2 Corinthians 8:18
Verse
Context
Titus Commended
17For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.18Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel. 19More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the offering —the gracious gift we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.
Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
The brother, whose praise is in the Gospel - Who this brother was we cannot tell; some suppose it was St. Luke, who wrote a gospel, and who was the companion of St. Paul in several of his travels; others think it was Silas; others, Barnabas; others, Mark; and others, Apollos. Neither ancients nor moderns agree in either; but Luke, John, and Mark, seem to have the most probable opinions in their favor. Whoever the person was he was sufficiently known to the Corinthians, as we learn by what the apostle says of him in this place.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
the brother, whose praise is in the gospel--whose praise is known in connection with the Gospel: Luke may be meant; not that "the Gospel" here refers to his written Gospel; but the language implies some one well known throughout the churches, and at that time with Paul, as Luke then was (Act 20:6). Not a Macedonian, as appears from Co2 9:4. Of all Paul's "companions in travel" (Co2 8:19; Act 19:29), Luke was the most prominent, having been his companion in preaching the Gospel at his first entrance into Europe (Act 16:10). The fact that the person here referred to was "chosen of the churches" as their trustee to travel with Paul in conveying the contribution to Jerusalem, implies that he had resided among them some time before: this is true of Luke, who after parting from Paul at Philippi (as he marks by the change from "we" to "they," Act 16:11) six years before, is now again found in his company in Macedonia. In the interim he had probably become so well known that "his praise was throughout all the churches." Compare Co2 12:18; Plm 1:24. He who is faithful in the Gospel will be faithful also in matters of inferior importance [BENGEL].
John Gill Bible Commentary
And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches,.... Not only famous for preaching the Gospel, but he was also appointed by the joint suffrages of the churches, which were made by the lifting up or stretching out of the hand, as the word here used signifies; this brother was not chosen to this service by a few private persons, or by a single church only, but by several churches; which does not refer to the churches at Jerusalem and Antioch, as if the apostles were appointed, and others were appointed by these churches to travel with them, in order to collect money for the poor saints at Jerusalem; of which no mention is any where made, only of their being sent out by them to preach the Gospel. James, Cephas, and John indeed, when they gave to Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that they might go to the Heathen, desired them to "remember the poor"; Gal 2:9 but these were not the churches. The church at Antioch did collect for the brethren in Judea, at the time of the famine among them, and sent their bounty by the hands of Barnabas and Saul, which seems to be the case here. This brother was chosen by the churches who collected, and not by the churches in Judea, for whom the collections were made; for it was usual, and what was right and proper, that the churches chose whom they thought fit to carry their liberality to Jerusalem; see Co1 16:3. Now this brother had the honour to be chosen by these churches, to travel, says the apostle, with us, with this grace; bounty or beneficence of the churches, what they had freely and liberally contributed for the supply of the poor, from a principle of grace, and by the assistance of it; which is administered by us; not given by the apostles, but collected by them; or what was procured by their means, in the several churches to whom they had moved it, and by proper arguments had excited them to it, with which they cheerfully complied: and this was done on a two fold account, both to the glory of the same Lord: Jesus Christ, who is the one Lord over all; the same Lord of the apostles, and the church at Corinth; the same Lord of the Corinthians, and the Macedonian and other churches; and the same Lord of the poor saints at Jerusalem, and the rich members of the several churches that contributed to them: and also to the declaration of your ready mind; or to stir up their ready mind to increase it and promote it in them, as well to make it manifest, and that it might appear to others, how readily and freely they came into this service; so that the apostle's concern in this administration was not from any sinister and selfish ends; no, nor so much for the relief of the poor, though this was greatly designed, as for the glory of Christ, and the honour of his churches.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
8:18-24 Two other Christian men would travel with Titus to Corinth in order to guard against any criticism over the handling of the relief funds that they collected (8:20-21). Titus and his companions would ensure that the money was properly handled. The identity of the two companions is unknown.
