1 Corinthians 16 (7)

Pray Psalm 71.14, 15.
But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.

Sing Psalm 71.14-16.
(Solid Rock: My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less)
But as for me my voice I raise to sing in hope and constant praise!
With saving grace my voice will swell Your never-ending grace to tell.
Refrain v. 3
A Rock of habitation be; command Your Word to rescue me;
my Rock and Fortress ever be!

Review 1 Corinthians 16.1-24; meditate on verses 13-18.

Preparation
1. What instructions did Paul give the Corinthians?

2. Why was he glad about the visit from his three friends?

Meditation
In chapter 16 Paul linked the Corinthians into the larger network of the growing Body of Christ (vv. 1-4); set the stage for a visit—by himself or Timothy (vv. 5-11); summarized his instructions to the Corinthians (vv. 13, 14); commended their leaders (vv.15-18); and sought the grace of God for their refreshment and renewal (vv. 18-24). One gets the feeling that, in Paul’s mind at least, things in Corinth were getting back on track.

At least they would be, once his letter had been received, read, and obeyed. 1 Corinthians must have been a hard letter for Paul. It is confrontational, urgent, and unyielding in its assessments and requirements. But the central thread of love is present throughout, and it is in the spirit of love that Paul brought his letter to a close (v. 24). Everything must be done in love (v. 14). Love covers a multitude of shortcomings and sins, so the more they practiced love for God and their neighbors, the better the Corinthians would be at getting back on track with the Lord.

Our calling as believers is to love the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 22). If we love Him with all our soul and strength, He will fill us to overflowing with love for the people around us. And where love prevails, all other challenges and difficulties can be readily resolved.

Know that you are loved by our heavenly Father. Bask in the love of Jesus. Grow in love by the Holy Spirit. And go each day to edify your brethren and glorify God in the world by the love you show in all things. We’ll always be on track with the Lord and His agenda as we love one another.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Dorcas was a woman full of good works and charitable deeds.
“But it happened in those days that she became sick and died…all the widows stood by [Peter] weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them” (Acts 9.36-42). She meant a lot to those women and her community, but probably wasn’t known throughout Israel; yet she served faithfully. Well done.

“Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him” (Matt. 10.2-4). These all served in some capacity, but a few we never hear about again after this list, yet they served faithfully (except Judas). Well done.

The book of Judges tells the story of that time in history when Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson ruled. Some of these got stories, some didn’t, yet they all served faithfully. Well done.

Paul wanted the church to learn that all people are important and worthy of appreciation, whether they served in a large, visible capacity, or a smaller way. He told the Corinthians, “Therefore acknowledge such men” (1 Cor. 16.18). Why? Because they devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints and they worked and labored in the Kingdom for God’s glory (1 Cor. 16.15, 16).

When we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16) we are able, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to love others in the way prescribed for us (1 Cor. 13).

God’s love leads and guides us to love and acknowledge and encourage all those who do the work of ministry. And that would be everyone, as we are all called into our own Personal Mission Field, to do the work that God has prepared for us to do (Eph. 2.10).

We must never get caught up in the world’s perspective of who is worthy of praise and who is not. God “does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16.7). And we must too.

Let us always seek to acknowledge the Dorcas, Lebbaeus, Ibzan, and Abdon people in our lives and churches. Because all the parts of the Body of Christ are important and necessary cogs in the wheel of Kingdom work. And always, let all we do be done with love (1 Cor. 16.14).

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15.58). Well done.

For reflection
1. What is your most important takeaway from our study of 1 Corinthians?

2. How can you encourage your fellow believers in their “everyday” callings to love God and their neighbors?

3. Where do you need to improve in showing the love of Christ consistently to others?

If love had been present, the Corinthians would not have been puffed up, they would not have divided into factions, they would not have gone to law before heathens, or indeed at all. If there had been love in the church, that notorious person would not have taken his father’s wife, they would not have looked down on their weaker brethren, and they would not have boasted about their spiritual gifts. John Chrysostom (344-407), Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians 44.2

Pray Psalm 71.21-24.
Pray for your church, that it will be a bastion of truth and a lighthouse of love in your community.

Sing Psalm 71.21-24.
(Solid Rock: My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less)
Increase my greatness, comfort me, and unto You shall praises be.
Your truth I will exalt full well, O Holy One of Israel!
Refrain v. 3
A Rock of habitation be; command Your Word to rescue me;
my Rock and Fortress ever be!

My lips with joy and praises ring; to You, Redeemer, praise I bring!
I praise Your goodness all day long; LORD, humble all who do me wrong.
Refrain

T. M. and Susie Moore

The Church in Corinth was in need of revival. But there was much to be done before that would happen. The Church today is in need of revival, and the same is true for us. Our book, Revived!, can help us to discern our need for revival and lead us in getting there. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from theNew King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available by clicking here.