“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”
King James Version (KJV)
16:2 Let every one - Not the rich only: let him also that hath little, gladly give of that little. According as he hath been prospered - Increasing his alms as God increases his substance. According to this lowest rule of Christian prudence, if a man when he has or gains one pound give a tenth to God, when he has or gains an hundred he will give the tenth of this also. And yet I show unto you a more excellent way. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Stint yourself to no proportion at all. But lend to God all you can.
1Co 16:2 Upon the first [day] of the week. This shows that the first day of the week was set apart and regarded by the church. The church assembled to break bread on that day (Ac 20:7). Let every one of you lay by him in store. The usual view is that every one was directed to set aside something on the Lord's day and keep it until Paul came. This view is sanctioned by the translations and most of the commentators. Macknight renders: "On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay somewhat by itself, put it into the treasury". I believe Macknight is right; for (1) there were to be no collections when Paul came. That implies that the money was to be placed in the treasury. Otherwise, it would have to be collected. (2) "Thesaurizoon", rendered in the Common Version "in store", is a present participle, meaning literally, "putting into the thesaurus", or "treasury". (3) All church history testifies that the early church took up weekly collections on the first day of the week. See Pliny's Letter to the Emperor Trajan. (4) We know, from Acts, and from all early church history, that the church met on the first day of the week. It only remains to add that "par heauto", rendered by the translators "by him", is rendered with equal correctness, "by itself". Its form is that of the neuter reflexive pronoun. As [God] hath prospered him. Each week every one is to give according to his ability.