The Collection for the Saints in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:1–4)

1 Cor. 16:1. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also do.

This collection was gathered for the Jerusalemites, who at the beginning suffered deprivations, oppression, and persecution more than all others. The relentless fanaticism of the Jews is well known. From the time of the persecution following the death of Stephen the protomartyr, attacks on Christians there never ceased, and they were all the more severe because they were carried out by the will of the people. Saint Paul received a commandment from the Apostles concerning the gathering of alms for them, not incidentally but as the first task, which he strove to fulfill with all diligence. The “saints” refers to all Jerusalem Christians, not to certain individuals among them. So the Apostle customarily designates Christians—as those sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, who have made the vow of holiness and strive for it. In the Galatian churches, the Apostle made arrangements for the gathering of the aforesaid alms during the time he spent with them, not in a letter, which does not mention this. The Apostle mentioned this to stir up emulation in the Corinthians.

Saint Chrysostom says about this: “He called the collection by the name ‘alms,’ λογία, in order to at once from the very beginning present this matter as easy, for if it is to be collected from everyone, then such an arrangement becomes easy for each. By pointing to what others (the Galatians) are doing, he stirs them up to emulation, presenting it to them in the form of a narrative. He did the same thing in the epistle to the Romans, where, explaining to them the reason for his journey to Jerusalem, he speaks also of the alms: ‘Now I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints’ (Rom. 15:25–26). He disposes those to alms by the example of the Macedonians and Corinthians (here, in the epistle to the Romans, he speaks of the alms collected according to the arrangement we are discussing), and these by the example of the Galatians. They would have been ashamed to show themselves inferior to the Galatians. ‘As I directed in the churches of Galatia.’ He did not say: I persuaded or advised, but ‘I directed,’ thereby expressing greater authority; he brought as an example not one city, not two or three, but a whole nation, as he did also regarding dogmas: saying that ‘in all the churches of the saints’ (1 Cor. 4:33), for if such conviction is powerful for faith in dogmas, it is even more powerful regarding deeds. What then, tell me, did you direct?’”

1 Cor. 16:2. Upon the first day of the week, let each of you lay by him in store, whatever he may be prospered, so that when I come, there be no gatherings then.

“Upon the first day,” κάθα μίαν σαββάτων—“the Sabbath,” σάββατα, means the week, all seven days; “the first of the Sabbaths,” μία σαββάτων, means the first day of the week, the Lord’s day, Sunday. “Upon the first”—not after, but on each first day of the week, on Sundays. On Sunday, from Apostolic times, it was customary among Christians to conduct works of beneficence. The wealthy maintained their poor on this day at love feasts, and for the distant—through collections and sending them aid. The Apostle commands not to set aside suddenly but little by little, because by this method one can collect more imperceptibly than one would be ready to give at once. Why did he use the word “storing,” θησαυρίζων—treasuring, gathering into a treasury. “Whatever he may be prospered,” according to what profit each may have for himself from his business and labors; but at the same time it hints also at goodwill: he does not want to compel, for “God loves a cheerful giver.” “The Apostle leaves the amount of giving to one’s disposition, teaching that God helps souls that choose the better. For he expressed this with the words: ‘whatever he may be prospered’” (Theodoret). Why: “so that when I come there be no gatherings then?” Either, again, so as not to burden them, or so that when he comes their minds will be free from all extraneous cares and will attend only to what he had to present to them.

Saint Chrysostom says: “See how he persuades them by the very time; for this day by itself is sufficiently disposed to alms. Remember, he says, what you have been deemed worthy of on this day: the ineffable blessings, the root and source of our life received its beginning on this day. And not only does this time dispose to compassion, but also because it affords rest and freedom from labors, for souls lightened from the burden of labors are more inclined and disposed to mercy. Besides, the reception on this day of the awesome and deathless Mysteries produces great readiness for giving. Thus, on this day ‘each of you,’ not this one or that one, but ‘each,’ whether he be poor or rich, woman or man, slave or free, ‘lay by him in store.’ He did not say: let him bring to the church, lest it shame them to bring a small amount, but: let him, saving little by little, increase the offering, and then show it when I come; but until that time, he says, set aside at home, and make your house a church, an ark, a treasury; be a guardian of sacred property, a self-appointed steward of the poor; compassion gives you this sacred right. A sign of this remains to this day in the alms box. But the sign remains, and the deed does not. See, again, how this is not difficult. He did not say: such and such an amount, but: ‘whatever he may be prospered,’ much or little. He did not say either: as much as one earns, but: ‘whatever he may be prospered,’ expressing that earning comes from God. And not only in this way does he make his advice easy to fulfill, but also by not commanding to bring all at once, for if one collects little by little, the service and expenditure become imperceptible. Therefore he commands not to bring at once, but appoints a prolonged time and gives a reason: ‘so that when I come,’ he says, ‘there be no gatherings then,’ that is, so as not to make collections when the time for payment comes. And he proposes such a remark not without purpose; the expectation of Paul should have stirred in them greater zeal.”

1 Cor. 16:3. And when I come, whomsoever you shall approve by letters, them will I send to bear your bounty to Jerusalem.

He stirs up the gathering of alms and makes all arrangements relating to this, but himself keeps at a distance from touching what is collected. Tell me, he says, whom you choose, you yourselves will select trustworthy people. He does this “so that he himself first does what he advises others, and be blameless before Jews and Greeks and the Church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32) (Theodoret). But so that it might not appear that he is indifferent to this matter, he says: I will send them, and I will give them letters; I will be their guide in this work. Here everything will proceed from you, he says: I will not obscure your face. The Jerusalemites will see in this not my labors, but your good will. Therefore he called the alms “grace,” as their good giving, or as a good deed, grace accomplished in them and bringing grace, and befitting the gracious Christian fellowship. Saint Chrysostom says: “He did not say: you will send someone, but ‘whomsoever you shall approve,’ that is, whom you choose, so that the service be unquestionable. The task of choosing those who will carry the alms he commits to the Corinthians themselves. But so that it might not appear that he removes himself from them, he adds his own letters: ‘I will send them with letters’; as though saying: I will be with you, and I will take part in the service by means of letters. He did not say: I will send them to bear ‘your alms,’ but: ‘your grace,’ so as to show that they accomplish a great deed, and so as to impress that they themselves also gain benefit from this.”

1 Cor. 16:4. And if it be meet for me to go also, they shall go with me.

“If it be meet for me”—if it is necessary, if it should happen that I also need to go, “they shall go with me.” I will be their guide and will serve them instead of instructive letters. The amount of the collection had no bearing on such a decision. However great it might be, the appointed ones carry it. This, the Apostle said, in place of letters. When they go with me, there will be no need for letters. This thought seems more direct. But perhaps there is here also the thought that as soon as so much is collected that I myself also need to go, I will go. Thus, however, all understand it, both old and new. Saint Chrysostom says: “Here again he disposes them to generosity: for if, he says, so much is collected that I myself need to go, then I will not refuse. But he did not plainly promise this and did not say: when I come, I myself will carry it, for he would not have so much disposed them to increase the alms if he had said this at the beginning; but after such an addition is timely and well suited, therefore he neither definitively promised nor completely passed over this, but said first: ‘I will send,’ and then mentioned himself. And in these words: ‘if it be meet for me to go also,’ he again leaves it to their will, that is, it depended on them to collect much and so much that it would not be shameful for him to undertake the journey.”