1 Corinthians 16:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He did not say, “whomever,” but “whomever you approve,” that is, whomever you choose, so that the ministry might be beyond suspicion.

He leaves to the Corinthians themselves the choice of those who will carry the alms. He says that it will not be this way: you will make the offerings, but others will choose those who carry them.

And lest it appear that he removes himself from them, he adds his own letters: “whomever you approve,” he says, “I will send with letters.”

It is as if he said: I too will be with you, and I too will take part in the ministry through the letters.

He did not say, “I will send them to carry your alms,” but “your grace,” to show that they perform a great work. He also wished to suggest that they themselves receive benefit from it.

He rightly said, “whomever you approve,” to avoid every scandal, lest they suspect that he wanted to take some portion of what was collected for himself.

Therefore put a full stop after the word “approve,” and then read: “I will send them with letters.” The connection will be this: whomever you approve, these I will send with my letters.

It is as if he says: I myself will join them and take part in this ministry through my letters. He called this work, that is, the offering, a gift, or in Church Slavonic, a grace.

He did so to show that they perform something great, and that they perform it without sorrow and without compulsion. For grace has this character. To call the offering alms would have been unworthy of the saints who were to receive it.

The offering is of two kinds, since it is both for the benefit of the saints mentioned above, and for the poor in the church, for the elders, and for those in need.

It is not fitting for the monetary collection to take place in my presence. I must send what has been gathered to the saints with those “whom you approve.” But if I see that the offering has been made generously, then I myself will take part in this service. He did not say, “I myself will carry it,” but says, “they will go with me.” For what he advises others to do, he himself does first. He is “without offense to Jews, to Greeks, and to the Church of God” (1 Cor 10:32). He also appoints for the Corinthians the time of his arrival.

“I will send them with letters.” From the book of Acts it is clear (Acts 20:3-16) that the Apostle Paul himself went with the alms to Jerusalem. Therefore letters in his name were unnecessary.

In the concluding sixteenth chapter, the holy Apostle Paul gives instruction concerning the manner of collecting alms for the Palestinian Christians. This manner consists in each person setting aside, on the first day of the week, a portion of monetary help according to his means, and keeping it with himself until the Apostle’s arrival.

In the concluding chapter, the Apostle Paul gives final instructions, arrangements, greetings, and good wishes. The first of these is an arrangement for preparing alms for the Christians of Jerusalem, who suffered every kind of oppression from the Jews, even the plundering of their possessions.

This instruction is deeply significant. The Apostle commands that it be done on the first day after each Sabbath, that is, on the Lord’s Day. In this way they were to express boundless gratitude to God.

For God raised Christ and in Him gave the pledge of our common resurrection. Thus the convictions, thoughts, and feelings that the Apostle had so earnestly planted in the Corinthians just before this, in chapter 15, he now advises them to stir up and warm within themselves.

He stirs them to collect the offering and makes all the arrangements concerning it, while keeping himself far from touching what has been collected.

He says: you yourselves will choose trustworthy men to send with the alms. He does this “so that he himself may be the first to do what he advises others, and may be without offense to Jews, Greeks, and the Church of God. 1 Cor 10:32” (Theodoret).

And lest it appear that he has no share in this work, he says: I will send them and give them letters. I will be their guide in this matter.

Everything here, he says, will proceed from you. I will not cover your face with my own. The people of Jerusalem will see in this not my labors, but your willing generosity.