1 Corinthians 16
The Key to Abounding Ministry: Love
Introduction:
Today, we conclude our study of 1 Corinthians, the letter to the church that had everything—except love. When we look carefully at the church’s characteristics, it isn’t a pretty sight to look at! The church fought about everything! They had divisions and personality cults, they were indifferent to sin, they had legal feuds, they were cheating each other, they had fights over rights, legalistic attitudes about marriage, women’s lib, hoarding food at potlucks, pride over spiritual gifts, self-centeredness, the inability to correct doctrinal confusion, and little interest in giving.
Some Closing Concerns 16:1-24
Think of what it is like when we are about to leave a friend or loved one behind. Our minds race with last minute things to communicate. As we head for our cars to leave, we say, “Don’t forget….and remember…and oh yeah, be sure to….” This is the feel we get as we read 1 Corinthians 16. Paul shares a series of practical and personal matters to close his letter. At first glance, his closing words might appear to be a potpourri of unrelated thoughts. On closer examination, we see that these closing matters are very much connected to the theme Paul has developed throughout the book.
At the end of chapter 15, Paul closed his instruction regarding resurrection with the exhortation to abound or give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. If the Corinthians are to be effective in carrying out this exhortation, they need to deal with the lack of love in their midst. The key to abounding ministry is love. As we study Paul’s closing concerns, we discover 11 principles that tell us what real love looks like when we see it in action. What does genuine love look like?
The Collection for God’s People (16:1-4)
Paul begins chapter 16 with instructions outlining the simple procedures the church should follow as they gather an offering to help the believers suffering in Jerusalem. By this time, famine had struck Judea which was followed by terrible economic conditions. On top of this, the Jerusalem church was under persecution, which also brought financial hardship. Relief for the people of God who are suffering under poverty was an important part of Paul’s and the church’s ministry.
While the instructions Paul gives here originally applied to an offering to provide relief to the poor, the principles can be properly applied to any offering the church receives, whatever ministry endeavor it is given to support.
Principles on giving:
It’s a joint effort involving several churches
What Paul instructs the Corinthians to do is similar to what he told the Galatian churches to do. The Corinthians did not bear a unique burden in gathering funds to help those suffering financially in Jerusalem. There are several churches involved. This is appropriate as when one part of the body of Christ suffers, then the other members of the body should compassionately help out.
Funds should be given in keeping with the following guidelines:
Giving should be done regularly—“on the first day of every week.”
Giving involves each believer individually—“let each one of you.”
Regardless of whether a person is rich or poor, every believer is to share their resources.
Giving requires advanced preparation—“set aside a sum of money.”
It seems appropriate, as we consider the Old Testament pattern of offering the firstfruits, the first and best of the crops, that we should plan to give to the Lord first, off of the top, not whatever is left after all the bills are paid.
Giving should be proportionate to one’s income—“in keeping with his income.”
While each individual in the church is held responsible to give, Paul does not give a particular amount, nor does he indicate a particular percentage. Rather, he teaches that our giving should be in keeping with our income. It should be based on God’s generosity towards us.
Giving should be done apart from pressure tactics
The offering was to be collected weekly as part of the church’s worship service and saved up. Paul’s instruction in regards to advanced storage of funds is designed prevent any last minute gathering of offerings. Paul wants the money in hand and ready to give to the Jerusalem churches by the time he arrives on his planned visit. He doesn’t want the Corinthians to feel any pressure. He doesn’t want them to say, “Hide your wallets, Paul’s coming to town.” Paul doesn’t want to deal with money issues while he is there. There are other matters he wants to focus on during his visit.
We strive to remain as sensitive as possible to do the same here at Pleasant View. We don’t intend to use pressure tactics, nor do we want people to give because they feel pressure. God loves the willing, cheerful giver, so it’s willing, cheerful giving we encourage, not giving in a grudging manner because we twisted peoples’ arms.
