1 Corinthians 16

--- Welcome back to our study in 1 Corinthians. This is our final study in this particular book of the Bible, and we're going to be looking at Paul's final words to the Corinthians here in chapter 16. So, let's pray. Father, open our hearts, open our eyes, speak to us, we pray. Guide and direct our hearts through Jesus our Savior. Amen. Paul begins this final section to the Corinthians by saying,

What's going on here is that there was a famine in the area of Judea, and the saints in Jerusalem were struggling. And so, Paul would take up offerings to send to the people in Jerusalem to encourage them and to help them through their difficult time of famine. So, this was a common sort of a thing that Paul would do, and he gives them some basic instructions here. I want you to notice that he says, just as I instructed the churches in Galatia, I'm telling you that on the first day of the week, that's Sunday, and that could be the day that they met. You know, the Christian church is not under the Sabbath regulations on meeting on the seventh day. We don't really know when the believers met. They probably met many times throughout the week, but obviously, they were coming together to gather these offerings on Sunday. And he says here, when I come, I don't want to have to be talking to you guys about, well, we're not going to do pledges. That's kind of what he's saying. I want you to put this aside little by little each week so that when I come, it's all gathered. And then I'll write a letter, and you can choose some individuals you trust, and we'll ship them off to Jerusalem to take that to the saints there. And then he said, and if it's advisable for me to go, I'll accompany them. But if not, I won't. That's the basic essence of what's going on. Next, he's going to kind of talk about some of his plans for traveling. He says,

Paul is obviously in Ephesus when he writes this, and he is saying here that he wants to come visit, but not just for a short drop in and leave again. He wants to come when he can stay and really spend some time and speak into their hearts. So he says, for now, I'll stay in Ephesus. I want you to notice what he says about what's going on in Ephesus. By the way, he stayed in Ephesus longer than any other place. He says, a wide door, verse 9, for effective work has opened. But he didn't stop there. He went on to say, and there are many adversaries. That seems like a strange thing to say together. Wouldn't you rather expect him to say, for a wide door for effective work has opened and many are coming to Christ? That's how we would say it. But he expected opposition. He says it like it's part of the same whole. There's a great wide door for effective work that's been opened to me, and there are a lot of people who oppose. He just expected it. He knew that wherever he went, wherever he took the gospel, there were going to be people who were going to get in his face and were going to try to stop him. He didn't think it an odd thing. He considered it as part of what it meant to share the gospel. Verse 10, when Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord as I am. So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. Paul was always looking out for Timothy. We learn in Paul's letters to Timothy that there may have been an issue with Timothy as to fear and timidity. And so it was something that Paul was aware of, and he longed to make sure that Timothy was well cared for, well looked after, and well respected among the brothers. Verse 12, now concerning our brother, Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. Be watchful. Stand firm in your faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. Boy, what a great summarizing statement for this book, is it not? Now I urge you, brothers, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. Obviously, the household of Stephanas had taken on a kind of pastoral role in the area of Corinth. They were the first to come and respond to the gospel, and now they have taken on a role such that Paul says, I want you to be subject to these sort of people. In other words, I want you to follow their leadership. That's essentially what he's saying. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence. These are apparently the people who came to meet with Paul and gave him information about what was going on in the church there, which is why he wrote this letter. For they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people. And then Paul's final greeting in these last verses. The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla, together with the church in their house, sends you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This was something that Paul did. He dictated his letters to someone who wrote them down. But at the end of the letter, Paul would write in his own hand as a mark of authenticity. This was a sign that the letter was truly from Paul, and they could recognize how he wrote, and it would assure them that the letter was truly from the Apostle Paul. Verse 22. If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all. In Christ Jesus. Amen. You can see that this letter was a very personal one for Paul. He truly loved these people, and he wanted them to know it. He wanted them to see that what he had been exhorting them to do, to love one another, is something he was doing for them. My love, he says, be with you all. And that's where we conclude our study of 1 Corinthians. You'll have some discussion questions available for you to go through, and I trust you'll do that. And it's been a good study. We'll move on in the Bible after this. Let's close in prayer. Father, thank you for our time today, and thank you, Lord, for this whole study in 1 Corinthians. It's been fantastic. And I just pray that as we continue to study through the Word of God, that you would continue to teach us and instruct us, and we would grow and stand fast in the gospel of Jesus. Help us, Lord, to love others, to be responsible in the way we act toward outsiders, and to desire to serve you with spiritual gifts designed to bless the body. Thank you for the lessons of 1 Corinthians. Guide us and direct us as we go. In the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen. you ---