Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does 1st Corinthians Chapter 16 mean?

In the final chapter in Paul’s long letter to the church in Corinth, he gives instructions about a special collection and shares his upcoming travel plans.

In this season of his ministry, Paul was raising funds for the Christian Jews living in Jerusalem. They were suffering through persecution for their faith in Christ, as well as extreme poverty. Paul was collecting donations from many of the Gentile churches he had helped to establish, including the church in Corinth.

He makes clear that he wants them to have their donation ready when he arrives instead of scrambling to collect something at the last moment. To achieve this, Paul gives instructions that many modern churches still apply to Christian giving. Paul tells the Corinthians to set aside some money on the first day of every week. This money was to be in proportion to how God had prospered that family during the previous week.

For the sake of integrity and transparency, apparently, Paul did not plan to touch the money himself. Instead, he told the church to appoint and accredit some to carry the gift to Jerusalem. They could travel with him if that seemed like a good idea (1 Corinthians 16:1–4).

Next, Paul reveals his plans to return to Corinth to spend time with them before the following winter. He wrote this letter from Ephesus and planned to travel from there to the churches in Macedonia after Pentecost before arriving to spend the winter with them. In the meantime, the door in Ephesus was open to effective ministry, even as many were opposed to the gospel (1 Corinthians 16:5–9).

Paul did plan to send Timothy and some companions to Corinth. He insisted that the Corinthians treat Timothy well and send him back to Paul in peace. Apollos, who was also in Ephesus, had not chosen to return to Corinth with Timothy despite Paul’s strong urging that he do so. Perhaps Apollos did not want to contribute to any more division among the Corinthians. Or perhaps he, too, wanted to take advantage of the open door to ministry in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:10–12).

As he does near the end of many of his letters, Paul fires off some quick commands: He tells them to be watchful and to stand firm in the faith, perhaps referring to false teaching that was creeping into their church. He adds that they should be men of courage and be strong: invoking military terms to indicate the intensity with which they should resist false teaching. He adds, though, that everything they do should be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:13–14).

A group from the church in Corinth—Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaius—had come to visit Paul in Ephesus, perhaps bringing with them the letter Paul has been replying to in this letter. Paul commends the household of Stephanas to the Corinthians as the first coverts to faith in Christ in the region of Corinth and devoted servant-leaders. He tells the Corinthians to submit to their leadership (1 Corinthians 16:15–18).

Paul signs off with greetings from the churches in “Asia,” which as defined then includes Ephesus. These are also sent from Aquila and Prisca, former members of the church in Corinth, and from all the believers known to Paul. He finishes by taking the pen from his scribe and writing a curse and a blessing in his own hand. He curses anyone with no love for the Lord and prays for the grace of Christ to be with everyone else. He adds an urgent prayer that the Lord would return and declares his love for all of them in Christ (1 Corinthians 16:19–24).

Chapter Context
First Corinthians 16 concludes Paul’s long letter to the church in Corinth with several business matters. He instructs them on how to prepare a special contribution for needy Christians in Jerusalem. He describes his plan to visit them in person after wrapping up his ministry in Ephesus and stopping by churches in Macedonia. He reveals that Timothy is coming to them more quickly and that Apollos is not. Finally, he commends a delegation from Corinth that has come to see him. His final words in the letter are a declaration of love for all of them.

Verse by Verse

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

Prior chapters wrapped up the main points of Paul’s long letter to the Corinthians. Now he turns to some important business matters before closing. He once again uses the phrase “now concerning,” probably to indicate a response to something in the Corinthians’ letter to him (1 Corinthians 7:1).

Scripture does not explain all the circumstances here. That suggests Paul had already told the Corinthians about the money he was raising for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Perhaps they had written to ask him how to go about collecting and delivering the money. In 2 Corinthians 8–9, Paul will go into much greater detail about the campaign.

