1 Corinthians 16:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It was also so when he rebuked the disturbers, disputants, and lovers of power, and threatened intolerable punishment for those who approached the Mysteries unworthily. He also explained the supper of love.

Therefore now he mentions only the one thing that was especially necessary, namely aid for the saints. And see his wisdom. He speaks about this only after he has persuaded them of the truth of the resurrection and stirred their zeal.

True, he had spoken with them about this before, when he said, “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?”

And again, “Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit?” (1 Cor 9:11, 7). But since he knew the greatness of the virtue being proposed, he does not omit to speak of it also at the end of the epistle.

He calls the collection alms, in order from the very beginning to present the work as light. For if it is to be gathered from all, such an arrangement becomes light for each.

Yet after beginning to speak about the collection, he did not immediately say, “Let each of you lay something aside and store it up,” though this followed naturally.

First he said, “As I arranged in the churches of Galatia,” and only then added the rest. By pointing to what others were doing, he rouses them to emulation, presenting it as a narrative.

He did the same in the Epistle to the Romans. Explaining the reason for his journey to Jerusalem, he also speaks of almsgiving: “But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.

For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem” (Rom 15:25-26). He moves some by the example of the Macedonians and Corinthians, and others by the example of the Galatians.

“Do this as I arranged,” he says, “in the churches of Galatia.” They would have been ashamed to appear inferior to the Galatians.

He did not say, “I persuaded and advised,” but “I arranged,” which expresses greater authority. He brought forward as an example not one city, nor two, nor three, but a whole people.

He did the same with regard to doctrines: “So,” he says, “in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:33). If such persuasion is strong for faith in doctrines, it is still stronger for imitation in deeds.

Tell me, then, what did you arrange?

They are to do this through the mutual manifestation of love, a virtue accessible to all and obligatory for all according to their ability. For this reason Jesus Christ Himself teaches that men will first be called to account for it at the dread judgment (Mt 25:26).

The Apostle does not mention his instruction of the Galatians in this virtue without purpose. He also proclaimed it to the Romans (Rom 15:25), rousing all through this to emulation and to the conviction that it is easy.

But so that this virtue might truly be easy for all, he advises the Corinthians to set aside willing offerings according to their zeal every Sunday, having special treasuries for this purpose.

At that time there was not yet the church order that was established later. It is noteworthy that the Apostle advises that the collection be made before he comes.

He says that this collection may be sent to Jerusalem with men chosen by them. He will give them letters, and will go with them himself only if this is necessary or fitting.

He clearly keeps himself in every way far from touching what has been collected, so as to give no stumbling block to anyone (cf. 10:32). All the Apostles acted in the same way, saying, “It is not good that we should leave the word of God and serve tables” (Acts 6:2).

All the Christians of Jerusalem are called saints, not certain special persons among them. The Apostle commonly names Christians this way, as those sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, who have given a promise of holiness and are zealous for it.

In the Galatian churches the Apostle made arrangements for collecting alms in the indicated manner while he was staying with them, not in the epistle, where this is not mentioned.

The Apostle mentioned this in order to stir emulation among the Corinthians. Saint Chrysostom says of this: “By logia, alms, he meant the collection for the poor, so as from the very beginning to present the work as light.

For if it is to be gathered from all, such an arrangement becomes light for each. By pointing to what others, the Galatians, were doing, he rouses them to emulation, presenting it as a narrative.

He did the same in the Epistle to the Romans. Explaining to them the reason for his journey to Jerusalem, he also speaks of almsgiving: ‘But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.

For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints’ (Rom 15:25-26). He disposes them to almsgiving by the example of the Macedonians and Corinthians.

Here, in the Epistle to the Romans, he mentions the alms gathered according to the arrangement now being discussed. But he disposes these Corinthians by the example of the Galatians.

They would be ashamed to appear inferior to the Galatians. ‘As I arranged in the churches of Galatia.’ He did not say, ‘I persuaded,’ or ‘I advised,’ but ‘I arranged,’ which expresses greater authority.

He brought forward as an example not one city, nor two, nor three, but a whole people. He did the same with regard to doctrines: ‘as,’ he says, ‘in all the churches of the saints’ (1 Cor 14:33).

For if such persuasion is strong for faith in doctrines, it is still stronger with regard to deeds. Tell me, then, what did you arrange?”