministry partner with Paul, the one who brought the report to Paul of what was going on at Corinth. Paul appealed to Titus to go, but Titus on was going by his own will and enthusiastically.
2. Vv. 18-19, Another famous minister will also go along who is “famous” or “highly praised” by all the churches for (more literally) his “preaching of the gospel.” The churches themselves chose him. 
3. V. 22, Another brother went along, too, who had been tested and found zealous. This opportunity increased his zeal even more.

The important point here is the extreme care with which these ministers were selected. “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the LORD but also in the eyes of men” (vv. 21).

Paul chose one, the congregation chose another, and the third seems to have been an obvious choice to everyone. This guarantees that there is no question of integrity. Paul goes to great lengths to avoid any accusations or suspicions. This is God’s work he’s doing.

Finally, it’s worth emphasizing that these men were known to the churches and chosen by the churches, not by Paul himself. In modern day, I suppose the “professional leadership” of the congregation would take care of these things without involving the congregation at all.

TALKING POINTS:

1. What differences do you notice in the text between the ways the original church and the modern church function?
   
2. Are those differences good, bad, or neutral?
3. Why do you think the differences exist?