Paul’s effort to deliver financial aid from the Gentile churches to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem served several purposes. For one, the need was great. The Jerusalem Christians were suffering terrible persecution for their faith in Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:14), which must have contributed to their devastating poverty (2 Corinthians 9:12). For another, Paul hoped to help heal the rift that had developed between the Jewish and non-Jewish believers. Third, Paul believed Gentile Christians owed a spiritual debt to their Jewish siblings in Christ, who came as Savior first to the Jews and then to all people (Romans 15:27).

Paul will give to the Corinthian church the same instructions about the collection for the “saints.” In the Bible, this is always a broad term applied to all Christians. This follows Paul’s previous instruction the churches in Galatia. These churches, established on his first missionary journey, included Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13—14).

Context Summary
First Corinthians 16:1–4 contains specific instructions to the Corinthians about a collection for poor Christians in Jerusalem. Each person must set aside some money on the first day of each week, meaning Sunday. The amount they give should be a percentage of their income from the following week. Paul does not plan to receive the money himself but to send those selected from Corinth to carry the money to Jerusalem. They may travel with him if they feel it is a good idea.

Verse 2. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

Paul begins to give the church in Corinth specific instructions about collecting money for suffering Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Many Bible teachers apply these as ground-level principles for how modern Christians should give to local churches and other needs.

This tells the Corinthians to give to this collection weekly, individually, and proportionally. Specifically, each person—or household—is to set aside some amount of money on the first day of every week. It’s not clear if this money is meant to be brought to the weekly gathering of the church and held in a central location. Or, it might be simply set aside, person by person, to be delivered together when Paul arrives.

The Christians had adopted the first day of the week—Sunday—as their time to gather together, likely because Christ was raised from the dead on a Sunday.

Paul told everyone to contribute to the collection, rich and poor alike. His letter had already revealed a potential rift between the wealthy and the working poor in the church (1 Corinthians 11:20–22). Paul insisted this gift for their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem should come from all of them together.

That universal command to give, however, is qualified by the phrase “as he may prosper.” Paul encouraged proportional giving, meaning that each person should give a percentage of their income instead of a set amount. Notably, Paul does not instruct them to give ten percent, also called a tithe. In fact, the New Testament never commands Christians to tithe in the way the Old Testament required (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26). Jews living under the Old Testament law were obligated to tithe, in addition to other required contributions to the temple and the priests.

Instead, Paul commands to give as each has prospered. This means out of any surplus income above their needs. Historians tell us that many in Corinth among the poorer classes were likely just barely surviving from week to week themselves.

Finally, Paul tells the Corinthians to set aside the money week by week so that no collecting will need to be done when he arrives to organize the delivery of the gift. He does not explain why, but Paul likely wanted to avoid the awkwardness of demanding that the Corinthians come up with some money on the spot when he came and to encourage them to develop the habit of setting aside for the needs of others as a regular practice.

Verse 3. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

Paul is giving the Corinthians’ instructions about a collection campaign he is organizing with many of the churches he serves. They are raising funds for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem who are living in poverty, due in part to persecution for their faith in Christ.

Paul has told them how to collect the funds in the previous verse. Now he tells them how to prepare for the delivery of the funds. He appears to have arranged delivery of the money in such a way as to ensure the highest integrity. He wants to leave no room for an accusation that he, Paul, is running a scam to take some or all of the money for himself.

For that reason, he plans to send a delegation from the Corinthian church to Jerusalem to deliver the money personally. Paul wants them to prepare for this by selecting from among themselves a group they will “accredit by letter.” That is, the church will give a letter to this group to show they are official representatives delivering a gift on behalf of all their members in Corinth.

In addition to demonstrating that Paul intends to never even touch the money that has been collected, this will serve the purpose of allowing these Gentile believers to meet their Jewish counterparts in person. It will also allow the Jewish Christians to receive these moneys as a gift from their Gentile siblings and not from Paul. Very likely, Paul hopes for this moment to provide healing between these two divided groups of Christians.

Verse 4. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

This verse wraps up Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians about how to arrange relief for suffering Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. He has told them to set aside money, week by week, in proportion to their income, as well as to designate some from among them to deliver the money to Jerusalem.

