Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Chapter 16. Final Admonitions
Lecture 1. Collections in the churches
16:1 Now concerning the collections that are made for the saints: as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, so do you also. [n. 1024]
16:2 On the first day of the week, let every one of you put apart with himself, laying up what shall well please him: that when I come, the collections be not then to be made.
16:3 And when I shall be with you, whomsoever you shall approve by letters, them will I send to carry your grace to Jerusalem. [n. 1028]
16:4 And if it be meet that I also go, they shall go with me.
16:5 Now I will come to you, when I shall have passed through Macedonia. For I shall pass through Macedonia. [n. 1029]
16:6 And with you perhaps I shall abide, or even spend the winter: that you may bring me on my way wherever I shall go. [n. 1031]
16:7 For I will not see you now by the way: for I trust that I shall abide with you some time, if the Lord permit. [n. 1032]
16:8 But I will tarry at Ephesus, until Pentecost. [n. 1033]
16:9 For a great and evident door is opened unto me: and many adversaries.
1024. Above, through the entire succession of the letter, the Apostle proposed to the Corinthians a general teaching; in this final chapter, he proposes to them a special and particular teaching.
And concerning this he does two things.
First, he instructs them about what they ought to do for others;
second, he shows what others would do for them, at the churches of Asia greet you (1 Cor 16:19).
Concerning the first, he does two things.
First, he instructs them about what they should do in his absence;
second, about what they should do in the present, at watch: stand fast in the faith (1 Cor 16:13).
Concerning the first, he does three things.
First, he instructs them about what in his absence pertains to the poor saints who are in Jerusalem;
second, about those things that pertain to the Apostle, at now I will come to you;
third, about those things that pertain to the disciples, at now if Timothy comes (1 Cor 16:10).
The Apostle instructs them about three things concerning what ought to happen for the saints who are in Jerusalem.
First, how the alms to be prepared for the saints are to be collected;
second, how the alms are to be kept, at let every one of you put apart with himself;
third, how they are to be sent to Jerusalem, at and when I shall be with you.
1025. Concerning the first, it should be understood that, as it is written in Acts, it was the custom in the early Church that those converted to the faith would sell their possessions and all they have, and would place the value at the feet of the apostles, and from these each one (according as there was need) would be provided for, so that no one would have property, but that all things would be in common for them (Acts 4:34ff). But it happens that due to a great, rising famine, the poor saints in Jerusalem were laboring under a great want.
Hence it happened that the Apostles ordained for the rendering of assistance to them, that there be a collection by other Christian churches, and this commission was made to Paul and Barnabas: they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship. . . only they would have us remember the poor (Gal 2:9–10). And because the Apostle was solicitous about this, he instructed those who converted, that they should render assistance to them, because just as he said to the Romans, it is right that whoever receives spiritual goods should supply temporal ones. And this is what he says: now concerning the collections by the churches for the saints, i.e., for the use of the saints, and not for whatever use: do good to the humble, but do not give to the ungodly (Sir 12:5). Not that there is not something that is to be given to sinners, but because with more reason ought one to give alms to the indigent just man than to the sinner.
As I have given order to the churches of Galatia, so do you also, i.e., to collect, on the first day of the week, i.e., the seventh day. And this was ordained, so that little by little a small amount might be set aside in any given week, and they might not, if all at once it were set aside, be burdened. And although it might seem very little to them, as if imperceptible to give little by little, yet over an entire year the alms were greater than in one single collection.
1026. Or by on the first day of the week, is understood the first day after the sabbath, namely, the Lord’s Day.
And this is what the Apostle wanted to happen on that day, because the custom was already in force, that the people would gather in the church on the Lord’s Days: on the first day shall be a holy convocation. . . it is a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work (Lev 23:35–36). And in this way are alms described: break off your sins by practicing almsgiving, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed (Dan 4:24); and the alms of a man is as a seal with him (Sir 29:15).
