1 Corinthians 16:3

3 and whenever I may come, whomsoever ye may approve, through letters, these I will send to carry your favour to Jerusalem;

1 Corinthians 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 Corinthians 16:3 In-Context

1 And concerning the collection that [is] for the saints, as I directed to the assemblies of Galatia, so also ye -- do ye;

2 on every first [day] of the week, let each one of you lay by him, treasuring up whatever he may have prospered, that when I may come then collections may not be made;

3 and whenever I may come, whomsoever ye may approve, through letters, these I will send to carry your favour to Jerusalem;

4 and if it be meet for me also to go, with me they shall go.

5 And I will come unto you, when I pass through Macedonia -- for Macedonia I do pass through --