1 Corinthians 16

What’s Happening?

Paul has written a difficult letter to the church in Corinth. He has challenged their false views of knowledge, their rampant divisiveness, their blatant sexual immorality, their profaning of the Lord’s Supper, their use of pagan rituals in Christian worship, their abuse of spiritual gifts, and their rejection of the resurrection. Yet here, he calls the Corinthians ‘holy’. The Corinthians are God’s chosen people set apart to become like Jesus (1 Corinthians 16:1,15). So, in his closing remarks to the church in Corinth, Paul uses what seem to be everyday details to encourage the Corinthians toward that holiness. 

First, Paul pushes against the Corinthians’ bent toward competition and greed. As he has pointed out multiple times in his letter, the church in Corinth has argued over their favorite leaders, the greatest wisdom, the most desirable spiritual gifts, and even over who is rich and poor. In contrast to all this division, Paul reminds them to pool their money together to support the mission of the church (1 Corinthians 16:2-3). Generously bringing their resources together is a tangible way to heal their division and lead to holiness. Generosity not only unifies the Corinthian church, but other churches too. The churches in Galatia are joining them in generosity. Paul invites Corinth into holy unity with all churches through generosity. 

Paul then communicates his plan to visit Corinth in the near future (1 Corinthians 16:5-7). He is currently in Ephesus, where there is hostility and opposition. But Paul says that is exactly why he will stay longer in Ephesus. The opposition he is facing will bring about effective ministry (1 Corinthians 16:8-9). And the same thing is happening in Corinth, and Paul hopes for effective ministry there as well. The Corinthians' struggles will not threaten their holiness, but lead to it. 

Paul continues his call for unity and holiness by mentioning three leaders the Corinthian church knew well: Timothy, Apollos, and their own Stephanas. He tells them to welcome the young leader Timothy when he visits them. In Corinth, the young were led by the old. So to ensure Timothy is received well, Paul tells the elder leaders to humbly give Timothy the same honor they would give Paul (1 Corinthians 16:10-11). Next, Paul says he has been encouraging Apollos, one of their favorite teachers, to visit them (1 Corinthians 16:12). This highlights that Paul and Apollos are not competing leaders, as the Corinthians supposed, but are unified in their commitment to them. Finally, Paul tells the Corinthians to honor and submit to people like Stephanas. Stephanas was likely a rich and well-respected leader who hosted Christian gatherings in his home. However, Paul also mentions Achaicus, who was likely Stephanas’ slave (1 Corinthians 16:15-18). In doing so, Paul honors the slave along with his master, challenging the Corinthians to unite along the lines over which they typically divide. 

Where is the Gospel?

In his closing remarks, Paul has shown that despite the Corinthians’ brokenness, Jesus, his Church, and his appointed leaders are committed to their holiness. 

If this is true of Paul’s commitment to the Corinthians, it is infinitely more true of God’s commitment to humanity. God is so committed to pursuing us that he came to us in the person of Jesus. On earth, Jesus lived with and visited the unholy and undeserving (Luke 5:30-31). He willingly made places of hostility and opposition his location for effective ministry (Mark 5:1-15). Ultimately, in his most generous act, Jesus gave his holy body and blood for the unholy sinners of the world (Mark 10:45, 14:22-24).

Now churches everywhere get to live out Jesus’ commitment to forming his people into a holy community (1 Corinthians 16:19-21). Through everyday details like generosity, submission, and visiting each other, we are being made holy like Jesus. 

Paul’s words to the Corinthians is a message to us too. Just as Paul and the other leaders of the church were coming to visit Corinth, Jesus is coming soon to visit us (1 Corinthians 16:22-24). Therefore, let us be holy. Let us guard against division, competition, greed, and all kinds of sin. Let us stand firm in our hope and trust in Jesus’ unfailing pursuit of forming holiness in us (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). And, above all, let us do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14). For there is nothing more holy than loving Jesus and loving his church. 

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit would open your eyes to see the God who pursues us even when we don’t deserve it. And may you see Jesus as the one who is coming soon.