1 Corinthians 16:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.

NASB: So do not look down on him, anyone. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.

CSB: So let no one look down on him. Send him on his way in peace so that he can come to me, because I am expecting him with the brothers.

NLT: Don’t let anyone treat him with contempt. Send him on his way with your blessing when he returns to me. I expect him to come with the other believers.

KJV: Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren.

NKJV: Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.

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).

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.

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.