1 Corinthians 16:24

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) My love be with you all.—Like a river which, after rushing, foaming over many a rock and through many a gorge, at last emerges into a broad calm amid sunlit meadows, so this Epistle, after chapters of trenchant logic and fervid rebuke, closes in peaceful words of tenderness and love.

[In reference to the erroneous subscription which follows this Epistle in our English version, see Notes on 1Corinthians 16:5; 1Corinthians 16:8; 1Corinthians 16:10.

For the date of this Epistle, see Introduction.]

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:19-24 Christianity by no means destroys civility. Religion should promote a courteous and obliging temper towards all. Those give a false idea of religion, and reproach it, who would take encouragement from it to be sour and morose. And Christian salutations are not mere empty compliments; but are real expressions of good-will to others, and commend them to the Divine grace and blessing. Every Christian family should be as a Christian church. Wherever two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ, and he is among them, there is a church. Here is a solemn warning. Many who have Christ's name much in their mouths, have no true love to him in their hearts. None love him in truth, who do not love his laws, and keep his commandments. Many are Christians in name, who do not love Christ Jesus the Lord in sincerity. Such are separated from the people of God, and the favour of God. Those who love not the Lord Jesus Christ, must perish without remedy. Let us not rest in any religious profession where there is not the love of Christ, earnest desires for his salvation, gratitude for his mercies, and obedience to his commandments. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has in it all that is good, for time and for eternity. To wish that our friends may have this grace with them, is wishing them the utmost good. And this we should wish all our friends and brethren in Christ. We can wish them nothing greater, and we should wish them nothing less. True Christianity makes us wish those whom we love, the blessings of both worlds; this is meant in wishing the grace of Christ to be with them. The apostle had dealt plainly with the Corinthians, and told them of their faults with just severity; but he parts in love, and with a solemn profession of his love to them for Christ's sake. May our love be with all who are in Christ Jesus. Let us try whether all things appear worthless to us, when compared with Christ and his righteousness. Do we allow ourselves in any known sin, or in the neglect of any known duty? By such inquiries, faithfully made, we may judge of the state of our souls.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In Christ Jesus - Through Christ Jesus; or in connection with your love to him; that is, as Christians. This is an expression of tender regard to them as Christian brethren; of his love for the church; and his earnest desire for their welfare. It is in accordance with the usual manner in which he closes his epistles; and it is especially tender, affectionate, and beautiful here, when we consider the manner in which he had been treated by many of the Corinthians; and as following the solemn declaration in 1 Corinthians 16:22. Paul loved them; loved them intensely, and was ever ready to express his affectionate regard for them all, and his earnest desire for their salvation.

The subscription to the Epistle, "The first epistle to the Corinthians," etc., was evidently written by some other hand than that of Paul, and has no claim to be regarded as inspired. Probably these subscriptions were added a considerable time after the Epistles were first written; and in some instances evidently by some person who was not well informed on the subject; see the note at the end of the Epistle to the Romans. In this instance, the subscription is evidently in its main statement false. The Epistle bears internal marks that it was written from Ephesus, though there is every probability that it was sent by three of the persons who are mentioned here. It is absurd, however, to suppose that Timothy was concerned in bearing the Epistle to them, since it is evident that when it was written he was already on a visit to the churches, and on his way to Corinth; see the notes on 1 Corinthians 16:10-11; 1 Corinthians 4:17. There is not the slightest internal evidence that it was written from Philippi; but everything in the Epistle concurs in the supposition that it was sent from Ephesus. See the introduction to that Epistle. There is, however, a considerable variety among the manuscripts in regard to the subscription; and they are evidently none of them of any authority, and as these subscriptions generally mislead the reader of the Bible, it would have been better had they been omitted.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. My love, &c.—After having administered some severe rebukes, he closes with expressions of "love": his very rebukes were prompted by love, and therefore are altogether in harmony with the profession of love here made: it was love in Christ Jesus, and therefore embraced "all" who loved Him.

