2 Corinthians 8

The grace given in the assemblies of Macedonia — in the proof of affliction, poverty down to the depth abounded to the riches of simplicity. Beyond their power, of their own choice, they begged for the sharing of the service to the holy ones and gave themselves first to the Lord. Titus is to bring to completion the grace he began — abound in this grace too. Not a command, but a test of the genuineness of love. Know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ — being rich he became poor, that by his poverty you might become rich. Complete now what you began last year — acceptable according to what one has. Out of equality: your surplus to their lack, their surplus to yours. Grace to God who gives the same diligence to Titus. With him two brothers — appointed by the assemblies, apostles of assemblies, the glory of Christ. Show them the showing of your love.

Γνωρίζομεν δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν δεδομένην ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Μακεδονίας,

Now we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God given in the assemblies of Macedonia,

ὅτι ἐν πολλῇ δοκιμῇ θλίψεως ἡ περισσεία τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ κατὰ βάθους πτωχεία αὐτῶν ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς ⸂τὸ πλοῦτος⸃ τῆς ἁπλότητος αὐτῶν·

that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their poverty down to the depth abounded to the riches of their simplicity;

Why this rendering

2Cor.8.2 Observation

Syntactic observation

ὅτι ἐν πολλῇ δοκιμῇ θλίψεως ἡ περισσεία τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ κατὰ βάθους πτωχεία αὐτῶν ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς ἁπλότητος αὐτῶν — that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their poverty down to the depth abounded to the riches of their simplicity. Two subjects (abundance · poverty), a singular verb. περισσεία (Rom 5:17), ‘abundance’, and the verb περισσεύω, ‘abound’, come in one verse, and v.14 has a different noun, περίσσευμα (Matt 12:34; Mark 8:8), rendered ‘surplus’. πτωχεία (vv.2, 9; once in Revelation) is the noun of πτωχός, ‘poor’. ἁπλότης is the ‘simplicity’ of Rom 12:8. τὸ πλοῦτος is the neuter form (⸂⸃ — the other reading is masculine). In this chapter χάρις comes seven times, and the places where it names the collection (vv.4, 6, 7, 19) also keep ‘grace’.

Rendering options · 3

Adopted

“grace” seven times — the collection too is ‘grace’

Basis The text calls God’s grace (vv.1, 9), the gift (vv.4, 6, 7, 19) and thanks (v.16) by one word; one word, one rendering.

“grace · gift · thanks”

Basis The familiar renderings by sense.

Rejected It hides that Paul calls the collection ‘grace’ — the same word as the grace of Christ in v.9.

Adopted

“abundance / surplus” — περισσεία and περίσσευμα kept apart

Basis Two different nouns; ‘abundance’ (Rom 5:17) and ‘surplus’ (the leftovers of Mark 8:8) keep them apart.

Lost in translation

περισσεία · περισσεύω · περίσσευμα — ‘abundance · abound · surplus’: the third leaves the root.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

χάρις seven times — one ‘grace’.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

πτωχεία ↔ πτωχός (6:10) — ‘poverty / poor’ keep noun and adjective together.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

ὅτι κατὰ δύναμιν, μαρτυρῶ, καὶ ⸀παρὰ δύναμιν, αὐθαίρετοι

for according to their power, I bear witness, and beyond their power, of their own choice,

Why this rendering

2Cor.8.3 Observation

Syntactic observation

ὅτι κατὰ δύναμιν, μαρτυρῶ, καὶ παρὰ δύναμιν, αὐθαίρετοι μετὰ πολλῆς παρακλήσεως δεόμενοι ἡμῶν, τὴν χάριν καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους— καὶ οὐ καθὼς ἠλπίσαμεν ἀλλ’ ἑαυτοὺς ἔδωκαν πρῶτον τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν — for according to their power, I bear witness, and beyond their power, of their own choice, with much exhortation they begged us for the grace and the sharing of the service to the holy ones — and not as we hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us. Verses 3-5 hang as one sentence until the verb ἔδωκαν arrives in v.5 (anacoluthon — kept with dashes). παρὰ δύναμιν (⸀ — the other reading is the ὑπὲρ δύναμιν of 1:8) uses a different preposition; English has ‘beyond’ for both. αὐθαίρετος (vv.3, 17 — two places, both here) is ‘of one’s own choice’. κοινωνία is the ‘sharing’ of the collection in Rom 15:26.

