Verse 26. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia. That is, they have done it cheerfully and voluntarily. See their liberality and cheerfulness commended by the apostle in 2 Co 8:1-6; 9:2. Paul had been at much pains to obtain this collection, but still they did it freely. See 2 Co 9:4-7. It was with reference to this collection that he directed them to lay by for this purpose as God had prospered them, on the first day of the week, 1 Co 16:2.

Of Macedonia. That is, the Christians in Macedonia -- those who had been Gentiles, and who had been converted to the Christian religion, Ro 15:27. Macedonia was a country of Greece, bounded north by Thrace, south by Thessaly, west by Epirus, and east by the AEgean Sea. It was an extensive region, and was the kingdom of Philip, and his son Alexander the Great. Its capital was Philippi, at which place Paul planted a church. A church was also established at Thessalonica, another city of that country, Ac 16:9,etc.; comp. Ac 18:5; 19:21; 2 Co 7:5; 1 Th 1:1,7,8; 4:10.

And Achaia. Achaia, in the largest sense, comprehended all ancient Greece. Achaia Proper, however, was a province of Greece, embracing the western part of the Peloponnesus, of which Corinth was the capital. See Barnes "Ac 18:12".

This place is mentioned as having been concerned in this collection, in 2 Co 9:2.

The poor saints, etc. The Christians who were in Judea were exposed to peculiar trials. They were condemned by the sanhedrim, opposed by the rulers, and persecuted by the people. See Ac 8:1, Ac 12:1, etc. Paul sought not only to relieve them by this contribution, but also to promote fellow-feeling between them and the Gentile Christians. And this circumstance would tend much to enforce what he had been urging in chapters 14 and 15 on the duty of kind feeling between the Jewish and Gentile converts to Christianity. Nothing tends so much to wear off prejudice, and to prevent unkind feeling in regard to others, as to see about some purpose to do them good, or to unite with them in doing good.

{h} "Macedonia and Achia" 2 Co 8:1; 9:2,12

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