What did God, by the Holy Spirit, inspire Paul and Barnabas to do among the Gentile churches?
God, by the Holy Spirit, inspired Paul and Barnabas to take collections and offerings among the Gentile churches for the poor Jews in Jerusalem. As they circulated, they were to gather contributions to relieve the destitute Jewish believers there, fulfilling the request to remember the poor.
Les explains that the agreement in Galatians 2 included a stipulation: Paul and Barnabas were to remember the poor. Because the Jerusalem believers had sold their property and the common fund had run out after about 20 years, they were destitute. So God, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, inspired Paul and Barnabas that as they circulated among those Gentile churches, they would take collections and offerings for those poor Jews in Jerusalem. This is confirmed in Romans 15:25-26, where Paul says he goes to Jerusalem to minister to the saints, and Macedonia and Achaia made a contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem. Also 1 Corinthians 16:1 speaks of the collection for the saints.