Funds given should be handled with utmost propriety
When Paul acted to meet the financial needs of others, he avoided direct handling of the funds collected. It was Paul’s plan to have men the church approved serve as couriers of the relief collection. Paul would send them to Jerusalem with letters affirming that they had his apostolic approval behind their actions. Paul wasn’t even willing to accompany the couriers on their journey unless the church considered it advisable that he do so. Paul had no intention of leaving room for anyone to misjudge his actions and accuse him, nor did he intend to put himself under unnecessary temptation to take any of the money for himself. Paul’s example teaches the following principles for us today:
Those leading a collection effort are wise not to handle the funds
Funds should be handled by those with proven character
Sadly, the Corinthians, with their self-centered attitudes, don’t respond enthusiastically to Paul’s instruction. Paul later has to expand on his teaching on giving in 2 Corinthians 8-9. What lesson do we learn about love from these opening verses?
Love: Give to those who are in need
Paul’s Travel Plans (16:5-9)
Paul shares his plans to visit the Corinthians after traveling through the Roman province of Macedonia.
Paul plans to spend significant time together with the Corinthians.
Instead of a brief, passing visit, Paul announces his desire to stay awhile, maybe even the winter months, with the Corinthians. Even though the church has wandered away in so many ways, Paul desires to be with them.
Love: Invest time in those who are in need
While Paul plans to go to Corinth, his visit has to wait. The reason for Paul’s delay isn’t because of a lack of love on his part. He’s not indifferent to the church’s needs. He isn’t copping out or making lame excuses for not visiting right away. Paul is delayed because a great door of opportunity has opened to him in Ephesus and there are many who oppose him. Opportunity and opposition communicate to Paul the need to press on and stay in Ephesus, not run away.
Paul’s reasoning provides a valuable lesson for those seeking to determine God’s will in a ministry situation. Opposition is often an indication that a ministry is on track and that the minister needs to stick with it.
Paul remains flexible in his plans and focuses on God’s priorities
Paul loves the Corinthians and plans to spend time with them as the expression of his love. Just the same, his plans all have to be made with the qualifier, “If the Lord permits.”
From Paul’s example, we learn the following lesson about love:
Love: We love others best when our priority is to serve God first.
How genuine would Paul’s love have been if he had come according to his own determination as opposed to coming when the Lord willed him to come. It’s not the most pressing need according to the estimation of other people that should determine our direction, but God’s will. God needs to be in charge of our priorities as to when we do what. When He’s in charge, genuine love is the product.
From Paul’s request of the Corinthians to wait for his visit, we learn the following lesson:
Love: Allow loved ones to invest in the lives of others in keeping with God’s priorities
By asking the Corinthians to wait for him to visit so that he can minister in Ephesus, Paul is teaching them a lesson in love. They need to sacrifice the time with Paul to allow him to minister to those from other churches. Likewise, we need to allow our loved ones opportunity to minister to others. It’s wrong and out of balance when we become so enmeshed with our little circle that we don’t allow one another the opportunity to reach out to others outside of our group.
Paul’s concern for Timothy & Apollos (16:10-12)
Paul expresses concern that the Corinthians treat Timothy appropriately
Paul gives three instructions to the church about Timothy. First, they are to see to it that Timothy has nothing to fear. We can only speculate what might have caused Timothy fear in Corinth. Perhaps the atmosphere ministering in that church was intimidating. Perhaps Timothy’s timid nature and youthfulness caused some difficulties. Whatever caused the potential for fear in Timothy, the church is called to see to it that Timothy has nothing to fear. Timothy is to be treated as Paul’s co-laborer in the work of the Lord.
The second instruction for the church regarding Timothy is that they aren’t to refuse acceptance of him, they aren’t to despise him, they aren’t to look down on him, thinking his contribution is of no value. Perhaps his youthfulness and lack of experience caused some not to take Timothy seriously.
The third instruction Paul gives is that the church needs to help him continue on his journey in peace.
From Paul’s example, we learn the following lesson:
Love: Express genuine concern for the welfare of co-laborers in ministry
Timothy had some needs on His journey. His timid nature and youthfulness caused him difficulty. The church needed instruction to show deference to Timothy as opposed to disregarding his ministry. Paul cared enough to make sure the church received Timothy in a proper and loving way. He cared about his co-laborer. We need to do the same.
We need to be careful not to get so caught up in a ministry cause that we forget the importance of ministry to our co-workers. Instead of acting in a selfish way in which we only think about our part in ministry and how various things affect us, we need to remember we are a part of a team and need to consider our teammates. We need to show concern for them ahead of concern for our own selves.
