The next instance of a systematic collection of money for the purpose of relieving distress in Judcea and Jerusalem is found in the history of the Church of Antioch (Ac U-'^^-)- A threatened famine roused the sympathy of the Antiochene Christians, whose activity in the matter reveals their knowledge that the conditions of life amongst many of their Jewish brethren were those of chronic poverty and distress. The agents (Sid x^^P^^) ^m- jjloyed on this occasion for bringing relief {els oia- Kovlav) were Barnabas and Saul. It was probably the example thus set that gave St. Paul the idea of his great and prolonged efiort. Other causes were doubtless at work in the mind of the Apostle. As time went on, and misunderstandings grew up be- tween Jewish and Gentile Christians, some attempt to bring them together was necessary if permanent disruption was to be avoided. In his letter to the Galatian Church he mentions an injunction laid on him and Barnabas by the ' pillar ' apostles, ' that we should remember the poor' (Gal 2^^). It is also of interest to note that public subventions from the Imperial exchequer to cities or provinces in distress formed part of a settled policy of the Emperors, while private benefactions by wealthy citizens in cases of real or fancied need were almost universal (see S. Dill, Roman Society from Nero to Marciis Aurelius, 1904, bk. ii. ch. ii.). The Jews of the Dispersion, moreover, recognized their obligation to their poor brethren of Jerusalem by organized help from time to time (cf. Robertson-Plummer, 1 Corinthians [ICC, 1911] 382); and doubtless as Christian teaching spread and was accepted by the people, and converts became gradually separated from the rest of the community, they would lose their share of these gifts. Another cause for a poverty so acute and -ndde-spread may well have
224
COLLECTIOi^
COLLECTION
been the general belief in the nearness of the Pa- rousia which threatened the ordinarj- daily business of Christian men (2 Th S'" ; cf. 1 Th 4").
In his references to the carefully planned collec- tion from the different churches St. Paul uses seven different words. All these occur in liis letters to the Corinthians and Romans, and are as follows : \oyia (1 Co 16'), Xa/"s {W, 2 Co 8^), Koivuivia (Ro 152«, 2 Co 8^ etc.), dSpor??? (8-"), eiXoyia (9^), Xeirovp- yla (912), SiaKovia (S"* 9i- '^f- ; cf. Ac ll-s). In the re- port of his defence before Felix two other words occur in tlie same conne.xion {eXerj/xocrvvai and irpoa- (popaL [Ac 24'^]). The word Xo7ta occurs nowhere else in the NT, and is of obscure origin. By some it is supposed to be used here for the first time in Greek literature, and probably to have been coined by St. Paul for his purpose (T. C. Edwards, Com. onl Cor.^, 1885, p. 462). A variation (\o-yela), how- ever, is found in the papyrus documents from the 3rd cent, onwards and in the compound words avSpo- \oyLa, Trapa\oyeia (A. Deissmann, Bible Studies, Eng. tr., 1901, pp. 142f.,219f.). It is also found associated with the Pauline word Xeirovpyla (F. G. Kenyon, Greek Papyri in the British Museum, 1893, i. 46), and is frequently employed ' in papyri, ostraca, and inscriptions from Egypt and elsewhere,' when the writer is speaking of ' religious collections for a god, a temple, etc' (see Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, Eng. tr.^, 1911, p. 104 ff.). The Codex Vaticanus (B) has the form Xoyeia, but as this MS shows a tendency to orthographical changes in this direction its evidence must be discounted (see West- cott, Introd. to NT in Greek, 1882, p. 306). It also appears in a compound form in Jewish literature [kolt auSpoXoyelov, 2 iNIac 12^^) where the question of the collection of money-supplies is alluded to.
That St. Paul attached very great importance to the success of his collection for the poor Christians of Judsea is evident from the care with which he organized the scheme, and the perseverance he dis- played in carrying it out. From the tone of his reference to this work which he began in Galatia (1 Co 16') we are able to infer not only that he exercised his apostolic authority but that he gave detailed directions to the churches there in accord- ance with arrangements (5t^ra|a) personally thought out by himself. The instructions sent by letter to the Corinthians are no doubt a brief epitome of those delivered to the Galatian Christians (oiirojs koI v/j.ecs TToirjcraTe), and include details as to tlie care- ful and systematic ear-marking by each Christian believer of his personal subscription ' on every first day of the week' (Kara filav a-aji^dTov). They were to appoint and approve by letters of credit (cf., how- ever, Robertson-Plummer's interpretation of the passage, making the Apostle the writer of the com- mendatory letters [8i eiriaroXuv tovtovs wifx.-^ij], ktX. 16^]) delegates who should carry their gift to Jeru- salem {tt)v x^P'" ifJ-^v). The laborious nature of the undertaking may be realized from St. Paul's o^^'n references to the centres of activity. Galatia, Asia, Achaia, and Macedonia constituted the fields of his labours, and it is not improbable that his definite allusion to the collection in his Ejjistle to the Romans was intended as a liint to them to join with the other churches in ' ministering to the saints' (SmkovCjv toIs ayiois, Ro 15'-^; see Bengel, Gnomon of NT, 1873, on Ro 15^; cf. 12i=»).