118 1 Corinthians 16 - About the Collection and Apollos’ Coming - a podcast by Dr David Petts - Pentecostal preacher, former AoG Bible College Principal

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 118

1 Corinthians Talk 20

About the Collection and Apollos’ Coming (1 Corinthians 16:1-12)

 

Paul has now dealt with the major matters, but two items remain:

- the collection for the poor in Jerusalem

- and their request that Apollos return soon.

 

These are dealt with in verses 1-12.

The remainder of the chapter is comprised of concluding exhortations and final greetings (13-24).

 

a) Arrangements for the Collection (1-4)

 

1 Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: do what I told the Galatian churches to do.

2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.

4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

 

These verses teach us much about principles of giving and the handling of financial matters, but first I want to deal with what Paul means by ‘the first day of every week’ (which is of course Sunday, not Monday as in many modern calendars).

 

The first day of the week

 

This verse offers some indication that the Christians used Sunday for worship rather than the Jewish Sabbath (although there is no evidence that the early Christians referred to Sunday as the sabbath).

 

Fee makes the following observations:

 

(1)     The fact that Paul mentions Sunday at all (rather than saying ‘once a week’) suggests that there is some significance to this particular day.

(2)     The view that it was only a matter of when people were paid has no known support from history

(3)     The terminology reflects the Gospel accounts of the resurrection of Jesus

(4)     Acts 20:7 strongly implies that Paul waited in Troas until the first day of the week precisely because that is when the Christians gathered for the breaking of bread. (However the Greek construction in this verse need not imply a regular gathering - KJV could be misleading here).

 

To this I would add that there is no NT requirement for Christians to apply OT regulations re the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) to what they may or may not do on a Sunday! Paul teaches very clearly in Romans 14 that the observance of special days is a matter of individual Christian conscience.

 

Now about the collection

 

1 Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: do what I told the Galatian churches to do.

 

Now about...

 

This is the fifth ‘now about’ since 7:1 and suggests that Paul is responding to their letter in response to his previous letter (5:9).

 

the collection

 

Elsewhere Paul uses more theological terms:

 

                    fellowship koinonia (2 Corinthians 8:4, 9:13, Romans 15:26)

                    service diakonia (2 Corinthians 8:4, 9:1, 12, 13, Romans 15:31)

                    grace charis (2 Corinthians 8:4, 6, 7, 19)

                    blessing eulogia (2 Corinthians 9:5)

                    divine service leitourgia (2 Corinthians 9:12)

 

This was a special collection that Paul was organising to meet the needs of the poor Christians in Jerusalem. So it’s not the equivalent of the modern Sunday morning offering, but many of the same principles apply. As we shall see, giving should be planned, regular, and proportionate to income. Finances must be seen to be handled with integrity.

 

2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

 

in keeping with his income

 

Note the principle that giving should be proportionate to income (cf. tithing).

 

so that when I come no collections will have to be made

 

Paul’s plan would ensure a greater gift than a single collection at the time of his arrival! Do you have a systematic plan for giving to the poor?

 

3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.

 

letters of introduction

 

These were a regular part of business dealings in those days.

Cf. Acts 15:23-29, Romans 16:1-2, 2 Corinthians 8:16-24.

 

men you approve

 

Paul decided to send representatives of the congregations to accompany the gifts. They were not chosen by the apostle but appointed by the churches (cf. Acts 6). There were three good reasons for this:

 

          (1)     They would be carrying a considerable sum, in coin, and there was safety in numbers

          (2)     This method ensured the various churches of the basic integrity of the entire enterprise

          (3)     The personal representation would have been as important as the gifts themselves.

 

4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

 

If it seems advisable ...

 

Paul is uncertain as to whether he will go personally. Cf. note on perhaps v 6. In fact, by the time he wrote 2 Corinthians, he had decided to accompany the gift (2 Corinthians 1:16, cf. Romans 15:25).

 

b) Travel Plans - Paul’s and Timothy’s (5-11)

 

Paul

5 After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you – for I will be going through Macedonia.

6 Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.

7 For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.

 

 

v 5     I will be going through Macedonia

 

It was several years since he had visited Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. He planned a tour of inspection.

 

 

v 6     Perhaps...

 

Note the open-ended nature of Paul’s travel plans (cf. if the Lord permits v7).

Cf. Also James 4:13-15.

Paul did not receive prophetic revelation about everything!

He trusted in the over-ruling providence of God.

It is noteworthy that according to 2 Corinthians 1:15-2:4 Paul explains why he did exactly the opposite.

Note the human side in the writing of Scripture.

 

help me on my journey

 

A technical term for providing a person with food, money, and travelling companions so as to ensure a safe arrival at their destination.

 

Bearing in mind what he had said in Chapter 9, this may be seen as something of a ‘peace offering’. He will let them have a share in his ministry after all!

 

8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost,

9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

 

v 8     Pentecost

 

This reference may simply reflect Paul’s Jewish heritage, but his readers were predominantly Gentiles.

More likely, the church saw very early a Christian significance to this feast in the light of the events of Acts 2.

What happened at Pentecost must inform our understanding of all that was written afterwards.

 

v 9     a great door... many who oppose

 

This fits in very well with the description of events in Acts 19.

 

Timothy

10 When Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.

11 No-one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.

 

Timothy worked with Paul in the founding of the Corinthian church for over a year.

In 4:17 Paul had sent Timothy to remind them of his (Paul’s) ways.

This may account for Paul’s insistence that they see that he has ‘nothing to fear’. The NT indicates elsewhere that Timothy may have been of a naturally timid disposition.

 

c) About the Coming of Apollos (12)

 

12 Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.

 

Here we have the final ‘now about’.

This suggests that the Corinthians had requested in their letter that Apollos come and minister to them.

Bearing in mind the problems mentioned in chapters 1-4 it is surprising that Paul not only acceded to their request but actually urged Apollos to go.

But Apollos was unwilling, probably because, like Paul, he did not want to be a party to their internal strife.

 

‘If the church in Corinth were Paul’s, the last person in the world he would want to return would be Apollos... Here is another piece of clear evidence... of the incredible bigness of the Apostle to the Gentiles’ (Fee, p 825).

 

Conclusion

 

There is much that we can learn about Paul himself in this chapter:

 

His concern for the poor in Jerusalem

His ability in organising the collection

His determination that everything should be seen to be done with integrity

His humility in leadership

His commitment to the gospel

His trust in the overruling providence of God

His security in his gifting

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