It is, therefore, with the most profound satisfaction that—if we rightly apprehend the remarks of our reviewer—we accept his concession of the point that the words, “by him,” do indeed answer to a Greek idiom, of which the original terms are equivalent to the expression, “at home.” This being true, we are agreed that at least a _portion_ of the duty which Paul commanded was to be performed, not at the house of assembly, but at the _dwelling_ of _the individual Christian_. In other words, he admits that the money which they were to “place or devote” to charitable purposes, was first to be estimated and separated while yet they were in their own houses. Having conceded thus much, he reasons that the money was to be carried to the place of worship, and laid up in store, or deposited among the collections regularly made on the first day of the week. In order to sustain this view, he offers a grammatical criticism to which it cannot be objected that it is not drawn finely enough to meet the taste of the most fastidious. But the writer does not seem to plant himself so squarely upon it as we would naturally expect one would who feels that he is standing upon solid ground. The _force of his logic_ seems to be drawn from the _object_ which Paul had in view, in ordering beforehand this weekly laying aside of money for the poor saints at Jerusalem. The writer thinks that the evident reference of Paul, in the words, “that there be no gatherings when I come,” is to contributions to be taken up in the congregation when he should have reached the place. If he is wrong in this, he is wrong in all; for no one will dispute that money _could_[7] be “laid by in store” _at home_, as well as in the church, since to lay by in store, is to put in some safe and accessible place. Right here, then, we inquire, What were the “gatherings” which Paul sought to avoid on his arrival? They could refer to but one of two things; either, first, the collection of moneys in the church; or, secondly, the collecting of them by individuals from those who were indebted to them. That the first was not the sense in which Paul employed the word, we submit is apparent, from the fact that the end to be gained by writing months beforehand, in order to prevent the taking up of a collection in the church, was not commensurate with the dignity which is given to it by so prominent a place in the sacred epistle. So far as the collection itself was concerned, it could have been brought about, unquestionably, within the space of fifteen minutes. The amount of time, therefore, which it would consume, is too insignificant to be worthy of mention.