What Does Romans 15:26 Mean in the King James?

For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

Romans 15:26 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The contribution is koinōnia, sharing in common, so distance does not keep one community’s provision private from another’s need.

THE MEANING

One community’s resources become shared life across distance, meeting the need of another. The receivers are set-apart ones, and the gift makes their care visible as a common bond.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that need across distance belongs only to the people experiencing it: this contribution makes their care common.

THE ROOT

κοινωνία

koinōnia

GROWS FROM

κοιν-

koin-

Common, shared

Here, contribution carries the depth of shared participation and partnership. Material provision becomes part of belonging, because what is shared is held in common.

ALSO GROWS

koinos: Common, shared

κοινός

This is the seed of the word family: the contribution makes resources common across communities.

koinōneō: To share, participate

κοινωνέω

The gift is participation in the needs of others, not merely a transfer of goods.

koinōnos: Partner, participant

κοινωνός

The giver and receiver are joined as participants in a shared life.

יְרוּשָׁלַיִם

Yerushalayim

GROWS FROM

שלם

sh-l-m

Wholeness, completeness

“Jerusalem” in this verse is Yerushalayim. Yerushalayim carries the root of wholeness in its name. The verse places that name beside real material need, with shared provision embodying movement toward wholeness.

ALSO GROWS

shalom: Wholeness, completeness

שָׁלוֹם

The name’s connection to wholeness sits alongside the concrete care extended to those in need.

shalem: Whole, complete

שָׁלֵם

The root evokes a condition in which what is lacking is made whole through shared provision.

THE PATTERN

Shared provision turns abundance in one place into enough where others lack.

And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

Exodus 16:18 · KJVProvision meets each person’s need, so gathering more does not leave one with excess while another lacks.

Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Acts 4:34 · KJVResources move from those who have them toward the community’s needs until no one is left lacking.

But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

2 Corinthians 8:14 · KJVAbundance becomes a supply for another’s lack through reciprocal sharing.

THE THREAD

And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

Acts 2:44 · KJV

“Common” comes from the same Greek word family as ⁨κοινωνία⁩, the word translated “contribution” here. Acts makes visible what Romans names: shared belonging includes what people hold and how it meets one another’s needs.

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