| Geneva Study Bible Upon the {a} first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath {b} prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. (a) Which in times past was called Sunday, but now is called the Lord's day. (b) That every man bestow according to the ability that God has blessed him with. People's New Testament 16:2 Upon the first day of the week. This shows that the first day of the week was set apart and regarded by the church. The church assembled to break bread on that day (Ac 20:7). Let every one of you lay by him in store. The usual view is that every one was directed to set aside something on the Lord's day and keep it until Paul came. This view is sanctioned by the translations and most of the commentators. Macknight renders: On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay somewhat by itself, put it into the treasury. I believe Macknight is right; for (1) there were to be no collections when Paul came. That implies that the money was to be placed in the treasury. Otherwise, it would have to be collected. (2) Thesaurizoon, rendered in the Common Version in store, is a present participle, meaning literally, putting into the thesaurus, or treasury. (3) All church history testifies that the early church took up weekly collections on the first day of the week. See Pliny's Letter to the Emperor Trajan. (4) We know, from Acts, and from all early church history, that the church met on the first day of the week. It only remains to add that par heauto, rendered by the translators by him, is rendered with equal correctness, by itself. Its form is that of the neuter reflexive pronoun. As God hath prospered him. Each week every one is to give according to his ability. Wesley's Notes 16:2 Let every one - Not the rich only: let him also that hath little, gladly give of that little. According as he hath been prospered - Increasing his alms as God increases his substance. According to this lowest rule of Christian prudence, if a man when he has or gains one pound give a tenth to God, when he has or gains an hundred he will give the tenth of this also. And yet I show unto you a more excellent way. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Stint yourself to no proportion at all. But lend to God all you can. Scofield Reference Notes Margin as God 1Cor 16:1,2, See Scofield Note: "2Cor 8:1". Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 2. first day of . week-already kept sacred by Christians as the day of the Lord's resurrection, the beginning day both of the physical and of the new spiritual creations: it gradually superseded the Jewish sabbath on the seventh day (Ps 118:22-24; Joh 20:19, 26; Ac 20:7; Re 1:10). So the beginning of the year was changed from autumn to spring when Israel was brought out of Egypt. Three annual feasts, all typical of Christian truths, were directed to be kept on the first day of the week: the feast of the wave offering of the first sheaf, answering to the Lord's resurrection; Pentecost, or the feast of weeks, typical of the fruits of the resurrection in the Christian Church (Le 23:11, 15, 16, 36); the feast of tabernacles at harvest, typical of the ingathering of the full number of the elect from one end of heaven to the other. Easter was directed to be kept as a holy sabbath (Ex 12:16). The Christian Sabbath commemorates the respective works of the Three Persons of the Triune God-creation, redemption (the resurrection), and sanctification (on Pentecost the Holy Ghost being poured out). Jesus came to fulfil the Spirit of the Law, not to cancel it, or to lower its standard. The primary object of the sabbath is holiness, not merely rest: "Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day." Compare Ge 2:3, "God blessed and sanctified it, because . in it He had rested," &c. The word "Remember" implies that it was in existence before the giving of the law from Sinai, and refers to its institution in Paradise (compare Ex 16:22, 23, 26, 30). "Six days shalt thou labor": the spirit of the command is fulfilled whether the six days' labor be on the last six days or on the first. A perpetual sabbath would doubtless be the highest Christian ideal; but living in a world of business where the Christian ideal is not yet realized, if a law of definite times was necessary in Paradise, it is still more so now. every one of yon-even those in limited circumstances. lay by him-though there be not a weekly public collection, each is privately to set apart a definite proportion of his weekly income for the Lord's cause and charity. in store-abundantly: the earnest of a better store laid up for the giver (1Ti 6:19). as God hath prospered him-literally, "whatsoever he may be prospered in," or "may by prosperity have acquired" [Alford], (Mt 25:15-29; 2Co 8:12). that there be no gatherings when I come-that they may not then have to be made, when your and my time ought to be employed m more directly spiritual things. When men give once for all, not so much is given. But when each lays by something every Lord's day, more is collected than one would have given at once [Bengel]. 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. | 
