The Call to Complete the Collection
8:1 to 9:15
Having spoken of his great joy and relief at the news Titus brought of the Corinthians’ response to his severe letter, Paul proceeded to take up with them the matter of the collection which was being made among the Gentile churches to assist the poor Jewish believers of Jerusalem. Those Jewish believers had been hit hard by the outbreaks of famine during the reign of Emperor Claudius (41-45 AD) and the largely Gentile church in Syrian Antioch had responded quickly by sending relief by the hand of Barnabas and Paul (Acts 11:27-30). In Galatians 2:10 Paul told how the leaders of the Messianic community in Jerusalem, having recognized that he was the apostle to the Gentiles, urged him to continue remembering their poor, which Paul said he was eager to do. By the time First Corinthians was written (55 AD), the apostle had already begun seeking aid from the churches in Galatia, and the Corinthians had heard about it and asked to be allowed to share in his ministry (see the commentary on First Corinthians, to see link click Dz – Giving to God’s Work). By the time Second Corinthians was written (56 AD), Paul had contacted the Macedonian churches and they begged and pleaded with Paul for the privilege of sharing in this service for God’s people (8:4). Now he was using the example of their generosity to stimulate the Corinthians to complete the collection which they had previously shown themselves ready to do.181 Paul based his appeal on a fairly straightforward line of reasoning: The Gentiles, who have been blessed spiritually by the Jews, should help them and bless them financially.
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