1 Corinthians Episode 24: The Collection for God’s People and Final Words

In the last episode of the 1 Corinthians podcast, Paul provides instructions on offering for the saints, among other pieces of advice, and sends greetings to the Corinthian church.

Wes

Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys Ministry. If you're interested in learning more, just head over to TwoJourneys.org. Now, on to today's episode.

This is episode 24, the final episode in our 1 Corinthians Bible Study podcast. This episode is entitled The Collection for God's People and Final Words, where we'll discuss 1 Corinthians 16:1-24. I'm Wes Treadway, and I'm here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we're looking at today?

Andy

Well, sometimes after the great and the glorious themes of an epistle like 1 Corinthians, we can kind of overlook the final chapter, which is a bunch of greetings and a bunch of shorter commands or details. But it's well for us to study these things carefully because it gives us insights into many of the practical aspects of Paul's ministry, the practical admonitions he gives to godly people and personal greetings that are very motivational and encourage us and help us to want to live for the glory of God.

And so, in this, the end of 1 Corinthians, we are going to see Paul addressing a collection for the saints, money, and also giving, various aspects of the way he thinks about ministry, the way he thinks through his own life and his own ministry. And we'll glean some very significant patterns there. And then other greetings that he gives that are full of rich wisdom. So, we're going to walk through these 24 verses, and I think it's going to be for very good effect.

Wes

Well, let me go ahead and read 1 Corinthians 16:1-24.

Now concerning the collection for the saints as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you be done in love.

Now, I urge you, brothers - you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints - be subject to such as these and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people. The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

What is this collection that Paul is writing about in verse 1 and what practical steps does Paul give them in verse 2, and why?

Andy

Yeah. He's talking about a collection of money for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem, Jewish believers in Christ. We learned from John 9, even while Jesus was ministering, when he healed the man born blind, John writes that even then the Jews had decided that if anyone had said that Jesus was the Messiah, they would be kicked out of the synagogue, meaning basically blackballed from Jewish life. Whereupon if you tried to carry on a living, if you were a carpenter or a potter or a cobbler or a farmer, you wouldn't be able to sell your goods. You would become poor.

"Jews had decided that if anyone had said that Jesus was the Messiah, they would be kicked out of the synagogue, meaning basically blackballed from Jewish life."

And so, there was tremendous poverty directly tied to the fact that they were believers in Christ. And so, this offering for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem is discussed in many places in the New Testament - Galatians, in 2 Corinthians 8-9, in Romans 15 and in other places. So that's the offering. It's a bunch of money. And it seems like the Corinthians had pledged to give it, but they hadn't actually given it yet. And concerning practical steps, what he says is, he wants them on the first day of the week to set aside the money that they had pledged and to build it up before he gets there. So that when he comes, he won't have to run around, and everyone's scurrying and say, "Oh yeah, yeah, yeah," and then they only give him what's at hand at that point, kind of like somebody reaching in their pocket or in their wallet to see what they might have.

He said, "No, you need to plan ahead. Be intentional in your giving." And the first day of the week... And this, by the way, is one of those little indications that the Christian day of worship was the first day of the week, Resurrection Day or the Lord's Day, Sunday, and not for the Jews, the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. So, at any rate, set aside the money, let it build up. And then when I come, I'll just take the money that you have set aside. So, he shows the intentionality, the planning, the purposefulness and the regularity of it, the fact that the giving should be done regularly. So, I think this gives us some insight into Christian giving now in the terms of your church, your tithes and offerings, things like that. I think there's some good advice in these couple of verses for you.

Wes

What's the purpose of the letters Paul mentions in verse 3, and what role does Paul offer for himself in verse 4?

Andy

Yeah, the letters of introduction seem to be issues of trust, so that these are trustworthy men, and the money can be entrusted to them, and they are going to be able to deliver it to the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. And so, it's a matter of similar to I was a trustee of the International Mission Board or there are trustees of various funds and all that. These are people that are trustworthy and can oversee the practicalities of especially money. The trustees of the IMB were looking at a budget of $165 million a year that Southern Baptist gave for missions. And the idea is we are there to guarantee that the money is spent well and wisely according to the desires of the churches.

And so also here, the Corinthian Church, these letters of introduction heighten the sense of the trustworthiness of these men and that the money is going to be spent in the right way.

Wes

And what role does Paul offer for himself in verse 4?

