1 Corinthians — Chapter 16
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1Now about the collection for the saints, you are to do as I directed the churches of Galatia:
2On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.
3Then, on my arrival, I will send letters with those you recommend to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
4And if it is advisable for me to go also, they can travel with me.
5After I go through Macedonia, however, I will come to you; for I will be going through Macedonia.
6Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.
7For I do not want to see you now only in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
8But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
9because a great door for effective work has opened to me, even though many oppose me.
10If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, just as I am.
11No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he can return to me, for I am expecting him along with the brothers.
12Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was not at all inclined to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.
13Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
14Do everything in love.
15You know that Stephanas and his household were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brothers,
16to submit to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.
17I am glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you.
18For they refreshed my spirit and yours as well. Show your appreciation, therefore, to such men.
19The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.
20All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21This greeting is in my own hand—Paul.
22If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!
23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
1Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
3And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
4And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.
5Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.
6And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.
7For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.
8But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
9For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
10Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.
11Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren.
12As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.
13Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
14Let all your things be done with charity.
15I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
16That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.
17I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied.
18For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.
19The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
20All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.
21The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.
22If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
23The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
24My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
1Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye.
2Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.
3And when I arrive, whomsoever ye shall approve, them will I send with letters to carry your bounty unto Jerusalem:
4and if it be meet for me to go also, they shall go with me.
5But I will come unto you, when I shall have passed through Macedonia; for I pass through Macedonia;
6but with you it may be that I shall abide, or even winter, that ye may set me forward on my journey whithersoever I go.
7For I do not wish to see you now by the way; for I hope to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.
8But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost;
9for a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
10Now if Timothy come, see that he be with you without fear; for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do:
11let no man therefore despise him. But set him forward on his journey in peace, that he may come unto me: for I expect him with the brethren.
12But as touching Apollos the brother, I besought him much to come unto you with the brethren: and it was not all [his] will to come now; but he will come when he shall have opportunity.
13Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
14Let all that ye do be done in love.
15Now I beseech you, brethren (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have set themselves to minister unto the saints),
16that ye also be in subjection unto such, and to every one that helpeth in the work and laboreth.
17And I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they supplied.
18For they refreshed my spirit and yours: acknowledge ye therefore them that are such.
19The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Prisca salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
20All the brethren salute you. Salute one another with a holy kiss.
21The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.
22If any man loveth not the Lord, let him be anathema. Maranatha.
23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
24My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
1With regard to the collection for the saints, please follow the directions that I gave to the churches of Galatia:
2On the first day of the week, each of you should set aside some income and save it to the extent that God has blessed you, so that a collection will not have to be made when I come.
3Then, when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve with letters of explanation to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
4And if it seems advisable that I should go also, they will go with me.
5But I will come to you after I have gone through Macedonia—for I will be going through Macedonia—
6and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you can send me on my journey, wherever I go.
7For I do not want to see you now in passing, since I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows.
8But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
9because a door of great opportunity stands wide open for me, but there are many opponents.
10Now if Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear among you, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I am too.
11So then, let no one treat him with contempt. But send him on his way in peace so that he may come to me. For I am expecting him with the brothers.
12With regard to our brother Apollos: I strongly encouraged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was simply not his intention to come now. He will come when he has the opportunity.
13Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.
14Everything you do should be done in love.
15Now, brothers and sisters, you know about the household of Stephanus, that as the first converts of Achaia, they devoted themselves to ministry for the saints. I urge you
16also to submit to people like this, and to everyone who cooperates in the work and labors hard.
17I was glad about the arrival of Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus because they have supplied the fellowship with you that I lacked.
18For they refreshed my spirit and yours. So then, recognize people like this.
19The churches in the province of Asia send greetings to you. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the Lord, with the church that meets in their house.
20All the brothers and sisters send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21I, Paul, send this greeting with my own hand.
22Let anyone who has no love for the Lord be accursed. Our Lord, come!
23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.
1Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise.
2On the first day of the week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.
