1 COR. 16, “Future Plans,
Final Exhortations, And Personal Greetings”
By
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In our last study we finished up chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, and
Paul’s teachings there concerning the essential Christian doctrines, especially
of the resurrection of Christ. We looked
in particular at some applications that the church was to make with Paul’s
teachings concerning the essential doctrines and especially the hope of the
resurrection of the dead for believers
1.1.1. We saw that these
applications were made in light of realizing the wisdom of not getting too
wrapped up in the temporal aspects of our life and daily living, but realizing
the wisdom of keeping always in focus our eternal perspective which promises us
of the hope of the resurrection from the dead and eternal rewards and
privileges
1.2.
In our study today, we are going to finish up the book of 1
Corinthians. In doing so we are going to
look in particular at some plans that Paul has for his future travels to the
church and men whom he will send to the church, some final exhortations that
Paul has for the church, as well as some admonishments to be subject to certain
faithful men and their households, and some personal greetings
1.2.1. Paul exhorts the church to:
1.2.1.1.Be on the alert
1.2.1.2.Stand firm in their faith
1.2.1.3.Act like men
1.2.1.4.Be strong
1.2.1.5.Let all that they do be done in love
1.2.2. The church is to be subject to:
1.2.2.1.The household of Stephanas
1.2.2.2.Stephanas
1.2.2.3.Fortunatus
1.2.2.4.Achaicus
2.
VS 16:1-2 - “1 Now concerning the collection for the
saints, as I directed the churches of
2.1.
Paul goes from such a deep theological discussion in chapter 15, to a
practical one in chapter 16. He did not
see how that correct doctrine could not but result in caring for the
unfortunate.
2.2.
In Galatians 2:10, Paul relates how that he promised James and the
apostles and leaders in the
2.3.
The ones to be helped lived in
2.3.1. This was the mother church
to whom all Gentile believers must have felt a great amount of gratitude.
2.3.2. There had been a severe
famine in
2.3.3. The church in
2.4.
In the New Testament times, financial help was primarily to be directed
to the church. They were to help out
first those of their own family of faith (see Gal. 6:10).
2.5.
Here, Paul uses the example of the generous Galatians to encourage the
Corinthians to good works, and in 2 Cor. 8 he uses the example of the generous
Macedonians to encourage another gift for the believers in
2.6.
Paul gives instructions about how that believers were to give through
the church.
2.6.1. He tells them that it was to
be done on a “weekly basis”.
2.6.1.1.There is a tremendous amount
of evidence from the New Testament that the early church met on the first day
of the week because that was the day that the Lord had risen. Note also that in the book of Revelation,
chapter 1:10, the apostle John even said he was in the Spirit on the ‘Lords’
Day’, meaning Sunday.
2.6.2. Paul said that ‘Sunday’, the
first day of the week, was the day that God’s people were to set aside money
which was to be accumulated in a benevolence fund.
2.6.3. Paul says who should do
this: ‘let each one of you’. None were to be exempt of seeking the Lord as
to how to give unto the needs that existed.
2.6.4. How much each one was to put
aside is also specified: ‘as he may
prosper’.
2.6.4.1.In the New Testament, we
never see a tithe, or tenth, being collected from believers, this was an Old
Testament law for giving that did not need to be carried over in New Testament
times.
2.6.4.2.In the New Testament times,
each one was to give to the Lord’s work as he had been prospered.
2.6.5. The offerings were to be
distributed primarily through the church.
This seems to be what took place amongst the New Testament church.
2.7.
In 2 Cor. 9:6,7, Paul encourages Corinthians that if we give
generously that the Lord would bless us proportionately, “6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also
reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. 7 Let each one
do just as he has purposed in his
heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2.7.1. In these verses in 2nd
Corinthians, Paul tells the Corinthians in essence that they will miss God’s
blessing in their lives if they only give to the Lord and His work
sparingly. You see, God promises to
bless those who give bountifully to Him and His work.
2.7.1.1.In Mal. 3:8-12, we
read the only place in all of the scriptures where the Lord tells His people to
test Him, and this is in regard to seeing if He will not bless them if they are
faithful in their giving, “8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!
But you say, ‘How have we robbed Thee?’ In tithes and offerings.9 “You are
cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!10 “Bring
the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and
test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the
windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.11 “Then
I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it may not destroy the fruits of
the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of
hosts.12 “And all the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a
delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.”
2.7.1.2.We Christians need to
realize that we can’t “out-give” God, and that He will bless us to the extent
that we are faithful in our giving to Him and His work in the church.
