First Letter to the Corinthians 16

¹ Now about the collection made for the saints: you are to do as I told the churches in Galatia to do.

² Every Sunday, each one of you must put aside what he can afford, so that collections need not be made after I have come.

³ When I am with you, I will send your offering to Jerusalem by the hand of whatever men you give letters of reference to;

⁴ If it seems worth while for me to go too, they can travel with me.

⁵ I shall be coming to you after I have passed through Macedonia – and I am doing no more than pass through Macedonia –

⁶ and I may be staying with you, perhaps even passing the winter, to make sure that it is you who send me on my way wherever my travels take me.

⁷ As you see, I do not want to make it only a passing visit to you and I hope to spend some time with you, the Lord permitting.

⁸ In any case I shall be staying at Ephesus until Pentecost

⁹ because a big and important door has opened for my work and there is a great deal of opposition.

¹⁰ If Timothy comes, show him that he has nothing to be afraid of in you: like me, he is doing the Lord’s work,

¹¹ and nobody is to be scornful of him. Send him happily on his way to come back to me; the brothers and I are waiting for him.

¹² As for our brother Apollos, I begged him to come to you with the brothers but he was quite firm that he did not want to go yet and he will come as soon as he can.

¹³ Be awake to all the dangers; stay firm in the faith; be brave and be strong.

¹⁴ Let everything you do be done in love.

¹⁵ There is something else to ask you, brothers. You know how the Stephanas family, who were the first-fruits of Achaia, have really worked hard to help the saints.

¹⁶ Well, I want you in your turn to put yourselves at the service of people like this, and anyone who helps and works with them.

¹⁷ I am delighted that Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus have arrived; they make up for your absence.

¹⁸ They have settled my mind, and yours too; I hope you appreciate men like this.

¹⁹ All the churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, with the church that meets at their house, send you their warmest wishes, in the Lord.

²⁰ All the brothers send you their greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹ This greeting is in my own hand – Paul.

²² If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse on him. ‘Maran atha.'[*a]

²³ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

²⁴ My love is with you all in Christ Jesus.