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•16感谢 神，把我对你们的热忱同样放在提多心里。17他固然听了我的劝告，但自己更加热心，自愿往你们那里去。18我们还差遣一位弟兄和他同去，这人在传福音的事上得了众教会的称赞；19不但这样，他也被众教会选派跟我们同行，把所交托我们的这捐款送到了，为的是荣耀主，也表明我们的好意。20我们这样做，免得有人因我们收的捐款多而挑剔我们。21我们留心做好事，不但在主面前，就是在人面前也是这样。22我们又差遣一位弟兄同去。这人的热忱，我们在许多事上屡次考验过，现在他因为深深信任你们，就更加热心了。23至于提多，他是我的伙伴，为服事你们作我的同工。至于那两位弟兄，他们是众教会的使者，是基督的荣耀。24所以，你们务要在众教会面前向他们显明你们的爱心和我所夸奖你们的凭据。
保罗阐明并实践了教会在管理神子民的奉献时，应该遵循的一个重要原则。在管理这些奉献时，他说希望避免任何人对他们的批评，他们要做正确的事，不但在主面前，而且在人面前也是这样。对保罗来说，这意味着不止一个人，而是许多人一起负责将这些捐款带到耶路撒冷，还要保证它们得到恰当使用。
对于今天的教会这意味着什么？当一个教会在管理神子民的奉献上粗心大意时，可能会发生两件事。第一，有人可能会被试探去偷窃上帝的子民奉献给上帝的东西。我肯定你们听说过这样的事情发生。不幸的是，在我所服事的教会中，我不得不处理这个问题。第二，如果上帝的子民认为他们的奉献不能得到很好的利用，他们就会犹豫是否要奉献。
一些简单的规则能防止这样的事情发生。要对每一笔账目，即使是很小的账目，都应该每年审计一次。最好有两个以上没有关系的人，负责点数奉献并将其存入银行账户。要有一个详细的预算显示教会将如何使用这些奉献，使用过后要有一个详细的报告显示这些奉献是如何被花掉的。你也许会说我们应该信任基督徒能够管理好神子民的奉献。但是每个基督徒都有罪性，都可能被试探。所以我们的目标是做正确的事，不但在主面前，就在人面前也是这样。
祷告：主耶稣，禁止人错误的使用给你的奉献！请教导我们如何谨慎管理神百姓的奉献，以免造成对人 的试探和伤害。阿们。
2 Corinthians 8: 16 Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19 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. 20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
22 In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24 Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it. (NIV)
Paul enunciates and practices an important principle that churches should follow when it comes to administering the gifts of God’s people. He says he wants to avoid any criticism in how they administer this gift, doing what is right, not only in God’s eyes, but in the eyes of men. For Paul, it meant that more than one trusted man was put in charge of taking this gift to Jerusalem and making sure it was used properly.
What does that mean for the church today? When a church gets sloppy in how it administers the gifts of God’s people, two things can happen. One, someone may be tempted to steal what God’s people gave to the Lord. I am sure you have heard of that happening. I have to deal with that, unfortunately, in the congregations I have served. Two, God’s people are hesitant to give if they do not think their gifts will be well used.
Some simple rules can prevent that from happening. Every account, even small accounts, should be audited every year. More than one person, preferably unrelated, should count the offerings and deposit them. A detailed budget should show how the offerings will be spent, and a detailed report should be given on how they were spent. You might argue that we should be able to trust Christians to handle the offerings of God’s people. Yet, every Christian has a sinful nature and can be tempted. So we aim to do what is right, not only in the eyes of God, but also in the eyes of men.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forbid it that offerings given to you should ever be misused! Teach us to administer the gifts of God’s people carefully, lest the weak be tempted, or offense be given. Amen.