2.7.2. Believers are never forced
or required to give financially or of their substance to the Lord’s work and
helping those less fortunate, for Paul taught that all of our giving must be
done “not grudgingly or under compulsion”, but rather “cheerfully”.
2.7.3. We in the Calvary Chapels do
not preach a lot on money, though we do teach about it when the scripture brings
it up. We are taught to have faith that
the Lord will provide whatever we may need and that we do not need to hammer
God’s people about giving, and that to do so would indicate a lack of faith on
our part.
2.7.4. None the less, Christians
need to learn that giving is an important part of every believer’s Christian
walk. In a true sense if a Christian is
not giving to the Lord and His work, then his heart will not be in the things
of the Lord, and he will grow very apathetic in his walk.
2.8.
We Christians must never forget to help out those who are less
fortunate that we are, especially when they are believers. We must never let our hearts get hardened to
the point that the Lord can’t speak to us and lead us to help someone out who
is in some unfortunate circumstance.
2.8.1. In 1 John 3:16-18,
the apostle John wrote to encourage us to demonstrate our love by meet the
practical needs of others, “16 We know love by this, that He laid down His
life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever
has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart
against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love
with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”
3.
VS 16:3-4 - “3 And when I arrive, whomever you may
approve, I shall send them with letters to carry your gift to
3.1.
Many times in history people have been scammed or defrauded of money
given for the Lord’s work. Thus, Paul
was concerned that the money designated by the church members for a specific
cause, should arrive at its designation.
3.2.
The Corinthian church was to have this gift ready when Paul arrived
later in the year, and then the church would approve of some men to carry their
monetary gift to the church in
3.3.
Paul tells them that if they desired, and if it would be most
appropriate, he himself would also be willing to take the money to the church
in
4.
VS 16:5-7 - “5 But I shall come to you after I go
through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; 6 and perhaps I shall stay
with you, or even spend the winter, that you may send me on my way wherever I
may go. 7 For
I do not wish to see you now just in
passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits.” - Paul tells
the Corinthians that he plans to come to them after he goes through
4.1.
Paul knew that effective ministry required time, and therefore he was planning
how that he might best be used to encourage and build up the Corinthian
church.
4.2.
Paul didn’t just follow the Spirit’s whirlwind leading without
exercising some prayer and thought about how he might be most effectively
used.
4.2.1. He felt that the Holy Spirit
could actually lead him in his thoughts about making plans for ministry.
4.2.2. The apostle Paul shows in
this passage that he lets the Holy Spirit lead him in his planning.
4.2.2.1.We Christian ministers need
to allow the Lord to lead us every minute of every day. As a minister, I sometimes get asked whether
or not I let the Holy Spirit lead me when I am preaching or even when I am
leading in the worship. I tell them that
I let the Holy Spirit lead me sometimes weeks before I speak as I study the
passages I shall speak from. And I let
the Holy Spirit lead me when I pray and plan what songs to sing when I am to
lead worship for a service. I likewise
let the Holy Spirit lead me when I actually stand up and speak from the pulpit,
and I let the Holy Spirit lead me during our worship time.
4.2.2.1.1.However, some people seem to
get the notion that the Holy Spirit can only lead you at the very moment that
you are ministering.
4.2.3. Paul also realizes that he
must be flexible and let the Holy Spirit change his mind once he has conceived
a plan for ministry, for he knew that the Lord could change his mind at any
moment.
4.2.4. Paul knew that the Lord
could close a door that once seemed to us to be opened for ministry. He says, ‘if the Lord permit,’ because he had
learned the lesson of Ja. 4:15, which teaches that that you shouldn’t
make plans and give people assurances that you will be somewhere without noting
that you’ll be there if the Lord wills, “15 Instead,
you ought to say, "If the Lord
wills, we shall live and also do this or that.”"
5.
VS 16:8-9 - “9
8 But
I shall remain in
5.1.
Paul was a man who wanted to be used most effectively by the Lord. He knew that the Lord wanted him to remain in
5.2.
Paul knew that he must first “complete” the ministry that the Lord had
opened up for him before coming to them.
Paul knew that he must first be faithful with what ministries the Lord
had already opened up before he could venture out and begin knew ones.
5.3.
Paul constantly looked for opportunities, or ‘doors’, that the Lord
might open up for ministry. He always
looked beyond the horizon at the next field that may be white unto harvest, and
there he would pray for the Lord to open a door for ministry.
5.4.
