2 Corinthians 8–9 records Paul's advice to Corinth about the Jerusalem Collection. But it isn’t just about fundraising. In order to understand this event, we trace the story behind the Jerusalem Collection. We look at various passages in Acts, Galatians and Romans. so we can hear Paul’s appeal to Corinth the way his first listeners did.



In this week’s episode, we explore:




* Paul’s path from persecutor to apostle (Acts 9; Gal 1).



* How a famine prophecy in Antioch launched the first relief gift and why “remember the poor” became Paul’s standing charge (Acts 11:27–30; Gal 2:10).



* How the Jerusalem Council’s decision shaped Paul’s mission strategy (Acts 15).



* Paul’s theological rationale behind the collection (Romans 15) and his prayer that the gift would be accepted despite real risks in Jerusalem (Acts 21).



* Three intertwined motives behind the Collection.




By listening you'll gain: an example of how to do a background study; and a clear understanding of the historical situation behind 2 Corinthians 8–9.







Why Gentiles Gave to Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8-9 Background)



Paul devoted more than a decade of his ministry to the Jerusalem Collection. Understanding the story behind it helps us understand 2 Corinthians 8-9. Today we'll explore the origin, purpose, and implications of the Jerusalem Collection, using events in Acts and Galatians to trace the evolving relationship between Paul, the Jerusalem apostles, and the Gentile churches.



Paul has finished his long defense of his ministry. He started in chapter 1 and ended with his plea for the Corinthians to make room in their hearts for him again. Now he moves on to the next concern of the letter, which we find in chapters 8-9.



From Defense to a New Concern



Throughout his ministry, Paul spent time collecting money from the Gentile churches he founded and sending it to Jerusalem.



Historically, this collection addressed relief from famine and persecution in Judea around AD 46-57, culminating in Paul’s delivery of the funds in Acts 24:17. At its most straightforward, the collection was a pragmatic response to material need in the region. But it is also about the relationship between the Gentile believers outside Judea and the Jewish believers in Judea, and Paul’s relationship with the apostles in Jerusalem.



We are going to look at the key events that explain the relationship between Paul, the original apostles, the Jerusalem church, and the Gentile churches outside Judea.



Paul’s Conversion and First Visit to Jerusalem (Acts 9; Galatians 1)



After Jesus ascended to heaven, the first followers of Jesus congregated in Jerusalem. At this point, his followers were almost all Jews.



A believer named Stephen gave a powerful sermon in Jerusalem about how their Jewish ancestors killed the prophets and now they had killed the Messiah, Jesus. The crowd became enraged and stoned Stephen to death. Watching this execution with approval was a man named Saul, whom we will later know as the apostle Paul. But at this point he is called Saul (Acts 6-7).



Saul became a persecutor of the church, dragging Christians off to prison.



As he traveled to Damascus to find even more Christians to arrest, he had an encounter with the risen Jesus. He saw a bright light. He heard a voice. Jesus called Saul not only to become a follower of Jesus, but to take the gospel to the Gentiles. He also renames Saul as Paul (Acts 9).