1 Corinthians 16

1 Corinthians 16:1

After encouraging the church at Corinth to labor faithfully, Paul gives them a practical opportunity to do so in giving financially. Specifically, Paul was collecting money to give to the believers in Jerusalem who were feeling the effects of a famine in the region. “In light of this,” Paul said to the Corinthians, “when you meet together, bring money proportionate to the Lord’s provision for you.” I personally and strongly believe that this proportionate amount is represented by 10 percentthe tithe. The tithe is required throughout Old Testament law. But it also precedes the law, as seen in the account of Abraham giving tithes to Melchizedeka pre-Incarnate appearance of Christ (Gen_14:20). In addition, tithing is seen in the New Testamentfor although Jesus indicts the Pharisees for neglecting the weightier matters of justice and mercy, He, nonetheless, says they shouldn’t leave tithing undone (Mat_23:23). Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.Mal_3:8 If I don’t tithe, I am robbing God. The tithe isn’t a gift I give to God. It is simply a return of what’s already His. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.Mal_3:10 This is the only place in all of Scripture where God says, “Test Me.” He says, “See how you’ll be blessed when you quit robbing Me. Bring the tithe into the storehouse. Let it go. Give it up. And watch what happens. See if I don’t bless you in ways that will be beyond your ability to even contain it. Be it emotionally, financially, or eternally. I’ll bless you so much you’ll never regret bringing Me the tithe.” And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.Mal_3:11 Not only will God bless those who tithe, but He will rebuke the devourerthat which eats away at our finances. Do you feel your money gets eaten up? It may be that part of the problem is robbery. That is, your money is being stolen by the devourer. “I’m not going to pressure you with charts, gimmicks, or fund-raising drives,” said Paul. “Just bring your tithe weekly. Then, when I come there will be no need to scramble for your checkbook.”

1 Corinthians 16:5

Although it was Paul’s plan to winter in Corinth before traveling to Jerusalem, he adds a very important phrase when he says, “if the Lord permit.” “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,” Proverbs tells us. “And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths” (1Co_3:5-6). Therefore, wise is the man or woman who says, “This is the way the day is mapped out or the week is supposed to gobut, Lord, You can interrupt it as much as You want whenever You want.” I have found that if I am expecting to be divinely interrupted by this person, that situation, or the unknown event, I go through the day with a smile on my face. But if an unexpected interruption comes on a day when I have written my schedule in stonewatch out! The key? Expect to be bothered, and you’ll never be bothered.

1 Corinthians 16:8

Paul was neither an optimist nor a pessimist. He was a realist. “I’m going to Ephesus,” he said, “where there is a great door opened before me, but also many adversaries waiting to pounce on me.” Paul’s realistic appraisal of the situation is a true sign of maturity.

1 Corinthians 16:10

Why would Paul have to tell the Corinthians not to despise Timothy? Because Timothy was weak physically (1Ti_5:23) and emotionally (2Ti_1:7). Yet Paul saw in him a heart for the kingdom. “Don’t let your gifts lie dormant because of your timidity,” he said, “but stir up the gifts within you” (see 2Ti_1:6). Timothy lived up to the potential Paul saw in him and went on to become a giant in Church history.

1 Corinthians 16:12

Even though Apollos had a fan club in Corinth, Paul was eager for him to come. Paul did not view Apollos as a rival or a competitorwhich is further evidence of Paul’s maturity.

1 Corinthians 16:13

What are we to watch for? For the roaring lion (1Pe_5:8), who seeks to attack the weakest among usbut also for the Promised Lion of the tribe of Judah, who is coming back for us. Our perspective is balanced to the degree that, as we watch what’s going on around us, we also watch for Jesus’ return for us. I look at the massive oak tree and realize it wasn’t massive initially. An oak tree is nothing more than just a little nut that refused to give ground. So, too, by God’s grace, we don’t have to give ground. We can be consistent in our time of worship; we can be committed to the study of the Scripture; we can be faithful in prayer. People who are successful in any endeavor have one thing in common: They’re part of the one percent who finish what they begin. Whether regarding career, kids, or the kingdommost people have great ideas and start well. But they don’t finish. They give up. They give ground. “Father, I have glorified Thee and finished the work Thou gavest me to do,” Jesus said (see Joh_17:4). Finishing the work God gave Him to do wasn’t just an idea in His journal or a thought stirring in His mind. It was something Jesus did. Has God called you to teach Sunday school? Do it and stay with it until He leads you in a different direction. Has He called you to have a time of morning worship? Then do so. Has He spoken to you about spending time discipling your kids? Then do it. I believe the Lord wants every one of us to be hugely successful in the things of the kingdom. His burden is easy, His load light. The only question is, will you give groundor will you stand fast? The word “quit” means “act.” Linguistically, this is a most powerful exhortation. And Paul was not the first to use it… Hearing a great shout from the camp of the Israelites, the Philistines knew the ark of the covenant had been brought into the camp of Israel. “Woe unto us,” they cried. “Who shall deliver us out of the hand of the mighty God of Israel?” But when one of them said, “Be strong. Quit yourselves like men and fight,” they dried their eyes, engaged in combat, and won the battle (see 1Sa_4:5-10). “Be strong and of good courage,” Moses told his protigi, Joshua (see Deu_31:7; Deu_31:23). “All that thou commandest us we will do. Only be strong,” the people echoed (see Jos_1:16, Jos_1:18). Our families will follow us, men, if we heed the exhortation of Paul and be strong. Scripture tells us Job made a sacrifice for each of his children daily (Job_1:5). That’s strength; that’s hard work. I’m not asking you to kill a bull, Dads. But we must sacrifice our energy, our comfort, our ease on behalf of our wives and our children. In the perilous days in which we live, to do anything less is simply not an option.

