Why were the believers in Macedonia so poor?
The believers in Macedonia were poor because Greece is mountainous and offered very little means of making a living, such as growing crops. Their region was destitute, yet Paul took offerings from them to avoid taking money from wealthy Corinth.
Les explains that Greece is mountainous, so there was very little means of making a living, of growing crops and so forth, and thus the Macedonian believers were poor. He notes that from that poor, destitute area Paul took money so he would not have to take a dime from Corinth, which was a wealthy, commercial city. Les points out this contrast between the poor Macedonian churches and wealthy Corinth.