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Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Complete Jewish Bible

1 Corinthians 16:3

And when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the people you have approved, and I will send them to carry your gift to Yerushalayim.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Alms;   Beneficence;   Church;   Liberality;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Church;   Paul;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Collection;   Corinthians, First and Second, Theology of;   Mission;   Poor and Poverty, Theology of;   Worship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Alms;   Collection;   Romans, Epistle to the;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Alms;   Paul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Alms;   Collection for the Poor Saints;   Community of Goods;   Contribution for the Saints;   Grace;   Letter;   Paul;   1 Corinthians;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Church;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Collection;   Discipline;   Temptation, Trial;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Alms;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Church Government;   Contribution;   Epistle;   Grace;   Liberal;   Trophimus;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When I arrive, I will send with letters those you recommend to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
King James Version (1611)
And when I come, whomsoeuer you shall approue by your letters, them wil I send to bring your liberality vnto Ierusalem.
King James Version
And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
English Standard Version
And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible
When I arrive, whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem;
New Century Version
When I arrive, I will send whomever you approve to take your gift to Jerusalem. I will send them with letters of introduction,
Amplified Bible
When I arrive, I will send whomever you approve with letters [of authorization] to take your gift [of charity and love] 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;
Legacy Standard Bible
And when I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem,
Berean Standard Bible
Then, on my arrival, I will send letters with those you recommend to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
Contemporary English Version
Choose some followers to take the money to Jerusalem. I will send them on with the money and with letters which show that you approve of them.
Darby Translation
And when I am arrived, whomsoever ye shall approve, these I will send with letters to carry your bounty to Jerusalem:
Easy-to-Read Version
When I arrive, I will send some men to take your gift to Jerusalem. These will be the ones you all agree should go. I will send them with letters of introduction.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when I am come, whomsoeuer ye shal alowe by letters, them will I send to bring your liberalitie vnto Hierusalem.
George Lamsa Translation
And when I come, whomsoever you may select, I will send with a letter, to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.
Good News Translation
After I come, I shall give letters of introduction to those you have approved, and send them to take your gift to Jerusalem.
Lexham English Bible
And whenever I arrive, whomever you approve by letters, I will send these to take your gift to Jerusalem.
Literal Translation
And when I arrive, whomever you approve through these epistles, I will send to carry your grace 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:
Bible in Basic English
And when I come, I will send the men of your selection with letters to take the money you have got together to Jerusalem.
Hebrew Names Version
When I arrive, I will send whoever you approve with letters to carry your gracious gift to Yerushalayim.
International Standard Version
When I arrive, I will send with letters the men you approve to take your gift to Jerusalem.2 Corinthians 8:19;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And when I come, those whom you shall choose, them will I send with an epistle, that they may take your bounty to Urishlem.
Murdock Translation
And when I come, those whom ye shall select, I will send with a letter, to carry your bounty to Jerusalem.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
When I am come, whomsoeuer ye shall alowe by [your] letters, them wyll I sende, to bryng your liberalitie vnto Hierusalem.
English Revised Version
And when I arrive, whomsoever ye shall approve by letters, them will I send to carry your bounty unto Jerusalem:
World English Bible
When I arrive, I will send whoever you approve with letters to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And when I am come, whomsoever ye shall approve, them will I send with letters, to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
Weymouth's New Testament
And when I am with you, whatever brethren you accredit by letter I will send to carry your kind gift to Jerusalem.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne Y schal be present, whiche men ye preuen, Y schal sende hem bi epistlis to bere youre grace in to Jerusalem.
Update Bible Version
And when I arrive, whoever you shall approve, I will send them with letters to carry your bounty to 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.
New English Translation
Then, when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve with letters of explanation to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
New King James Version
And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.
New Living Translation
When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem.
New Life Bible
When I get there, I will give letters to the men you want to send. They will take your gift to Jerusalem.
New Revised Standard
And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, as soon as I arrive, whomsoever ye shall approve by letters, these, will I send, to bear away your favour 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.
Revised Standard Version
And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When I am come whosoever ye shall alowe by youre letters them will I sende to bringe youre liberalite vnto Ierusalem.
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;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan I am come, whom so euer ye shal alowe by youre letters, the wyll I sende to brynge youre liberalite vnto Ierusalem.
Mace New Testament (1729)
and when I come, I shall send such as you shall approve of, who will convey letters, and your kind present to Jerusalem.
Simplified Cowboy Version
When I get there, I will send some cowboys to deliver the money to the Jerusalem church. I'll send the ones you suggested with a letter of introduction.

