Sermon

1 Corinthians 16— The Church: Caring for God’s People

April 27, 2003

We come today to the last chapter of 1 Corinthians and we conclude a journey through this book that began on the last Sunday of December 2002. Hasn’t it been a timely journey for us?

I love the last chapters of Paul’s letters. They are always filled with very practical instructions, suggestions, and even demands that Paul wishes to communicate to the church. Paul may have soared to the heights of theological reflection at points in his letter, but he always brings things down to the nitty-gritty in his closing exhortations to the church. The cookie is placed on the bottom shelf.

This last chapter reminds us that scripture is the church’s book. Its first purpose is not for scholars to pour over it in a cloistered study or even for the individual believer to read it as a daily guidepost. It is always a word addressed to the church, to the community of believers.

As I see the teaching here falling into four units:

A call to support the work of ministry and the workers in ministry (vv. 1-12).
Five commands (vv. 13-14).
A call to respect godly leadership (vv. 15-18).
Final greetings (vv. 19-24).

1. A call to support the work of ministry and the workers in ministry (vv. 1-12).

Here we have one of the places where Paul teaches stewardship. Paul expects the believers in Corinth to contribute material (financial) support to do the work of ministry. He begins, “Now about the collection for God’s people” (v. 1). You see Paul is writing this letter from the city of Ephesus (see v. 8). Corinth is in Greece. Paul was planning to travel from there through Northern Greece (Macedonia) and down to Corinth to spend some time with the believers there (vv. 5-7).

The collection that Paul is referring to is likely a special offering that was collected among the predominantly Gentile churches to help the primarily Jewish church in Judea and Jerusalem. Cf. Gal 2:9b-10: “They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (for an earlier collection see Acts 11:27-29; for follow up on this collection see 2 Corinthians 8–9). This was kind of like their Lottie Moon Christmas offering. You know the Gentile and the Jewish Christians did not always see eye to eye on everything (see Acts 15). This offering had not only a practical benefit (to aid the poor in Judea) but it had a spiritual benefit in unifying the believers.

Paul proceeds to instruct the believers in how they can prepare and plan to give. In v. 1b he tells them to follow the pattern he gave the Galatian churches. That is (v. 2): “On the first day of the week, each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

There are some things we can learn from this.

First, it appears that here we have a biblical precedent for the offering as a component of worship. This collection occurred on the first day of the week. This was the Christian day of worship. It is resurrection day. In the old pagan worship system the worshippers would bring animals to sacrifice or food to give to the gods or money to give to the priests. In the church, the worshippers would bring the sacrifice of a portion of their income not to be wasted or poured out in vain, but to be given to under gird fellow believers in other parts of the world and to support and sustain the ministry of Christian workers. In the New Testament church giving was done through the local church on the Lord’s Day. There are many worthy causes that I can support, but the first claim on my resources is the work done in and through the local body.

Second, Paul argues for intentionality in giving. If we do not plan to give, then we will fail to give. Other needs and concerns will creep in and steal that portion intended as an offering to the Lord. We do not want to be like the fellow who took all of his money and threw it up in the air and told God he could keep whatever he wanted and let him have whatever came back down to the ground! I know when Llewellyn and I sit down to consider the income God has given us, the first part that is claimed is the part that goes to this local church. We have a house payment and a car payment and insurance and groceries and ballet lessons and all the other things we want and need. But the first part is the part that goes to the Lord’s work. You know what I have found? When we give to him first, God has always found a way to let the parts that we keep take care of all our needs.

Consider what the prophet Malachi records in Mal 3:8-10:

8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.
9 You are under a curse-- the whole nation of you-- because you are robbing me.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Third, Paul argues for proportional giving. He calls on each to set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income. Giving is always a matter of quality not quantity. You will never be able to measure the quality of our giving. One week we may get a large amount of money. The next week a small amount. But don’t be fooled by looking at a sheer number only. This is what Jesus was talking about when he told the parable of the widow and her mite. The genius of Biblical giving is that the minimal expectation is based on a tithe of our income. This requires the same sacrifice of everyone whether your portfolio is like that of a Ross Perot or one like a retired school teacher on a fixed income.

