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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
May 16
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Today's Pathway:
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Yesterday we saw that Paul desired to go to Rome, but couldn't at that point in time. In verse 25 he writes that he is on the way to Jerusalem. His purpose is to serve the saints there. Lest there be any question, saints are simply those people who have received Christ as Savior. That term has been interpreted by some religions to refer to "special" Christians who have allegedly accomplished some particular task on earth and hold some special standing in Heaven. This is not the case. If you are a born-again believer, then you are a saint.
Paul's ministry to the Jerusalem believers at this time was to bring them some money because of their impoverished condition. At that time there was a famine throughout Palestine, and, because of persecution by unbelieving Jews, many Christian men had lost their jobs and many others were put in prison, making bad conditions still worse for their families. When they were made aware of this need, the churches in Macedonia and Achaia took up offerings to help relieve their suffering. It is important to note that the churches in Macedonia and Achaia would have been predominantly made up of Gentile believers. This is pointed out in verse 27. So, Gentile believers were sacrificing financially in order to be a blessing to Jewish believers. This offering is referred to in Paul's two letters to the church at Corinth, which was the principal city in Achaia. In II Corinthians 8:1-2 Paul wrote,
"Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality."
Not only were the Macedonians Gentiles, they were also poor themselves. Yet they gave to help meet the needs of their fellow believers in another country.
According to verse 27, they were "pleased" to do this. It does not appear that Paul, or anyone else, was forcing them into this. They saw a need, decided that they could help to alleviate the need, and willingly gave out of their own deep poverty. They did this because they realized that they were indebted to the Jews. Their debt was not a financial one, but a spiritual one. George Zeller described it this way.
"Gentiles are debtors to Jews. We owe them so much because 'salvation is of the Jews' (John 4:22). We owe them so much because the Bible is from the Jews. Indeed, even the authors of the New Testament were Jewish, with the only exception being Luke. We are debtors to the Jews because their God has become our God. Their Messiah has become our Savior! Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things."
Because of the spiritual blessings that the Jews had provided to the Gentiles, the Gentiles felt the responsibility to provide financial blessing to the Jews. In fact, Paul calls their giving a "duty", which means that they had an obligation to do this. Paul uses the word "carnal" near the end of verse. This does not mean that their donation was sinful, but rather that it was of a material, as opposed to spiritual, nature. Paul is teaching this principle: those who have received spiritual assistance from others should be willing to render material assistance back to them.
Paul concludes by saying that once he has finished his mission to Jerusalem he will go to Rome. He says he will arrive "in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ". In other words he wants to come and be a blessing to them. Robert Mounce commented,
"Always in the mind of the apostle was the spiritual potential of every personal contact. His sensitivity to the spiritual needs of others is everywhere evident. What for many would be merely a pleasant contact becomes for the apostle an occasion to share the blessings of Christ."
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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