2 Corinthians 8:19
ESV
And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will.
NIV
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.
NASB
and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness,
CSB
And not only that, but he was also appointed by the churches to accompany us with this gracious gift that we are administering for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.
NLT
He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem — a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.
KJV
And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:
NKJV
and not only that, but who was also 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 ready mind,
What does 2 Corinthians 8:19 mean?
Paul is sending three delegates to Corinth to deliver this letter and to help collect their contribution to the suffering Christians in Jerusalem. He first mentioned Titus, recently returned from Corinth and now well known to them. He next mentioned an unnamed man famous for proclaiming the gospel.This man has been appointed by the churches, likely in the Macedonian region, to represent them and travel with the team that is collecting and distributing these funds. Paul again refers to the collection as an act of grace, meaning that it is being carried out by the freewill of all the churches who are participating in it. Paul adds that this act of grace is ultimately for the Lord's glory, but also to show the good will of all those who contribute.
The Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians did not always get along. Paul didn't like the division between them and perhaps saw this collection as an opportunity for Gentile Christians to express love and support for the Jewish believers in Jerusalem and maybe help to heal some of those tensions (Romans 15:25–28).
Second Corinthians 8:16–24 describes the three men who will be coming to Corinth. After delivering this letter, they will help collect the Corinthian's contribution to the needs of suffering Christians in Jerusalem. The Corinthians know Titus, who recently returned from Corinth, and that he cares for the Corinthians as deeply as Paul himself. Titus will be accompanied by two delegates from other churches to prove that everything is done honestly and with transparency. These men will then report back to their churches how the Corinthians participated in the collection.
The Corinthians had previously agreed to contribute to a collection. This was for suffering Christians in Jerusalem. Paul raises the issue with them, pointing to the example of the poverty-stricken Macedonian churches who had given beyond their means of their own free will. Paul urges the Corinthians to follow through on their commitment by their own choice. Titus and two representatives of other churches are coming to Corinth to oversee the collection so it is done with integrity. Paul urges the Corinthians to prove their love by following through on their commitment to give.
