Who were the saints in Jerusalem?
They were the believers of the church in Jerusalem, many of them poor. Paul organized a collection among the Gentile churches to help them, and saw it as a sign of the unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ.
1 Corinthians · chapter 16 of 16
1 Corinthians 16: Summary, Key Verses and Study Questions
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What happens in 1 Corinthians 16?
1 Corinthians 16 closes the letter with practical matters. Paul organizes the collection for the saints in Jerusalem, asking each to set something aside on the first day of the week, and announces his travel plans from Ephesus toward Corinth. He asks them to welcome Timothy, urges them to stand firm and in love, and ends with greetings and the prayer Maranatha.
After the great theme of the resurrection, Paul closes the letter with matters of the church's daily life: money, travel, coworkers and greetings. These verses show that the gospel is lived out in concrete things and that Paul treated the Corinthians with closeness and pastoral care.
1 Corinthians 16 summary
Paul gives instructions about the collection for the saints, that is, the poor believers in Jerusalem, as he had directed the churches of Galatia. On the first day of the week each should set something aside as he has prospered, so that no collections need to be made when Paul comes. When he arrives, he will send with letters those they approve to carry their gift to Jerusalem, and if it is fitting, he will go along himself.
He then announces his plans: he will come to Corinth after passing through Macedonia, and perhaps stay with them or even spend the winter so that they may send him on his way. He will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to him, though there are many adversaries.
He asks that if Timothy comes, they put him at ease among them because he is doing the Lord's work, and that no one despise him. As for Apollos, Paul urged him strongly to go, but he was not willing at present; he will come when he has opportunity. He exhorts them: be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, and let all they do be done in love.
Paul commends the household of Stephanas, the firstfruits of Achaia, who have devoted themselves to the service of the saints, and rejoices at the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus, who made up for the Corinthians' absence. He sends greetings from the churches of Asia, from Aquila and Prisca with the church in their house, and from all the brothers. He writes a greeting in his own hand, declares that anyone who has no love for the Lord is accursed, and prays, Maranatha, Our Lord, come. He ends with the grace of the Lord Jesus and his love to them all in Christ Jesus.
Chapter outline
- vv. 1-4: The collection for the saints in Jerusalem.
- vv. 5-9: Paul's travel plans and the open door in Ephesus.
- vv. 10-12: Timothy and Apollos.
- vv. 13-18: Final exhortations and recognition of the household of Stephanas.
- vv. 19-24: Greetings, Maranatha and blessing.
Key verses in 1 Corinthians 16
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
1 Corinthians 16:2
On the first day of the week each is to set something aside as he has prospered, so that no collections have to be made when Paul comes. It is a pattern of regular, planned and proportionate giving.
1 Corinthians 16:9
Paul stays in Ephesus because a wide door for effective work has opened, though there are many adversaries. Opportunities for service and opposition often appear together.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Paul sums up with five short commands: be watchful, stand firm, be courageous, be strong, and do everything in love. He ends the letter as he began it: with love as the measure of all.
1 Corinthians 16:22
Paul writes Maranatha, an Aramaic expression that can be understood as Our Lord has come or Our Lord, come. It is a prayer of the early church awaiting Christ's return.
Main themes
- Generosity toward other believers
- Planning and service
- Coworkers in the gospel
- Steadfastness and love
- The hope of the Lord's return
People and places
- Paul
- Timothy
- Apollos
- Stephanas
- Fortunatus
- Achaicus
- Aquila
- Prisca
- Ephesus
- Jerusalem
1 Corinthians 16 study questions and answers
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
1. For whom was the collection?
Answer: For the saints, the believers in Jerusalem. — 1 Corinthians 16:1-3
2. When was each to set aside his gift?
Answer: On the first day of the week, as he had prospered. — 1 Corinthians 16:2
3. Why would Paul stay in Ephesus until Pentecost?
Answer: Because a wide door for effective work had opened, though there were many adversaries. — 1 Corinthians 16:8-9
4. What does Paul ask about Timothy?
Answer: That they put him at ease among them and that no one despise him. — 1 Corinthians 16:10-11
5. What five exhortations does Paul give in verses 13 and 14?
Answer: Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong and do everything in love. — 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
6. Which couple sends greetings with the church in their house?
Answer: Aquila and Prisca. — 1 Corinthians 16:19
Application for today
1 Corinthians 16 shows that Christian generosity is organized and practiced regularly. In a Sunday school class or small group, it can inspire us to support believers in need steadily and in an orderly way, not just on impulse.
It also shows the importance of coworkers. Paul names Timothy, Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, Aquila and Prisca; the gospel advances through the sum of many quiet services. Recognizing and encouraging those who serve in silence is a way of applying this chapter, and the prayer Maranatha reminds us that all service looks toward the Lord's return.
1 Corinthians 16 closes the letter with grace and love. Paul will later write another letter to the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, where he continues on reconciliation, ministry and the collection, and defends his apostleship against criticism.
Frequently asked questions about 1 Corinthians 16
What does Maranatha mean?
It is an Aramaic expression that Paul writes as it is. Depending on how it is divided, it can mean Our Lord has come or Our Lord, come. In either case it expresses the early church's hope in Christ's return.
Does this chapter establish Sunday as the day for offerings?
Paul mentions the first day of the week for setting aside the gift, and many Christians connect it with the custom of gathering on that day. The text does not give a rule of worship, but a practical method so the collection would be ready when he arrived.