The Pauline collection, church partnerships, and the mission of the church in the 21st century

In three, and perhaps four, of Paul’s letters he speaks of the collection he is trying to raise to send financial assistance back to the impoverished church in Jerusalem. Biblical scholars have speculated for years regarding Paul’s motivation and purpose behind this collection. While many have been suggested, this article will focus on the collection as an expression of church solidarity between different regions. It will not only summarize significant recent research on the subject, but move beyond the historical and exegetical questions to inquire about the missiological significance of the collection for today’s church. What does this ancient fund-raising effort say about how the church in the 21st century should think about missions and church solidarity?