the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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1 Corinthians 16:3
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- InternationalContextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
when: 1 Corinthians 4:19-21, 1 Corinthians 11:34
whomsoever: Acts 6:1-6, 2 Corinthians 8:19-24
liberality: Gr. gift, 2 Corinthians 8:4, 2 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 8:19
Reciprocal: Acts 6:3 - look Acts 11:30 - by Acts 18:27 - the brethren 2 Corinthians 3:1 - epistles 2 Corinthians 8:20 - that
Cross-References
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar;
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian servant-woman whose name was Hagar.
Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.
Sarai Abrams wyfe bare hym no chyldren: but she had an handemayde an Egyptian, Hagar by name.
Sarai was Abram's wife, but she did not have any children. She had an Egyptian slave named Hagar.
Now Sar'ai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar;
Therfor Sarai, wijf of Abram, hadde not gendrid fre children; but sche hadde a seruauntesse of Egipt, Agar bi name, and seide to hir hosebonde, Lo!
Now Sarai Abrams wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaide, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And when I come,.... To Corinth, as he intended very quickly:
whomsoever you shall approve by your letters; that is, such persons as this church should approve, and choose, and fix upon as proper persons to go with their collection; which approbation and choice they would signify by letters to the church, and principal men of it in Jerusalem, giving them a character as men of probity and faithfulness:
them will I send. The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions join the phrase, "by letters", to this clause; according to which reading the sense is, such as the church should choose for this service, the apostle would send with letters of commendation from him, to the elders and church at Jerusalem, recommending them as brethren in the Lord, and to be had in respect, and treated in a Christian manner by them; to which their being messengers from such a church, and having letters from so great an apostle; besides, the business they should come about would entitle them to, which was
to bring your liberality, or "grace",
unto Jerusalem; meaning the money collected for the poor saints there; which he calls grace, because it was owing to the goodness of God, that they were in a capacity to contribute to others, and to the grace of God that they had a heart to do it; and because it was in a free and gracious manner, and in the exercise of grace, of faith in Christ, and love to the saints, that they did it, and with a view to the glory of the grace of God, of which this was a fruit and evidence.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters - There has been great variety of opinion in regard to the proper construction of this verse. Macknight supposes that the “letters” here referred to were not letters either to or from the apostle, but letters signed and sent by the congregation at Corinth, designating their appointment and their authority. With this interpretation Doddridge coincides; and this is required by the usual pointing of the Greektext, where the comma is inserted after the word letters, as in our translation. But a different interpretation has been proposed by inserting the comma after the word “approve,” so that it shall read, “Whom you approve, or designate, them I will send with letters to convey your charity to Jerusalem.” This is followed by Griesbach, Locke, Rosenmuller, Bloomfield, Beza, Hammond, Grotius, Whitby, etc. Certainly this accords better with the design of the passage. For it is evident (see 1 Corinthians 16:4) that, though Paul was willing to go, yet he was not expecting to go. If he did not go, what was more natural than that he should offer to give them letters of commendation to his brethren in Judea? Mill has doubted whether this construction is in accordance with Greek usage, but the names above cited are sufficient authority on that subject. The proper construction, therefore, is, that Paul would give them letters to his friends in Jerusalem, and certify their appointment to dispense the charity, and commend the persons sent to the favor and hospitality of the church there. “Your liberality.” Margin, “Gift.” Your donation; your alms. The Greek word χάριν charin, usually signifies grace, or favor. Here it means an act of grace or favor; kindness; a favor conferred; benefaction: compare 2Co 8:4, 2 Corinthians 8:6-7, 2 Corinthians 8:19.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 1 Corinthians 16:3. Whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters] Why should Paul require letters of approbation in behalf of certain persons, when he himself should be among them, and could have their characters viva voce? It is probable that he refers here to letters of recommendation which they had sent to him while he was away; and he now promises that when he should come to Corinth, he would appoint these persons, whom they had recommended, to carry the alms to Jerusalem. If δοκιμασητε, be read ye shall have approved, as Bishop Pearce does, the difficulty will vanish.
Some MSS. and several versions join διεπιστολων, by letters, to the following words, and read the verse thus: When I come, those whom ye shall approve I will send with letters to bring your liberality to Jerusalem. This seems most natural.