Andy

He also wants to go, if possible. So, he doesn't know his own plans and he's going to get into that in a minute. But the idea is, "If it's possible, if it seems advisable, I'm going to go with them. And so, I'll guarantee that that money gets to the poor among the saints in Jerusalem."

Wes

What personal plans does Paul turn to in verses 5-7, and what is he hoping to accomplish by his proposed visit?

Andy

Yeah. Paul, in these verses, gives us an insight into the way he thinks about his own life, the way he makes plans. And he talks about having a specific vision and idea. He wants to be with them for a while. He wants to spend not just a little time with them, but a good amount of time. He says in verse 7, he knows that they have deep issues. We've been covering that in 16 chapters now. And he wants to spend time with them. He has a vision for that. But he also is open to being flexible. He says, "Perhaps I'll stay with you for a while, maybe even spend the winter." He also wants them to help him on his journey as he does in Romans 15 needing money. Paul needed financial support. He touches on that with the Corinthians and other places we've talked about. So fundamentally, we're being given by Paul insights into his vision, his flexibility, his intentionality, his planning. All of those things come across in these verses.

Wes

How does Paul describe the opportunity before him in Ephesus? And how could he think that there are opportunities for ministry with the presence of many adversaries as he articulates in verse 9?

Andy

Right. He calls it a great door of effective work has been opened for me. He says the same thing, I think, to the church, Jesus does to the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3. He said, "Behold, I've set before you a door which no one can shut." And so, it's similar to, I think, the hedge of protection negatively for Satan and demons and all that. It's kind of a barrier. And Satan can't get at Job or at any of his possessions. And effectively, it seems that God opens a door for Satan to have at him. So, it's basically providential permission or opening or opportunity that comes for Paul to do a ministry. A door opens, he walks through it. So, it's a symbol of a providential opening in Ephesus for him to do work.

And part of the confirmation for Paul that there's great work to do is the huge amount of opposition that he sees there. We see in Acts 19 that riot in Ephesus over Artemis of the Ephesians and all that. And Paul sees it as a very fruitful place to minister. In Acts 20, he gives the farewell address to the Ephesian elders. It's one of the most important churches. So, he says, "Look, I'm going to stay there. There's ministry for me to do. There's work. And there's a lot of opposition. And where there's smoke, there's fire. Where Satan kicks up a lot of opposition, he must have something there that he doesn't want them to do." And so, Paul thinks oppositely. We would think we're going to run. Paul's like, "No, no, no. This is the place to be."

Wes

"I'm right where I need to be."

Andy

"I'm right where I need to be." So, he has a tremendous amount of courage and buoyant hope as he does ministry there in Ephesus.

Wes

What does verse 10 teach us about Timothy's personality, and why is it important for pastors like Timothy to have nothing to fear from their congregation?

Andy

Yeah. I think Paul addresses the issue of fear with Timothy a number of times. You look at 1 and 2 Timothy. He says, "God does not give us a spirit of timidity but of power, of love and of self-discipline." I think Timothy had a tendency toward fear of man. And this is clear proof of that. And he's saying, "Look..." He's working both sides of the equation. He's telling Timothy to not have a spirit of timidity, but he's also telling the Corinthian church, "Don't behave badly. Don't intimidate him. Make sure that he has nothing to fear when he is with you. Don't make his life difficult."

It reminds me very much of Hebrews 13:17 which says, "Submit to your leaders, they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Obey them so their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you." So local churches everywhere need to take this to heart. Don't make your pastor's lives miserable. Don't make them wish they were in a different church or wish they were leaving. And the way you do that is by basically being a good, healthy, loving church, coming to church, being involved in the ministries, praying for your pastor, submitting to his godly leadership, not talking him down. I'm not saying he's perfect, etc. But make it a good place for him to work where he would be delighted to work.

"Local churches everywhere need to take this to heart. Don't make your pastor's lives miserable. Don't make them wish they were in a different church or wish they were leaving."

I can tell you that you and I feel that way about First Baptist, Durham. Speaking for myself, I think you would agree, there's no church that we would rather work in than this. It's a very fruitful and a beautiful place to be. And obviously if God calls us to other places, we'll want to minister there, too. But fundamentally, the idea is, local churches can be so healthy that pastors love to work there, and it's a great joy for them to be there. So, with Timothy, "Don't make him afraid. And the reason is he's carrying on the work of the Lord just as I am," Paul says.

