And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
The day after his arrival in Jerusalem Paul went in with his fellow travelers to James, and all the elders assembled to receive them as messengers from the Gentile churches, a meeting where the true attitude of the Jerusalem church toward Paul and his work would be more fully seen. The glad reception given by the brethren on his arrival did not remove his anxiety about that attitude, for everywhere he met prejudice, envy, and jealousy alongside open hearts that received the glad tidings and loved him for the sake of Christ and the truth.
His first act at the meeting was to present the contributions entrusted to him, sent by the Gentile churches for the support of the poor among the Jewish brethren. The funds had been guarded from suspicion by delegates elected by the several churches to accompany him as joint trustees, who one by one laid the freewill offerings at the feet of James. Gathering these contributions had cost Paul and his fellow workers much time, anxious thought, and wearisome labor.
The sum far exceeded the expectations of the elders at Jerusalem and represented many sacrifices and even severe privations on the part of the Gentile believers, often given from their deepest poverty. The offerings were tangible proof of the love and sympathy of the new Gentile disciples for the mother church and of their desire to be in harmony with the Jewish brethren. The freewill offerings showed the loyalty of the Gentile converts to the organized work of God throughout the world. They were evidence that Paul had faithfully fulfilled the promise made years before at the council to remember the poor.
The gifts should have been received with warm gratitude and grateful acknowledgment, but instead they were received coldly, fulfilling Paul's half-acknowledged fears, for even among those present were some who were unable to appreciate the spirit of brotherly love that had prompted the gifts. Paul found comfort only in knowing that he had done his duty and had encouraged a spirit of generosity and love in his converts.
The day after his arrival in Jerusalem Paul went in with his fellow travelers to James, and all the elders assembled to receive them as messengers from the Gentile churches, a meeting where the true attitude of the Jerusalem church toward Paul and his work would be more fully seen. The glad reception given by the brethren on his arrival did not remove his anxiety about that attitude, for everywhere he met prejudice, envy, and jealousy alongside open hearts that received the glad tidings and loved him for the sake of Christ and the truth.
His first act at the meeting was to present the contributions entrusted to him, sent by the Gentile churches for the support of the poor among the Jewish brethren. The funds had been guarded from suspicion by delegates elected by the several churches to accompany him as joint trustees, who one by one laid the freewill offerings at the feet of James. Gathering these contributions had cost Paul and his fellow workers much time, anxious thought, and wearisome labor.
The sum far exceeded the expectations of the elders at Jerusalem and represented many sacrifices and even severe privations on the part of the Gentile believers, often given from their deepest poverty. The offerings were tangible proof of the love and sympathy of the new Gentile disciples for the mother church and of their desire to be in harmony with the Jewish brethren. The freewill offerings showed the loyalty of the Gentile converts to the organized work of God throughout the world. They were evidence that Paul had faithfully fulfilled the promise made years before at the council to remember the poor.
The gifts should have been received with warm gratitude and grateful acknowledgment, but instead they were received coldly, fulfilling Paul's half-acknowledged fears, for even among those present were some who were unable to appreciate the spirit of brotherly love that had prompted the gifts. Paul found comfort only in knowing that he had done his duty and had encouraged a spirit of generosity and love in his converts.