Paul knew that in
5.4.1. We Christians ought not to
be discouraged from ministries because of the ‘adversaries’ or obstacles which
may be in our path from completing that ministry. Every ministry has its ‘adversaries’, and
many times the greatest resistance occurs to a ministry because the enemy knows
that the greatest spiritual good will be accomplished for the Lord through that
particular ministry.
5.4.2. We will have spiritual
warfare if we are trying to allow the Lord to use our lives, however we
Christians must learn to persevere through the trials and obstacles to that
effective ministry that we know that the Lord is leading us into, and not give
up just because there may be many obstacles.
5.5.
Jesus taught in Luke 16:10 how that we Christians must learn to
be faithful in the things that God has entrusted to us now, for unless we are
faithful with what we have been given thus far, God won’t give us more, “10 "He
who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is
unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much””.
5.6.
All of us who are Christians are called to be witnesses for Christ,
regardless of whether or not we have the “gift of evangelism”. And as witnesses for Him, we need to always
pray for the Lord to open up the doors for ministry which He wants to lead us
through.
5.6.1. We ought to have that same
burning desire as Paul had to see those who are lost in this world come to
Christ.
5.6.2. In his devotional for Romans
1:1, titled “Separated unto the gospel,” Oswald Chambers writes of the fact that
our calling as Christians is not primarily to live holy lives, but to preach
the gospel, “Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but
to be proclaimers of the Gospel of God.
The one thing that is all important is that the Gospel of God should be
realized as the abiding Reality. Reality
is not human goodness, nor holiness, nor heaven, nor hell; but Redemption; and the need to perceive this is the most
vital need of the Christian worker today…Paul is unconscious of himself, he is
recklessly abandoned, separated by God for one purpose—to proclaim the Gospel
of God.”
5.6.2.1.In Oswald Chamber’s day it
appears that there was a popular movement among Christians towards holiness and
being holy, however the people didn’t really tend often to have a love for
souls and a passion for see the lost come to salvation.
5.6.2.2.In our day and in the
Calvary Chapel movement and churches, the thing that I see that we need to be
very careful of is being satisfied with having only a knowledge of God. We have such an emphasis in our churches on
the teaching of the scriptures, which I believe is very healthy for a
church. However, we must never be
satisfied with mere knowledge about God, we must move forward to seek to know
God in experience as we develop a real love for Him. As we do this, we must also have a love for
souls and a passion to see the lost come to salvation.
6.
VS 16:10-11 - “10 Now if Timothy comes, see that he is
with you without cause to be afraid; for he is doing the Lord's work, as I also
am. 11 Let
no one therefore despise him. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may
come to me; for I expect him with the brethren.”
- Paul tells the Corinthians that if
pastor Timothy comes to them that they are to treat him properly
6.1.
Paul had a very special relationship with Timothy, as many passages in
the New Testament reveal. Paul says of
Timothy that he served with him as a son serves his father.
6.2.
However, Timothy was young and timid and tended to shy away from
conflicts, and thus he was bullied by those who were strong willed and
defiant.
6.3.
Paul tells the Corinthians that if Timothy came to them (as Paul
expected would happen) that with them they should do nothing to give him a
‘cause to be afraid’. They were to
respect and not despise him and his authority as a pastor.
6.3.1. The reason that Paul gives
the Corinthians for respecting him is that he also ‘is doing the Lord’s work’,
as was Paul.
6.3.2. Paul tells them also to
peacefully let Timothy leave them so that he could return to Paul. Paul probably worried that some would want to
detain Timothy and prevail upon him to do more sustained ministry work.
7.
VS 16:12 - “12 But concerning Apollos our brother,
I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren; and it was not at
all his desire to come now, but he
will come when he has opportunity.” - Paul tells the Corinthians that he had
encouraged Apollos to come to them, and that Apollos would come to them when he
had a chance to break away
7.1.
Paul had plans for Apollos’ ministry to be in
7.2.
However, Paul knew that he could not lord it over another brother or
sister concerning his personal discernment of the Lord’s leading in his
ministry. He knew that each person was
accountable only to the Lord, to do His will.
Therefore, Paul says of Apollos that ‘it was not at all his will to come now, but he will come
when he has opportunity’.
7.2.1. Christians and ministers in
particular need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading men and
women. We may feel that we know what the
Lord wants to do in and through people, however we cannot always be absolutely
positive that we know what the Lord is leading them to do.
7.2.1.1.We have to wait sometimes
for God to convince them of what we may believe that they are being led to do.