Rendering options · 3

Adopted

“of their own choice”

Basis a compound of ‘self’ and ‘choose’, kept as ‘own · choice’; ‘willingly’ is ἑκών (Rom 8:20).

“voluntarily”

Basis The familiar rendering.

Rejected It merges the word with ἑκών and loses the ‘choice’ inside it.

“with much entreaty”

Basis Rendering παράκλησις by its sense here.

Rejected It adds a third rendering beyond ‘consolation / exhortation’; v.17 uses the same word for what Titus received.

Lost in translation

παρὰ δύναμιν (8:3) ↔ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν (1:8) — two prepositions, one ‘beyond’.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

The anacoluthon of vv.3-5 — three verses hanging without a verb, kept with dashes.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

κοινωνία — one word ‘sharing’ with Rom 15:26 (‘fellowship’ in 6:14 differs by place).

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

μετὰ πολλῆς παρακλήσεως δεόμενοι ἡμῶν, τὴν χάριν καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους—

with much exhortation they begged us for the grace and the sharing of the service to the holy ones —

καὶ οὐ καθὼς ἠλπίσαμεν ἀλλ’ ἑαυτοὺς ἔδωκαν πρῶτον τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ,

and not as we hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us through the will of God,

εἰς τὸ παρακαλέσαι ἡμᾶς Τίτον ἵνα καθὼς προενήρξατο οὕτως καὶ ἐπιτελέσῃ εἰς ὑμᾶς καὶ τὴν χάριν ταύτην·

so that we exhorted Titus that, as he had begun beforehand, so he might also bring this grace to completion among you.

ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ ἐν παντὶ περισσεύετε, πίστει καὶ λόγῳ καὶ γνώσει καὶ πάσῃ σπουδῇ καὶ τῇ ἐξ ⸂ἡμῶν ἐν ὑμῖν⸃ ἀγάπῃ, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ χάριτι περισσεύητε.

But as you abound in everything — in faith and word and knowledge and all diligence and the love from us in you — so abound in this grace also.

Οὐ κατ’ ἐπιταγὴν λέγω ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων σπουδῆς καὶ τὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης γνήσιον δοκιμάζων·

I do not speak by way of command, but through the diligence of others testing also the genuineness of your love;

γινώσκετε γὰρ τὴν χάριν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι δι’ ὑμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν πλούσιος ὤν, ἵνα ὑμεῖς τῇ ἐκείνου πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσητε.

for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor, being rich, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous

first here Christ Χριστός Christos

Why this rendering

2Cor.8.9 Observation

Syntactic observation

γινώσκετε γὰρ τὴν χάριν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι δι’ ὑμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν πλούσιος ὤν, ἵνα ὑμεῖς τῇ ἐκείνου πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσητε — for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor, being rich, so that you by his poverty might become rich. Two roots, four words — ἐπτώχευσεν (once in the New Testament; aorist) · πτωχείᾳ ↔ πλούσιος ὤν (present participle) · πλουτήσητε (aorist subjunctive). Becoming poor is a single act (aorist); being rich was a continuing state (present participle). ἐκείνου (‘his’) stands emphatic, and ὑμεῖς is placed first.

Rendering options · 3

Adopted

“became poor, being rich … by his poverty might become rich” — two roots on two stems

Basis the poverty root on ‘poor’, the wealth root on ‘rich’: four words on two stems, following πτωχός ‘poor’ (Matt 5:3) and πλουτέω ‘be rich’ (Luke 1:53).

“though he was wealthy, he became destitute”

Basis A vivid paraphrase.

Rejected The four words no longer stand on two stems.

“he was rich, but became poor”

Basis Turning the participle into a past tense.

Rejected πλούσιος ὤν is a present participle — the state continuing at the moment of becoming poor; ‘being rich’ keeps it.

Lost in translation

πτωχεύω · πτωχεία · πλούσιος · πλουτέω — four words on two stems, ‘poor · rich’.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

The present participle πλούσιος ὤν — ‘being rich’ keeps the continuing state.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

The fronted ὑμεῖς and emphatic ἐκείνου — ‘you by his poverty’ keeps the order but not the weight of ‘his’.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

καὶ γνώμην ἐν τούτῳ δίδωμι· τοῦτο γὰρ ὑμῖν συμφέρει, οἵτινες οὐ μόνον τὸ ποιῆσαι ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ θέλειν προενήρξασθε ἀπὸ πέρυσι·

And I give an opinion in this; for this is profitable for you, who began beforehand from last year not only the doing but also the willing.

