1 Corinthians 16

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. 1 Corinthians 16:8

There are often little clues interspersed throughout the book of Acts and the Epistles to show us when books were written, where they were written, etc. The book of 1 Corinthians is known to have been written at Ephesus based on this comment here. Paul was there and decided that he would stay there “until Pentecost.”

Pentecost would have been known to the Jewish believers as the Feast of Shavuot, or Weeks, from Leviticus 23. Further, the believers – both Jew and Gentile – would know that this was the day that the Holy Spirit descended on the believers in Jerusalem, thus initiating the church age. Paul will explain in the coming verse why he was to tarry in Ephesus until this time. After that, he would continue with his travels.

The period in Acts which this points to is found in Acts 19. It is noted, however, in Act 20:16 that he amended his plans and decided to arrive in Jerusalem prior to Pentecost. Things kept creeping up in his life which caused plans to change, but he accepted them and continued on in the understanding that the Lord was directing his feet according to a higher wisdom.

Life application: If you are being obedient to the Lord and seeking His will in your life, then wherever you are is exactly where you are supposed to be. He is using you and directing you, even if it might not always seem that way.

Lord, it sure is nice to know that wherever I am, it is exactly where I am supposed to be. If I wasn’t Your servant, I would always be wondering if I was doing the right thing or making the right steps in life. But because I am Yours, I am completely confident that where I am is where I should be. You are directing me according to Your wisdom as I walk along this highway which You have set before me! Thank You for this. Amen.

Tuesday, 28 April 2015

For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits. 1 Corinthians 16:7

This refers back to verse 5 and Paul’s intent to visit the Corinthians as he passed through Macedonia. Rather than merely stopping for a short, hurried visit, he desired to spend a greater amount of time with them. Having stated his intention, he adds in the notable phrase, “…if the Lord permits.” He was aware that his movements were guided by the Lord and that anything could change his plans.

In this statement, he is granting the sovereignty of the Lord over his life and actions. James asks all believers to have this same attitude in matters relating to life –

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ ¹⁶ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” James 4:13-16

This is a principle not only for life decisions though. It is also a principle for learning and growing in our spiritual walk with the Lord. In his instruction to the Hebrew audience to whom the apostle was writing, we read these words from the book of Hebrews –

“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ² of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do if God permits.” Hebrews 6:1-3

No matter what the issue, we are only granted what the Lord allows. Therefore, if we are hindered in our plans, or if we are permitted to execute them, the Lord has granted the outcome. Likewise, if we are slow of learning or if we are a great teacher or preacher, the Lord’s hand is what shaped us for who we are. Therefore, the Lord is to be acknowledged as the One behind all things as He shapes us for His purposes.

Life application: What we possess came from God. Therefore, how can we boast over others? Let us be grateful for what we have, not envious of what others have. Let us be willing to give thanks and praise to the Lord for all of it. His hand of wisdom and grace have so placed us.

Heavenly Father, I know that all that I possess has come from You. Even if I worked for it, You are the one who gave me the strength to work, the motivation to get up and accomplish the task, and the means by which I could do it. Therefore, how can I boast against another who has less and how can I be envious of another who has more? Help me not to get caught up in class-warfare, but to strive for excellence with what You have given me and to be satisfied with it. To Your glory alone I pray. Amen!

Monday, 27 April 2015

And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter with you, that you may send me on my journey, wherever I go. 1 Corinthians 16:6

The words Paul writes here are fulfilled in Acts 20:1-6. He did go through Macedonia and eventually came to Greece. And he did, in fact, spend three full months there. The record in Acts 20 reads as follows –

“After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia. ² Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece ³ and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. ⁴ And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. ⁵ These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. ⁶ But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.”

As you can see from this account, Paul’s life was directed by events beyond his control and yet he adapted to them as they came about. In the end, each step was a part of God’s greater plan and the events, though surely distressing at the time, all were a part of fulfilling that plan as intended.

God is directing us in the same way as well. We may feel that life is coming at us with all kinds of unexpected issues which hamper us from doing our duties for the Lord, and yet the very things which occur are those things which He knew would come about. Nothing is outside of His knowledge and providential care.

Life application: If we can remember that God knows in advance of the trials and difficulties we face, it can help us to mentally accept those things. The difficulty isn’t lessened and the trial still exists, but how we are able to cope with it while it is occurring can make all the difference in the world to our mental state. So let us trust in His foreknowledge and be ready to accept all things that come our way, both good and bad.

Lord, going through difficult times isn’t a barrel of joy, but knowing that You are there with me in them makes them so much easier to handle. I have the comfort and reassurance that You knew I would be where I am and that You felt I could bear up under the pressures that would come. Because of this, I will rest in You and trust that everything is as it should be. You have a greater plan which is being worked out, and I am a part of that! Thank You for this reassurance. Amen.

Sunday, 26 April 2015

Now I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia). 1 Corinthians 16:5

At some point, Paul had sent a letter to the Corinthians (which is not a part of the Bible) that he would travel to Corinth from Ephesus, stay for a while, and then go to Macedonia. After his trip to Macedonia, he intended to return to Corinth for a longer stay before heading to Jerusalem.

However, due to the chaotic state of affairs in Corinth, he decided that it would be better for all involved that he instead would forego this first trip to Corinth. Otherwise, he would be compelled to personally speak to them about the issues which are contained in 1 Corinthians rather than write them. If he did, it would be a meeting of discipline rather than loving embrace. In this, he only had the best in mind for all involved, but the Corinthians viewed his actions as a snub.

He explains himself fully at several key points in 2 Corinthians concerning this matter, but 2 Corinthians 1:23 gives us a direct statement from Paul’s heart concerning his actions –

“Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth.”

Life application: We have all felt snubbed at various times in our lives and we often allow these occurrences to cause rifts between ourselves and the perceived offender. But quite often, such snubs are unintentional or misunderstood. It is right, particularly among believers, to give others the benefit of the doubt and be willing to listen to the reasons for their actions and then to move on, letting go of the resentment we have harbored.

Lord, so many times I’ve felt snubbed by others over things which they have done or left undone in a matter which concerns me. At times, I’ve found that some of those occasions were actually intended to keep me from personal inconvenience and it was me who misunderstood. At other times, what happened was simply unintentional. I would ask that you help me with difficult times like this so that I handle them without making things worse. Be with me as I encounter such personal conflicts and guide my actions rightly. Amen.