I remember when I was a missionary having a discussion with a Russian lay pastor who was arguing that affluent Western Christians should be supporting poor Russian churches. No, I told him, that would kill your people spiritually and rob them of the sacrificial joy of giving. If you have ten families in any culture and each of them tithe, then you have enough income to support one full time Christian worker in that culture, whether it be in Russia or Somalia or Korea or Switzerland. The Bible way works pan-culturally.

Fourth, Paul urges accountability in giving. Paul wants to make sure that everything is done above board. We think that scandals over misappropriation of money began with Jim Bakker. It did not! Paul offers to write letters of introductions for their approved ambassadors who will take this offering to Jerusalem and see that it arrives in the right hands and is used for the purposes to which it was intended. Authentic churches and ministries and workers are never afraid of accountability of financial resources to fellow believers.

In vv. 10-12, we see that Paul urges stewardship not just in the collection of this financial offering for the believers in Jerusalem but also that proper attention be given to the care for Christian workers like Timothy (vv. 10-11) and Apollos (v. 12).

Paul fully expects the people of God to be generous and intentional and sacrificial in their giving.

Just this past week I sat in the Missionary Learning Center and watched as over 107 missionaries and missionary families were commissioned (our own S. among them). Some will be going to war torn countries to help in aid relief. Some can say like Paul in Ephesus that they are going to places where “a great door for effective work has opened to me and there are many who oppose me” (v. 9). How incredible that we have a part in that! But then I also read of a budget shortfall of ten million dollars. Many more want to go. Many on the field want to do more. But will be faithful in providing the support and means?

David Rawlings recently told me this story:

Mr. Pig and Mrs. Hen were walking down the lane one day, and they noticed a sign out in front of the church advertising a supper that would be given for the all the poor people of the village. Mrs. Hen said to Mr. Pig: “You know we ought to provide some of the food for that meal for the poor people of our village. Between the two of us we could provide them a very nice ham and eggs breakfast.” Mr. Pig replied: “You are right. But for us to provide that ham and eggs meal would call for an important contribution from you, but a real sacrifice from me.”

Are we ready to make a meaningful contribution or a real sacrifice?

2. Five commands (vv. 13-14).

In vv. 13-14 Paul offers five staccato commands. It is even more minimal in Greek than English, since many are just a single Greek word. Let’s look at each of these:

1. Be on your guard. This is a single Greek imperative (gregoreite) that is often translated, Be watchful. It has that sense of calling us to wakefulness, to be fully conscious and alert in Christ. It is a warning to us not to let the culture lull of to sleep or give us spiritual anesthesia.

It is a call to vigilance in anticipating the day of Christ’s return. We find the same phrase used in places like Mark 13:35-37:

35 "Therefore keep watch (gregoreite) because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back-- whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch! (gregoreite)’”

Cf. also Matthew 24:42:

“Therefore keep watch (gregoreite), because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

This is a reminder that there is no time for resting, no time for coasting but only time for diligent anticipation. This drives us to ask: What am I doing with my life for the Lord? How am I offering my time? How am I spending my resources?

One of my favorite Keith Green songs remains “Asleep in the Light” that says, “The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can’t fight cause it’s asleep in the light. How can you be so dead, when you’ve been so well fed?”

2. Stand firm in the faith. This is a call for doctrinal accountability. Do you know what you believe and why you believe it? Paul says that this matters. He told Timothy, “Watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Timothy 4:16). The country music song says, “You’ve go to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.” A few years ago the President of Southern Seminary titled a message to future church leaders in that school: “Don’t just do something, stand there.”

This call is particularly appropriate in this post-modern age when so many are telling us that “truth” is only a matter of your personal opinion and experience. They are telling us there is no objective truth but only what is true for each individual. But the Bible shatters that illusion.

In his book Pagans in the Pews, Peter Jones notes how the kings and queens of England as the guardians of the Church of England have always been given the symbolic title, “Defender of the faith.” But Prince Charles, the first post-modern royal, has announced that when he is king he will change that to “Defender of faith” (minus the “the”), because all religions “contain common elements of truth” (p. 101).

Paul does not just say, Stand firm in faith. Stand firm in spirituality. Stand firm in self-realization. Stand firm in the inner light. Stand firm in the Christ within. No! But stand firm in the faith. This faith has an object. He is Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin, who suffered under Pontius Pilate and was crucified, dead and buried, but who rose again on the third day and is seated now at the right hand of God the Father and who will come again to judge the quick and the dead. This is the faith of which Jude wrote: “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

3. Be men of courage. This is just one word in Greek: andrizesthai. It literally means: Act like men! Be manly! KJV: Quit you like men.