νυνὶ δὲ καὶ τὸ ποιῆσαι ἐπιτελέσατε, ὅπως καθάπερ ἡ προθυμία τοῦ θέλειν οὕτως καὶ τὸ ἐπιτελέσαι ἐκ τοῦ ἔχειν.

But now bring the doing also to completion, so that, just as there was the eagerness of the willing, so there may also be the completing out of what you have.

εἰ γὰρ ἡ προθυμία πρόκειται, καθὸ ἐὰν ⸀ἔχῃ εὐπρόσδεκτος, οὐ καθὸ οὐκ ἔχει.

For if the eagerness lies before, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

οὐ γὰρ ἵνα ἄλλοις ἄνεσις, ⸀ὑμῖν θλῖψις· ἀλλ’ ἐξ ἰσότητος

For it is not that there should be relief for others and affliction for you, but out of equality —

ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ τὸ ὑμῶν περίσσευμα εἰς τὸ ἐκείνων ὑστέρημα, ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἐκείνων περίσσευμα γένηται εἰς τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα, ὅπως γένηται ἰσότης·

at the present time your surplus goes to their lack, so that their surplus also may go to your lack, so that there may be equality;

Why this rendering

2Cor.8.14 Observation

Syntactic observation

οὐ γὰρ ἵνα ἄλλοις ἄνεσις, ὑμῖν θλῖψις· ἀλλ’ ἐξ ἰσότητος ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ τὸ ὑμῶν περίσσευμα εἰς τὸ ἐκείνων ὑστέρημα, ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἐκείνων περίσσευμα γένηται εἰς τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα, ὅπως γένηται ἰσότης· καθὼς γέγραπται· Ὁ τὸ πολὺ οὐκ ἐπλεόνασεν, καὶ ὁ τὸ ὀλίγον οὐκ ἠλαττόνησεν — For it is not that there should be relief for others and affliction for you, but out of equality — at the present time your surplus goes to their lack, so that their surplus also may go to your lack, so that there may be equality; as it is written: ‘He who had much had no more, and he who had little had no less.’ Verses 13-14 are three verbless clauses (relief · affliction · surplus→lack) framed by ἰσότης (vv.13, 14; once in Colossians). περίσσευμα ↔ ὑστέρημα change places twice (chiasmus). The quotation from Exodus 16 has no verb — Ὁ τὸ πολύ, ‘he of the much’. ἐπλεόνασεν (Rom 5:20 ‘increase’) is set against ἠλαττόνησεν (once in the New Testament).

Rendering options · 3

Adopted

“equality” — ἰσότης on ἴσος ‘equal’

Basis The noun of ἴσος, ‘equal’ (Matt 20:12).

“fairness”

Basis The familiar rendering.

Rejected It cuts the noun from ἴσος and drifts toward δίκαιος, ‘just’.

“he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack”

Basis Supplying the verbs from the Exodus context.

Rejected ‘Gathered’ is not in the text, and ‘lack’ is the ὑστέρημα of v.14; even ‘had’ is a supplement, recorded as a loss.

Lost in translation

Ὁ τὸ πολύ / ὁ τὸ ὀλίγον — the verbless quotation takes a supplied ‘had’.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

The chiasmus of περίσσευμα ↔ ὑστέρημα — ‘surplus / lack’ change places twice.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

ἰσότης ↔ ἴσος (Matt 20:12) — ‘equality / equal’ keep the root.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

ἐπλεόνασεν — one word with Rom 5:20 ‘increase’; here ‘had no more’.

Survives in · this edition — 1 of the nine carry it (not this language)

καθὼς γέγραπται· Ὁ τὸ πολὺ οὐκ ἐπλεόνασεν, καὶ ὁ τὸ ὀλίγον οὐκ ἠλαττόνησεν.

as it is written: ‘He who had much had no more, and he who had little had no less.’

Χάρις δὲ τῷ θεῷ τῷ ⸀διδόντι τὴν αὐτὴν σπουδὴν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ Τίτου,

But grace to God, who gives the same diligence on your behalf in the heart of Titus,

ὅτι τὴν μὲν παράκλησιν ἐδέξατο, σπουδαιότερος δὲ ὑπάρχων αὐθαίρετος ἐξῆλθεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς.

for he received the exhortation, and being more diligent, of his own choice he went out to you.