Paul appears to be carefully planning the operation to avoid any accusations he might take the money for himself. Not only does he insist that a delegation from the church should deliver the gift, he now shows that he is willing to allow the Corinthians to decide if he should make the trip with them or not.

Paul could, of course, have asserted his authority as an apostle to deliver the money himself or, at least, to accompany the group. Instead, he allows the greatest possible freedom to the Corinthians, ensuring that this gift is given willingly by them out of a spirit of generosity and not out of grudging obedience to Paul’s perceived arm-twisting. This fits with what he will write to them in his next letter, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Verse 5. I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia,

Paul has concluded the main points of his teaching and moved on to some practical details. He turns here to travel plans and when he hopes to visit the Corinthians again.

Paul is writing this letter from Ephesus, where he has been living and working for some time. He intends to travel soon from Ephesus to the region of Macedonia, north of Corinth. There he would visit the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and probably Berea before arriving in Corinth.

The following verses reveal his expected timeline for this journey, though Paul will add to these plans the words “if the Lord permits.” His second letter to the Corinthians will show this trip did not come off as expected.

Context Summary
First Corinthians 16:5–11 describes Paul’s plans to come and see the Corinthians in person within the year. First, he will stay in Ephesus to take advantage of an open door to the gospel, intending to leave at Pentecost to visit churches in Macedonia. He hopes to arrive in Corinth in time to spend the winter months with them. In the meantime, Timothy will arrive to represent him and the Lord to them. Paul warns them to put Timothy at ease and to send Timothy and his party back to Paul in peace.

Verse 6. and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go.

This section of 1 Corinthians details Paul’s plans to come and spend time with the church in person once again. He said in the previous verse that he planned to travel from Ephesus to the region of Macedonia to visit the churches there before arriving in Corinth.

The Macedonian churches included Thessalonica, Philippi, and Berea. Paul likely intended to stop at each in order to visit them and pick up their contribution to the collection for the suffering Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The following verses show that Paul planned to travel during the summer and arrive in Corinth in time to spend the winter with them. This would allow him to renew his relationship with them and address the issues of this letter in person.

Second Corinthians, however, tells us these plans did not come together as Paul had hoped. He did eventually travel both to Macedonia and Corinth, but not on this anticipated timeline.

Paul has emphasized that he refused to take any financial support from the Corinthians for his own needs while he was working among them (1 Corinthians 9). Now, though, he states he will accept help when he departs again, likely meaning financial support for the journey, as well as traveling companions, especially if he accompanies a delegation to Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:3–4). The difference here is that this would be financially supporting ministry to others, and not themselves, something Paul felt could cloud the integrity of his ministry to those he served.

Verse 7. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.

Paul is describing his travel plans to the Corinthians at the end of a long letter. He is writing to them from Ephesus. He plans to travel from there to the churches in the region of Macedonia before arriving to spend the winter in Corinth. He seems to be saying in this verse that he could come to Corinth sooner, but he would prefer to spend a longer time instead of just seeing them “in passing.”

Looking at a map of the ancient world is helpful at this point. Paul could have travelled from Ephesus to Corinth either by land or sea. The route across the Aegean Sea would have been more direct, a trip Paul made in the other direction when he left Corinth previously (Acts 18:18–22). However, taking the land route over the summer travel months would allow Paul to visit many of the churches he had previously helped to establish. He could then arrive in Corinth before winter began to make travel unsafe.

Paul concludes his thought with “if the Lord permits” (James 4:15). In fact, his plans did not work out as he had hoped—even provoking an accusation from some that he did not keep his word. Paul explains the reason for his change of plans in 2 Corinthians 1:15—2:1.

Verse 8. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,

This is part of Paul’s explanation of his travel plans to the Corinthians. He hopes to arrive to spend some time with them before winter sets in. He is writing this letter from Ephesus, where he has been working for some time. He adds now that he plans to stay in Ephesus until Pentecost. By this, Paul may not have meant the actual day of the celebration of Pentecost, but the Pentecost season, which was also the beginning of the travel season.

