16 But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you, 17 because he not only accepted our request, but since he was very eager, he is coming to you of his own accord. 18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in spreading the gospel. 19 In addition, this brother has also been chosen by the churches as our traveling companion as we administer this generous gift to the glory of the Lord himself and to show our readiness to help. 20 We did this as a precaution so that no one should blame us in regard to this generous gift we are administering. 21 For we are concerned about what is right not only before the Lord but also before men. 22 And we are sending with them our brother whom we have tested many times and found eager in many matters, but who now is much more eager than ever because of the great confidence he has in you. 23 If there is any question about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; if there is any question about our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ. 24 Therefore show them openly before the churches the proof of your love and of our pride in you.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Charis Ould

This year, I have had the privilege of leading the science faculty at the Christian group at my university. I really enjoyed connecting with the members of the faculty, making graphics for events, organising our getaway, etc. However, one thing I was terrible at was budgeting. The budget we made for our science faculty getaway did my head in. There were simply too many boxes and too many expenses to keep track of. Luckily, I had a co-leader, staff worker, and committee treasurer who arranged all of it! I trusted them, and it meant all I had to do was sign my name on the reimbursement forms.

Today’s passage follows on from Paul’s thankfulness for the generous giving of the churches in Macedonia. An offering has been arranged and collected for the poor Christians in Jerusalem, and Paul has urged the Corinthian church to match the generosity of the Macedonians. Now Paul explains that Titus and another brother are going to accompany the offering to guard it on the journey to Jerusalem. Paul wants this effort to be one not only of generosity but also of integrity, that what is right before the Lord is also right before men (v21). If people can’t trust where their giving is going, that is a big problem. But Paul says that this brother has been tested many times, and the Corinthian Christians can have confidence in him. They take these precautions so that they can be above reproach. Paul knows the work of the gospel can’t happen just with him. It is a team effort, and in all his letters he commends and lifts up those who have helped him in this work.

Have you ever been asked to donate to a charity, and they are super vague about where the money is going? I definitely have, especially around Christmas. I am encouraged by the transparency of our church that we get reports and updates, so we can know where the money we give to the work of the gospel is going.

I am thankful that God has provided people who work together for the gospel with integrity! Particularly for the many people in our church who use their different gifts to serve him. Pray that God would help us to be good stewards of these gifts, as we pray that those in authority would similarly be good stewards of people’s money.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charis is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.