7.2.1.2.We can be wrong about what
we may think that another believer is being led to do, and if they are open to
God’s voice and He doesn’t lead them into that ministry that we may feel they
are being led to, then we were wrong in what we felt they were being led to
do.
7.2.2. It is a delicate balance to
be kept in giving enough guidance to others and yet keeping our hands off of
the ministry to the extent that others can grow and be effectively used by
God.
7.2.3. We also have to be careful
that those who are placed in charge of ministries have the maturity to be
effectively used there.
7.3.
We don’t know what preoccupied Apollos that he felt was more important
than going to
8.
VS 16:13-14 - “13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the
faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all
that you do be done in love.” - Paul gives the Corinthians five final
exhortations: stay alert, firm in the
faith, act like men, be strong, do everything in love
8.1.
Now that Paul has given all of the teachings and exhortations that he
had planned in writing this letter, he concludes with five final exhortations for them to follow:
8.1.1. ‘Be on the alert,’ or ‘be
vigilant’:
8.1.1.1.The Corinthians were
anything but alert in their walk with the Lord.
They were stumbling in the darkness to such an extent that Paul wrote
this letter with many tears, as he wept over the condition of the church. Because of the condition of the church, the
book of 1 Corinthians is long and filled with many powerful and pointed
exhortations.
8.1.1.1.1.What seemed to bother Paul
the most about the Corinthians was that the church seemed to think that it was doing
really well and had really arrived in ministry.
8.1.1.1.2.It must have been hard for
Paul to imagine how that the church in
8.1.1.2.John MacArthur points out that the New
Testament contains six things that Christians are exhorted to be ‘alert’ and
‘watch out’ for:
8.1.1.2.1.We are to be on the alert against Satan:
8.1.1.2.1.1.Peter exhorted us of the
need to be on the alert against Satan and his tactics to defeat us in 1
Peter 5:8-9 8 Be
of sober spirit, be on the alert.
Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour. 9 But
resist him, firm in your faith,
knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your
brethren who are in the world.
8.1.1.2.2.We must be on the alert for temptation:
8.1.1.2.2.1.Jesus tried to teach His disciples on several occasions,
such as Mark 14:38 that they need to be alert concerning times of temptation, “38 "Keep watching and praying,
that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak."”
8.1.1.2.3.We must watch for apathy and indifference:
8.1.1.2.3.1.We must not be like the
church at Sardis in Revelation 3:1-3, which assumed that it had
spiritual life because it had a name that it was alive, but it was so
indifferent to the Lord’s will that it did not realize it was ‘dead’, “1 "And to the angel of the
church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven
stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive,
but you are dead. 2 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were
about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
3 'Remember
therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like
a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.”
8.1.1.2.4.We should be alert for false teachers:
8.1.1.2.4.1.In 2 Peter 2:1, we
are warned about being alert for false teachers in the church, “1 But false
prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers
among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the
Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”
8.1.1.2.4.2.In 2 Timothy 4:3-5,
Paul wrote about how we must be alert for false teachers coming into the
church, “3 For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they
will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; 4 and will
turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be
sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill
your ministry.”
8.1.1.2.5.We are to be alert in prayer:
8.1.1.2.5.1.In Mark 14:38, Jesus tried
to teach His disciples to be alert in prayer, “38 "Keep watching and praying,
that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak."”
8.1.1.2.5.2.In Ephesians 6:18,
Paul exhorted us to be alert in prayer, “18 With all prayer and petition pray
at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all
perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
8.1.1.2.6.We should be watching for the Lord’s return:
8.1.1.2.6.1.In Matthew 24:42,
Jesus taught His disciples to be watching and waiting for His return, “42 "Therefore
be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
8.1.1.2.6.2.In 2 Peter 3:10-12,
Peter wrote about how the coming of the Lord will be at a time when we least
expect it to come, therefore we must always be expectant for Him to return, “10 But the
day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away
with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth
and its works will be burned up. 11 Since
all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you
to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day
of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the
elements will melt with intense heat!”
8.1.2. ‘Stand firm in the faith’:
8.1.2.1.The Corinthians, and we too
of course, are to ‘stand firm’ in the truth of the gospel, and the exhortations
that Paul has given in this letter.
8.1.2.2.As the Ephesians were
described in Eph. 4:14, the Corinthians were ‘carried about by every wind of
doctrine’. Paul tells the Corinthians
that there is something from which we must never depart, namely, the sound
doctrine that he had taught them.
8.1.2.3.We Christians need to ‘stand
firm’ in the truth of the gospel, as God’s word reveals it.