συνεπέμψαμεν δὲ μετ’ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀδελφὸν οὗ ὁ ἔπαινος ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ διὰ πασῶν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν—

And we sent with him the brother whose commendation in the gospel is through all the assemblies —

οὐ μόνον δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ χειροτονηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν συνέκδημος ἡμῶν ⸀σὺν τῇ χάριτι ταύτῃ τῇ διακονουμένῃ ὑφ’ ἡμῶν πρὸς τὴν ⸀αὐτοῦ τοῦ κυρίου δόξαν καὶ προθυμίαν ἡμῶν—

and not only so, but he was also appointed by the assemblies as our travelling companion with this grace which is being served by us for the glory of the Lord himself and our eagerness —

στελλόμενοι τοῦτο μή τις ἡμᾶς μωμήσηται ἐν τῇ ἁδρότητι ταύτῃ τῇ διακονουμένῃ ὑφ’ ἡμῶν,

avoiding this, that no one should blame us in this bounty which is being served by us;

⸂προνοοῦμεν γὰρ⸃ καλὰ οὐ μόνον ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων.

for we take forethought for good things not only before the Lord but also before men.

συνεπέμψαμεν δὲ αὐτοῖς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν ὃν ἐδοκιμάσαμεν ἐν πολλοῖς πολλάκις σπουδαῖον ὄντα, νυνὶ δὲ πολὺ σπουδαιότερον πεποιθήσει πολλῇ τῇ εἰς ὑμᾶς.

And we sent with them our brother, whom we have tested as diligent in many things many times, and now much more diligent by great confidence toward you.

εἴτε ὑπὲρ Τίτου, κοινωνὸς ἐμὸς καὶ εἰς ὑμᾶς συνεργός· εἴτε ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν, ἀπόστολοι ἐκκλησιῶν, δόξα Χριστοῦ.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker toward you; as for our brothers, they are apostles of assemblies, the glory of Christ.

Why this rendering

2Cor.8.23 Observation

Syntactic observation

εἴτε ὑπὲρ Τίτου, κοινωνὸς ἐμὸς καὶ εἰς ὑμᾶς συνεργός· εἴτε ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν, ἀπόστολοι ἐκκλησιῶν, δόξα Χριστοῦ — As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker toward you; as for our brothers, they are apostles of assemblies, the glory of Christ. A verbless sentence. The two brothers of vv.18 and 22 have no names — ‘the brother / our brother’. ἀπόστολοι ἐκκλησιῶν is a place where ‘apostle’ is used of men outside the Twelve (as of Barnabas in Acts 14:4, 14) — not paraphrased as ‘messengers of the assemblies’. In v.19 χειροτονηθείς is the verb of Acts 14:23, ‘appointed elders’; συνέκδημος the ‘travelling companion’ of Acts 19:29. In v.20 ἁδρότης (once in the New Testament) is ‘bounty’ and στελλόμενοι ‘avoiding’. In v.21 προνοοῦμεν καλά is the phrase of Rom 12:17 returning. In v.24 ἐνδεικνύμενοι is a participle standing as an imperative (⸀ — the other reading is an imperative).

Rendering options · 3

Adopted

“apostles of assemblies”

Basis One word, one rendering — the same word used of the Twelve; so too of Barnabas in Acts 14:14.

“messengers of the churches”

Basis The familiar rendering, avoiding the title.

Rejected It hides that the text uses the Twelve’s word, and ‘messenger’ is ἄγγελος.

Adopted

“show” — the participle as imperative

Basis The base text has a participle (⸀) with no other verb, standing as a command — the same sense as the imperative of the other reading.

Lost in translation

ἀπόστολοι ἐκκλησιῶν — the Twelve’s word ‘apostle’ stands.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

The verblessness of v.23 — ‘he is … they are’ supplies the copula.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

προνοοῦμεν καλά (v.21) ↔ Rom 12:17 — ‘take forethought for good things’ stands as the same phrase.

Survives in · this edition — 2 of the nine carry it (this language among them)

The imperatival participle of v.24 — ‘show’ cannot show that it is a participle.

this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)

τὴν οὖν ἔνδειξιν τῆς ἀγάπης ὑμῶν καὶ ἡμῶν καυχήσεως ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν εἰς αὐτοὺς ⸀ἐνδεικνύμενοι εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν.

Therefore show to them the showing of your love and of our boasting on your behalf, in the face of the assemblies.