Now
concerning the collection for the saints, as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise. On the first day of the week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2
1 Corinthians 15 [55.] “Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 16 [1.] Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise. On the first day of the week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. When I arrive, I will send whoever you approve with letters to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem. If it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me. [5.] But I will come to you when I have passed through Macedonia, for I am passing through Macedonia. But with you it may be that I will stay, or even winter, that you may send me on my journey wherever I go. For I do not wish to see you now in passing, but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay at Ephesus until Pentecost, for a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear, for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. Therefore let no one despise him. But set him forward on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.
1 Corinthians 16 [12.] Now concerning Apollos, the brother, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now; but he will come when he has an opportunity.
Meaning:
After his great chapter on the resurrection, Paul turns to a practical matter: money for fellow believers in need. The Corinthians had asked about the collection, and Paul gives simple instructions that still shape Christian giving.
- “The collection for the saints”
“The saints” here are the poor believers in Jerusalem. The Gentile churches of Galatia, Macedonia and Achaia were gathering a gift for them. When Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was recognized in Jerusalem, the leaders “only asked us to remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10). Years earlier the church at Antioch had sent famine relief “to the brothers who lived in Judea” (Acts 11:29). Paul later explained that the Gentiles, having shared in Israel’s spiritual blessings, owed help in material things (Romans 15:25-27). In Acts, representatives of the giving churches travelled with Paul to deliver the gift (Acts 20:4; Acts 24:17).
- “On the first day of the week”
Paul asked for giving to be regular and planned, not left to a last-minute appeal. The first day of the week was the day of the Lord’s resurrection, when believers met together, as at Troas, “when the disciples were gathered together to break bread” (Acts 20:7).
- “Let each one of you save, as he may prosper”
Everyone was to take part, rich or poor, and each gave in proportion to what he had received. Paul later wrote that a gift “is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have” (2 Corinthians 8:12), and that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
- “That no collections be made when I come”
Paul did not want pressure or emotional appeals when he arrived. Steady giving made the gift generous and free.
The Significance of 1 Corinthians 16:1-2
Christian giving is meant to be regular, proportionate, willing and shared by all. It expresses the unity of believers across nations and thanks to God for his grace.
Cross-References:
2 Corinthians 9:7: "for God loves a cheerful giver." Willing giving.
Acts 11:29: "each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;" An earlier gift for Jerusalem.
Acts 20:7: "On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread," Believers meeting on the first day.
Conclusion: Paul told the Corinthians to set aside money on the first day of each week, in proportion to their income, so that the gift for the poor believers in Jerusalem would be ready when he came. The instructions show giving that is regular, planned and shared by all. The collection became a powerful sign of unity between Jewish and Gentile believers.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible