1 Corinthians Chapter 16 Verses 1 – 4

• I love that Paul didn’t want his arrival, his coming to them, his being with them…he didn’t want it to be about money. He wanted it all to be about the furthering of the Gospel and the fellowship of the people. So, he says, take up a collection now…not when I come. I want to focus on the teaching of God’s Word and the encouragement of the church. I love that.
• I want to give you something to consider… When I wasn’t a pastor, when I simply attended church, I still felt responsibility for the financial wholeness including accountability of the church. I hope that you do too. As the pastor of this church I know it is my responsibility to ensure the finances are in order and appropriated with lock-tight (above-reproach) righteousness. But let me tell you, if I could just minister the Word the God and love the people, that would be just fine with me. I love that about Paul. Get it done, so that when I come, I don’t have a need at all to take a collection.
• Paul is apparently responding to a question or a concern that had been written to him about taking a collection in the church. He begins with “Now concerning,” which is a phrase he has used several times already in this letter when addressing issues with the church in Corinth. It could be, because I have seen this before, when a person or church gets off track with the Lord, walks a bit in the flesh (and its subtle, a slow fade, a slippery slope that is diagnosable by self-serving / self-centeredness) then their giving hearts will suffer.
• God’s love is a giving love and as you walk with the Lord, draw near to Him, you too begin to be overtaken by a heart to give. Bruh, and yes, I’m talking about money but I’m also talking about just of yourself…just giving help…giving kindness. (Giving circumspection, what we call “common sense,” one of the best gifts you can give those in your world!) If you don’t have a heart to give then I can say assuredly, your heart isn’t melded with the heart of God…because all He does is give.
• This collection for the saints, Paul is specifically talking about the poverty of the church in Jerusalem. We know from other places in scripture that the early church in Jerusalem was in a state of need. Why? Perhaps because of persecution, definitely because of discrimination, but also because of the care for orphans and widows that we know was taking place there and we know that there was a severe famine in Israel at the time.
• Notice this about giving. Paul says it’s a “must.” It is to be done regularly. And it is to be proportionate to your income. Now, when it comes to giving to those in need, I want you to know, it’s not just a broad-brush commandment for the church to meet that need. It’s that way today as well. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 5:3-4, “Honor widows who are really But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents.” Paul later says in verse 9, “Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number…” What’s all of this mean? Don’t stop the work of God with the resources of the church…
• When we are asked for financial assistance, we do not take action based on sympathy. We take action based on prayer and wisdom. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” As a church, we are not to distribute to any person that is in need…but rather we are to discern the will of God in bringing them into a life that is blessed by God. The prodigal would have never come home if grandma would have sent him a weekly check and had it delivered to the pig pen.
• And so, Paul, remembering his promise to Peter, James and John (Galatians 2:9-10) answers the question on taking up a collection and there’s one more thing that I want to point out here…Paul did not command a collection as a salary for himself. He would teach at night and make tents during the day. His tent making would pay for his needs while the collection would go into the ministry. Now in 1 Timothy 5 Paul says that ministers should be cared for by the ministry…but here (and other places in scripture) he gives another path and I appreciate that…

1 Corinthians Chapter 16 Verses 5 – 9

• Ok, that makes me squint my eyes! Many adversaries? And that is a great and effective door!? How? Here’s what I’ve learned of effective people. A good way to not be disturbed and derailed is to plan and expect to be disturbed! HA! It sounds so silly but few know how to do this correctly.
• I’m not saying plan for the worst. That’s pessimism and will birth a critical and joyless spirit within you…I’m saying train hard today…learn, grow, prepare right now…and then when the test/trial comes, with the disturbing moment arises, you are well prepared to keep your calm and remain focused.
• Trials, tough times, don’t reveal the kind of person you are…they reveal the kind of preparer you are. Anyone can react when a punch is thrown but the wise person is aware that the punch is coming. This is essentially why an adversarial situation is to him a great and effective door…because he already knows what he is going to do and he is already confident that he will have the victory in the Lord.

