The New Testament reveals that Paul was actively collecting money for "the poor among the saints in Jerusalem" ( Romans 15:26) for about five years (A.D52-57). He solicited funds from the Christians in Galatia ( Acts 18:23; 1 Corinthians 16:1), Macedonia ( Acts 19:22; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; 2 Corinthians 9:2; 2 Corinthians 9:4), Achaia ( Romans 15:26; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9), and Asia Minor ( Acts 20:35). [1] Delegates from most of these regions accompanied Paul when he took the gift to Jerusalem ( Acts 20:4). [source][source][source]
The recipients were Hebrew Christians who were poor for several reasons. Conversion to Christianity, and particularly baptism, resulted in social and economic ostracism in Jerusalem society where Judaism dominated all of life. The communal sharing of goods that the early Christians in Jerusalem practiced did not solve their economic problems (cf. Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32; Acts 4:34-35). All Palestinian residents suffered from lack of food due to a famine that descended during the reign of Emperor Claudius (A.D46 , Acts 11:27-30). As the mother church of Christianity, the Jerusalem church probably had a larger number of teachers, missionaries, and visitors to support than its daughter churches did. Finally, Jews, including Jewish Christians, who lived in Palestine had to pay double taxes, to Rome and to the Jewish authorities. [source][source][source]
Why did Paul devote so much of his time and energy to raising and delivering this collection? Undoubtedly love for his needy Christian brethren was a primary motivation ( Romans 12:13; Romans 13:8; Galatians 6:10). He also believed this gift would honor Jesus Christ ( 2 Corinthians 8:19). It would help equalize God"s provision for His people"s physical needs too ( 2 Corinthians 8:13-15). Moreover, it provided a visual demonstration of the equality that exists between Gentile and Jewish Christians ( Ephesians 2:11-22). It was something that God might use to allay Jewish suspicions of Christianity and of Paul"s mission to the Gentiles (cf. Acts 11:2-3). It also illustrated the spiritual indebtedness that the Gentiles owed to their Jewish brethren ( Romans 15:19; Romans 15:27; 1 Corinthians 9:11). Personally it was one way that Paul could compensate in part for his earlier persecution of the Jerusalem saints ( Acts 8:3; Acts 9:1; Acts 26:10-11; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; 1 Timothy 1:13). [source][source][source]
Paul wrote as he did in the following two chapters of2Corinthians to facilitate the collection and to set forth a philosophy of Christian stewardship. This is not the first that the Corinthians had heard about this collection. Paul"s abrupt introduction of "the collection for the saints" in 1 Corinthians 16:1 and his subsequent discussion of it in that chapter suggest that he had spoken to them about it previously. Evidently they began to participate but then dropped the project. Probably the controversy concerning Paul that developed contributed to that decision ( 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 7:12). However now that Paul had learned that the Corinthian congregation was responding more positively to him again he could reintroduce the subject and press for its completion. [2][source]