And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

And we have sent with them our brother also, whom we have often proved diligent in many things; but now much more diligent, with much confidence in you,

And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved to be of diligent zeal in many things, and now more diligently zealous through the great confidence he has as to you.

And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have often proved to be diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

and we sent with them our brother, whom we proved in many things many times being diligent, and now much more diligent, by the great confidence that is toward you,

And we send with them our brother, of whose zeal we have had frequent proof in many matters, and who is now more zealous than ever through the strong confidence which he has in you.

And we have sent with them our brother, whose ready spirit has been made clear to us at times and in ways without number, but it is now all the more so because of the certain faith which he has in you.

And we have also sent with them our brother, whom we have proven to be frequently solicitous in many matters. But now there is a greater solicitousness, which is greatly entrusted to you;

We are also sending with them another of our friends, whose earnestness we have many a time proved in many ways, and whom we now find made even more earnest by his great confidence in you.

On account of the great confidence. The meaning is, "I am not afraid of their coming to you proving vain and fruitless; for I have felt beforehand an assured confidence, that their embassy will have a happy issue; I am so well aware of their fidelity and diligence." He says that the brother, whose name he does not mention, had felt more eagerly inclined; partly because he saw that he [1] had a good opinion of the Corinthians, partly because he had been encouraged by Titus, and partly because he saw many distinguished men apply themselves to the same business with united efforts. Hence one thing only remained -- that the Corinthians themselves should not be wanting on their part. [2] In calling them the Apostles of the Churches, he might be understood in two senses -- either as meaning that they had been set apart by God as Apostles to the Churches, or that they had been appointed by the Churches to undertake that office. The second of these is the more suitable. They are called also the glory of Christ, for this reason, that as he alone is the glory of believers, so he ought also to be glorified by them in return. Hence, all that excel in piety and holiness are the glory of Christ, because they have nothing but by Christ's gift. He mentions two things in the close: "See that our brethren behold your love," and secondly, "Take care, that it be not in vain that I have boasted of you." For autous (to them,) appears to me to be equivalent to coram ipsis, (before them,) for this clause does not refer to the poor, but to the messengers of whom mention had been made. [3] For he immediately afterwards subjoins, that they would not be alone witnesses, but in consequence of the report given by them, a report would go out even to distant Churches.

Footnotes

1 - "Sainct Paul;" -- "St. Paul."

2 - "Que les Corinthiens auisassent a ne defailler point de faire leur deuoir de leur coste;" -- "That the Corinthians should take care not to fail of doing their duty on their part."

3 - "Qui estoyent enuoyez comme ambassadeurs vers les Corinthiens;" -- "Who had been sent as ambassadors to the Corinthians."

And we have sent with them our brother - Who this was is wholly unknown; and conjecture is useless. Some have supposed that it was Apollos, others Silas, others Timothy. But there are no means of ascertaining who it was; nor is it material. It was some one in whom Paul had entire confidence.
Whom we have oftentimes proved diligent - Of whom we have evidence that he has been faithful. It is evident, therefore, that he had been the companion and fellow-laborer of Paul.
But now much more diligent - Who will now prove himself much more diligent than ever before.
Upon the confidence - Margin, "he hath." The margin is doubtless the more correct reading here. The idea is, that this brother had great confidence in the Corinthians that they would give liberally, and that he would, therefore, evince special diligence in the business.

We have sent with them - Titus and, probably, Luke, our brother, probably Apollos.
Now much more diligent - Finding that I have the fullest confidence in your complete reformation and love to me, he engages in this business with alacrity, and exceeds even his former diligence.

And we have sent with him our brother,.... This is a third person sent about this business. The apostle, in this, conformed to the customs of his nation; at least if he did not purposely do it, it agrees with the Jewish canons, which require three persons for the distribution of alms.
"The alms dish, (they say (x)) is by three; nor do they appoint "overseers" of it "less than three".''
Again, they say (y),
"the poor's chest is collected by two, "but distributed by three"; it is collected by two, because they do not appoint governors over a congregation less than two, and it is distributed by three, even as pecuniary judgments; but the alms dish is collected by three, and distributed by three; for the collection and distribution are alike:''
who this brother was, sent by the apostle with Titus and the other person, is as uncertain as the former. Some think it was Luke, others Apollos, others Timothy, others Sosthenes, others Epaenetus, others Silas, others Zenas the lawyer; a brother he was, and a very considerable character is given of him:
whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things; he was a very diligent and industrious man, and so fit for this service; he had been tried and proved, and was found to be so, not only once or twice, but oftentimes; and that not in a few instances, but in many; and in nothing did he ever show more diligence than in this matter:
but now much more diligent; than ever he had been in anything before:
upon the great confidence which I have in you; what doubled and increased this brother's diligence, and made him so eager for, and forward to this work, was, his observing the great confidence the apostle expressed of the very great readiness and liberality of the Corinthians; and which tacitly carries in it an argument exciting them thereunto: or this last clause may be read, "which he hath in you"; and so regards the confidence this brother had in them, which made him so ready to engage with, and join the other messengers.
(x) T. Hieros. Peah, fol. 21. 1. (y) Misn. Peah, c. 8. sect. 7. & Jarchi, Maimonides & Bartenora, in ib. T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 8. 2. Maimon. Mattanot Anayim, c. 9. sect. 5.

This second brother, BIRKS supposes to be Trophimus: for a Macedonian is not meant (2-Corinthians 9:4) probably the same as was sent before with Titus (2-Corinthians 12:18); and therefore sent from Ephesus, and probably an Ephesian: all this is true of Trophimus.
oftentimes . . . in many things--Join and translate as in the Greek, "many times in many things."
upon the great confidence which I have in you--"through the great confidence WHICH HE HAS towards you" [ALFORD]. BENGEL better supports English Version, "We have sent . . . through the confidence WHICH WE FEEL in regard to your liberality."

We have sent with them. With Titus and the brother named in 2-Corinthians 8:18. The brother referred to here and commended so highly is nowhere named.
Whether any do inquire of Titus. The commendation given of these three brethren is official. Titus had long been a fellow laborer, and had recently visited Corinth. The other two were messengers of the Macedonian churches. Not only of the churches but of the glory of Christ, the Lord's messengers to show forth his glory in a great work of mercy.
Therefore, shew ye to them. Since these are representative men, delegates of the churches, and of Christ, receive them cordially. Give proof of your love, and show that when we have boasted of your excellencies that our boasting was not empty. An ill reputation would not only reflect upon the churches, but upon Paul himself.

With them - With Titus and Luke. Our brother - Perhaps Apollos.