The Poor in Jerusalem

In Galatians 2:7-10 Paul comes before a council of "reputed" individuals in Jerusalem to present his gospel. After much deliberation among those being "pillars of the faith", they found Paul's message to be trustworthy and commissioned him and Barnabas to preach among the Gentiles. Paul then says that "they desired only that we should remember the poor" with his response being "the very thing which I also was eager to do!" Why was it the apostle's concern to consider the poor in Jerusalem?

At the time of Paul's commissioning there was a prophet named Agabus that came and spoke of an impending famine that was to occur throughout all the world (Acts 11:27-30). The apostles then found it good and necessary to send relief among those dwelling in Judea. Why Judea? Looking back at the time of Pentecost we see an amazing movement of people believing upon Jesus and being saved. The result of this movement caused everybody to respond by "having all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need." What an incredible response by the body of believers! But years later we see that this specific region will be in dire need of physical and monetary support due to this imminent famine to come.

So that is the very thing we see Paul begin to do! In Paul's correspondence with the church of Corinth we see that he begins to gather a collection for those individuals; "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches in Galatia, so you must do also" (1 Cor. 16:1-4). Paul continues this correspondence in 2 Cor. 8-9 by calling believers to "minister to the saints". We see Paul's desire to take the gospel to Spain but first "going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make certain contributions for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem" (Romans 15:25-33). What example did the church's in Macedonia and Achaia have to follow? I believe that to be found in 1 Thess. 1:7-8 as Paul encourages the church in Thessalonika that "their faith has gone out (to other church's). " What an amazing testimony of God's people genuinely reaching out and meeting peoples needs (and notice that God's people now includes the Gentiles)!

Now let's look at something cool! This is the amazing thing of scripture; to see how the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament come together to bring the glory back to God. This famine certainly was not a surprise but rather was anticipated. When the prophet Agabus proclaims to the people that a famine is coming among all the world isn't it interesting why the apostle's immediately go to Jerusalem. I believe the apostle's understood exactly what this meant because they could hear the words of Isaiah 2:2-4;

"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord. To the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." - Isaiah 2:2-4

What the apostle's had in mind when they went to Jerusalem was to see the hand of God and His word come back to fruition. What an amazing testimony to us as the people of God come together to see God's hand in action and during such a difficult time. We have gone through natural disasters, we have come together when nations war against the other, when evil seems to have had the better hand it is God's people who need to act and show love. Just as Paul and the apostle's found it good to provide relief to the poor through a collection, so also we need to put down our prejudices and pick up "plowshares" and meet needs. God Bless you in this endeavor.