What does 1 Corinthians 16:3 mean?
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.
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.
