1 Corinthians 16 - Introduction

He exhorteth them to relieve the wants of the brethren at Jerusalem; commendeth Timothy, and after friendly admonitions, closeth his epistle with divers salutations.

Anno Domini 57.

BEFORE the Apostle concluded his letter to the Corinthians, he gave them directions for making the collection for the saints in Judea. During his eighteen months abode at Corinth, he had exhorted the brethren to undertake that good work, (as indeed he did the brethren in all the Gentile churches) with a view to establish a cordial union between the converted Jews and Gentiles every where. And so desirous were the Corinthians of the proposed union, that, on the first mention of the collection, they agreed to make it. But the divisions in the church at Corinth, it seems, had hitherto hindered them from beginning it. The Apostle, therefore, in this letter, requested them to set about it immediately; and he directed them how to do it, 1 Corinthians 16:1.

At the time that St. Paul wrote this epistle to the Corinthians, he had altered his resolution respecting his voyage to Corinth, of which he had formerly given them notice by Timothy and Erastus, as mentioned 2 Corinthians 1:15. For he now informed them, that, instead of sailing directly from Ephesus to Corinth, as he had at first proposed, his intention was, not to come to them immediately, but to take Macedonia in his way, 1 Corinthians 16:5.—after staying at Ephesus till Pentecost, on account of the extraordinarysuccess with which he was preaching the gospel to the inhabitants of the provinces of Asia, who resorted to him in that metropolis, 1 Corinthians 16:8.—In the mean time, to compensate the loss which the Corinthians sustained by his delaying to visit them, he wrote to them this letter, in which he gave them the instructions which he would have delivered to them if he had come to them, and promised when he came to abide a considerable time, and, perhaps, to winter with them, 1 Corinthians 16:5.—And because he had, some time before, appointed that Timothy should visit Corinth, he begged the Corinthians to give him a good reception, if he came to them, 1 Corinthians 16:10.—With respect to Apollos, whom it seems the Corinthians wished to see, he told them, he had intreated him to go to them with the brethren; but that, having no inclination to go to Corinth at that time, he had deferred his visit till he should find a convenient season. Perhaps the insolent behaviour of the faction while Apollos was among them, had so disgustedhim, that he did not choose to expose himself a second time to their attempts.—So this apology for Apollos the Apostle subjoined a few practical advices. Then he shewed a particular regard to the members of the family of Stephanas, because they were the first fruit of Achaia, and had employed themselves zealously in the ministry for the saints, 1 Corinthians 16:13.

The Apostle, before he finished his letter, sent to the Corinthians the salutations of the churches of the proconsular Asia, and of the brethren at Ephesus, who assisted himinpreachingthegospel, 1 Corinthians 16:19.—Then wrote his particular salutation to them with his own hand, 1 Corinthians 16:21.—And to shew his sincerity in the curse that he was going to pronounce on hypocritical professors of religion, he, in the same hand-writing, added, If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maran-atha, 1 Corinthians 16:22.—Lastly, to comfort the sincere part of the church, he gave them,inparticular,his apostolical benediction, together with his own love, 1 Corinthians 16:23.