1 Corinthians 16

Posted on Jul 27, 2017 in Bible (NT) in a Year |

Thursday

 

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. Vs 13 & 14

Paul is concluding this letter, by addressing another concern that the Corinthian church wrote to him about. (How do we know they wrote to him about this? Funny you should ask.) When Paul says in vs 1,“Now concerning the collection for the saints,”  (NKJ) it is obvious that he is addressing an issue that the Corinthian church wrote to him about earlier and so he tells them what they should do. He wants them to start collecting money and setting it aside for when he gets there.
 

From the earliest times of the church we see congregations helping other congregations. Jerusalem was in the midst of a crisis – a widespread famine was taking place and there were many poor Christians there without any means of support. (Acts 11:27-30)

Giving to others is a command that we are called to do “as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also” (vs 1).
For Paul giving was not an options. The Corinthian church was responsible for collecting an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem, we must always consider putting actions behind our faith.  And we are to give with joy (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Giving to others is a way of returning to God what He has given to us.
 

We should also give generously. Look at Proverbs 11:24, a farmer wouldn’t think that scattering seeds is wasteful, right? The more he scatters the more plants will grow, and the more he will harvest. The more we scatter our resources to those around us (whether close by or far away) the more likelihood we will “harvest” or bring more people for Christ. Money or resources given to further the cause of Christ is money well spent.

Because Paul wanted them to collect the money before he got there, he wanted them to give from their heart and not out of some compulsion to give when he arrived, he would never need to know who gave and who didn’t. When we give to the church or to special causes, it should always be a matter between you and God. God will lay upon your heart what you should give, whether it is a 10% of your income (a tithe) or whether it is more – your offering.

Paul concludes his letter with some travel plans and a call to respect Timothy who will most likely be stopping by on his way to meet up with Paul. Timothy was young and often times the young are overlooked even though they are doing great things for Christ. I have served on the mission field with many young people who have a real heart and a real passion for serving. I heartily agree with Paul that we should respect the work that our young Christians do.

One other thing I noticed in these closing remarks of Paul. He gives his itinerary, but he also recognizes that his plans might be changed, because God might have other plans in mind. We should always be mindful of the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The saying is “if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans!” So, did Paul’s plans change? Be sure to catch tomorrows readings and you will find out.

In everything we do, we should be willing to be flexible and amendable to the Will of God. Paul is always open to the Spirit’s leading (Acts 16:6-10), are we?

Grace and Peace

Pastor Kathy