16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. 17 For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord.
Verses 16-18 indicate that Paul was about to send Titus and two others as envoys to make financial arrangements for the Jerusalem church. These verses describe the practical steps Paul took to ensure Jerusalem believers received an offering from western churches. God’s money must be administered with special care. This is why Paul sent a delegation to take care of the offerings from Macedonia and Achaia.
8:16
But thanks be to God
The word “thanks” is from the Greek word for grace. Reception of the offering from Corinth was a grace from God.
who puts [gave] the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.
The name Titus occurs 13 times in the New Testament. The book of Acts does not refer to him. He was a person of character (Titus 1:4). He was a Gentile convert of Paul from Antioch. This man was a person upon whom Paul leaned to do strategic mission work. We see this in how he ministered to the Corinthians. Titus cared for the Corinthian church as much as Paul did.
It was God who gave Titus “earnest care” for the Corinthians.
8:17
For he not only accepted the exhortation,
Titus accepted Paul’s exhortation to go to the Corinthians to collect for the poor in Jerusalem. It was from the motivation of God’s grace for him.
but being more diligent,
Titus’s zeal or intensity for serving the Corinthian church was apparent.
he went to you of his own accord.
Titus, independently on his own initiative, determined to minister to the Corinthian church. Paul did not coerce him to go. The apostle was no taskmaster who made demands from those who followed him. Titus’s willingness to go to Corinth was completely voluntary.
PRINCIPLE:
Those who serve others must care for their welfare.
APPLICATION:
No one can minister to others without genuine concern about their welfare. Titus’s attitude was one of diligence and eagerness in caring for the church. Fundraising is no easy task, but he took on the responsibility aggressively. This was a God-given yearning to meet the needs of people.
It is vital to protect both the gathering and the use of offerings. Paul chose three men who were accountable to each other to take the offerings to Jerusalem. Churches today need to employ safety measures when it comes to caring for money. Titus looked at this as a ministry. No method is better than the men who care for it.