Wes

Paul seems to have other concerns about how some might treat Timothy that he articulates in verse 11. What are some of his concerns for Timothy and his ministry there?

Andy

Yeah. He says, "No one, then, should refuse to accept him." So I'm not listening to him, etc. Paul says in 1 and 2 Timothy, he says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you're young." And look, you can't control that. But again, like I said a moment ago, Paul's working both sides of the equation. He says to Timothy, "Basically don't take it to heart if people look down on you because you're young." But here, to the Corinthians, he says, "Don't refuse to accept him. Listen to him. Because he's teaching the same doctrine. He's basically representing me, as a son with his father. He's serving with me in the work of the gospel. So please send him on his way in peace so that when he leaves, he feels like, 'Hey, that was a good time with the Corinthians.' You folks are able to do that. You're also able to make him say, 'That was one of the worst times I've ever had in my life. You're such a dysfunctional church.'"

So, he said, "Don't do that. Send him on his way in peace and then he's going to come back to me, and I look forward to that relationship." So, the idea is, the timeless principle here is, a healthy relationship between a local church and the pastors.

Wes

What does verse 12 teach us about Paul's relationship with Apollos and the limits of apostolic or pastoral authority?

Andy

Paul talks about Apollos a lot in 1 Corinthians, and he's a significant figure I know. I actually know somebody that did a dissertation on how important Apollos was in the first couple of chapters in 1 Corinthians about the issue of wisdom and rhetoric and Apollos. Apollos was a very polished speaker, a public speaker. He also apparently, based on this verse, is his own man. And he, Paul, with a strong personality, apostolic authority, says, "I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers." And then the answer, "He was quite unwilling to do so." So, I'm like, that sounds like that was a strong conversation. You get that sense with Paul and Barnabas.

So, I don't sense that they argued. But he is like, "Apollos, you really need to go to Corinth right now with these brothers." "No, I don't. I'll go later if the Lord wills." That kind of thing. So yeah, he gets some insights. But he also gets some insights, I think, in the church authority. Here is the apostle to the Gentiles, perhaps the most authoritative leader for Christ. But look at the fact that his authority is resisted to some degree or his suggestions at least. He wasn't some dictator. He wasn't what the medieval Roman Catholic Church saw in the Pope where he had literally the power of life and death, and he was dreaded and feared with that power.

Paul wasn't that kind of a leader. He's saying, "Hey Apollos, I think you really need to go to Corinth right now. I think this is a great time for you to go." "Well, I appreciate that, Paul, but I'm not going to go." "Okay. But I still think it would be good." "I know. I hear you." That shows you something. This is the apostle to the Gentiles who wrote Romans, and that's how it goes in terms of his leadership.

Wes

Verses 13 and 14 contain five incredible commands. Let's take these verses each in turn. How does verse 13 give us a sense of the challenges and dangers of the Christian life? Why might our culture have a hard time understanding or accepting the command to act like men? And how do you think the Corinthians understood this?

Andy

Right. Well, the translation, why don't you read 13 again? Just get it uploaded.

Wes

Yeah. Verse 13 says, "Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong."

Andy

Yeah. All four of those give you a sense... And then, "Do everything in love," in verse 14. Those five commands. But the four of them give you a sense that it's hard to be a Christian. We're standing firm on the truth. The truth is going to be assaulted constantly by the world of flesh and the devil. And so you got to be on your guard. You got to put on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6, you got to expect a fight. There's going to be a fight. You got to be a warrior, a warrior for the truth. And stand firm in the faith. The faith is Christian doctrine. Stand firm in it. Take your stand on it. Like Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built this house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24).

"The truth is going to be assaulted constantly by the world of flesh and the devil. And so you got to be on your guard."

So, make certain that you have built your house on the unshakeable rock of the word of God. Stand on that. And then he says, "Act like men." It's very interesting. It's a Greek word that's tied to the male versus the female. There's a Greek word anthropos from which we get anthropology, which just means, be human. But then there's a word andros, which means a man as opposed to a woman, a male as opposed to a female. And this is a verb form of that. And so, a very good translation is, act like men. And I think if you look in the Old Testament, a number of verses show a connection between masculinity, being a man and being a warrior, and standing firm.

