noyes 2Corinthians:8:1-15 SEEK
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Moreover ,
brethren ,
we make known to you the grace of God which hath been bestowed in the churches of Macedonia ;
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that under a great trial of distress the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty increased the riches of their liberality ;
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for according to their power ,
I bear witness ,
and beyond their power ,
they gave of their own accord ,
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begging of us with much entreaty the favor of sharing in the ministration to the saints ;
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and this ,
not as we expected ,
but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God ;
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so that we urged Titus ,
that ,
as he had already made a beginning ,
so he would also finish among you this bounty also .
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But as ye abound in every thing ,
in faith ,
and utterance ,
and knowledge ,
and all earnestness ,
and in your love to us ,
see that ye abound in this exercise of liberality also .
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I speak not by way of command ,
but by reason of the earnestness of others ,
and to prove the genuineness of your love .
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For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ,
that though he was rich ,
yet for your sakes he became poor ,
that ye through his poverty might be rich .
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And I only give an opinion in this matter .
For this is expedient for you ,
who began before others ,
not only to do ,
but also to be willing ,
a year ago .
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Now therefore perform the doing of it ,
that as there was a readiness to will ,
so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have .
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For if there be first the willing mind ,
it is accepted according to what a man hath ,
not according to what he hath not .
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For it is not that others may be eased ,
and you burdened ,
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but to make an equality ;
at the present season your abundance meeting their deficiency ,
that their abundance may at another time meet your deficiency ;
that there may be equality ;
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as it is written : "
He that gathered much ,
had nothing over ;
and he that gathered little ,
had no lack ."