Contextual Overview

1 Now, in regard to the collection being made for God's people: you are to do the same as I directed the congregations in Galatia to do. 2 Every week, on Motza'ei-Shabbat, each of you should set some money aside, according to his resources, and save it up; so that when I come I won't have to do fundraising. 3 And when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the people you have approved, and I will send them to carry your gift to Yerushalayim. 4 If it seems appropriate that I go too, they will go along with me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when: 1 Corinthians 4:19-21, 1 Corinthians 11:34

whomsoever: Acts 6:1-6, 2 Corinthians 8:19-24

liberality: Gr. gift, 2 Corinthians 8:4, 2 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 8:19

Reciprocal: Acts 6:3 - look Acts 11:30 - by Acts 18:27 - the brethren 2 Corinthians 3:1 - epistles 2 Corinthians 8:20 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Now Sarai Avram's wife had not borne him a child. But she had an Egyptian slave-girl named Hagar;
Genesis 16:4
Avram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she conceived. But when she became aware that she was pregnant, she looked on her mistress with contempt.
Genesis 16:5
Sarai said to Avram, "This outrage being done to me is your fault! True, I gave my slave-girl to you to sleep with; but when she saw that she was pregnant, she began holding me in contempt. May Adonai decide who is right — I or you!"
Genesis 25:6
But to the sons of the concubines he made grants while he was still living and sent them off to the east, to the land of Kedem, away from Yitz'chak his son.
Genesis 28:9
So ‘Esav went to Yishma‘el and took, in addition to the wives he already had, Machalat the daughter of Yishma‘el Avraham's son, the sister of N'vayot, to be his wife. Haftarah Tol'dot: Mal'akhi (Malachi) 1:1–2:7 B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Tol'dot: Romans 9:6–16; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:20; 12:14–17 Ya‘akov went out from Be'er-Sheva and traveled toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed the night there, because the sun had set. He took a stone from the place, put it under his head and lay down there to sleep. He dreamt that there before him was a ladder resting on the ground with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of Adonai were going up and down on it. Then suddenly Adonai was standing there next to him; and he said, "I am Adonai , the God of Avraham your [grand]father and the God of Yitz'chak. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth. You will expand to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. By you and your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed. Look, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land, because I won't leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Ya‘akov awoke from his sleep and said, "Truly, Adonai is in this place — and I didn't know it!" Then he became afraid and said, "This place is fearsome! This has to be the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!" Ya‘akov got up early in the morning, took the stone he had put under his head, set it up as a standing-stone, poured olive oil on its top and named the place Beit-El [house of God]; but the town had originally been called Luz. Ya‘akov took this vow: "If God will be with me and will guard me on this road that I am traveling, giving me bread to eat and clothes to wear, so that I return to my father's house in peace, then Adonai will be my God; and this stone, which I have set up as a standing-stone, will be God's house; and of everything you give me, I will faithfully return one-tenth to you."
Genesis 30:4
So she gave him Bilhah her slave-girl as his wife, and Ya‘akov went in and slept with her.
Genesis 30:9
When Le'ah saw that she had stopped having children, she took Zilpah her slave-girl and gave her to Ya‘akov as his wife.
Genesis 32:22
So the present crossed over ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.
Genesis 35:22
It was while Isra'el was living in that land that Re'uven went and slept with Bilhah his father's concubine, and Isra'el heard about it. Ya‘akov had twelve sons.
2 Samuel 5:13
David took for himself more concubines and wives in Yerushalayim after coming from Hevron, so that still more sons and daughters were born to David.

Gill's Notes on the 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters - There has been great variety of opinion in regard to the proper construction of this verse. Macknight supposes that the “letters” here referred to were not letters either to or from the apostle, but letters signed and sent by the congregation at Corinth, designating their appointment and their authority. With this interpretation Doddridge coincides; and this is required by the usual pointing of the Greektext, where the comma is inserted after the word letters, as in our translation. But a different interpretation has been proposed by inserting the comma after the word “approve,” so that it shall read, “Whom you approve, or designate, them I will send with letters to convey your charity to Jerusalem.” This is followed by Griesbach, Locke, Rosenmuller, Bloomfield, Beza, Hammond, Grotius, Whitby, etc. Certainly this accords better with the design of the passage. For it is evident (see 1 Corinthians 16:4) that, though Paul was willing to go, yet he was not expecting to go. If he did not go, what was more natural than that he should offer to give them letters of commendation to his brethren in Judea? Mill has doubted whether this construction is in accordance with Greek usage, but the names above cited are sufficient authority on that subject. The proper construction, therefore, is, that Paul would give them letters to his friends in Jerusalem, and certify their appointment to dispense the charity, and commend the persons sent to the favor and hospitality of the church there. “Your liberality.” Margin, “Gift.” Your donation; your alms. The Greek word χάριν charin, usually signifies grace, or favor. Here it means an act of grace or favor; kindness; a favor conferred; benefaction: compare 2Co 8:4, 2 Corinthians 8:6-7, 2 Corinthians 8:19.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 16:3. Whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters] Why should Paul require letters of approbation in behalf of certain persons, when he himself should be among them, and could have their characters viva voce? It is probable that he refers here to letters of recommendation which they had sent to him while he was away; and he now promises that when he should come to Corinth, he would appoint these persons, whom they had recommended, to carry the alms to Jerusalem. If δοκιμασητε, be read ye shall have approved, as Bishop Pearce does, the difficulty will vanish.

Some MSS. and several versions join διεπιστολων, by letters, to the following words, and read the verse thus: When I come, those whom ye shall approve I will send with letters to bring your liberality to Jerusalem. This seems most natural.


 
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