Whereas a man could act like a woman, in a militaristic sense means he's not standing in the day of battle. He's afraid in the day of battle. Not to be in any way disparaging because women show great courage in other ways. But when it comes to the battlefield, that was the purview of men, and everyone knew it. I think it just has to do with the way God made men, the way he made their bodies, the way he made their normal height and their normal strength, their biceps, their muscles, their bodies are just physically stronger in the norm. For me, being a geeky engineering type, I think about the bell curve distribution. It has to do with the average. The average man is going to be taller than the average woman. The strongest man is going to be stronger than the strongest woman, et cetera. There are some women stronger than weak men. That is true. But the whole thing shifted up, and it's just normal.

And given the fact that on the battlefield back then, it was hand-to-hand combat with edged instruments like swords and axes and things like that, and you're battling your enemy hand-to-hand. And like footwear. If you don't have good footwear... Like the Roman soldier had basically cleats on their sandals that gave them traction. If you slipped and fell, your enemy is going to run you through. Well, if you are a normal woman facing a normal man on the battlefield, he's going to shove you to the ground and run you through instantly. Therefore, most people knew you just don't put women on the battlefield.

And so nowadays, this is strange because our warfare is so technological. And so, a teenager that's good at video games can fly a drone and take out a whole village. He's good with a joystick and can push the red button, he just took out a whole village. So, a woman can do that as well as a man. But back then, it meant be a warrior, it meant be courageous, be strong, take your stand and be strong. Why is it we have trouble with it? Because we are utterly gender confused in our culture these days. There's a direct attack on the concept of gender. We have a very hard time answering what does it mean to be a man and not a woman. There's even a whole documentary, What Is a Woman? And many people don't even have an answer. They can't define it because they've accepted a gender fluidity.

That confusion is not from the word of God. In the beginning, God created man. Male and female, he created them. And Jesus wasn't confused. The Bible's not confused. A man is a man, and a woman is a woman. And back then, in a military sense, it was men that needed to protect women and be strong. So, is this a command for every Christian? I don't know. I think it could... Home base for this is, the men of the Corinthian church, act like men, be strong, be leaders, protect your wives, protect your children, be there. But do it doctrinally too. Fight for doctrinal strength.

Women can learn from it, I think. Just like a home base for... If you look at the image of a nursing mother. Paul says, "We're gentle among you like a mother caring for her little children" (1 Thessalonians 2:7). He's not saying he's a woman. He's saying he observes the way a mother cares for a toddler or whatever. And it's like, "All right, I was like that." Or Jesus said, "Like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings" (Matthew 23:37). He's not female, he's saying, "But there is an aspect there that, I note, that tenderness, that gentleness, that thoughtfulness, etc, men can do that." So, women can learn to be courageous, similar to a man. I think, that's why I would take this command, act like men.

Wes

How does verse 14, the command to let all that they do be done in love, harken back to what Paul has already said to them in 1 Corinthians 13?

Andy

Well, it's just a quick summary of what he said. If you do anything for the Lord that's not in love, it's worthless. It's not going to be rewarded. It gains nothing. It profits nothing, etc. So, it's 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. And then verses 4-7, he describes it, "love is patient, love is kind, doesn't envy, doesn't boast, not easily angry, keeps no record of wrongs." Or in Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness." They are just attributes. He says, "Look. Do everything that way. Don't do anything that's not motivated by love." Vertical, love for God. But also horizontal, love for each other. Let everything be done in love.

Wes

Now, why is it important for churches to recognize and honor Christians who have labored hard in faithful service to the Lord as, Paul does here so well in verses 15-18?

Andy

Yeah. I think, not everyone serves the same way. There are men and women whose service is exemplary. There are men and women whose service is courageous. Men and women whose service is sacrificial. I had the privilege, years ago, of meeting Elisabeth Elliot who sacrificially laid down her life after her husband, Jim Elliot, was martyred. And she went into those that had martyred him along with some of the other widows and they set up there. And along with some other laborers, led the Huaorani, many of them to Christ. And so, she had a courage and is worthy of honor.

And I remember it was a delight to tell her the impact she'd had on my life. And so, it is also here with the household of Stephanas. They're the first convert in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. So, follow their lead as they serve with that kind of level of sacrifice. Submit to them. Meaning, they know how to do that ministry, do what they say. Follow their example, that kind of thing. So, I think it's important to realize that there are some that lead out in sacrificial, self-denying service to Christ. And the others who aren't quite at their level need to learn from them and effectively sit at their feet.

Wes

Whose greetings does Paul send on to the Corinthian church? And why is it important for local churches to have cordial relationships with other local churches?

