1 Corinthians 16:1

1 COR. 16

Paul abruptly left off speaking of the glorious resurrection and plunged into practical matters, giving instruction with regard to the projected contribution for the poor in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:1-8), recommending their acceptance of Timothy, and writing a five-point summary of the whole epistle (1 Corinthians 16:9-13). He concluded with various greetings (1 Corinthians 16:14-20), and his personal salutation and signature (1 Corinthians 16:21-24).

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. (1 Corinthians 16:1)

The proposed beneficiaries of this collection were the poor Christians in Jerusalem; and Paul had busied himself extensively in the advocacy and promotion of this gathering of funds for their relief. A number of very important considerations are suggested by this.

The reasons behind Paul's engagement in the fund-raising were as follows: (a) It had been strongly recommended at the so-called council in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:10). (b) It was drastically necessary from a humanitarian viewpoint. The persecutions that arose around the martyrdom of Stephen had left many in a state of dire need. As Adam Clarke said, "The enmity of their countrymen to the gospel of Christ led them to treat those who professed it with cruelty, and spoil them of their goods."[1] Furthermore, the excessive generosity of many during the days of that so-called communism (Acts 2:45) had brought practically the whole church to a state of destitution. Communism, even of the benevolent and non-violent kind practiced in the primitive church, has never been capable of producing anything except poverty, as attested this very day by the economic conditions of the whole Communist world. (c) As Lipscomb noted, "There was also Paul's effort to soften the prejudices of the Jewish Christians against their Gentile brethren."[2] (d) It was a way of demonstrating the unity of the Church. As Barclay put it, "It was a way of teaching the scattered Christians that they were not (merely) members of a congregation, but members of the church."[3] (e) It was a way of stressing giving as a vital doctrine of Christianity. (f) It was an implementation of the principle that Christians are saved to serve. (g) It was a way of strengthening the givers in the faith of Christ.

One reason for that collection, as alleged by some, is not valid. Farrar said, "It was the only way the Gentile churches could show their gratitude to the mother church!"[4] It was not Jerusalem, however, but Antioch, which was, in a sense, the mother church of the Gentile congregations; and in the light of Paul's statement that the real "mother" church is "the Jerusalem which is above" (Galatians 4:26), it is apparent that the Mother Church virus which has plagued humanity had not been any particular motivation of Paul's collection.

There could be another thing in the stress of this operation. as revealed in the New Testament, and that is the need for ministers of the very highest rank (Paul was an apostle) to engage at times in fund raising, a thing many of the so-called elite are stubbornly prone not to do!

The churches of Galatia ... Paul's similar admonition to the Galatians is not found in the New Testament book of that name: and therefore it had been conveyed "either by messenger, or by a letter not preserved."[5] Any thoughtful student must allow that Paul's known letters must be only a fraction of all that he wrote, but, nevertheless, a fraction preserved to us by the infallible power of the Holy Spirit. The Galatian churches here mentioned were "those of Pisidia, Antioch, Iconium, Derbe, and Lystra (Acts 13:14; 14:13)"[6]

[1] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Carlton and Porter, 1831), Vol. VI, p. 296.

[2] David Lipscomb, Commentary on First Corinthians (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1935), p. 248.

[3] William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians (Philadelphia:. Westminster Press, 1954), p. 181.

[4] F. W. Farrar, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 19, p. 549.

[5] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 921.

[6] Ibid.