2 Corinthians 8:16-22 (ESV Strong's)
But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 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. We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you.
Tag: The Appearance of Integrity Matters
In the above passage Paul is writing to the church at Corinth to encourage them to give money to the cause of the impoverished in Jerusalem. To do so, logistically, he is sending Titus AND two other brothers. Paul has great confidence in Titus. But, for the appearance of man, he is also sending two other believers, who have a great testimony before the church. Paul wants to make sure there is no appearance of impropriety when it comes to the collection of the money. What does this tell us about the nature of man in the past as compared to the nature of man today? Little has changed. The difference may be the act of Paul to assure integrity is maintained. Today, a modern day “Titus,’ might object to the overwatch ... feeling slighted that he/she could not be trusted. Yet, this is the case then as it is now. We must all be “Pauls” in this world to assure that our testimony is not blemished by the mere sight of misdeeds. God intends us not to be ashamed of His work and we need to assure we are presenting all aspects of our work in transparency and integrity. Today’s ministers are less worried about the appearance of impropriety as they are their own personal appearance. Paul was not that type of minister.
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