John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 16:2

"Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come." — 1 Corinthians 16:2 (ASV)

On one of the Sabbaths. The purpose is this—that they might have their alms ready in time. He therefore exhorts them not to wait until he came, as anything that is done suddenly and in a bustle is not done well, but to contribute on the Sabbath what might seem good, and as each one's ability might enable—that is, on the day on which they held their sacred assemblies.

The clause rendered as one of the Sabbaths, (κατὰ μίαν σαββάτων,) Chrysostom explains to mean—the first Sabbath. In this I do not agree with him, for Paul means rather that they should contribute, one on one Sabbath and another on another, or even each of them every Sabbath, if they chose.

For he is mindful, first of all, of convenience, and furthermore, that the sacred assembly, in which the communion of saints is celebrated, might be an additional spur to them. Nor am I more inclined to accept Chrysostom's view—that the term Sabbath is used here to mean the Lord’s day (Revelation 1:10), for it is probable that the Apostles, at the beginning, retained the day that was already in use, but that afterwards, constrained by the superstition of the Jews, they set aside that day and substituted another.

Now the Lord’s day was chosen chiefly because our Lord’s resurrection put an end to the shadows of the law. Hence the day itself reminds us of our Christian liberty.

We may, however, very readily infer from this passage that believers have always had a certain day of rest from labor—not as if the worship of God consisted in idleness, but because it is important for common harmony that a certain day should be appointed for holding sacred assemblies, as they cannot be held every day. For as to Paul’s forbidding elsewhere (Galatians 4:10) that any distinction should be made between one day and another, that must be understood to be with a view to religion, and not with a view to polity or external order.

Treasuring up: I have preferred to retain the Greek participle, as it appeared to me to be more emphatic. For although θησανρίζειν means to lay up, yet in my opinion, he designed to admonish the Corinthians that whatever they might contribute for the saints would be their best and safest treasure. For if a heathen poet could say—“What riches you give away, those alone you shall always have,”—how much more ought that consideration to influence us, who are not dependent on the gratitude of men, but look to God, who makes himself a debtor in place of the poor man, to restore to us one day, with large interest, whatever we give away? (Proverbs 19:17). Hence this statement of Paul corresponds with that saying of Christ:

Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where it will not be exposed either to thieves, or to moths (Matthew 6:20).

According as he has prospered. Instead of this, the old translation has rendered it What may seem good to him, misled, no doubt, by the resemblance between the word used and another. Erasmus renders it What will be convenient. Neither the one nor the other pleased me, for this reason—that the proper meaning of the word conveys a much more suitable sense, for it means—to go on prosperously. Hence he calls everyone to consider his ability—“Let everyone, according as God has blessed him, spend on the poor from his increase.”