The Great Commentary (Mossman/Cobb English)

Let every one lay by him in store — the amount that he may wish to give at this collection on the Lord’s Day. The first day of the week was the day on which the faithful assembled in church and made their oblations, even as they do now ; for from this passage it is evident that, by Apostolic institution, a collection was wont to be made on the Lord’s Day. When this custom had been discontinued at Constantinople, S. Chrysostom had it restored, and delivered a remarkable sermon on almsgiving and collections at the time. Again, S. Chrysostom well remarks that it was well ordered that the collection should take place on the Lord’s Day, for on it God created the world and re-created it when lost, when Christ rose on the first day of the week and sent His Holy Spirit on the same day ; and, therefore, we should keep in mind the great mercy that we have received on that day, and be merciful and liberal ourselves to others who are in need. Moreover, it appears from this verse, that in the time of the Apostles the Sabbath had given way to the Lord’s Day, and that is evidently implied by S. John (Rev. i. 10), when He says: “I was 404 FIRST EPISTLE TO THE in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” Moreover, it follows secondly, in opposition to the Protestants, that even unwritten traditions are to be observed, for Scripture nowhere orders the Lord’s Day to be kept instead of the Sabbath. S. Thomas and Cajetan think that each one of the faithful is here bidden to lay by at home, each Lord’s Day, his offering, and give it in the church, not on that day, but later on, when it was to be sent to the poor of Jerusalem, But the practice of the Church shows that the opposite is meant, viz., that the oblations should be offered at the altar each Lord’s Day, and the same thing is shown by the words that follow, “that there be no gatherings when I come.” He wishes, then, these offerings to be put by each Lord’s Day, before the supper and the agape, and then, when the Eucharist was celebrated in the church, to be collected as alms. Notice that “to lay by in store” is in Greek “to treasure up,” for he who treasures up for the poor lays up treasure for himself in heaven

I will send your liberality to Jerusalem . (Ecumenius points out that he does not here speak of alms, as he might truly have done, because the name of alms is degrading and insulting to the saints who were to receive them, but he uses a more polite term — liberality, kindness, blessing. And if it be meet that I go also they shall go with me. S. Paul stirs up the Corinthians by these words to make a larger collection, one large enough to be fit for him to take

1 will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost Viz., because at Ephesus was the famous temple of Diana, and because the chief men of Asia Minor lived there. Hence the Proconsul of Asia Minor resided at Ephesus, and, as Philostratus says ( Vita Apollonii lib. viii.), learning flourished there most; and, therefore, there was a greater harvest for S. Paul, and this was what determined him to stay so long there

A great door ... is opened unto me. A great opportunity of preaching the Gospel and of converting many. So Ambrose. PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS 405

Let all your things be done with charity . This, according to some, is not supernatural charity, but the sincere affection which penitents or even unbelievers can possess. But this is not the charity which Scripture and S. Paul commend to the faithful, but merely such natural love as pagans have. The sense properly speaking is therefore: “Do all your works, O Corinthians, not from ambition, nor from contention or schism, as I told you in chaps, ii. and xiv., but in Christian charity, which is a Divine virtue infused into you by Christ” This is partly a precept, partly a counsel of perfection, as was pointed out in the notes to chap. x. 31

I am glad of the presence of Stephanas , and Fortunatus, and Achaiacus . (1.) According to Anselm this presence means the presence of these men with the Corinthians to supply, teach, and strengthen them in the faith. (2.) According to Theophylact it is the presence of these men with S. Paul, to supply him with what he needed for his ministry from their own resources, and so to help forward the cause of Christ. This is undoubtedly S. Paul’s meaning, and suits better with what follows