It’s so easy for us to get so enmeshed in a ministry project like an offering to help the poor, an evangelistic campaign, a missions endeavor that we forget that the people ministering alongside us are part of our ministry. They need our love too. They need to know that we are concerned for their welfare.
Paul communicates Apollos’ plans to visit at a more opportune time
Apparently, the church asked Paul when they might expect another visit from Apollos. Paul reported that he strongly urged Apollos to go to the Corinthians, demonstrating that he didn’t ignore their request. Just the same, at the time, Apollos was quite unwilling to go. How did Paul respond when Apollos went a different direction than what he had suggested? He simply communicates that Apollos will come at a more opportune time. Paul shows goodwill to Apollos. He doesn’t make a negative comment about his decision. He acts toward Apollos as a partner in ministry, not as a master.
Love: Don’t insist that co-workers do everything we think they should do
How sad it is when church member involved in ministry suggests a change in direction for a co-laborer and then wants nothing to do with that person, just because he or she didn’t agree with a suggestion. As co-workers in ministry, it is appropriate for us to challenge and encourage one another, but it isn’t our place to insist that things be done our way. Love doesn’t insist everything be done the way we think it should be done.
General Exhortations (6:13-14)
Paul presents a series of five exhortations. These five commands effectively sum up the action steps needed in light of the concerns raised in the book of 1 Corinthians. With each of these commands, interpretation is challenging as Paul doesn’t provide a lot of explanation as to what he means in the immediate context. However, as we consider these exhortations in light of the themes developed in the book, we better understand their significance.
The Corinthians are denying the resurrection of the dead. They don’t seem to recognize God’s judgments going on around them. They have to be told that people are dying at their love feasts because God is judging them. They are tolerant of one living in blatant sin. They are taking one another to court. In view of all this, Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be on their guard. I believe Paul means that they need to be watchful or expectant of Christ’s return. They need to fix their eyes expectantly on Christ’s coming and live with that event in mind. Certainly Paul intends that a watchful expectancy for Christ’s coming will encourage a lifestyle of holiness and service to Him among the Corinthians.
Paul exhorts the Corinthians to stand firm in the faith. The influence of false teachers in Corinth is all too obvious. They have allowed some to influence them to think that the gospel message, by which they were saved, is somehow less than the “new wisdom” the false teachers are promoting. The false teachers have been able to shake their confidence in fundamentals of the gospel; namely, the resurrection of the dead. The Corinthians need to stand firm in the teaching delivered to them by Paul and the other true apostles.
Paul exhorts the men of the church to be men of courage. What does Paul intend should happen in response to this command? The Greek word used here could be translated, “Act like men.” Remember the problem Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 11. The women are removing head coverings, the symbol of submission in their culture. They refuse to recognize the authority God gave to their husbands and refuse to submit to their leadership. Apparently, at the same time, men appear to be relinquishing their roles and responsibilities as men. I think that through the command to “act like men,” Paul is challenging the men to assume their God given responsibilities of leadership in their homes and in the church.
Paul’s fourth exhortation is for the Corinthians to be strong. How ironic that Paul would have to exhort this church to be strong. After all, this is the group that despises weakness. This is the church that regards Paul as weak. However, when the Corinthians act in what they regard to be their strengths, they demonstrate that they are the ones who are weak. They are the ones who need to be strong. In what way do they most lack strength? They lack strength in standing for their convictions. They need to have the strength to stand up for what they believe, even when doing so means that they have to go against the crowd.
Paul’s fifth exhortation of the Corinthians is that they “do everything in love.” Here we find the vital ingredient to the Christian life that is missing at Corinth. How vital is love to the church? Imagine what standing firm in the faith looks like without love. In our day and age, it produces what people call “fighting fundamentalism.” Imagine what “acting like men” looks like without love. It produces harsh dictators. Imagine a church without love. Look at Corinth. Love for one another needs to be a part of absolutely everything the church does.
Love: Take a firm, courageous stand on those things that matter, but do so in love
Paul urges the Corinthians to respond appropriately to Stephanas for his devoted service (16:15-18)
The household of Stephanas constituted the first converts of Paul’s evangelistic efforts in the province of Achaia, in which Corinth was situated. An outstanding characteristic about this family that Paul brings to the Corinthians attention is that they led the charge in ministry, devoting themselves to the service of the saints.