Andy

Yeah, the churches in the province of Asia. So, Asia is modern day Turkey. We get that postal route in Revelation 1-3: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Sardis, Thyatira, Philadelphia, Laodicea, those seven churches. And they were churches that were planted. Paul and others planted those churches. And Paul greets them. Paul's in Ephesus. It's one of those churches in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. And so, the churches in that province say hello, send you greetings. And so, here's, again, that beauty of the church universal, which is the body of Christ, the one church, the new Jerusalem, the city of the living God, so to speak. All of those images of one body of Christ, universal. Every person who has ever been born again by the power of the Spirit is a member of the universal church, the body of Christ, no matter where you go, living or dead. All part of that mystical united body of Christ, that's the church.

But then plural. Churches are local churches. And they are in certain localities, like Paul is in Ephesus. There's a church in Ephesus, a church in Thessalonica, in Macedonia, in that area of Philippi, churches more in Asia Minor were there in Sardis and Philadelphia, Laodicea, those churches, Pisidia and Antioch, all of those places. It's good for us to recognize we're not the only local church, that we're part of a vast worldwide movement of Christians that are arranged similar to us in local churches that meet on Sundays. And they hear preaching, and they pray, and they do ministry. And it's good for us to know that we're all part of the same universal church, part of that same body.

And so, the way you do that is by sending people who come and say hey, they say hello and they're doing great, and they often think about you and pray for you. And so, you get those kinds of greetings.

Wes

Now, Paul also singles out to individuals here. Who are they and what do we learn about them in this verse?

Andy

Yeah. Priscilla and Aquila are well-known. We meet them in the book of Acts, Acts 18. They were tentmakers as Paul was, and he worked with them, and they were Jews who had come to faith in Christ. And they have a significant ministry. Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned in the Book of Romans, they're mentioned in other places. And they were the ones that were instrumental and more rightly instructing Apollos in the information that he lacked concerning Christ, the biography of Jesus, what was lacking. He taught about Jesus accurately from the Old Testament, but he didn't know the facts of the Gospels that we now have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which also weren't written. But Priscilla and Aquila knew that story in greater detail and were able to tell Apollos.

So that's who they are. And now they are apparently with Paul in Ephesus and are greeting them, saying hello. And there's also a church that meets at their house. So, you get that idea of a house church, which was very common back then.

Wes

And what do you think Paul means by this instruction to greet one another with a holy kiss in verse 20?

Andy

Yeah. I think what it means, and I think we really saw this in the COVID era when there was a lot of virtual fellowshipping where we ourselves had a live stream. And people were not allowed to come to church for a while, and we missed being physically together. And there's just a physicality. Even if you never touch someone physically, to be able to look them right in the eye. To be able to see the coloring in their face, to be able to see them laugh or to see them respond in emotion to a particularly moving part of a sermon or something like that, there's a power there. But this is physical to greet someone with a holy kiss.

And I think what he means there is, there's nothing inappropriate or untoward there. I think definitely men with men and women with women, no matter what you want to do within reason, culturally acceptable is a hug, a handshake, pat on the back, something like that. Obviously, you need to be careful across genders to be appropriate. But the idea would be a physical relationship one with another that really can't be replaced. So, I think that's what it is. Show affection for one another. Let people know that they are welcome.

Let me say a word about singles and widows and widowers. I think it's especially important that those people be touched in appropriate ways. So, men with men, women with women. That people feel the physical touch. Because without that, they can go years without anyone touching them. And I think it's very important for us to show that kind of affection, but that'd be done in a holy way. You can see some things in some youth groups and all that. It's like some questionable motives going on there. It's like, let's not do that. But what I'm saying is there's a physicality to fellowship that's irreplaceable.

Wes

What does verse 21 teach us about Paul's usual way of writing a letter?

Andy

Paul has some big signature. He mentions, I think, in Thessalonians or something like that. He says, "Look at these large letters I use." Maybe that's in Galatians. And he's like, "I kind of signed my letters here at the end." So, reading the ends of these letters, Paul had secretaries or amanuensis, people who had listened to him or take dictation from him, write down the letter. We know who did it in Romans. We were joking about it earlier. "I, Tertius, who wrote the letter of Romans, send you greetings."

