Romans 15.26-Paul Must Deliver To The Poor Saints In Jerusalem The Contribution From The Gentile Churches In Macedonia And Achaia
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday June 29, 2010
Romans: Romans 15:26-Paul Must Deliver To The Poor Saints In Jerusalem The Contribution From The Gentile Churches In Macedonia And Achaia
Lesson # 529
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 15:22.
This evening we will note verse 26 and in this verse Paul informs the Roman believers that he was going to serve the saints in Jerusalem by delivering to the destitute Jewish believers in that city an offering from the Gentiles in Macedonia and Achaia.
This offering was a major focus of Paul’s third missionary journey since each letter he wrote on the journey mentions it (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8-9) and is mentioned in other passages such Acts 24:17.
The Jerusalem church was destitute undoubtedly because of the persecutions since for a Jewish believer to trust in Jesus of Nazareth as Savior meant be expelled from the synagogue.
Consequently, this meant being barred from Jewish life, thus many lost homes and businesses, not to mention friendships and being disowned by family members.
Undoubtedly, Paul thought this offering to be important because it would serve to build unity among Jewish and Gentile believers and thus it would serve as a symbol of unity among believers.
Romans 15:22, “For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you. 23 But now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you. 24 Whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while. 25 But now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.”
Romans 15:26 explains what Paul means when he says in Romans 15:25 that he is traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints in that city.
“Macedonia” in the days of the apostle in the first century was a Roman province located in the region of the Balkan peninsula north of the Roman province of Achaia.
Liberality was, indeed, from the very outset one of the characteristic virtues of the Macedonian churches.
Several of Paul's travel companions and fellow workers were Macedonians: Gaius (Acts 19:29), Aristarchus (Acts 19:29; 27:2), Secundus (Acts 20:4), and Sopater (Acts 20:4).
The Macedonian Christians support of the needs of Paul and others is mentioned several times in Paul's letters (Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 8:1-5; Phil 4:15-18).
“Achaia” refers to a Roman province that was located on the Peloponnesian Peninsula, on the south coast of the gulf of Corinth and is now called Morea and the south of Greece.
Paul visited Achaia on his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 19:21) while Gallio was proconsul of the province (Acts 18:12).
The believers in Achaia along with the Macedonian believers sent financial aid to the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 9:2).
The church at Thessalonica, in Macedonia, was held up as an example for the churches of Achaia (1 Thessalonians 1:7-8).
Romans 15:26, “For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.”
“Have been pleased” is the third person plural aorist active indicative form of the verb eudokeo (εὐδοκέω) (ehv-thoe-keh-owe), which means “to decide with pleasure” to provide a contribution on behalf of the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
This word emphasizes that the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia of their own accord took pleasure in providing for the needs of their poor Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ.
“To make” is the aorist middle infinitive form of the verb poieo (ποιέω) (pee-eh-owe), which means “to provide something for somebody out of one’s own accord and own resources”
It is used of the actions of the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia in providing of their own accord for the needs of the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem from their own resources.
“A contribution” is the accusative feminine singular form of the noun koinonia (κοινωνία) (kee-no-knee-ah), which means “willing contribution” emphasizing that this contribution was an expression of Christian fellowship.
Specifically, it involves the companionship and stewardship aspects of Christian fellowship.
“For the poor” indicates that the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia provided of their own accord and from their own resources a contribution “on behalf of” or for the benefit of” the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
“Among the saints” indicates that the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem help to compose part of the body of Christ and that not every believer in Jerusalem was poor since the partitive genitive says that a portion of the believers in Jerusalem were destitute.
“In Jerusalem” denotes the geographical location of these destitute believers who were recipients of the contribution from the Gentile churches in the Roman provinces of Macedonia and Achaia.
The Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia were obeying the command that Paul reminded the Roman church to continue practicing, namely contributing to the needs of the saints.
Romans 12:13, “All of you continue to make it your habit to contribute to the saints’ needs. All of you continue to make it your habit to eagerly seek out opportunities to practice hospitality.”
In Romans 12:13, “needs” is the noun chreia, which refers to that which other Christians were lacking and particularly necessary or essential for proper human existence.
These “needs” were material ones such as food, shelter and clothing and is used in the same manner in other places in the New Testament (Acts 2:45; 4:35; 20:34; 28:10; Ephesians 4:28; Philippians 2:25; 4:16, 19; Titus 3:14; 1 John 3:17).
The first century apostolic church practiced providing for the needs of its own (Acts 2:45; 4:32-37; 9:36-41; 11:27-30; Romans 15:25-28; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-4; 9:1-15).
There was great poverty in the first century apostolic church due to persecutions.
Therefore, it was critical for believers who were prospering or did have the essentials for maintaining a proper human existence to share their prosperity and abundance with those in the royal family of God who were destitute or poverty stricken.
When the believer provides for the needs of those who are poverty stricken in the body of Christ whether they are in his or her own periphery or in different parts of the world, it produces thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:1-15).
When the believer provides for the needs of those who are poverty stricken in the body of Christ whether they are in his or her own periphery or in different parts of the world, it is an expression of God’s love in their life (1 John 3:16-18; Galatians 6:9-10).