The following verse reveals, though, that Paul’s reasons for delaying his departure has more to do with continued ministry opportunities than weather.

Verse 9. for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

Paul has been describing his travel plans to the Corinthians, including his plan to come and spend some time with them within the year before winter sets in. He does not plan to leave Ephesus, however, until Pentecost—either the literal date or the season. Now he explains why.

“A wide door for effective work has opened to [Paul]” in Ephesus. He often uses the analogy of a door when describing the openness of a region to hearing the gospel and trusting in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3; Acts 14:27). However, there are also many enemies opposed to the gospel at the same time. In fact, throughout Paul’s ministry, great opposition to the gospel flared up in response to great interest in the gospel, often placing him in danger as more and more people came to faith in Christ.

Once again, Paul demonstrates in this statement that he views opposition to the gospel as part of the evidence that it is being effective. His instinct is not to run but to double down on his ministry when things begin to get heated.

Verse 10. When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am.

Paul is wrapping up his long letter to the Corinthians with a few closing business matters. He has instructed them about how to collect money for a special contribution, as well as detailing his travel plans for coming to see them in person once again.

Paul does not plan to travel to see them directly, but he will be sending Timothy to them. Timothy’s role may be both to deliver this letter and represent Paul among them. Paul had previously mentioned that Timothy was coming to them in 1 Corinthians 4:17, “That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ.”

Paul had mentored Timothy in ministry ever since meeting the younger man while on a missionary journey that took him through Lystra in Asia Minor (Acts 16:1). Timothy joined Paul’s team at that point and had become one of Paul’s most-loved and trusted disciples. Timothy eventually became the pastor of the church at Ephesus.

Timothy’s mention here is because he was with Paul during his time in Corinth, so he knew the people there. Paul now tells them to treat Timothy well by “[putting] him at ease.” Perhaps Paul expects there to be a confrontation over the things he has written in his letter to them. He knows some in Corinth oppose him. He has noted deep division among the people (1 Corinthians 1:10–11). His letter has challenged them regarding their sex lives, style and manner of worship, and in their relationships with each other.

He reminds the Corinthians that both he and Timothy are doing the work of the Lord among them. In other words, Paul’s teaching is from Christ, not from himself or Timothy.

Verse 11. So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

Paul will not be coming to Corinth himself for some time. Instead, he is sending Timothy there as his representative and perhaps to deliver this letter. Timothy’s mission, according to 1 Corinthians 4:17, is to remind them of Paul’s ways in Christ and of his teaching to all the churches.

Since he and Timothy left Corinth behind the first time, opposition has arisen against Paul. People in the church have become divided over various issues (1 Corinthians 1:10–12). Paul is aware that this letter might increase that tension since he has commanded them to be unified and has delivered his final word on everything from eating meat offered to idols to how to conduct the Lord’s Supper together. Paul has rebuked them and corrected their practice on several difficult issues.

Will they take their anger out on Timothy in some way? Paul told them in the previous verse to “put him at ease” when he comes (1 Corinthians 16:10), reminding them that Timothy is doing the Lord’s work.

Now Paul adds that they must not despise Timothy. It’s unknown if there were hard feelings from Timothy’s previous time in Corinth or if Paul expected trouble this time. In any case, he wants to protect Timothy with this command.

Most alarming is his instruction that they help Timothy on his way in peace so they he can return to Paul. In short, put him at ease when he gets there, don’t despise him, and send him away peacefully. Paul did not want Timothy to take any lumps for his tough teaching to the Corinthians.

Paul adds that he is expecting the return of Timothy with “the brothers.” It’s not clear who Paul means by this, though Timothy apparently traveled with Erastus (Acts 19:22).

Verse 12. Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.

One of the issues dividing the Corinthian church was a completely unnecessary conflict over which apostle or teacher the people should be loyal to (1 Corinthians 1:10–12). Paul rejected this as foolish and made it clear that he did not consider other Christian leaders, including Apollos, to be competition, but instead “God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9).