This is addressed to both men and women believers at Corinth. I think Paul was calling on the church collectively to exhibit what he sees as the best about God’s design for men.

Men are at their best when they are protecting, defending, and providing for their families. In Eph 5:25 Paul tells Christian husbands to love their wives in the same way that Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Paul is calling on the church at Corinth, men and women, to be willing to lay down their lives for each other. To live with a zeal for self-sacrifice and costly self-emptying.

4. Be strong (krataiousthe). Cf. Eph 6:10: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (in the power [kratei] of his might).”

Paul calls for strength in the believers. Maybe this meant a strength to endure hardship or a courage to expand and enter into new territory. In the Old Testament, God’s word to Joshua was repeatedly: “Be strong and courageous” (cf. Joshua 1:6, 7, 9).

But we must also remember that Jesus forever redefines what it means to be strong. He made his power perfect in the weakness of the cross. Paul will say in 2 Corinthians 12:10: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (dunatos).”

5. Do everything in love. Here we see again Paul using that word agape that he spent all of 1 Corinthians 13 explaining (esp. vv. 4-7). The love that is patient and kind and does not envy or boast and is not proud. The love that is not rude or self-seeking or is easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. The love that does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. The love that always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.

Remember all the turmoil in Corinth? All the arguments over immorality and worship wars and the exercise of charismatic gifts? Paul, once again, reminds them to do all things in love.

3. A call to respect godly leadership (vv. 15-18).

Paul mentions here the household of Stephanas who were the first believers in Greece (Achaia). Paul had baptized this man and his family (see 1:16). And then he and his whole family devoted themselves to serving the saints. Paul urges the Corinthians to submit (hupotasso) to such as these (v. 16) and to others who work and labor in the church.

Remember that “submission” is not a dirty word for believers. We are to submit to one another (Eph 5:21); Christian wives are to submit to Christian husbands (Eph 5:22); believers are to submit to God (James 4:7); Believers are to submit to civil authorities (Rom 13:1). Submission is also urged toward leaders in Hebrews 13:17: “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy and not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” We balance this with the call to servant leadership in 1 Peter 5:1-4.

Paul calls for proper respect for leadership and mentions his encouraging visit with Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus. His final word is: “Such men deserve recognition” (v. 18).

4. Final greetings (vv. 19-24).

As this letter comes to a conclusion Paul begins to send greetings. He sends greetings from the sister churches of Asia. In v. 19 he mentions the husband and wife team of Aquila and Priscilla who had such an important role in establishing the Corinthians church (cf. Acts 18). Note Paul’s mention of the church that meets at their house. Again, the church at this point is less a building or dry institution and more a vibrant movement, a body, a family. Paul urges them to greet one another with a holy kiss, an affectionate sign of greeting and remembrance (v. 20). The church was not an impersonal gathering of comfortable strangers!

In v. 21 Paul notes his own signature that must have appeared in the original manuscript. This letter is Paul’s. Maybe a secretary wrote this down. Some believe that Paul’s eyesight failed at the end of his life (cf. Gal 4:15).

In v. 22 Paul says something that our modern ears might find harsh and even unchristian: “If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him.” Literally: Let him be anathema. Paul feels that there are real consequences for living outside the knowledge of Christ.

Also in v. 22 Paul says: Come, O, Lord (NIV). This is the well known Aramaic phrase: Maranatha! It is a pleading for the glorious coming of Christ to set all things right.

In vv. 23-24 Paul’s two pronged prayer for the believers is grace and love (agape). This is a prayer that they be saved (grace) and that they be sanctified (love). And the whole letter then ends with an “Amen.”

As we look back over 1 Corinthians 16 we are reminded again that this part of scripture was directed to a people first and foremost. We fold our hands and say, Here’s the church; here’s the steeple; open the doors and see all the people. For Paul that would be just right.

Here were Timothy and Apollos and Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus and Aquila and Priscilla and all the others, some known only to the mind of the Lord. But these were God’s temple and now he has added other stones, and he is still living in his people and calling us to be faithful in him.

Jeffrey T. Riddle
Pastor, Jefferson Park Baptist Church

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