The subscription represents the Epistle as written from Philippi. 1Co 16:8 shows it was written at Ephesus. Bengel conjectures that perhaps, however, it was sent from Philippi (1Co 16:5), because the deputies of the Corinthians had accompanied Paul thither. From Ephesus there was a road to Corinth above Philippi.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

As I love you, so I desire to be again beloved of you in Christ sincerely. Or, I love you all in Christ, and for Christ’s sake; or, I wish that my love may abide in and with you.

The first (epistle) to the Corinthians was written from Philippi by Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus, and Timotheus.

These words are no part of Scripture; and (as was said before) it is much more probable, that this Epistle was written from Ephesus than from Philippi, though it might be sent by these, or some of these, men named.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

My love be with you all,.... Meaning either that he desired that he might be loved by them, as they were by him, and might always have a place in their hearts and affections, as they had in his; or that his love, which extended to all of them without exception, to rich and poor, greater or lesser believers, might be always acceptable to them; and which he now commended to them, and saluted them with, from his very heart: and that it might not be thought to be a carnal affection, or on account of any outward things, he adds,

in Christ Jesus; he loved them for Christ's sake, because they were his, had his grace bestowed on them, his image stamped upon them, and his Spirit put within them; and concludes as usual, with an

Amen; both by way of request, and for the sake of confirmation; desiring that so it might be, and believing that so it would be. The following subscription is added, not by the apostle, but by some other hand since. "The first" epistle "to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, by Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus, and Timotheus"; but, as has been already observed, this epistle was not written from Philippi, but from Ephesus, where the apostle now was, as appears from 1 Corinthians 16:8; nor was it sent by Timotheus, for he was sent out before the writing of this epistle, see 1 Corinthians 4:17, and the apostle puts an if upon his coming to them, in 1 Corinthians 16:10, which he would scarcely have done, if he had sent this letter by him; though very probably it was sent by the other three, who came from Corinth, at their return thither.

Geneva Study Bible

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen] See note on ch. 1 Corinthians 4:17. This affectionate commendation of the Corinthians to the favour of Christ, coupled with the assurance of his own unchanging affection, must have sounded very striking in the ears of a community accustomed to Gentile modes of thought. Compare the curt and cold ‘Farewell’ at the end of Claudius Lysias’ letter in Acts 23:30. Much of the beauty and significance of this conclusion is lost to us by over-familiarity. It is worthy of note that the Epistle begins and ends with Jesus Christ See note on ch. 1 Corinthians 1:10.

Bengel's Gnomen

1 Corinthians 16:24. Ἡ ἀγάπη χμου μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ιἠσοῦ, My love be with you all in Christ Jesus) The Apostle embraces in Christ Jesus with love, which had been divinely kindled, not only those who had said they were of Paul, but all the Corinthians. In the Alexandrian copy alone, μου is omitted; but this little word evidently agrees with the beginning and end of this epistle.[159] There was afterwards added, ἐγράφη ἀπὸ Φιλίππων, it was written from Philippi. But it was written at Ephesus, as 1 Corinthians 16:8 proves; perhaps, however, it was sent from Philippi, 1 Corinthians 16:5, because the deputies of the Corinthians had accompanied Paul thither. At least, Aquila and Priscilla, who are spoken of at 1 Corinthians 16:19, were at Ephesus (Acts 18:19); thence there was a road to Corinth above Philippi. I do not refuse a more convenient way of reconciling these two statements; comp. Ord. Temp., p. 282, lin. 4 and 9, and the end of the page 281.[160]

[159] Μου is read in BCD (Λ) Gfg Vulg. But A omits it.—ED.

[160] Bengel, J. A. (1860). Vol. 3: Gnomon of the New Testament (M. E. Bengel & J. C. F. Steudel, Ed.) (J. Bryce, Trans.) (291–348). Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. - My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Added as a last proof that, if he has written in severity, he has also written in love. Amen. Perhaps genuine, though omitted by B, F, G. The superscription to the Epistle, rightly omitted in the Revised Version, does not possess the smallest authority, and is absolutely erroneous. It contains two positive misstatements, which show with what utter carelessness these superscriptions were written in the later manuscripts. The Epistle was not written from Philippi (a mere mistaken inference from 1 Corinthians 16:5), but from Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:8), and was not conveyed by Timotheus.



1 Corinthians 16:24