1 Corinthians 16:1 – Collection for the saints

Now, concerning the collection for the saints, even as I prescribe to the ecclesias of Galatia, thus do you also.

The teaching part of Paul’s long letter has ended. The conclusion was without doubt the pinnacle: the exposition of the fact and impact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What remains now are some concluding remarks and practical instructions. But they are certainly not a superfluous appendage. They illustrate how the Evangel in Paul’s days was both lived and experienced.

The Corinthians already knew about Paul’s plans for a collection, but now he is making concrete proposals. With “the collection for the saints” he means the poor among the believers in Jerusalem (Rom.15: 26). This collection is also discussed elsewhere.

Paul would go to Jerusalem with a generous gift he had collected from many Ecclesias among the nations (Acts 24:17). Also as tangible proof to the Jewish people that salvation had been dispatched to the nations (Acts 28:28). It is significant that precisely during this intended visit to Jerusalem, Paul would be captured. His collection activities may seem an insignificant detail, but they prove to be of decisive importance in the history that GOD writes.

Delen: