Ruins of the Church of the Nicaean Council Hidden Underwater (Video Screensave)

Did you know that after the first century apostles died that there was a gradual loss of connection among the churches established by the Apostle Paul and others among the non-Jewish churches?

Before Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and imprisoned in Rome, he established an offering be set up among all the churches he established. The offerings were collected over about a three year period before Paul, along  with representatives from each church, brought the donations to Jerusalem. The donations were for the Apostles to administer. The purpose was to help sustain “the poor” body of Messiah to continue to minister in Israel.

By 318 AD no churches had continued sending financial assistance, even though Paul knowingly paid for delivering it with his freedom.

As he made his journey to Jerusalem to carry the FIRST donation from ALL the Churches, prophets came out warning Paul that if he continued forward, he would be arrested. Paul already knew there would be harsh consequences for him delivering this important financial gift to the Apostles in Jerusalem for sustaining their ministry and for assisting Jewish believers in Israel.

 In Paul’s letters to the churches four out of six times that Paul uses the phrase, “the poor,” he is clearly in context referencing the poor believers in Judea.  One of the remaining two is in reference to himself.  (Ro 15:26, 1 Cor 16:1, 15; 2 Cor 9:1, :12-13). They were of the Jewish people, but were shunned because of faith in Yeshua. It has been much the same today as then and it the reason for much of the lack of financial blessing among the body of Messiah and their ministries in Israel.