1 Corinthians 16:14

“Watch out. Stand fast. Grow up. Be strong"but lest we go out of here chewing nails, Paul comes right back with the most important exhortation of all when he says, “Let everything be done in love.” How can we watch out and stand fast and grow up and be strongand at the same time be loving? We can’t. This can only happen as the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, lives His life through us day by day.

1 Corinthians 16:15

It would seem as though the family of Stephanas was among the first of Paul’s converts in that region. Of them, Paul says the whole family was addicted to the ministry of the saints. I like that! Every single person will eventually be drawn to and infatuated with a master passion. For the family of Stephanas, this passion was ministry. They must have seen Mom and Dad committed to the congregation at Corinth. They must have watched Mom and Dad opening up their home and hearts, spending time with the saints. They must have been included in the home meetings, in the congregational setting. Traveling with Mom and Dad, these kids were not left behind spiritually. As a result, they got hooked on ministry.

1 Corinthians 16:17

When Paul first went to Corinth, he lodged with fellow tentmakers, Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. Not only did Aquila and Priscilla become believers, but they became so strong in the faith that when Paul went to Ephesus, he left Aquila and Priscilla in charge of the fellowship (Act_18:18). After ministering in Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla joined Paul in Rome, where a church met in their house (Rom_16:5). Then they returned to Ephesus to help Timothy, who would eventually become the pastor at Ephesus. Aquila and Priscilla were a couple who were on the move, flexible, determined to serve the Lord in any way possiblewonderful models for you and me.

1 Corinthians 16:20

The church neither can nor should compete with the world in areas of technology or entertainment because the world will “out-glitz” and “out-hype” us every time. Rather, it is the responsibility and privilege of the church to offer junior-highers and collegians, high-schoolers and senior citizens something they’ll never get anywhere else: love and truth. Only the church can say, “We’ll tell you the truth, and we’ll speak it in love. Unlike the world, we’re not out to make merchandise of you or to exploit you. In Jesus’ name, we’re here to love you.” The world is in desperate need of love and truth. Paul had told the Corinthians the truth. And yet he had a deep love for them and encouraged themeven through their doctrinal differencesto love one another.

1 Corinthians 16:21

Here, Paul takes the pen out of the hand of the secretary to whom, perhaps due to an eye disease, he had been dictating.

1 Corinthians 16:22

The word anathema simply means “accursed.” The word maranatha means “Lord, come.” “Whoever doesn’t love Jesus, let him be accursed.” Is this a word of harshness? I don’t think so. I think Paul took pen in hand to plead with the Corinthians, saying, “If you don’t love the One who is altogether lovely, the One who died for you, the One who cares about you, the One who gave everything that He might be with you in this life and in the ages to come; if you don’t love this One who is all-wise and all-knowing yet all-loving and all-forgiving, then you curse yourself. Maranatha. The Lord is coming. You need to make your decision.”

1 Corinthians 16:23

There could have been those in Corinth who said, “If you care so much about us, Paul, why did you point out our carnality and rebuke us for our immorality? Why were you so rough on us?” Yet, under the inspiration of the Spirit, Paul simply says, “I do love you.” Because open rebuke is better than secret love (Pro_27:5), the rebukes and exhortations that come our way should be embraced as friends. It’s much more comfortable for me to ignore a prickly situation or issue. But that’s not love. Love says, “I care more about your well-being than about what you think of me. If you think I’m not a nice guy, that’s okay, if what I’m saying will provoke you to love and to good works, to think through what you’re doing and perhaps repent from the direction you’re heading.” Faithful are the wounds of a friend (Pro_27:6). But make sure your correction is done in love… As the disciples sat at the Last Supper, under the table were twenty-four dirty, stinking feet. To remedy the situation, Jesus didn’t give a lecture on foot washing. No, He girded Himself with a towel and washed feet Himself (Joh_13:4-5). I have the right and responsibility to give admonition, exhortation, and correction; to openly rebuke and wound if necessary only if I am willing to wash the feet of the people with whom I deal. If I’m not willing to walk with them through their difficulty, stand by them in their trouble, kneel with them in prayer, it would be wiser for me to keep silent. Paul was one who had the right to correct, admonish, and rebuke the Corinthian Christians because he worked with his hands, put up with their insults, and risked his life to be with them. Thus, it was truly from his heart that Paul said to the church at Corinth, “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.” What was their reaction? While some would receive his words with humility and repentance, others would say, “Who does he think he is?“prompting Paul to compose a second Epistlethe most personal of any he would write.