Lesson 20

Paul had been telling the Macedonia churches how the extended Christian church family from around the Mediterranean had been preparing an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem. In these next verses, Paul gives the Corinthians the same advice as he gave the Galatians about setting aside their offerings weekly. After they knew how much they had to spare at the end of each week, they should set it aside for those in Jerusalem on the first day of the following week. Coming with some from Macedonia, he would collect their gifts on his way to Jerusalem.

In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul has sent men ahead of him to make sure that the Corinthian gift was all ready to go. He had been boasting to the Macedonians about how the Corithians were ready to give their gifts the previous year and he didn’t want anyone to be embarrassed if their gift was not ready.

1 Corinthians 16:1-5 New Living Translation

16 Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 4 And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me. 5 I am coming to visit you after I have been to Macedonia, for I am planning to travel through Macedonia.

2 Corinthians 9:1-5 Living Bible

9 I realize that I really don’t even need to mention this to you, about helping God’s people. 2 For I know how eager you are to do it, and I have boasted to the friends in Macedonia that you were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was this enthusiasm of yours that stirred up many of them to begin helping. 3 But I am sending these men just to be sure that you really are ready, as I told them you would be, with your money all collected; I don’t want it to turn out that this time I was wrong in my boasting about you. 4 I would be very much ashamed—and so would you—if some of these Macedonian people come with me, only to find that you still aren’t ready after all I have told them! 5 So I have asked these other brothers to arrive ahead of me to see that the gift you promised is on hand and waiting. I want it to be a real gift and not look as if it were being given under pressure.

Scrutinising these verses as a Berean Biblist would, do these scriptures tell you Christians should worship God on the first day of the week? Provide your reasoning.