Friday, 1 May 2015
And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. 1 Corinthians 16:10
Earlier in the epistle, Paul had mentioned that Timothy had been sent to the Corinthians. He is reminding them of that now. That is found in Chapter 4 –
“For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.” 1 Corinthians 4:17
Also, from the book of Acts, it is known that Erastus joined Timothy on this mission and they went by way of Macedonia –
“So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.” Acts 19:22
Paul does say “if” in this verse though because at times plans changed and in the uncertainty of ancient travel there were often delays or diversions. There isn’t any record of Timothy in Corinth after this, but it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. No matter what though, if Timothy arrived, Paul implored them to “see that he may be with you without fear.”
Timothy was young and the times he is recorded show someone who had a rather timid and somewhat sensitive disposition. If the Corinthians were willing to argue with and about Paul, how much more intimidating might they be to Timothy! In Corinth, there were headstrong people, people of high society, people of argumentative dispositions, and the like. Paul wanted them to ensure that none of such intimidating aspects be directed towards him. And the reason is that “he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.”
Timothy was young in the faith, but he was strong enough in it to accept mission duties and to carry on the work which Paul required of him. Because he was the apostle’s spokesman, Paul wanted the Corinthians to treat him with the respect of the apostle’s office.
Life application: There are offices within the faith which call out for respect regardless of the age or constitution of the holder of that office. If they have been entrusted with specific authority, they deserve the respect associated with it. Should charges or accusations of a person in such an office arise, the Bible gives the appropriate measures for them to be considered. Otherwise, the office and the office holder should be afforded the honor they deserve.
Lord God today is a new day with many exciting possibilities. Help me to make the most of it and to use the time wisely. When I come to the end of the day, I would pray that there won’t be regrets for time wasted or opportunities missed. And so now, before the day gets going, I pray that You will be with me, direct me, and use me according to Your wisdom, not mine. Help me to be effective in my use of this precious day which You have granted to me. Amen.