Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Corinthians 8:17

"For he accepted indeed our exhortation; but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accord." — 2 Corinthians 8:17 (ASV)

For indeed he accepted the exhortation. He cheerfully complied with the exhortation I gave him, namely, to visit you and encourage you in this good work.

But being more forward. He was more disposed to do this than I had supposed. The idea here is that he was very ready to engage in this. He was, in fact, more eager to do it than Paul was to urge him; he anticipated Paul's request and had already resolved to undertake it.

Of his own accord he went. He went voluntarily and without being urged.

The reason for Paul's thankfulness here seems to have been this: he probably anticipated some difficulty in obtaining the collection there. He was acquainted with the troubled state of the church and feared that Titus might have some reluctance to engage in the service. Consequently, he was very pleasantly surprised when he learned that Titus was willing to make another journey to Corinth and to endeavor to complete the collection.