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corpus-paul - Re: [Corpus-Paul] Sabbatical years and Paul's collections

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  • From: Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: dhindley AT compuserve.com, Corpus-Paul <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] Sabbatical years and Paul's collections
  • Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2005 08:32:49 -0600

David Hindley wrote:


So I do not think it is necessary to postulate that Paul actively used famine
relief as the means to motivate the Macedonians or
Achaeans, even though famine relief may have been how the money was intended
to be expended. I wonder whether Paul was not so
anxious to get the temple priests to accept freewill offerings from his
gentile associates *on the same basis as they would
circumcised Jews*, that he figured that bringing a freewill offering during a
time when he knew there was greater than usual need
could help overcome reluctance on the part of the temple authorities. It
would certainly help his gentile friends associate more
closely with circumcised Jews if they could at least be accepted as fellow
partners in charity.


HH: I agree with much of your post, but I don't think Paul's collection was for the temple authorities. I think it was for the relief of the Christians and would have been given to the church authorities. The service was for the saints, the Christians:

2Cor. 8:4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
2Cor. 9:1 ΒΆ There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints.

HH: The project was sponsored by the churches:

2Cor. 8:18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.
2Cor. 8:19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.

HH: And when Paul arrived in Jerusalem in Acts 21, he went to the church.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard




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