In fact, Apollos had been working with Paul in Ephesus. When Paul decided to send Timothy and others to Corinth, he writes now that he “strongly urged” Apollos to go, as well. This should demonstrate to the Corinthians once more that Paul does not see himself in competition with Apollos and, in fact, would see great value in Apollos spending more time with the Corinthians.

Apollos, though, chose not to go. Language experts disagree whether the text should read that it was God’s will for Apollos not to go or if Apollos himself simply did not want to. Some suggest that perhaps Apollos did not want to add to the divisions among the Corinthians by spending time with them again, but that is speculation.

Paul adds that Apollos will come when he has the opportunity.

Context Summary
First Corinthians 16:12–18 contains some of Paul’s last-minute instructions to the Corinthians at the close of his letter. He tells them Apollos will not be coming to visit them right away. He urges them to be on guard and stand firm in the faith, likely against false teachers. They must be strong but also do everything in love. Finally, Paul tells them to submit and give recognition to people like those of Stephanas’s household. These devoted servant-leaders were the first Christians in Corinth and have greatly encouraged him by coming to see him in Ephesus.

Verse 13. Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

In wrapping up this letter, Paul has been addressing the details of some business matters, as well as the travel plans of himself and others. He turns to sending greetings in a moment, but first he inserts a series of five quick commands. Paul’s habit of doing this at the end of letters reminds one of a parent restating quickly all the things their child needs to remember before rushing out the door.

Paul tells them to be watchful or to stay on their guard, along with the command to stand firm in the faith. He may be emphasizing his teaching in the previous chapter about their faith in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and the resurrection of all who follow Him. Some had watered down their belief in the resurrection. Paul reminded them the resurrection was essential to the gospel in which they stood (1 Corinthians 15:1). He urged them to be steadfast and immovable (1 Corinthians 15:58). They must be on the lookout for any kind of false teaching.

Paul also tells them to act like men, or to “be men of courage,” and to be strong. He has made clear that their faith in Christ will face opposition from the culture around them. They must be resolved to remain in their faith with strength and courage.

Paul adds one more command in the following verse.

Verse 14. Let all that you do be done in love.

Paul has added five very quick commands to the end of his letter, between discussing travel plans and sending greetings. The previous verse contained four of those: be watchful, or “on guard”, stand firm in faith, act like men of courage, and be strong.

Now he adds this one: Let all you do be done in love. This reflects the profound teaching of 1 Corinthians 13, in which Paul demonstrated how love is superior to the exercise of any spiritual gift. Better, the exercise of any spiritual gift is meaningless without love.

Paul now insists that every single word or action should be motivated by the definition of love he provided in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. Many of the issues in the Corinthian church that Paul has confronted in this letter would have been quickly resolved if everyone was motivated by that kind of sincere love for each other.

Verse 15. Now I urge you, brothers — you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints —

Paul recognizes a man named Stephanas and his family from Corinth. He says they were the first converts to Christianity in Achaia. Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia, and it’s possible the name referred not to the whole province but an area closer to Corinth. Paul mentioned at the start of this letter that he personally had baptized Stephanas and his household.

It’s likely that Paul is mentioning Stephanas here at the end of the letter because he is one of the three men who came to visit Paul in Ephesus, perhaps bringing the letter from Corinth that Paul replies to throughout this letter.

After coming to Christ, Stephanas and his household went all in on following Christ. Paul writes that they devoted themselves to the service of the saints, meaning all the others who came to Christ after them. The language suggests that Stephanas and family set themselves aside for this specific service of meeting the needs of God’s people.

Verse 16. be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.

Paul is praising a man named Stephanas and his household. They were the first to come to faith in Christ in Corinth and the surrounding regions. Paul himself baptized them when the Corinthian church was being established (1 Corinthians 1:16). Paul mentioned in the previous verse that the people of this household had devoted themselves to serving other believers as more and more came to faith in Christ.

