“But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord” (2 Corinthians 8:16-17).
2 Corinthians 8:16 features the sixth appearance of Titus, a friend and colleague of Paul the Apostle. But Paul and Titus were no mere acquaintances; they so close that Paul actually referred to him as “my true son” in Titus 1:4. In fact, many commentators believe that Titus delivered this very letter to the Corinthian church on his follow-up journey back to Corinth.
However, we’re about to find that Titus was not alone in that endeavor…
“And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind” (2 Corinthians 8:18-19).
A look at how Paul introduced this unnamed associate provides us with some clues regarding his selection. First, we can say that he was someone with a a good reputation, someone whose “…work for the Good News is praised in all the congregations” (CJB). We should also notice that Paul said, “we have sent him.” This indicates that his selection was a joint decision and not one mandated by Paul.
We’re next told who was involved in making that choice: “…he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering” (NIV). The wisdom behind this approach becomes clear when we consider how this arrangement offered protection for everyone involved. For example, this decision placed an unbiased and independent representative within the group and established a layer of accountability to guard against the mishandling of this gift.
We should also note that the churches who appointed this representative invested their reputations in making this decision. This helped ensure that a person of good character would accompany Titus. It also demonstrated their mutual support for Paul and Titus in this ministry effort.
Finally, it seems ironic that Paul would mention someone was “…famous in all the churches” (CEB) yet neglect to mention that person’s name. Much like a prominent celebrity or athlete who is known by a single name, perhaps this individual was so well known among the first-century churches that Paul didn’t feel the need to mention his identity.