In the above focus, we see Paul reminding the Corinth Christians to carry out their promise to help the struggling church in Jerusalem. The believers in Jerusalem were experiencing a famine because of a drought in their area. In Paul’s ministry giving to the poor was always an integral part of the Good News. The church elders in Jerusalem reminded Paul that giving to the poor and disadvantaged should accompany his ministry. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along. (Galatians 2:10) Of course Jesus stressed giving to the poor when talking to a young man who wanted to be one of his followers. Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21) Giving to the disadvantaged in the church or the community should be a vital part of the church’s ministry. In the Old Testament this theme of giving to the disadvantaged, the poor, the widowed, and the orphans was often a part of prophecies given by holy men to the Israelites. Their failure to heed their prophets’ words of caring for the vulnerable often caused God to bring horrible judgment upon them. John the Baptist was very harsh with the Jews about their self-indulgent nature. He called the crowd vipers and warned them of the coming judgment of God. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” (Luke 3:9-11) The early believers in following Christ, organized their church around caring for the poor and disadvantaged. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. (Acts 4:32-34) Commensurate to the church’s ministry of the resurrection was their focus on the poor and disadvantaged in their community of believers. Paul establishes this idea about the necessity of giving to the poor by asking the churches he founded to give to the poor in Jerusalem. Paul is writing to a church that is quite self-indulgent and fleshly to give to others who they do not even know. In everything, many of the Corinthians fought Paul’s leadership. Because of this rigid partisan nature of theirs, he was afraid they might not receive Timothy well when he enters their community to teach. When Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Paul understands well the Corinthians' squabbling over leadership issues; he has felt their barbs many times about his own leadership rights with them. Therefore, he concludes his statement about Timothy by saying, Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. Maybe we might say, in one piece.
Probably cardinal in Paul’s concluding remarks in this letter to the Corinthians is Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. Paul clearly understands the believers in Corinth. He spent almost two years with them on his second missionary trip and later he will spend a few more months with them on his third missionary trip. His love for them is great, but they are a troubled church with many fleshly and self-indulgent people within their midst. Their church gatherings were rather chaotic, lacking the self-control and patience that is needed when many people are gathered together in worship. Paul tells them that Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. (1 Corinthians 14:40) He instructed them on how to conduct an orderly worship service. Their fleshly desire to be important and heard caused them to put themselves forward before others in the assembly. Their attitude of their own self-importance bothered Paul, for it did not reflect the servanthood necessary in following Christ. Jesus said a true servant of the Master does what he is told without highlighting his own needs of recognition. When you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ (Luke 17:10) We might assume that the squabbling and chaos in the Corinthian church was due to a spirit of putting their needs before others. Such an attitude is lethal to the welfare and longevity of any church. Therefore, Paul tells them to Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. The deceitfulness of the flesh within a community of believers can destroy the unity within a church. The devil is alway present in any community, trying to gain a foothold to destroy the work of God. Consequently, to combat this intrusive nature of the devil, Christians should seek to display richly the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:21-22) Fighting and disorder within the church is the opposite of the Spirit’s nature. Paul tells the Corinthian believers to do everything in love. The opposite of God’s spirit leads to death. The writer of Hebrews says, See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart. (Hebrews 3:12-15) A fleshly, self-indulgent attitude will harden the hearts.Paul often had to be very harsh with the Corinthian believers because they were too tolerate of sin in their midst.
Paul admonishes the Corinthian believers to be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. They have to be on guard of spirits and actions that are not conducive to a healthy church: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. (Galatians 5:19-21) These spirits tolerated within the church are destructive; they tear apart the fabric of the church which is unity. Paul in his letters to the Corinthians addressed many of these aberrant ideas and actions within the Corinth church. Paul loves these Corinth Christians; they are a testimony to his missionary effort. He desires that they will survive in a Gentile world in a vigorous and powerful way. They are the face of Christ, a light in a dark world of heathenism. In the Old Testament Joshua brought the Israelites into Canaan, people of the law, a light within a dark world of idol worshippers. He tells the Israelites, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9). The Israelites had many enemies in Canaan, but they were not to back down, but to go in faith, expressing the power of a holy God. In Corinth, the name of Jesus invaded the land of the Greeks. Jesus had freed the believers from the control and power of the devil. Jesus was the gate to eternal life. He came in the flesh to ransom many from their slavery to the devil. Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15) Paul wanted a healthy church to abide in Corinth. He wanted to free many Greeks from the author of sin and death. Paul understood well that the Corinthians must operate in love, the love for God and the love for their neighbor. To really love God, people must submit to his control, his purposes for their lives. And to really know God, people must love their neighbor as themselves. Freedom from sin and death comes through God, who is love. Jesus expressed well God’s love by giving himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all people, freeing them from the Prince of the air: the controller of the flesh, the devil. Friends around this breakfast table, we are the product of God’s love; we possess eternal life within us. The Corinthian church was the product of God’s love. We should always be cognizant that we have an enemy who desires to destroy us, the devil. He desires death for us not life. We end our time in 1 Corinthians with the same admonition to you as Paul declared to the Corinthians. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. Our love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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