Paul organizes another collection for Jerusalem
About this date: The range is a conventional window for the collection described in 2 Corinthians and Romans. Exact letter and travel dates depend on the reconstruction of Paul's journeys.
Paul's letters describe fundraising among Gentile churches for the poor among Jerusalem's believers. His appeals concern generosity, accountability, and the relationship between communities.
Historical context
In 2 Corinthians 8 Paul points to Macedonian giving and urges the Corinthians to finish what they began. Romans 15 describes a contribution from Macedonia and Achaia and Paul's intended journey to Jerusalem.
Key points
- These letters provide Paul's own voice about a practical church undertaking.
- The contributions connect materially different communities across the Mediterranean.
- This collection should be distinguished from the earlier Antioch relief described in Acts 11.
People
- Paul
- Titus
Scripture
- 2 Corinthians 8:1–15 — Paul urges generosity and completion of the collection, with Titus involved.
- Romans 15:25–28 — Paul names Macedonia and Achaia as contributors to Jerusalem's poor believers.
Sources and further reading
- Romans: the contribution for Jerusalem
The intended delivery and its meaning for the contributing churches. - Second Corinthians: generosity and relief
Paul's appeal rather than a later historian's reconstruction.