Paul expresses personal gratitude for their ministry on two counts: First, they came to minister to Paul, supplying those needs that others from Corinth hadn’t met. Secondly, they have been a genuine refreshment (encouragement) of spirit both to Paul and to the Corinthians.
Paul urges the church to be subject to these men and to give them proper honor or recognition. He desires this response from the church to all who devote themselves to service as Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus had done.
From the exhortation of Paul to the church regarding Stephanas, we learn the following lesson:
Love: Give respect and appropriate recognition to ministry leaders
From Stephanas’ example, we are challenged to:
Love: Work hard at encouraging others
Paul sends greetings from others and encourages the Corinthians to greet one another affectionately (16:19-21)
Paul expresses how everyone who was with him at the time he wrote the letter to Corinth sent their greetings. On this basis, Paul encourages the Corinthians to greet one another. Paul’s point is this, “If everyone else cares enough about you to make sure to send a personal greeting (including many they had never met), how much more should you care about one another. They should greet one another with a holy kiss.
Love: Express genuine, appropriate affection for one another
Paul isn’t calling for “touchy-feely, gushy sentiment.” Nor is he suggesting any form of inappropriate affection. Rather, he is exhorting the Corinthians to greet one another with a holy kiss. There is a need for those who had failed to love one another for such a long time to express their affection through physical contact. This type of expression of love would help to break down some of the barriers in the church as its almost impossible to be at odds with someone with whom you have physical contact.
A holy kiss is something that they were comfortable with in their culture. We might not feel comfortable with this same form of expressing love for one another in the church today. I personally don’t. Just the same, there is application for us. We need to show genuine love and affection for one another. That affection can and should involve appropriate physical expression. In other words, Paul is communicating that there is something right and good about loving one another in the church through a “holy hug” or a “hearty handshake.” We need to be sensitive in our use of physical expression, not touching people in ways they are not comfortable with. Just the same, our love for one another should be evident in our physical expressions.
Benediction—a stern warning and affectionate affirmation (16:22-24)
In his benediction, Paul clearly distinguishes between saints and unbelievers. Upon unbelievers, those who do not love the Lord, Paul announces an anathema or curse. In a church marked by the lack of love, pride, impurity and doctrinal error, Paul knew there were likely unbelievers in their midst. Thus he gives this sober warning.
Paul encourages urgency in response to his warning by saying, “Maranatha.” This is an Aramaic expression that early Christian used and Greek believers accepted without translation. It can here be translated in two ways. It can be translated prophetically, “Our Lord is coming” or it could be translated as a prayer “Our Lord, come.” Either way, the imminence of the Lord’s return encourages the unbeliever to respond promptly to Paul’s warning.
Upon believers, Paul pronounces blessing. He expresses his desire that the grace of Christ be an abiding presence in their lives— “the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.” He assures the Corinthians of his love for them. After all of his hard words in this letter, it was probably reassuring for the Corinthians to read that Paul still loved them.
Love: Continuously demonstrate the love to which we exhort others
How easy it is to exhort others from the Word of God what we believe they need to do in response while at the same time neglecting to do the same in our lives. Paul didn’t make this mistake. He modeled the love for the Corinthians that he exhorted of them.
What are the implications of this passage for our lives?
Is there an opportunity to give to someone in financial need that you are aware of and that you believe God is leading you to do something about? Write the check this week.
Is there a person whom you love, but have neglected to spend time with lately? Break out your planner and plan for how you will show this person love by investing your time in them this week.
Is there a relationship that is out of balance? Do you spend so much time with a person or a group of people that you don’t leave room for anyone else? Give each other a break this week and allow one another the opportunity to reach out to others.
Are there co-workers in ministry with whom you have been so involved in the task of ministry that you have neglected to show your care for them? Take time to express your concern for how these people are doing.
Have you kept someone in the church at arms length because they are unwilling to do something your way and you are still upset. Stop insisting they do things your way and make sure they know you still love them.
Is there someone who has been laboring hard in the work of ministry to whom you have failed to demonstrate submission or show proper recognition and respect? Confess your wrong response and consider how you might encourage this person in their labors.
Who needs a holy hug or a hearty handshake? Make sure to catch them after the service.
May it be said of us that we “Do everything in love.” Love is the key if PVBC is to have an abounding ministry. Beloved, let us love one another.