“They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do”
They desired only that we should remember the poor,
The apostles agreed with Paul’s gospel of grace to the Gentiles at the Jerusalem Council but they had one request that he should “remember the poor.” They did not demand that he do this; it was simply a request. The Gentile church was in a financial position to meet the needs of the Jews under persecution in Judea. This request was not doctrinal but practical, therefore, the Judaizers could not use this as leverage against Paul. Only one stipulation came out of the Jerusalem Council (“only”), and that stipulation had nothing to do with doctrine.
the very thing which I also was eager to do
The word “eager” carries the ideas of to hasten to do a thing, to exert oneself, endeavor, give diligence. The idea is that Paul was zealous in remembering the poor. He took this task with forceful motivation. Paul previously brought financial relief to Jerusalem (Acts 11:29-30) so giving to the poor was in his heart already. He raised funds on his third missionary enterprise to alleviate those destitute due to persecution (1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9,15; 9:1-5, 12; Romans 15:25-28).
Principle:
God expects us to help those who cannot help themselves.
Application:
God expects Christians to care for those who cannot help themselves. Those who can help themselves have the responsibility to feed themselves (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
Are you “eager” to do something for destitute believers? It is not enough to be willing; we must be enthusiastic about giving to those in destitution.
“If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” (James 2:15-16).
“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17).
Love in Jesus. Galation 2: 10
This Jesus did and still does with committed hands and feet, people who have heart.
I believe that the apostles request to paul to only remember the poor is not a mere request or an optional request. It is a charge to the church as a whole to remember the poor. Jesus remembered the poor by feeding 5000 men excluding women and children, the apostle Peter used Barnabas proceed from land sale to help the poor the gentile churches gave their love contribution the jews at Jerusalem. “Only remember the poor” should not be considered as a mere wish because that request came as a time when Paul brought the gentile church contribution to Jerusalem so it is not a mere wish but a clear duty of the church.
Tunji, yes, you are correct except for one modification–giving to the poor in the Bible is to give to believers, not to the population in general. In the OT, giving was to members of the theocratic kingdom of Israel, with very few exceptions. In the NT, giving was to and for believers under duress.