8.1.2.3.1.There is no excuse for
‘ignorance’ of His will as we have at our disposal the word of God, which is
far more than any New Testament church had.
8.1.2.3.2.We must ‘study to show
ourselves approved’ of God, and thus we will not be ‘tossed to and fro’, nor
will we be the ‘double-minded men’ which James referred in chapter 1 of his
book.
8.1.3. ‘Act like men’:
8.1.3.1.Paul wanted the Corinthians
to act maturely in Christ, to grow into maturity of the likeness of Christ
Himself. Paul wanted them to ‘grow up’
and deal responsibly and maturely with the sins and attitudes that were within
the church, and their own lives.
8.1.3.2.John MacArthur writes, “Paul
wanted them to have mature courage. The
mature person has a sense of control, confidence, and courage that the immature
or childish person does not have. Again
we see that Paul’s command is for the Corinthians to be the opposite of what
they normally were. They were
characterized by anything but maturity”.
8.1.3.3.Paul had already told them
in 1 Corinthians 14:20, “20 Brethren, do not be children in your
thinking; yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature.”
8.1.3.4.John MacArthur again writes, “Maturity
is one of the marks of love (1 Cor. 13:11), a virtue in which the Corinthians
were especially deficient. Love strives
for maturity in all good things--in doctrine, in spiritual insight, in
emotional stability and control, in personal relationships, in moral purity,
and in all the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).”
8.1.3.5.We Christians need to be
committed to growing into maturity in Christ, and not be satisfied until we are
perfect as He is perfect. When we see
immaturity in our lives, then we should be challenged by the Lord to repent and
turn from our immaturity.
8.1.3.5.1.In Heb. 5:12, we read
that Paul was exasperated by so many Christians who in spite of the length of
time they had been Christians and the exposure they had had to the teaching of
the word of God, they remained ‘babes in Christ’, “12 For though by this
time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the
elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and
not solid food.”
8.1.3.5.2.We ought to desire more than
anything to be like Jesus.
8.1.4. ‘Be strong’:
8.1.4.1.Paul wants the Corinthians
to be strong in the Lord, and not walk in the flesh and all of its
weakness.
8.1.4.2.The Corinthians had been
relying upon their own strength, and thus they were spiritual weaklings.
8.1.4.3.We Christians need to learn
to be strong, yet know that our strength must be in the Lord, ‘and in the strength
of His might’, (see Eph. 6:10).
8.1.4.3.1.We need to look to the Lord
for the strength that only He can give to us.
8.1.4.3.2.Our responsibility is to ask
for His strength, it is His responsibility to strengthen us.
8.1.4.3.3.In His strength we can do
all that He asks of us to do (see Phil. 4:13).
8.1.5. ‘Do everything ‘in love’:
8.1.5.1.The most important
exhortation Paul placed last, as this was the principle of godliness that was
the most destructive, if lacking.
8.1.5.2.We Christians must learn to
walk in God’s ‘agape love’. We must keep
this new commandment from Jesus to ‘love one another’ always in the forefront
of our minds, for if we are walking in love we have the assurance that “love
covers a multitude of sins”, and if we are walking in love, we will be pleasing
God, not offending others, and hopefully people will extend a tremendous amount
of grace to us.
8.1.5.3.Paul wanted the Corinthians
to follow his instructions concerning love from chapter 13 of the book. Remember, when we studied chapter 13 I
exhorted us that, “If you can’t do something in love, then don’t do it!”
8.1.5.3.1.However, if you lack the
love that God wants you to have in dealing with a situation, then you need to
pray in faith that the Lord will love through you, and if you do He will give
you the love to handle each person and situation you are willing to trust Him
to work through you in.
8.1.5.4.Walking in God’s ‘agape
love’ is an all encompassing feat, requiring very much self discipline and
effort on the Corinthians’ part.
9.
VS 16:15-16 - “15 Now I urge you, brethren you know
the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that
they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints, 16 that you
also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and
labors.” - Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be in
subjection to men like Stephanas and his household
9.1.
Stephanas and Fortunatus had given the report to Paul concerning what
was really going on in the Corinthian church, thus prompting Paul to write this
letter to the church. Therefore, Paul was
concerned that the church not hold anything against these men for their
accurate though critical report about the church.
9.2.
Paul shows his support and backing of Stephanas, saying that he and his
household were the first ones in Achaia to be saved, and that they had ‘devoted
themselves for ministry to the saints’.
9.3.