3When I arrive, I will send whoever you approve with letters to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.
4If it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.
5But I will come to you when I have passed through Macedonia, for I am passing through Macedonia.
6But with you it may be that I will stay, or even winter, that you may send me on my journey wherever I go.
7For I do not wish to see you now in passing, but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits.
8But I will stay at Ephesus until Pentecost,
9for a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
10Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear, for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.
11Therefore 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.
12Now 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.
13Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!
14Let all that you do be done in love.
15Now I beg you, brothers (you know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have set themselves to serve the saints),
16that you also be in subjection to such, and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.
17I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus; for that which was lacking on your part, they supplied.
18For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge those who are like that.
19The assemblies of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you much in the Lord, together with the assembly that is in their house.
20All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21This greeting is by me, Paul, with my own hand.
22If any man doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Come, Lord!
23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
24My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Summary
Paul gives instructions for a collection being gathered for the believers in Jerusalem, asking the Corinthians to set aside money weekly so funds are ready when he arrives, and to appoint trusted representatives to carry the gift (vv. 1-4). He outlines his travel plans, intending to pass through Macedonia before possibly staying with the Corinthians for a time, while remaining in Ephesus until Pentecost because of the ministry opportunity there despite strong opposition (vv. 5-9). He asks the church to welcome Timothy without fear and to send him on his way in peace, and explains that Apollos was unwilling to visit them now but will come when he has opportunity (vv. 10-12). Paul closes with a series of exhortations to stay alert, stand firm in the faith, act with courage and strength, and do everything in love (vv. 13-14). He commends the household of Stephanas for their service, asks the church to submit to such faithful workers, passes along greetings from various churches and individuals, and ends with a warning against those who do not love the Lord, along with a final blessing of grace (vv. 15-24).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Galatia (v.1): Region in central Asia Minor; Paul wrote to churches there.
- Jerusalem (v.3): Capital of Judah; the holy city where the Temple stood.
- Ephesus (v.8): Major city in Asia Minor (modern Turkey); location of a key early church.
Places on this map
- Galatiacentral TurkeyThe high inland plateau of Asia Minor, named for Gallic settlers and organized by Rome as a province stretching south to Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. Whether Paul wrote to the northern tribes or the southern cities he planted is a long-running question. Wikipedia
- JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
- Ephesusnear Selcuk, TurkeyThe largest port of Roman Asia, at the mouth of the Cayster on the west coast of Asia Minor, and home to the temple of Artemis. Its harbour silted up and the ruins now sit several miles inland, which is why a great seaport has no sea. Wikipedia
- Asia MinorTurkeyThe peninsula between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, a high dry plateau ringed by mountains with the Greek cities on its western coast. Roman Asia, the province Paul worked from Ephesus, was only its western end. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines the collection, Paul's plans, the final exhortations, and the significance of "Maranatha."
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of 1 Corinthians -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Giving That Is Planned and Proportional (v.2) — Paul instructs the church to set money aside regularly in proportion to how God has prospered them, rather than giving impulsively. Is your own giving intentional and proportional, or mostly sporadic and unplanned?
- Open Doors Come With Opposition (v.9) — Paul describes a great and effective door open to him, alongside many adversaries. Where might God be opening an opportunity for you that also comes with real resistance you shouldn't be surprised by?
- Alert, Grounded, Courageous, and Strong (vv.13-14) — Paul stacks four rapid commands for the Christian life, then immediately adds that everything must be done in love. Which of these — watchfulness, standing firm, courage, strength, or love — do you most need to grow in right now?
- A Household Devoted to Serving (v.15) — Paul commends Stephanas' household for devoting themselves to serving other believers. What would it look like for you to be that devoted to serving the people around you?
- Longing for Christ's Return (v.22) — Paul closes with the ancient prayer "Maranatha" — Our Lord, come — expressing the early church's eager expectation of Christ's return. Is that genuine longing part of your own prayer life, or has this world become too comfortable to want it interrupted?