2 Corinthians 8:18
Titus Commended
17For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.18Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel. 19More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the offering —the gracious gift we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
The brother, whose praise is in the Gospel - Who this brother was we cannot tell; some suppose it was St. Luke, who wrote a gospel, and who was the companion of St. Paul in several of his travels; others think it was Silas; others, Barnabas; others, Mark; and others, Apollos. Neither ancients nor moderns agree in either; but Luke, John, and Mark, seem to have the most probable opinions in their favor. Whoever the person was he was sufficiently known to the Corinthians, as we learn by what the apostle says of him in this place.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
the brother, whose praise is in the gospel--whose praise is known in connection with the Gospel: Luke may be meant; not that "the Gospel" here refers to his written Gospel; but the language implies some one well known throughout the churches, and at that time with Paul, as Luke then was (Act 20:6). Not a Macedonian, as appears from Co2 9:4. Of all Paul's "companions in travel" (Co2 8:19; Act 19:29), Luke was the most prominent, having been his companion in preaching the Gospel at his first entrance into Europe (Act 16:10). The fact that the person here referred to was "chosen of the churches" as their trustee to travel with Paul in conveying the contribution to Jerusalem, implies that he had resided among them some time before: this is true of Luke, who after parting from Paul at Philippi (as he marks by the change from "we" to "they," Act 16:11) six years before, is now again found in his company in Macedonia. In the interim he had probably become so well known that "his praise was throughout all the churches." Compare Co2 12:18; Plm 1:24. He who is faithful in the Gospel will be faithful also in matters of inferior importance [BENGEL].
John Gill Bible Commentary
And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches,.... Not only famous for preaching the Gospel, but he was also appointed by the joint suffrages of the churches, which were made by the lifting up or stretching out of the hand, as the word here used signifies; this brother was not chosen to this service by a few private persons, or by a single church only, but by several churches; which does not refer to the churches at Jerusalem and Antioch, as if the apostles were appointed, and others were appointed by these churches to travel with them, in order to collect money for the poor saints at Jerusalem; of which no mention is any where made, only of their being sent out by them to preach the Gospel. James, Cephas, and John indeed, when they gave to Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that they might go to the Heathen, desired them to "remember the poor"; Gal 2:9 but these were not the churches. The church at Antioch did collect for the brethren in Judea, at the time of the famine among them, and sent their bounty by the hands of Barnabas and Saul, which seems to be the case here. This brother was chosen by the churches who collected, and not by the churches in Judea, for whom the collections were made; for it was usual, and what was right and proper, that the churches chose whom they thought fit to carry their liberality to Jerusalem; see Co1 16:3. Now this brother had the honour to be chosen by these churches, to travel, says the apostle, with us, with this grace; bounty or beneficence of the churches, what they had freely and liberally contributed for the supply of the poor, from a principle of grace, and by the assistance of it; which is administered by us; not given by the apostles, but collected by them; or what was procured by their means, in the several churches to whom they had moved it, and by proper arguments had excited them to it, with which they cheerfully complied: and this was done on a two fold account, both to the glory of the same Lord: Jesus Christ, who is the one Lord over all; the same Lord of the apostles, and the church at Corinth; the same Lord of the Corinthians, and the Macedonian and other churches; and the same Lord of the poor saints at Jerusalem, and the rich members of the several churches that contributed to them: and also to the declaration of your ready mind; or to stir up their ready mind to increase it and promote it in them, as well to make it manifest, and that it might appear to others, how readily and freely they came into this service; so that the apostle's concern in this administration was not from any sinister and selfish ends; no, nor so much for the relief of the poor, though this was greatly designed, as for the glory of Christ, and the honour of his churches.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
8:18-24 Two other Christian men would travel with Titus to Corinth in order to guard against any criticism over the handling of the relief funds that they collected (8:20-21). Titus and his companions would ensure that the money was properly handled. The identity of the two companions is unknown.