It is unclear if Stephanas and some in his family held formal leadership positions in the church or not. Either way, Paul still urged all the Christians in Corinth to submit to their servant leadership. More specifically, Paul tells the Corinthians to be subject to leaders such as the Stephanas household and to every fellow worker and laborer among them. Those terms, worker and laborer, refer to the ones who do the work of serving others in the church.

Throughout the New Testament, a willingness to gladly serve other believers is given as one of the central characteristics of a good leader. Jesus set the ultimate model for servant leadership, meeting the needs of those who followed Him in both His life and in His death.

Verse 17. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence,

In the previous two verses, Paul commended the household of Stephanas for their devoted service to all the Christians in Corinth. He also told the Corinthian believers to submit themselves to servant leaders such as the Stephanas household, along with others who work hard to serve the church.

The reason for mentioning Stephanas in this part of the letter now becomes clear. Stephanas was one of three Corinthian men who came to visit Paul in Ephesus. These included Fortunatus and Achaicus. It’s possible that the three of them brought a letter from Corinth to Paul containing some of the questions Paul has responded to in this letter (1 Corinthians 7:1). It’s also possible that these three returned to Corinth with this letter from Paul; another possibility is that Timothy was the one who brought it to them (1 Corinthians 16:10).

Paul writes that the arrival of these three men makes up for the absence of the rest of the Corinthians. By this he seems to mean that he has truly been missing the Corinthians after moving away, and spending time with these visitors from there has helped with that sadness at being separated from them.

Verse 18. for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.

Coming to the end of his letter, Paul has been praising Stephanas and his household to the rest of the Christians in Corinth. Stephanas and two other men, perhaps servants from his household, came to visit Paul in Ephesus. Most likely, these men brought the letter Paul has been responding to in this epistle (1 Corinthians 7:1). He may have sent what we now know as 1 Corinthians back with these three men.

In the previous verse, Paul wrote that their arrival has made up for the absence of the Corinthians. By this, he seems to have meant that he has been missing his friends in Corinth and these men helped him feel better about that. Now he adds that they refreshed his spirit. They have truly been encouraging to him.

Paul has urged the Corinthians in verse 16 to put themselves under the authority of servant-leaders such as Stephanas and now he commands them to give recognition to such people. Clearly, Paul cared deeply for Stephanas. It’s also possible that Stephanas represented those among the Corinthians on the correct right side of the doctrines Paul had written about in this letter. If so, Paul may be telling the others to side with Stephanas on those issues.

Verse 19. The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.

Paul turns from commending Stephanas to his fellow Corinthians to sending greetings from others. His greetings from the churches of “Asia” may refer to a region that would have included Ephesus and the surrounding area. It’s possible that Paul is emphasizing once more that the church in Corinth is only one among the larger world of Christian churches. He would like them to see themselves as belonging to that larger body and not making up church practices for themselves as they go along.

Paul also sends “hearty greetings” from Aquila and Prisca and their house church. This Christian couple, often better known as Aquila and Priscilla, lived in Corinth for a while, and they have an interesting story. Scholars suggest their Latin names may indicate they were freed slaves. They were forced to leave Rome in AD 49 when the emperor Claudius banned all the Jewish people from that city (Acts 18:1–2). Their career as tent-makers allowed them to settle and set up shop in Corinth, where Paul found them. Also a tentmaker, Paul joined his efforts to theirs and lived with them while establishing the church in Corinth (Acts 18:3).

When Paul left to go to Ephesus, Aquila and Prisca went with him. Their hearty greeting in the Lord to the Corinthians was for people they knew well and likely missed as much as Paul did. Later, the couple moved back to Rome after the ban on Jews had been lifted (Romans 16:3) before moving back to Ephesus again (2 Timothy 4:19).

Context Summary
First Corinthians 16:19–24 concludes Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. These are final greetings from the churches in Asia, from their friends Aquila and Prisca, and from believers elsewhere. Paul writes the last lines with his own hand, taking the pen from his scribe. He curses those who do not love the Lord—meaning false teachers—then prays for Christ’s return, and prays for the grace of the Lord to be with them. His final words declare his love for all of them in Christ Jesus.

