1Cor 16:24 | KingComments | STEP | . At the end of his letter Paul puts forward again some people of a household. That’s how he started his letter. In chapter 1 he makes clear that the reason of his writing was that he had heard certain things from persons who belonged to the household of Chloe ( ) and in that chapter he also mentions the household of Stephanas ( ). He had baptized that whole family. He now refers again to that family. He mentions this family as one that is fruitful in their ministry to other believers. In the previous verses you met Paul, Timothy and Apollos, who fulfilled their tasks as individual servants. Here you find a brother, Stephanas, who serves the Lord with his whole family. To serve the Lord means to serve the brothers and sisters. That is well worth the effort. I am convinced that there is an urgent need of such families. The greater part of all miseries in the world and in the church is caused by failing family relationships. Fathers and mothers do not take their place that God has appointed in the family anymore. Children do not obey their parents anymore. Those are developments that are extremely damaging. Families like that of Stephanas are a real blessing to the society and the church. This brother was the first in Achaia who had been converted, together with his family. There were abundant proofs that it was a real conversion. One of those proofs is their willingness to serve fellow believers. Serving means taking the lowest place. By taking that place Stephanas and his household radiate something. . Stephanas had no official appointment as an elder or anything like that. Neither did he claim such a function. But through his way of life Paul could exhort the Corinthians to be in subjection to him. It is a good thing to be in subjection to believers who show with their household that they take the Word of God seriously. They have something to offer you that will enrich your own life with the Lord. That does not only apply to families, but we must be in subjection to all who are fully dedicated to the Lord. You learn from their lives and it leads you closer to the Lord. This submissiveness is something that is hardly tolerated in our time. The general opinion is we should all be assertive; to adopt a ‘slavish’ behavior is not appropriate and doesn’t go hand in hand with the rights you have. It is, however, an attitude of respect toward another and the compliance of the other person’s rights. It is the attitude that the Lord Jesus had during His life on earth toward His God and Father and toward His earthly parents as well ( ). . Stephanas was a man who dearly loved Paul. Together with two others he traveled to Paul. That made Paul very happy. Are you also that happy when brothers come to share the Lord’s things with you? Paul needed such visits, especially since he was not treated very gratefully by the Corinthians. He had made great efforts for them, but they appeared not to be grateful. Of course a servant should not be concerned with thanks or pats on the back. What a true servant must be sensitive to is that his teaching has an effect among believers. When a person has accepted a ministry, it results in a hearty relationship between the servants and the believers, which was not the case with the Corinthians. But now there came some brothers from Corinth who did accept and honor his ministry. It was not because of Paul, but because he preached Christ. When Christ is the object of the service and hearts are opened for that, there will always be fellowship. It appeared that these brothers had their heart in the right place. They compensated the omission of the Corinthians. . They refreshed Paul’s spirit. Paul might have been worrying a lot about how he had to deal further with the believers at Corinth. It could have almost depressed him. You can imagine that if you saw your own lifework get stuck like that. Then those brothers came. That was very encouraging. And if the Corinthians were honest, they had to admit that these three brothers who refreshed Paul like that, had also refreshed them often with their ministry. They had to deal carefully with such brothers because they were of great value. I hope that you also know such brothers and that you acknowledge them as well, which means that you also listen to them. . Then we have the greetings. Some names are mentioned, but first the churches in Asia. In those days, the local churches were closely related to each other. They knew each other and kept in touch with one another. Passing on greetings is a proof of interconnectedness. In this way local churches can experience, also in the time of confusion in which we live today, their interconnectedness. It is something very simple and yet very beautiful and valuable. Aquila and Prisca are the only ones who are called by their names, together with the church that is gathering in their house. In the first verses of Acts 18 you can read that Paul got acquainted to this married couple at Corinth ( ). This married couple loved the Lord. Paul mentions their names several times in his letters. You should explore what is actually written about them. Here it is mentioned that they opened their house for the brothers and sisters, to God’s glory. Because they had lived for a couple of years in Corinth, they must have built up a relationship with the believers there, which they still felt. . Furthermore Paul passes on the greetings of “all the brethren”. Through faith in the Lord Jesus there is a bond between all who know and love Him. In a way, passing on greetings at a distance can be easier than to greet believers with whom you deal with on a regular basis. By knowing the weaknesses and bad habits of the latter well, it may be quite difficult sometimes to greet such a brother or sister heartily. Therefore the appeal is to greet one another with a holy kiss. It is not necessarily to greet one another by the means of a kiss, but it is more about the sincerity of the greeting. It should not be a hypocritical greeting. . Finally we have the greetings of Paul, written by his own hand. He normally did not write his letters by his own hand, but there are a few exceptions. Most of the times he dictated his letters and another person wrote them down, which he then closed with a kind of signature by writing his greetings with his own hand. You can verify that at the end of several letters. There is a possibility that Paul had an eye disease, which disabled him to write by himself, or made it difficult for him to write ( ). . Then he still has a serious and penetrating word for “anyone” who “does not love the Lord”. Would there possibly be some people among the Corinthians who did not love the Lord? Could there be people among us who do not love the Lord? The love for the Lord can be shown only in one way and that is from the love a person has for what He has said. In John 14 two wonderful statements are written ( ). The Corinthians can show their love for the Lord by obeying what Paul has written in this letter. That goes for us as well regarding the whole Bible. It is not about our failures in that, but about really be willing to do what the Lord says, out of love for Him, whatever it may cost. He who doesn’t have that desire, is accursed. “Maranatha!” That means: ‘The Lord is coming’ or: ‘Lord, come!’ It refers to the coming of the Lord. He who loves the Lord, is looking forward to Him. For him who does not love the Lord, His coming is a judgment. . Until that moment Paul wishes them “the grace of the Lord Jesus”. If we often feel weak there is fortunately still that grace that helps us to be persistent. . Finally he expresses his love to them, which he has for “all in Christ Jesus”. Love has urged him to write this letter. It was love for his Lord and love for His own. Only through love are we able to serve one another and to bring each other closer to the Lord and to glorify Him as local churches. “Amen.” Now read 1 Corinthians 16:15-24 again. Reflection: Do you love the Lord?

‏ 1 Corinthians 16:24

Final Exhortations and Greetings

1Cor 16:15. At the end of his letter Paul puts forward again some people of a household. That’s how he started his letter. In chapter 1 he makes clear that the reason of his writing was that he had heard certain things from persons who belonged to the household of Chloe (1Cor 1:11) and in that chapter he also mentions the household of Stephanas (1Cor 1:16). He had baptized that whole family. He now refers again to that family. He mentions this family as one that is fruitful in their ministry to other believers.

In the previous verses you met Paul, Timothy and Apollos, who fulfilled their tasks as individual servants. Here you find a brother, Stephanas, who serves the Lord with his whole family. To serve the Lord means to serve the brothers and sisters. That is well worth the effort. I am convinced that there is an urgent need of such families. The greater part of all miseries in the world and in the church is caused by failing family relationships. Fathers and mothers do not take their place that God has appointed in the family anymore. Children do not obey their parents anymore. Those are developments that are extremely damaging. Families like that of Stephanas are a real blessing to the society and the church.

This brother was the first in Achaia who had been converted, together with his family. There were abundant proofs that it was a real conversion. One of those proofs is their willingness to serve fellow believers. Serving means taking the lowest place. By taking that place Stephanas and his household radiate something.

1Cor 16:16. Stephanas had no official appointment as an elder or anything like that. Neither did he claim such a function. But through his way of life Paul could exhort the Corinthians to be in subjection to him. It is a good thing to be in subjection to believers who show with their household that they take the Word of God seriously. They have something to offer you that will enrich your own life with the Lord.

That does not only apply to families, but we must be in subjection to all who are fully dedicated to the Lord. You learn from their lives and it leads you closer to the Lord. This submissiveness is something that is hardly tolerated in our time. The general opinion is we should all be assertive; to adopt a ‘slavish’ behavior is not appropriate and doesn’t go hand in hand with the rights you have. It is, however, an attitude of respect toward another and the compliance of the other person’s rights. It is the attitude that the Lord Jesus had during His life on earth toward His God and Father and toward His earthly parents as well (Lk 2:51).

1Cor 16:17. Stephanas was a man who dearly loved Paul. Together with two others he traveled to Paul. That made Paul very happy. Are you also that happy when brothers come to share the Lord’s things with you?

Paul needed such visits, especially since he was not treated very gratefully by the Corinthians. He had made great efforts for them, but they appeared not to be grateful. Of course a servant should not be concerned with thanks or pats on the back. What a true servant must be sensitive to is that his teaching has an effect among believers.

When a person has accepted a ministry, it results in a hearty relationship between the servants and the believers, which was not the case with the Corinthians. But now there came some brothers from Corinth who did accept and honor his ministry. It was not because of Paul, but because he preached Christ. When Christ is the object of the service and hearts are opened for that, there will always be fellowship. It appeared that these brothers had their heart in the right place. They compensated the omission of the Corinthians.

1Cor 16:18. They refreshed Paul’s spirit. Paul might have been worrying a lot about how he had to deal further with the believers at Corinth. It could have almost depressed him. You can imagine that if you saw your own lifework get stuck like that. Then those brothers came. That was very encouraging. And if the Corinthians were honest, they had to admit that these three brothers who refreshed Paul like that, had also refreshed them often with their ministry. They had to deal carefully with such brothers because they were of great value. I hope that you also know such brothers and that you acknowledge them as well, which means that you also listen to them.

1Cor 16:19. Then we have the greetings. Some names are mentioned, but first the churches in Asia. In those days, the local churches were closely related to each other. They knew each other and kept in touch with one another. Passing on greetings is a proof of interconnectedness. In this way local churches can experience, also in the time of confusion in which we live today, their interconnectedness. It is something very simple and yet very beautiful and valuable.

Aquila and Prisca are the only ones who are called by their names, together with the church that is gathering in their house. In the first verses of Acts 18 you can read that Paul got acquainted to this married couple at Corinth (Acts 18:1-3). This married couple loved the Lord. Paul mentions their names several times in his letters. You should explore what is actually written about them. Here it is mentioned that they opened their house for the brothers and sisters, to God’s glory. Because they had lived for a couple of years in Corinth, they must have built up a relationship with the believers there, which they still felt.

1Cor 16:20. Furthermore Paul passes on the greetings of “all the brethren”. Through faith in the Lord Jesus there is a bond between all who know and love Him.

In a way, passing on greetings at a distance can be easier than to greet believers with whom you deal with on a regular basis. By knowing the weaknesses and bad habits of the latter well, it may be quite difficult sometimes to greet such a brother or sister heartily. Therefore the appeal is to greet one another with a holy kiss. It is not necessarily to greet one another by the means of a kiss, but it is more about the sincerity of the greeting. It should not be a hypocritical greeting.

1Cor 16:21. Finally we have the greetings of Paul, written by his own hand. He normally did not write his letters by his own hand, but there are a few exceptions. Most of the times he dictated his letters and another person wrote them down, which he then closed with a kind of signature by writing his greetings with his own hand. You can verify that at the end of several letters. There is a possibility that Paul had an eye disease, which disabled him to write by himself, or made it difficult for him to write (Gal 4:14-15).

1Cor 16:22. Then he still has a serious and penetrating word for “anyone” who “does not love the Lord”. Would there possibly be some people among the Corinthians who did not love the Lord? Could there be people among us who do not love the Lord? The love for the Lord can be shown only in one way and that is from the love a person has for what He has said. In John 14 two wonderful statements are written (Jn 14:21 ; 23).

The Corinthians can show their love for the Lord by obeying what Paul has written in this letter. That goes for us as well regarding the whole Bible. It is not about our failures in that, but about really be willing to do what the Lord says, out of love for Him, whatever it may cost. He who doesn’t have that desire, is accursed.

“Maranatha!” That means: ‘The Lord is coming’ or: ‘Lord, come!’ It refers to the coming of the Lord. He who loves the Lord, is looking forward to Him. For him who does not love the Lord, His coming is a judgment.

1Cor 16:23. Until that moment Paul wishes them “the grace of the Lord Jesus”. If we often feel weak there is fortunately still that grace that helps us to be persistent.

1Cor 16:24. Finally he expresses his love to them, which he has for “all in Christ Jesus”. Love has urged him to write this letter. It was love for his Lord and love for His own. Only through love are we able to serve one another and to bring each other closer to the Lord and to glorify Him as local churches.

“Amen.”

Now read 1 Corinthians 16:15-24 again.

Reflection: Do you love the Lord?