1 Corinthiërs 16:3

3 En wanneer ik daar zal gekomen zijn, zal ik hen, die gij zult bekwaam achten door brieven, zenden, om uw gave naar Jeruzalem over te dragen.

1 Corinthiërs 16:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 16:3

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.

1 Corinthiërs 16:3 In-Context

1 Aangaande nu de verzameling, die voor de heiligen geschiedt, gelijk als ik aan de Gemeenten in Galatie verordend heb, doet ook gij alzo.

2 Op elken eersten dag der week, legge een iegelijk van u iets bij zichzelven weg, vergaderende een schat, naar dat hij welvaren verkregen heeft; opdat de verzamelingen alsdan niet eerst geschieden, wanneer ik gekomen zal zijn.

3 En wanneer ik daar zal gekomen zijn, zal ik hen, die gij zult bekwaam achten door brieven, zenden, om uw gave naar Jeruzalem over te dragen.

4 En indien het der moeite waardig mocht zijn, dat ik ook zelf reizen zou, zo zullen zij met mij reizen.

5 Doch ik zal tot u komen, wanneer ik Macedonie zal doorgegaan zijn, (want ik zal door Macedonie gaan);