1 Corinthians 16:3
◄  1 Corinthians 16:3  ►
New International Version (©2011)
Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.

New Living Translation (©2007)
When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem.

English Standard Version (©2001)
And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem;

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
When I arrive, I will send with letters those you recommend to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.

International Standard Version (©2012)
When I arrive, I will send letters along with the men you approve to take your gift to Jerusalem.

NET Bible (©2006)
Then, when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve with letters of explanation to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And when I shall come, those whom you elect I shall send with a letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
When I come, I will give letters of introduction to the people whom you choose. You can send your gift to Jerusalem with them.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And when I come, whomsoever you shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.

American King James Version
And when I come, whomsoever you shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality to Jerusalem.

American Standard Version
And when I arrive, whomsoever ye shall approve, them will I send with letters to carry your bounty unto Jerusalem:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when I shall be with you, whomsoever you shall approve by letters, them will I send to carry your grace to Jerusalem.

Darby Bible Translation
And when I am arrived, whomsoever ye shall approve, these I will send with letters to carry your bounty to Jerusalem:

English Revised Version
And when I arrive, whomsoever ye shall approve by letters, them will I send to carry your bounty unto Jerusalem:

Webster's Bible Translation
And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality to Jerusalem.

Weymouth New Testament
And when I am with you, whatever brethren you accredit by letter I will send to carry your kind gift to Jerusalem.

World English Bible
When I arrive, I will send whoever you approve with letters to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.

Young's Literal Translation
and whenever I may come, whomsoever ye may approve, through letters, these I will send to carry your favour to Jerusalem;

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:1-9 The good examples of other Christians and churches should rouse us. It is good to lay up in store for good uses. Those who are rich in this world, should be rich in good works, 1Ti 6:17,18. The diligent hand will not make rich, without the Divine blessing, Pr 10:4,22. And what more proper to stir us up to charity to the people and children of God, than to look at all we have as his gift? Works of mercy are real fruits of true love to God, and are therefore proper services on his own day. Ministers are doing their proper business, when putting forward, or helping works of charity. The heart of a Christian minister must be towards the people among whom he has laboured long, and with success. All our purposes must be made with submission to the Divine providence, Jas 4:15. Adversaries and opposition do not break the spirits of faithful and successful ministers, but warm their zeal, and inspire them with fresh courage. A faithful minister is more discouraged by the hardness of his hearers' hearts, and the backslidings of professors, than by the enemies' attempts.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - Whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send. It is difficult to see why the translators rendered the clause thus, unless they disliked to face the certainty that the apostle must have written many letters which are no longer extant. The true rendering is, Whomsoever ye approve, these I will send with letters. The letters would be letters of introduction or commendation (Acts 18:27; Romans 16:1; 2 Corinthians 3:1) to the apostles at Jerusalem. Your liberality; literally, your grace or favour; i.e. the token of your voluntary affection.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3. approve by your letters—rather translate, "Whomsoever ye shall approve, them will I send with letters": namely, letters to several persons at Jerusalem, which would be their credentials. There could be no need of letters from them before Paul's coming, if the persons recommended were not to be sent off before it. Literally, "by letters"; an abbreviated expression for "I will send, recommending them by letters" [Grotius]. If English Version be retained, the sense will be, "When I come, I will send those whom by your letters, then to be given them, ye shall approve." But the antithesis (opposition or contrast) to Paul himself (1Co 16:4) favors Grotius' view. So "by" means with (Ro 2:27); and the Greek for "by" is translated, with (2Co 2:4).

liberality—literally, gracious or free gift (2Co 8:4).

1 Corinthians 16:3 Parallel Commentaries

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The Collection for the Saints
1Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do you. 2On the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 3And when I come, whomsoever you shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality to Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 16:4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.
2 Corinthians 3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
2 Corinthians 8:18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.
2 Corinthians 8:19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.