Next, Paul exhorts the Corinthians to ‘be in subjection to such men and
to everyone who helps in the work and labors’.
9.3.1. Christians are called to be
in submission to all of the authorities over their lives (see Rom. 13 for
example), and especially those who are their ministers within the church.
9.3.2. God has placed godly men
over each Christian’s life, and they were to respect that and be subject to
these leaders in the Lord. In fact, Paul
wrote in Ephesians 5:21 that we are all to be in subjection to one
another, “21
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”
10.
VS 16:17-18 - “17 And I rejoice over the coming of
Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus; because they have supplied what was lacking
on your part. 18
For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such
men.” - Paul exhorts the Corinthians to acknowledge
faithful Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus
10.1. Paul was greatly refreshed
by the fellowship of Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus, when they came to
him. Speaking of how these men
encouraged and refreshed him, Paul says that ‘they supplied what was lacking on
your part, for they have refreshed my spirit and yours’.
10.2. Because of how these men
were such an encouragement to the brethren, Paul tells the Corinthians that
they ought to ‘acknowledge such men’.
11.
VS 16:19-20 - “19 The churches of
11.1. Paul passes on some
greetings here at the end of the book. I
much appreciate the personal greetings in the New Testament epistles because
they reveal to us the real depth of genuine love that God’s servants had, and
should have, for fellow believers.
11.2. Paul gives the Corinthians
the exhortation to give each other a ‘holy kiss’ when they meet. This greeting was customary of the culture in
which the Corinthians lived, and it showed genuine care and concern for the one
greeted.
11.2.1.We Christians must always
greet our brothers and sisters in the Lord heartily in genuine love, showing
real care for them in the Lord. Whether
or not our culture uses a kiss for an affectionate greeting, a hug, or whether
or not a handshake appropriately conveys genuine love, we should not hold back
from giving our brethren affectionate greetings that are proper among those who
are called by the Lord as saints.
12.
VS 16:21 - “21 The greeting is in my own hand--
Paul.” - Paul tells the Corinthians that he is writing
to them this greeting in his own hand
12.1. In order to show the
genuiness of his letters, Paul got in the habit of signing each of his
letters.
12.2. It is believed however that
the body of this letter was dictated by Paul.
13.
VS 16:22 - “22 If anyone does not love the Lord,
let him be accursed. Maranatha.” - Paul gives a warning that anyone who does not
love the Lord is to be allowed to go to Hell, then declares that he hopes the
Lord will return soon
13.1. Paul tells the Corinthians
in this verse that a man or woman must have an affectionate love for the Lord
in order to be allowed into their fellowship.
The Greek word used for love in this verse is “phileo”, as it contains
the thought of affection which Paul sought to communicate. It was not the deepest love, the ‘agape
love’, for God, but it was the minimal requirement for fellowship.
13.2. Paul tells the Corinthians
that one who did not love the Lord in this way should be ‘accursed’, and by
this he meant “disfellowshipped.”
13.3. Paul writes the word,
‘Maranatha’, which means, ‘The Lord come quickly’, as Paul hoped that the Lord
would quickly execute judgment upon this world and return for his church.
14.
VS 16:23-24 - “23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with
you. 24 My
love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
- Paul ends by blessing the Corinthians with
the grace of the Lord and his own love in Christ Jesus
14.1. Paul ended his letters with
the blessing of ‘grace’, for that is all that believers really needed, it was
‘sufficient for them’.
14.2. Paul tells the Corinthians
that he wished that ‘his love be with’ them all in Christ Jesus.
14.3. So be it.
15.
FINAL COMMENT:
15.1. As we have now completed
this book of 1 Corinthians, it is apparent that Paul was used by the Lord to
deal with many issues of character and motives, faith (their beliefs), and
practice as a church, however what comes across most loudly to me is the
emphasis that we Christians need to have upon having an eternal perspective,
and realizing that Christ will soon return and that when He comes we will enter
glory and be glorified in body, and then all of the things that we have done
for Christ with a pure heart we shall be rewarded for. Again, we must not get too caught up with the
temporal issues of this life, but keep our eyes on the Lord and on eternity and
the things that last for eternity. As we
are keeping this perspective, we Christians need to realize that what good or
bad things that happen to us, what gains in this life we reap, what material
success and goods we accumulate, and even the very ministries that we are used
in, are not nearly as important as how we ourselves handle those things. How we react to the people and the pressures
in our lives as Christians is more important than what we accomplish or what we
possess. We need to learn that how we
express ‘agape’ love to others in this life is the greatest witness of the
relationship that we have with the Lord!