1 Corinthians 16:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

NIV: If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

NASB: and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.

CSB: If it is suitable for me to go as well, they will travel with me.

NLT: And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me.

KJV: And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

NKJV: But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with 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).

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.

Having finished the main teaching parts of his letter, Paul wraps up with some matters of business. He tells the Corinthians how to gather funds for a special contribution. He describes his travel plans, including his plan to arrive there before winter. He warns them to treat Timothy well and commends a delegation from Corinth that have come to see him. He concludes with greetings from other believers, along with a curse and a blessing. He curses those who do not love the Lord—here apparently meaning false teachers—and prays the grace of the Lord on everyone else.

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.

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.