[Transcript]
This is the final chapter. Throughout this letter, Paul’s love and concern for the Corinthian church were evident. He invested eighteen months in planting their church, training their leaders, and laying the foundation of Christ crucified and resurrected. His investment in them ran deep. The friendships formed were heartfelt. At the end, Paul wraps up this letter with a few final instructions, travel plans, and his personal closing.
The Collection
“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.” – 1 Corinthians 16:2
There are a few things we can gather from this. Apparently, there were questions about the collection, which he instructed them to take. Verse three says this collection is going to Jerusalem. In Romans, Paul indicated that this collection (among others) was for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
“But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.” – Romans 15:25-26 (NKJV)
First, it is clear that Paul instilled in the churches he planted a heart for helping others beyond their borders. Not only should each local church care for its own people, but it should also make provisions for people elsewhere. This is analogous to setting aside a portion of each week’s offerings to support missionaries around the world.
In well over two decades of ministry, I’ve heard all the arguments. Why are we sending money to Africa when we have so much to do locally? Fair question. If there is genuine neglect of local needs, then things do need to be reevaluated. But Jesus said that the poor will always be with us. There will never be an end to needs that could be fulfilled locally. Local churches could spend every penny in their budgets on local missions, and there still wouldn’t be enough to satisfy every need. The example Paul gave us is that, in addition to taking care of local needs, there should always be a portion kept for the church outside our borders. The local church needs to keep an eye on both their cities, and churches beyond their cities. Why? Because Jesus came to save people from all nations, not just your local tribe, therefore, maintain a global perspective when you give.
Second, Paul unintentionally revealed that the Corinthian church gathered for worship on Sunday. It’s unclear when or how quickly this transition occurred, but the day the church gathered organically shifted from Saturday to Sunday. Since this letter is believed to have been written in the mid-50s AD, we can deduce that the shift happened within twenty years of the church’s birth in Acts 2.
Finally, this instruction indicates that taking up offerings during the worship gathering was a common practice from the beginning. Despite all the grumbling that occurs when churches dare to speak about money, the collection is not a novel development. The church has always taken up collections to serve the body of Christ, both locally and globally. As this instruction implies, people have always questioned what happens to the money given. Paul took great care with the offerings, ensuring that trusted men would handle them. So should every church. Make sure the ones who handle your church’s offerings are trustworthy.
Travel Plans
“I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go.” – 1 Corinthians 16:5-6
While it’s easy to skim over these verses as impractical because, on the surface, they don’t contain any instruction, they do offer helpful context. Here, in verse eight, we learn that Paul was in Ephesus when he wrote this letter. He planned to revisit them after passing through Macedonia and, Lord willing, spend the winter with them. His desire to spend significant time with them revealed his love.
We also have an indication that Timothy may have delivered this letter. You can track these events in Acts chapter 19.
“When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.” – Acts 19:21-22 (NKJV)
Recall that Timothy was also mentioned earlier in this letter.
“That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.” – 1 Corinthians 4:17
Details like these knit the entire narrative together. What happened in Acts shows up in Paul’s letters. Our understanding of Scripture must mature beyond reading the letters as isolated teachings. They are part of the greater story.
I have gained great appreciation over the years for connecting these dots. It wasn’t intentional, but the way I was brought up in the church in Sunday School, in VBS, in the preaching from the pulpit, didn’t teach me how the Bible is one unified story where every little story connects and has a purpose that serves the greater story. Discovering this was life changing, and it caused me appreciate the portions of Paul’s letters where he’s saying hello to various people, or sharing his travel plans, or just name dropping people. Why? Because they likely show up somewhere else and that helps me knit things together!
Consequently, our study of Scripture is about connection. Connecting the smaller stories to the larger story fosters connection with the Author of all our stories. When we take care to follow the timeline, connect the dots, and let the grand saga of the Lord’s redemptive work in creation shape how our small contribution to that story unfolds, Jesus receives all the glory. Once you see what He’s done and what He’s doing, you realize it’s a gift of His grace that He included you. Like Paul’s travel plans, your plans become part of the story that will be retold for the eternal ages to come.
One Last Thing
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Verses twelve through seventeen were brief, final reminders for the church in Corinth. In verse twelve, Paul reminded them that he was sending Apollos and would come at his first opportunity. This was important to remind the church that he and Apollos were working together. It was perhaps a final appeal that no divisions form around them.
The rapid-fire admonishments in verses thirteen and fourteen are given without explanation. If the church took everything in this letter to heart, these statements should be self-explanatory. In particular, “act like men” and do everything “in love” stand out. The common trope of rugged individualism among American men isn’t always associated with doing all things in love. According to Paul, acting like men and doing all things in love are meant to be synonymous.
The final admonition is that the church should submit to those who faithfully serve. He noted that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus were faithful laborers and deserved recognition. In some church circles, honoring one another has fallen on hard times. In efforts to be humble and shun pride, we have forgotten how to give proper honor and recognition when it is due. It’s not prideful to receive honor when it is due. Nor is it robbing glory from the Lord to say “thank you” to someone who shows respect. Of course, one must guard one’s heart, but constantly deflecting and refusing to receive honor robs others of the blessing of giving it.
Ongoing Discussion
“I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.” – 1 Corinthians 16:21
Paul personally writes his greeting in a few of his letters. Galatians, 2 Thessalonians, Philemon, and Colossians all end with Paul noting that he has written the greeting himself. This indicates that Paul dictated the body of his letters. To whom? Likely to Sosthenes, who is mentioned in the opening verse.
“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,” – 1 Corinthians 1:1 (NKJV)
Paul took the pen from Sosthenes to show that he was indeed the author of the letter. Some say Paul did this to authenticate his letters, but there is no scholarly consensus on a definitive reason. At least, it seems he took pleasure in doing so in some of his letters.
But the fact that Paul likely had a scribe to whom he dictated his letters raises another question. What exactly went into letter writing in the first century? It’s not as if everyone had paper and pens lying around as we do. And if the claims that Paul had poor eyesight are true (based on Galatians 6:11), even if he had a supply of paper and pens, he wouldn’t be able to compose entire letters efficiently.
As it turns out, composing these letters came at a great personal cost to Paul. According to research by Randolph Richards, the cost of letters like Romans and 1 Corinthians would’ve been around $3,100 in today’s money. When you consider the high cost of scribes, pens, and paper, the Scriptures become even more precious to us. Paul, a man who was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, left for dead, persecuted, constantly ridiculed, and often opposed by factions within the churches he planted, also worked as a tent maker so he could not only travel but also pay the enormous expenses that came with writing letters. And you can buy a copy of those expensive letters for as little as $20 today, and seldom read it.
Be grateful. Read the Scriptures. Faithful men paid high and heavy costs to write them. How can we, with a good conscience, pay them so little regard?