1 Corinthians Chapter 16 Verses 10 – 11

• Timothy was a bit timid and he was a half-blood so perhaps that was Paul’s concern. Or it could have been that the church in Corinth was already signaling issues with Paul’s authority so why would they be good to Timothy? At any rate, I love this, we see this in Paul and this is how true laborers in Christ act…we take care of our own.

1 Corinthians Chapter 16 Verse 12

• No barking orders…here we have a glimpse into early church leadership. Is there authority, yes! But Jesus said in Matthew 20:25-26, don’t make yourself lord of others…serve them, if they’re not with it…fine…go anyway and leave room for faith!

1 Corinthians Chapter 16 Verses 13 – 14

• Paul couldn’t have written this at the beginning of the letter…although this is all of the instruction they needed. This entire letter is 6,830 words long…all they really needed (if they were obedient) were these 19 words…man I want to be a 19-word disciple of Christ, not a 6,830 word disciple of Christ!!! A 19-day disciple, not a 6,830 day one…almost 19 years!! Pray for an obedient heart…you’ll waste much less time!!
• But now that he is out of scroll…ha…and said what was needed to be said, he places a responsibility on them for the profit of it all… Watch, be awake. You choose what you are awake to…once you learn something important, critical, essential, it should be filed under “primary” in your mind, it becomes a part of who you are and how you operate…that is to be awake to something.
• It’s a military term and think of it like that for a second. You train physically, you train mentally, you train in weaponry, you train situationally, and then you go out into the field and wander around relying on your emotions…isn’t that ridiculous! Same thing for Bible study…which is essentially what the church in Corinth is getting with this letter.
• Then he says, “stand fast in the faith, be brave…” I think the translators were tired…go look at this word in the Greek. It is just plain odd…used only once in all of scripture and “be brave,” well I’m not even sure where they pulled that from. Literally it means, “quit you like men.” Better translated, grow up from an emotionally driven child to people of great strength and character! This is what being awake to the truth of scriptures will do in your heart of hearts over time! That’s actually the next phrase, “be strong.” It literally means, “GROW strong!”
• So, there we have a pattern that many will hear and few will achieve…watch, stand in the things of truth in your heart, go from child to adult and grow up in strength. All in order…one rightly before the other. And then the pinnacle of power, love itself. A person that is loving has committed this pattern to practice. If you’re setting out to file this Bible study today under primary, know this…if you are growing in love and grace, you’re doing it right.

1 Corinthians Chapter 16 Verses 15 – 18

• Revelation time! Who told you Paul about our issues? Here you go…and they seem to be the leads of the church there in Corinth. Paul says stop your factions and submit to and acknowledge these devoted men. How do you ID people devoted to Jesus in the church? Look, “they refreshed my spirit.”

1 Corinthians Chapter 16 Verses 19 – 22

• This is a heavy curse on one thing…proclaiming to know and to follow Jesus and yet having no love for Him. See that? He didn’t say those that don’t know Jesus…Paul says those that do not love The cancer in the Body of Christ because of selfishness, self-centeredness, the flesh and sin…Jude writes about them with equal sharpness. Paul says let them be accursed! Anathema. Banned. Deal with them.

1 Corinthians Chapter 16 Verses 23 - 24

• Paul’s heart (as is God’s heart),…grace and love. Don’t give me this confusion over how can a God of grace and love also be a God of anathema and exclusion? That confusion is rooted in carnality! The very essence of grace and love flows from a right relationship…go into your place of work or place of business today…find someone who hates you and see if grace and love will flow! You may offer it but the hate they have for you will trample all of your grace and love under foot. So, the choice is not the Lord’s as to who benefits as the recipient of God’s grace and God’s unconditional love…through the cross of Christ all have been welcomed in…the choice lies in the receiving.
• And so, Paul ends this letter just as he began, with exalting Jesus Christ…and truly, if we would make that our life’s aim, we would easily keep all that Paul has instructed…