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            The apostle Paul had a great desire to see his brethren wherever they might have lived. He longed to see his brethren in Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, Jerusalem, and Rome. He was deeply concerned about their spiritual lives and need as is evident by the inspired letters that he sent to them (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The books that Paul wrote related to a variety of subjects that would have affected the spiritual lives of the brethren such as the congregational worship (1 Corinthians 11 & 14), morality (Galatians 5), family life (Ephesians 5 & 6), and attitudes (1 Corinthians 13). These spiritual issues were of the utmost importance to Paul, the congregations and brethren individually were on his heart daily.
            Paul was also concerned about the physical well-being of the brethren knowing that as he was often suffering physically, so were they. In his letter to the church in Rome Paul wrote, “For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things” (Romans 15:24-27).
            A Christian may minister or serve another by teaching and preaching the Word of God to meet the spiritual need, but there is also an aspect of ministering and service that Christians can do to meet as Paul wrote “to them in material things”. Paul had wanted the brethren in the church at Corinth to understand this point and they had promised to send some funds to Jerusalem, but as of the second letter to them they had not done so, and so Paul held up the poor saints in Macedonia as an example of love and service to others. “Moreover brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality” (2 Corinthians 8:1-2).  Even though the brethren in Macedonia were very poor, they found a way to send what they could to alleviate the suffering of their brethren in Jerusalem, whom they did not know personally.
            Today when individual Christians or congregations send funds or material goods to alleviate the physical suffering of their brethren, they are imitating the teaching and example set forth in the New Testament. It is good and right to fund the preaching of the gospel around the world, and it is good and right “to minister to them in material things” when there are needs and opportunities. May the Lord’s church always be sensitive to these spiritual and material needs.