INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS 16 This chapter concludes the epistle, with some directions to the Corinthians concerning a collection for the poor saints; with some intimations of himself, Timothy, and Apollos coming to them, and giving them a visit; with exhortations to watchfulness, constancy, cou... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW CONCERNING THE COLLECTION FOR THE SAINTS,.... Not at Corinth, but at Jerusalem, as appears from 1 Corinthians 16:3 for the poor saints there, who were reduced to poverty, either through the spoiling of their goods by their persecuting countrymen; or through the selling of their possessions, and... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK,.... In an ancient copy of Beza's, and in some others, it is added, "the Lord's day". Upon some one first day of the week, or more, if there was a necessity for it, until the collection was finished; though the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, "every first day": b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN I COME,.... To Corinth, as he intended very quickly: WHOMSOEVER YOU SHALL APPROVE BY YOUR LETTERS; that is, such persons as this church should approve, and choose, and fix upon as proper persons to go with their collection; which approbation and choice they would signify by letters to the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF IT BE MEET THAT I GO ALSO,.... If it should be convenient for me to go, or it should be thought proper and expedient that I should go; or, as the Syriac version renders it, "if this work should be worthy that I should go"; and the Arabic version, "if the thing should be worthy to go with me";... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW I WILL COME UNTO YOU,.... Which he again assures them of, as being his real intention and design; though some had given out that he would not come to them any more, and hoped they should never see him any more; see 1 Corinthians 4:18. WHEN I SHALL PASS THROUGH MACEDONIA; hereby fixing the time... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT MAY BE THAT I WILL ABIDE,.... He could not be certain what calls in Providence he might have to some other places, where his presence would be necessary: YEA, AND WINTER WITH YOU; stay all winter with them, for the space of three months, as we read he did in Greece, Acts 20:1. THAT YE MAY B... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WILL NOT SEE YOU NOW BY THE WAY,.... Just to look upon them, and be gone, be like a wayfaring man that tarries but for a night: BUT I TRUST TO TARRY A WHILE WITH YOU; the whole winter season: IF THE LORD PERMIT; submitting all to the will of God, at whose sovereign disposal he always was, an... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL TARRY AT EPHESUS TILL PENTECOST. The feast of weeks, or of harvest, which was fifty days from the passover; Acts 2:1 which though abrogated at the death of Christ, was observed by the Jews, and is mentioned by the apostle, not as a festival that the Christians were obliged to regard, or... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR A GREAT DOOR,.... Meaning an opportunity of ministering the word at Ephesus, a very populous city, and where he might have hope great good would be done. Some think that by this fair opportunity, or hopeful prospect, he means the populousness of the city; others, the conversion of some great men... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IF TIMOTHEUS COME,.... The apostle had sent him already, as appears from 1 Corinthians 4:17 and he was now gone from him; but whether he might not be prevented by unforeseen incidents in his journey, he could not say; and therefore speaks cautiously of his coming; from whence it is evident, that... [ Continue Reading ]
LET NO MAN THEREFORE DESPISE HIM,.... On account of his youth; see 1 Timothy 4:12, or neglect to take care of him, which would be to despise him, since he was employed in such an honourable work, equally as the apostle himself: hence it is manifest, that as the lives of Gospel ministers ought to be... [ Continue Reading ]
AS TOUCHING OUR BROTHER APOLLOS,.... Who was a senior man to Timothy, an eloquent preacher, one who had been at Corinth, and was well known to the saints there, and greatly approved by many of them; wherefore the apostle excuses it, that he should send the one, and not the other, and shows that it w... [ Continue Reading ]
WATCH YE,.... The apostle in the mean while, before he closes his epistle, thinks fit to give some proper and pertinent exhortations, which might be of general use to this church; and first exhorts them to watchfulness, not for the coming of Apollos, and a convenient season for that; but over themse... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ALL YOUR THINGS BE DONE WITH CHARITY. Signifying, that the whole of their obedience to Christ, their observation of, and subjection to all his ordinances and commands, should spring from, and be done in love to him; and that the whole of their conduct and behaviour towards one another ought to b... [ Continue Reading ]
I BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN,.... Entreat or exhort you as brethren in the Lord; this entreaty or exhortation is to submission to fellow helpers and labourers of the ministry, more particularly expressed in the following verse, after the apostle has given a character of the household of Stephanas, who ar... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO SUCH,.... To persons of such a character, and in such an office; if in ministering to poor saints, by assisting them, and by putting into their hands; and putting it in their power to discharge their work fully, in which they were so heartily concerned; and if in the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM GLAD OF THE COMING OF STEPHANAS, AND FORTUNATUS, AND ACHAICUS,.... Who very probably were those of the household of Chloe, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:11, who came either of their own accord, or were sent as messengers from the church at Corinth to the apostle; who was glad to see them, one of... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY HAVE REFRESHED MY SPIRIT,.... By their coming and presence; the very sight of them gave him joy and pleasure, and more so their Christian discourse and conversation, and especially the account they brought of this church; for though there were many things in it which were very disagreeable,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHURCHES OF ASIA SALUTE YOU,.... The Syriac version renders it, "all" the churches. This shows, that this epistle was not written from Philippi, as the subscription to it attests, for then he would rather have said; the churches of Macedonia salute you, but at Ephesus, where he now was; see 1 Co... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE BRETHREN GREET YOU,.... Either the brethren, the members of the church at Ephesus; or the apostle's brethren in the ministry, that were along with him, as Sosthenes and others; or the brethren that were come to him from Corinth, namely Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus: GREET YE ONE ANOTH... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SALUTATION OF ME PAUL WITH MINE OWN HAND. The apostle had an "amanuensis", that wrote the epistle for him; but to prevent counterfeits, and that the church to whom he wrote might be assured of the genuineness of the epistle, that it was truly his own, he wrote with his own hand his common saluta... [ Continue Reading ]
IF ANY MAN LOVE NOT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,.... The Vulgate Latin, and the Syriac and Ethiopic versions, read "our Lord". The apostle here does not so much mean profane and unregenerate sinners, who are destitute of love to Christ, from ignorance of him; nor such who, from the same principle, might p... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU. This is the apostle's salutation in all his epistles, and is a token of the truth and genuineness of them; Romans 16:20; and is a wish for a supply of all grace from Christ, and an increase of it in the saints; that they may have the communications of... [ Continue Reading ]
MY LOVE BE WITH YOU ALL,.... Meaning either that he desired that he might be loved by them, as they were by him, and might always have a place in their hearts and affections, as they had in his; or that his love, which extended to all of them without exception, to rich and poor, greater or lesser be... [ Continue Reading ]