The Collection and Final Greetings

Log in to take the quiz and save your progress.

1. Observe

   On what day does Paul instruct the Corinthians to set aside money for the Jerusalem collection, and why (v. 2)?

   • On the Sabbath, to connect giving with rest and worship
   • On the first day of every week, so that no collections need to be made when Paul arrives
   • On the day of the new moon, following Jewish calendar traditions
   • Whenever each person is moved by the Spirit to give

2. Observe

   What five commands does Paul stack together in verses 13-14?

   • Pray, fast, give, serve, and love
   • Rejoice, pray, give thanks, test everything, and hold to the good
   • Watch, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong, let all that you do be done in love
   • Flee immorality, pursue righteousness, fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith

3. Interpret

   Paul closes the letter with the Aramaic word *Maranatha* — "Come, Lord!" (v. 22). What does ending a long practical letter about church problems with this prayer reveal about the heart of Paul's pastoral vision?

   • Paul is frustrated with the Corinthians and is praying for Christ to return so the arguments will stop.
   • The prayer is a liturgical formula with no particular connection to the letter's content.
   • Beneath all the correction about food, gifts, resurrection, and giving lies an aching longing for Christ's return — and Paul's pastoral work is always oriented toward that horizon; the church's problems matter because the church belongs to a Lord who is coming back.
   • Paul doubts that the Corinthians will change, so he appeals to divine intervention.

4. Interpret

   Paul says he is staying at Ephesus because "a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (v. 9). What does the pairing of open door and many adversaries teach about the nature of gospel opportunity?

   • Adversaries are a sign that a missionary should relocate to a more receptive area.
   • An open door for the gospel typically comes with fierce opposition — the two are often inseparable, and the presence of adversaries does not close the door but confirms the stakes of the opportunity.
   • Paul stayed in Ephesus because the adversaries needed to be defeated before the gospel could advance.
   • The open door refers to the physical doors of the synagogue being opened to Paul's preaching.

5. Apply

   Paul's giving instruction (v. 2) assumes planned, weekly, proportional giving — not spontaneous or sporadic. How does this pattern challenge common attitudes about Christian generosity?

   • It suggests that spontaneous generosity is spiritually superior to planned giving.
   • It implies that only wealthy believers who can save significant amounts should give.
   • It treats giving as a discipline to be built into regular rhythms — "as he may prosper" makes it proportional, weekly makes it habitual — challenging the view that generosity should wait until there is a surplus or a compelling emotional appeal.
   • It limits giving to the specific collection for Jerusalem and does not apply to local church support.

6. Apply

   The five imperatives in verses 13-14 — watch, stand firm, be courageous, be strong, do all in love — describe a complete posture for Christian life. Which of these five do you most need to strengthen, and what one concrete step would move you toward it?

   • Whichever one is easiest to practice, since beginning with strength builds momentum
   • The one that appears most frequently in the New Testament, since frequency indicates importance
   • All five equally, since they cannot be separated and must always be practiced together
   • Honest self-assessment will identify the one where you most often fail — whether it is watchfulness against spiritual drift, firmness when pressure mounts, courage when the cost is high, strength in sustained endurance, or love as the governing motive — and a single, specific habit can begin to build that capacity

Your journal

Write your own answers — they save automatically, and only you can see them.

Log in to write and save journal answers.