Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 8:16

"But thanks be to God, who putteth the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus." — 2 Corinthians 8:16 (ASV)

Although Titus’s affection for the Corinthians naturally developed as a result of his positive interaction with them (7:13–15), Paul could trace Titus’s keen interest in their welfare to the providential working of God (v.16). Nothing could be more reassuring to the Corinthians than to know that the devotion and concern for them shared by Paul and Titus were simply a reflection of God’s own affection for them—and it was concern for them, not for their money (cf. 12:14). Paul goes on to describe the intensity of Titus’s concern. It was true that Paul had “urged” him (v.6; cf. “appeal” here; GK 4155) to arrange for the collection to be completed, but this invitation merely confirmed Titus’s eager willingness; in reality he was going “on his own initiative.”