1027. Because not only the manner of collecting ought to be applied, but also of setting aside, he then instructs them how the collections should be set aside, when he says, let every one of you put apart with himself. In this is shown the greatest skill of the Apostle, so that no one should believe that the Apostle would make these collections more for the sake of his own profit, than for the sake of the needs of the saints. Therefore, evading this suspicion, both as to himself and his ministers, he was unwilling that the money spoken of be kept by himself or by his ministers, but he established that whoever was ready to distribute that money take it home and keep it himself, doing this for the whole year. And it was for this reason, because the Apostle was unwilling, when he should come to Corinth, that they attend to the collections, but rather to teaching and to spiritual things. Thus he says when I come, the collections be not then to be made: it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables (Acts 6:2).
Therefore it should be noted that everyone should take care, lest he seem to do something spiritual for the sake of profit, and that is precisely what the Lord wished preachers to have nothing to do with (Matt 10:9). It was also the custom among the Romans, that no one would be installed in the office of senator unless first he had been proved in the office of treasurer, for it takes greater virtue to keep temporal things.
1028. He adds how the alms should be sent to Jerusalem, saying, when I shall be with you. As if to say: I do not wish in this to burden any especially, namely for bearing the money, whomsoever you shall approve by letter, them will I send, i.e., the ones you will approve for sending, will I send, I say, by letter, i.e., with letters sent from you and from us, with praises and commendations, namely, in which will be contained a sum of money, our zeal and love commended.
Will I send, I say, to carry your grace, i.e., what you will give generously to the poor saints to Jerusalem: we want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God which has been shown in the churches of Macedonia (2 Cor 8:1). To Jerusalem, i.e., to the saints who are in Jerusalem.
And not only will I send those whom you accredit, but if it be meet that I also go, i.e., if there will be a great quantity, they shall go with me, by which he leads them to contribute well and liberally: at present, however, I am going to Jerusalem with aid for the saints (Rom 15:25).
1029. Next, the Apostle instructs them about the things that pertain to himself. And concerning this he does three things. First, he promises them his arrival, saying, I will come to you, when I shall have passed through Macedonia. Second, he says that he is about to spend a long time with them; third, he excuses the postponement of his arrival.
1030. Concerning the first it should be understood that, as it says in Acts, a man of Macedonia appeared to the Apostle when he was in Troas, beseeching him and saying to him: come over to Macedonia and help us (Acts 16:9). Therefore, so that the Apostle might fulfill the entreaties, he prepared himself to go to Macedonia. And because Macedonia was halfway between Asia and Achaia where Corinth is, he says, I will come to you, when I shall have passed through Macedonia, that is, I will come to you from that place, namely, because then I will be nearer to you.
1031. Second, he promises that he will spend a long time with them, saying, and with you perhaps I shall abide, i.e., I will restrict the time, or even spend the winter, i.e., for the whole winter I will abide with you, because there are many things to be corrected among you.
Or, he adds the reason for why he is going to them when he says, that you may bring me on my way wherever I shall go. And he says, wherever, because he was unable to determine where he would go, except according to what the Holy Spirit was inspiring him. You may bring, I say, not that you may protect me, but that you may show the way.
1032. Third, when he says, for I will not see you now, he excuses the postponement of his arrival in two ways.
In one way, because the Corinthians could say: it is not necessary that you defer coming and that you first go to Macedonia, because you could come to Achaia and remain, so that you do not pass through Macedonia. And to this he says: although I could come to you in this way, I could not stay with you for long, because I have to go to Macedonia or return to Asia. Hence, because I am unwilling to see you in passing, I am not coming to you in this way. For I hope to join you for some time, if the Lord permits.
He says, if the Lord permits, because perhaps either before he is there, or already after he is there, the Lord may inspire him to go to another place where he might accomplish a greater good.
1033. In another way, he excuses himself, and this would seem the more literal meaning, because it was necessary for him to remain for a long time at Ephesus, which is in Asia. And so he says, but I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. Perhaps this letter was sent in winter, or in the spring, and then after Pentecost he had to go to Macedonia and stay there until winter, and then go to Corinth and winter there.
He adds the reason for why he wanted to stay in Ephesus until Pentecost when he says, for a great and evident door is opened unto me, i.e., I am producing great fruit in Ephesus. And he says, a great. . . door, i.e., many human hearts prepared for believing, and evident, because it is without contradiction: and pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word (Col 4:3).
But because there are many adversaries, who are attempting to hinder or steal away, if then I am absent, much fruit may easily be hindered; thus I am unwilling to draw back until you are well established: behold, I have set before you an open door (Rev 3:8).