Chapter 16 of First Corinthians concludes Paul’s first letter written to the Corinthian Church. He begins by giving orders in regards to money or what he calls the collection. Paul instructed the church as follows: “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” (1 Corinthians 16:2 NKJV)
God’s work requires funding, and Paul wanted to ensure that the Corinthian Church set aside money for kingdom work before he visited. He didn’t want them to wait until he was there to start collecting; he wanted the collection gathered and ready to go upon his visit. Paul consistently instructed everything to be done in an orderly fashion—how the Church handled their funds was no different.
We are to responsibly steward everything that the Lord gives us. We will be held accountable for how we manage every aspect of our lives, including our money. Everything we possess is the Lord’s if we confess him to be Lord of our lives. This means he is Lord over our souls, Lord over our bodies, Lord over all that we love, and Lord over all that we have. May the Lord be pleased with how we manage what he has placed in our possession.
Of course, Paul’s directive to lay something aside for the collection was about money, but I couldn’t help but see a more profound, applicable lesson in this text. Paul’s instruction to lay aside funds was proactive. He said to lay the money aside so that they wouldn’t have to gather the funds when he came. We need to be just as proactive as this when it comes to all things of God.
Recall how Christ gave the parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish ones in Matthew 25. The five wise virgins took oil for their lamps to keep them burning until the bridegroom came. They were proactive. They planned ahead to meet the bridegroom and ensured that their lamps would remain lit. But the five foolish virgins did not bring oil to keep their lights burning. They should have been proactive, but they waited until the bridegroom came to run back and purchase oil. Of course, being reactive, waiting until the bridegroom came to buy oil, caused them to be too late. They missed out on being with the bridegroom.
When it comes to being reunited with our Father and Jesus Christ his Son, we must be proactive. A reactive Christian is a foolish one who will be left behind on the last day. Just as Paul ordered the collection to be gathered before he came so that there would be no gathering of funds when he visited, we need to gather ourselves unto righteousness and holiness because there will be no further gathering after Christ comes. The wise virgins watched for the return of their bridegroom, and in verse 13 of this chapter, Paul instructs us to watch as well.
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
Let’s be wise and proactive in all we do, but especially for things concerning God and his kingdom.
Another lesson we can learn from Paul’s last comments to the Corinthians is his desire for communion with fellow believers. Paul stated that he had plans to pass through Macedonia and hoped to be with them or spend the entire winter season with them. Throughout scripture, we see Paul’s yearning to be amongst believers to edify and encourage them. Paul’s love for God’s people is inspiring. It is something that we should all strive to attain. He did not simply love people from a distance. He desired communion with them.
If you love someone, wouldn’t you naturally love being in their company? I would question the love of a spouse who never wants to be around their husband or wife. I would question the love of parents who do not love being with their children, and I would question the love of children who do not wish to be around their parents. To love people is to also desire their company.
I understand that there are some exceptions to this conclusion. If someone you love is emotionally or physically abusive, you may not desire their company. You wouldn't love being around someone who is consistently pessimistic or evil-spirited. But generally, if you love someone, you should also love their company. Therefore, if we love God’s people as He has instructed us, we should desire communion with believers as Paul desired communion with the church. May the Holy Spirit work in us all to love God’s people and to love fellowship with the entire Body of Christ.
In Paul’s last remarks of this chapter, he said the following in 1 Corinthians 16:9: “For a great and effective door has been opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” We know Paul faced many trials while doing the Lord’s work. He was stoned, mocked, and beaten on more than one occasion. Yet, those were only Paul's physical adversaries. Because of his outstanding contribution to the Kingdom of God, Paul’s spiritual adversaries were undoubtedly many as well. In fact, I believe the persecution he faced in the world was only a physical manifestation of the spiritual forces against him. Indeed, Paul had enemies … and it was because of the great doors of opportunities he had for advancing the kingdom.
Often, we correlate open doors and great opportunities with personal blessings. New jobs, marriages, children, and new homes are typically what we consider to be great doors. These things are without doubt beautiful, and God is due praise upon our reception of them. However, the chance to tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost, was a great door in Paul’s mind (v.8). Another opportunity to preach the gospel and to edify God’s people, was the open door for him.
May our mindset shift into a mindset of Paul’s or better yet, the mindset of Christ. May we view opportunities to spread the gospel and to edify God’s people as great doors. Just as we celebrate the personal opened doors in our lives, let us celebrate the opportunity to do God’s will. Let us also be mindful that just as Paul had many adversaries while doing God’s work, we will have enemies as well.
But be thankful that we have God, our Mighty Warrior who saves (Zephaniah 3:17). The enemy may come against us in one way, but they will flee from us in seven ways (Deuteronomy 28:7). No weapon formed against us shall prosper, and the Lord has enabled us to tread upon the lion and the serpent (Psalms 91:13).
When the effective and great doors open, adversaries will arise, but they will not prevail. We know this because despite Paul’s enemies, his ministry work has lasted throughout time, and it will continue to bless the souls of millions. May we press on despite the enemies’ attacks and bless souls as the Lord sees fit.
1 Corinthians 16 ends a dynamic letter to the Corinthian Church. Paul exhorts the church and encourages them to continue forward in the faith. Reading the entire First Corinthian letter is a blessing to all who choose to read and apply its teaching. It’s been an honor reviewing this book with all of you who have reviewed it with me. May this message bless you, may God’s word continue to edify you, and may God keep you.
Thank you for reading this week's Write On! Wednesday article. Browse the blog for more articles or visit www.amazon.com/author/quinarrington if you are interested in Christian fiction or nonfiction books. Thank you for your time and attention. God bless you!
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