Verse 20. All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

In concluding his letter to the Corinthians, Paul has sent greetings from the churches in Asia, as well as from Aquila and Prisca, former Corinthians and his fellow workers in tent-making and ministry. Now he sends more general greetings from “all the brothers.” By this, Paul likely means all the other believers in Ephesus and, perhaps, in the world generally. Paul may once again be emphasizing that the Corinthians are just one church among a growing number of churches in the world.

As he does in the conclusion to other letters, he tells his readers to greet each other with a holy kiss (1 Thessalonians 5:26; Romans 16:16; 2 Corinthians 13:12). A quick kiss on one or both cheeks has been a common greeting between friends in many cultures down through history. Early Christians formalized this kiss of greeting as a “holy” expression of the family bond between believers in Jesus. It is difficult—though possible—to maintain resentment between believers when they must kiss each other in greeting, at least without making it clear one is being dishonest. Such a kiss would at least represent their unity, mutual forgiveness, and inclusion in the “set apart” community of Christians.

Verse 21. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.

Paul and other New Testament writers often dictated their letters to an amanuensis, someone hired to write while they spoke the words of the letter. Until computer technology became widespread, it was common for people trained in writing—or typing—to record the words of someone else. Winston Churchill, for example, wrote the first drafts of his own books in much the same way.

Paul regularly took up the pen himself to write a few lines. This might have been to validate that the letter was really from him (2 Thessalonians 3:17), to make his sign-off more personal (Colossians 4:18), or emphasize a strongly-worded point (Galatians 6:11). His choice to write in his own hand at the end of this letter would have accomplished all three of these. His malediction—in contrast to a benediction—in the following verse contains a strong curse against those who do not love the Lord.

Verse 22. If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!

The previous verse reveals that Paul is writing the end of this long letter to the Corinthians with his own hand instead of dictating it to someone else. Use of a trained scribe, called an amanuensis, to record dictated words, was common in that era. Paul sometimes did this to emphasize a strong point, which he does with this curse. To contrast this with a more-typical benediction, some refer to this statement as a malediction.

This curse is really a prayer: Let anyone who has no love for the Lord be accursed. The difference between genuine believers and unbelievers—especially false teachers—was true love for Christ. Paul likely was asking God to specially curse those who would come among the Christians in Corinth to lead them away from faith in Christ through false teaching.

Paul follows this with another, even shorter prayer: Our Lord, come! Paul deeply longed for Christ to return and all things to be made right. Christians around the world still join Paul in praying for the Lord’s soon return.

Verse 23. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

In the previous verse, Paul prayed a curse on those who have no love for the Lord. Given his other writings, this probably means false teachers who pretended to be Christians in order to lead Christians away from faith in Christ.

Now he prays a more standard blessing, a benediction, for his readers in Corinth: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.” This prayer of blessing in God’s grace for the Corinthians comes at the end of a letter containing many rebukes and commands to change their attitudes and behaviors. As a group, in one way or another, the Corinthians were failing to trust God and demonstrating wild misunderstanding of the great truth of Christianity.

Still, Paul ends as he began: “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus…who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:4, 8). Despite some failings, Paul believes the Christians in Corinth to be covered by the grace of God through faith in Christ.

Verse 24. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Paul ends his great letter to the Christians at the church in Corinth with a simple expression of his own affection for them. He has offered harsh rebukes and demands for change in attitudes and behaviors. He is aware that some in the church already oppose him and that others may not receive this letter well. Still, Paul wants them to know everything he has written to them has been motivated by his love for them in Christ. He cares deeply for them and longs to see them thrive in their relationships with God and with each other.

How appropriate that he ends by expressing the love he has written so eloquently about (1 Corinthians 13), the love that is the greatest of all things.

Book Summary
First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul’s letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible’s more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.

End of Chapter 16 and the Book of 1st Corinthians.

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