2 Corinthians 8:23-24. Paul is introducing Titus and the others that he is sending to the Corinthians. Here he says that Titus is his "partner and fellow worker in your service" and the others are "messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ." So, he asks the Corinthians, "give proof ... of your love and of our boasting about you to these men."

I have found that people rise to the expectations you have of them, or at least they try to. It seems from this passage that Paul has found the same to be true. The expectations that we hold of others are not unfounded, they are based on the good and merit that we see in people, and we believe they are capable of meeting the expectations, but we also know that they can be convinced by themselves or others that they are not as good as we think they are. In pursuing truth, we always look to the good in people and rely on that to be stronger than evil (everyone has good in them, we are all children of God, and good is always stronger than evil). By expecting the good of people that we know they are capable of, we are pursuing truth, we are building God's kingdom. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthians to live up to the good that he has spoken of them to Titus and the others is an example of this.

Often my problem, especially with those I am closest to, is that I have these expectations, but I never say things like Paul says here, I just expect people, again especially those to whom I am closest, to know how to be good and to know that they are supposed to be good. I think I just only see the goodness of them, and don't think that they have to be reminded to be good. But I am often wrong about this, especially lately, and it is shocking how painful it is to me when someone of whom I was expecting goodness acts badly.

This passage is a reminder that everyone can be tempted away from the good, and part of our service to our fellow man is to remind them always of the goodness that is in them.