“25 Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints, 26 because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. 28 So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.”
In the devotional, Paul told the church in Rome how they can serve the saints, and now, as Paul is on his way to Jerusalem, he tells them how the other church bodies are serving each other and providing for one another’s needs. Paul wants his readers to see and establish this attitude of service as an ordinary function of the church. We are called to be a people of hospitality and generosity toward others in need.
“Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs.” (v. 27) Is Paul saying that the Gentiles are indebted to the saints, specifically the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem? Indebted in what way, and for what? One way this could be interpreted is that the Gentiles are indebted to the Jews for their inclusion in the promise of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ, the Messiah that was promised to Israel. While I think it is entirely possible that this view is in the mind of Paul as he writes this, I think it more likely that he is speaking in a more immediate sense. Paul speaks of the Gentiles being indebted to specific Jewish Christians in Jerusalem because those Jews were involved in the sending of messengers carrying the gospel of Christ to the Gentile nations. The book of Acts records the Jewish Christian elders in Jerusalem serving the Gentile believers in Antioch in just this way.
“Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers. So they were sent off and went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and sisters and strengthened them with a long message. After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace by the brothers and sisters to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.” — Acts 15:22, 30-33, 35
However you interpret these verses, it is clear that the Gentiles were rejoicing for the salvation and spiritual growth that they were experiencing, and as a result, they were eager to support those who had been active in bringing it to them.