In 1 Corinthians 16:1-3, the apostle Paul writes,
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem."
In this passage, the apostle was writing a special appeal to the churches in Asia Minor. Famine conditions were not unusual in areas of the Middle East (see Acts 11:28-30), and at the time, many of the Christians in Jerusalem were suffering greatly. Paul asked the ...