Day 261: Stand firm, be strong – 1 Corinthians 16 vs 10 - 24
10 When Timothy comes, don’t intimidate him. He is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. Don’t let anyone treat him with contempt. 11 Send him on his way with your blessing when he returns to me. I expect him to come with the other believers. 12 Now, about our brother Apollos, I urged him to visit you with the other believers, but he was not willing to go right now. He will see you later when he has the opportunity.
13-14 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. 15 You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to God’s people. 16 I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion. 17-18 I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren’t here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well. 19-20 The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. All the brothers and sisters here send greetings to you. Greet each other with a sacred kiss
21-22 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting – Paul. If anyone does not love the Lord that person is cursed. (Let him be accursed). Our Lord, come! 23-24 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 16:10-24 New Living Translation paraphrase. (English Standard Version link)
The last part of this letter shows that these were people just like us. Some could be rude (as we see in vs 10) and some were timid, as Timothy seems to have been. It's encouraging to see that God can use people who aren’t forceful and don't have strong personalities to do his work. Vs 12 shows that Paul didn’t boss people around but was willing for them to make their own decisions in everyday matters. There were headstrong people then just as there are now.
In vs 15-20 he mentions some friends that were well known to the Christians at Corinth. What sort of people do you think Stephanus and his household were? Do you think they would have had a caring attitude for others? (vs 15)
It seems that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus may have brought a gift from the Corinthian Church to Paul and stayed on to help him for a while. They were now returning to Corinth and Paul says: “I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion.” Notice that, even though these men showed great devotion to the Lord, not everyone was willing to obey those who God raised up as leaders in the Church. There were grumblers then just as there are today. Despite our different personalities – what five things does Paul say all believers need to do as followers of Jesus Christ, and what do those five things tell us about being a Christian? (vs 13-14)
It's obvious that following Jesus and being part of a Church doesn't mean we won't face difficulties on the way. There will be difficult people as well as difficult situations. We need to be watchful against Satan's attempts to cause division. We need to have courage to press on when those who don't love God seek to harm us. Above all, we need to base our actions on the way God loves us, the love He now calls us to show to others.
What about vs 21-22 then? Was Paul being loving there?
When Paul says 'let them accursed' he isn't wishing ill upon them. But, as a Jew, he knew that when God gave His commandments to Israel He told them He was setting before them both a blessing and a curse. Those who reject God's goodness, mercy and love bring themselves under His holy wrath. We show love to those who aren’t saved when we warn them of the danger they are in. It’s another reason why we need to stand firm on the message of the Bible and have the courage to tell it to others.