So, trivia question; who really wrote the book of Romans? Answer: Tertius. Don't know anything about him, but he's some guy that wrote down what Paul said. So, Paul dictated, and they wrote. Also, there's a sense that Paul had trouble with his eyesight. So, he writes big letters so that he can see them himself. And he says, "That's basically my signature so you know that this letter is genuine." By the way, it's a command that the first generation can obey, but no succeeding generations can because we have copies, and we can't copy Paul's signature. So, it's like, "Look at what large letters I use as I write this with my own hand." Sorry, I can't do it. So anyway.

Wes

How does verse 22 give us an insight into what we will think about people we loved on Earth and who in the end are condemned to hell? And what does 'our Lord come' mean here?

Andy

Right. First of all, I think we're speaking ultimately, finally. After the Day of Judgment, there will be no tears in heaven over those that are condemned to hell. And fundamentally, if they don't love Jesus, I don't want to spend eternity with them. I don't want to do the world with them. We do it now as the parable of the wheat and the weeds say, "We grow together, and our root systems are all intertwined, and we do society together. We drive on the same roads. We shop at the same stores. We work at the same companies. We're all woven together." And some of them are unconverted elect and we have hopes for them.

But ultimately, finally, if they will not love Jesus, may they be accursed. May they go to hell, fundamentally. And it's like, wow. It's rather shocking. But that's fundamentally what he's saying here. Let there be a curse on them. What curse could Paul have in mind if you don't love Jesus other than condemnation? So fundamentally, it's this. Salvation, the work of the Holy Spirit, is to bring individuals into a love relationship with Jesus Christ. Then he says, "Maranatha," or "Come, Lord." And so that's a prayer. By the way, that's an insight into prayer. I tweeted this recently because I was thinking about effective prayer.

And so, you could think of a wrong way of thinking of prayer being effective. You're either giving God an idea he didn't have, or you're persuading him to do something he didn't really want to do. Prayer is neither one of those. You're never going to give God an idea he didn't have. And he will never be persuaded to do something he doesn't think is best. So, what is prayer? It's discerning what he actually does want to do, and then asking him to do it. This is a very good example. Does Jesus want to come back someday? Answer: yes. "Then Lord, would you please do that? You should do what you want to do, and I want you to do it too. Come." And he says, "Come Lord, soon." The idea is come immediately. Come as soon as you can. And I think Paul says... Sorry, John says it at the end of the Book of Revelation, "Come, Lord Jesus."

"What is prayer? It's discerning what he actually does want to do, and then asking him to do it."

Wes

How does Paul's final greeting show the love that he has for this local Corinthian church? And what final thoughts do you have on this letter that we've been walking through throughout this podcast?

Andy

Yeah, it's beautiful. He ends all his epistles the same way, "The grace of the Lord be with you." And it's kind of like grace to you when you walk into the epistle and grace be with you as you walk out. May you go in grace now, now that you've read 1 Corinthians. And he finishes by just saying, "I love you. I love you all." And if you look back over the 16 chapters, you realize how many hard issues he walked through with them, how many dysfunctional things he dealt with. It's been difficult. The topics have been sharp and difficult and painful. And he's had to walk through some difficult issues with them. He says, "But I want you to know my love is for all of you in Christ Jesus." So, I would say that as a final sum up.

This 1 Corinthians, this letter of 1 Corinthians is a gift to all churches in that the Corinthian church was so divided by factions, it was so worldly, so struggling with sin that needed to be disciplined. So, dealing with sexual sin, dealing with lawsuits among believers, dealing with marital problems, working it through, singleness, trying to understand that, meat sacrificed to idols. How do we understand elements of Christian freedom, how to use it without flaunting it. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies, or love builds up. The meat sacrificed to idols issue is more applicable than we ever thought. Problems with the Lord's Supper, trying to understand gender-based roles, the head coverings passage, women silent in the churches, he walked through those things.

And then just spiritual gifts, the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy and the great love chapter nestled in the middle of it. And then the question, beautifully, the question about resurrection and the doctrine that Christ is the first fruits of a vast harvest and we're going to be resurrected in glorious bodies. What an incredible journey it's been. And all of it in answer to problems coming from this dysfunctional church. So, in the wisdom of God, thank God for the dysfunctionality of the Corinthian church and the beautiful truths that Paul laid out in addressing it.

Wes

Well, we want to thank you for joining us on this journey through the book of 1 Corinthians and for this our final episode in this letter from the apostle Paul. We want to invite you to join us next time as we begin a new study in the book of 1 Timothy. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ  be with you all.