The Power & Permeation of the Gospel / [October 13, 2013]

P.S. I Love You (& So Should You)

1 Corinthians 16:5-24

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."

Introduction: If you've ever written or received a letter from a loved one (particularly one you have romantic interest in), it often ends with a statement of affection or confirmation of love. Often we use a "p.s." at the end of a letter to reiterate the fact, even after we have closed the letter (hashtags don't have the same affect today). Why do we feel a need to reiterate love that we have already espoused and stated throughout the letter? Why do we end telephone conversations or tell our kids we love them before they go to bed at night? Unless you are the type of person who believes you state love once, and unless it changes, you never say it again, reinforcing our love for each other is important and necessary in relationship.

Paul concluded this letter to the Corinthian church with a strong encouragement to love. Love has been an overarching theme for all of 1 Corinthians, particularly in the fact that it was lacking among its people. Love is essential to the gospel. Love compelled Christ to honor and submit to the Father; love compelled the Father to crush His Son (John 3:16; Isa 53:10). Love is what we are called to do as the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37-40). Our love for God comes after He loved us (1John 4:19) and that love shows itself in obedience to Him (1John 5:2). Love is our mission, motive, and method. Out of all things that Paul could reiterate after an extremely long letter covering a wide array of issues, love is what stood out the most.

To review, we must remember what the church at Corinth was like (which is easily similar to us):

  • This church was easily puffed up with pride (1 Cor. 4:8-13; 8:1-2). For several reasons, they believed they were right, knew the right way to go, and thus questioned Paul at every turn. They were convinced in their own mind they were right, and thusly had a hard time hearing counsel. This is why Paul reminded them that he came preaching Christ and Him crucified, and did not try to "out pride" them in the way he presented the gospel (2:1-5)
  • This church was mixed up in the culture, thinking like the world around them instead of primarily Biblically. They were letting sexual immorality rule (1 Cor. 5), suing each other in secular courts (ch. 6), and involving themselves in the idolatry of the day (ch. 8-10). They struggled with being in the world but not of it.
  • This church had a unity problem. They divided over teachers (1:10-17), they divided over wealth at the Lord's Table (11:17-32) and divided over who had the best spiritual gift (12-14).

Paul reiterated the themes of grace, the gospel, and the resurrection as solutions to each of these along the way. Now, in a condensed way, he leaves them with some most important issues revolving around the command or demonstration of love. This is an extremely personal letter, and in personal letters our emotions come out (this is why the last thing I tell my wife as we say goodbye "I love you" when she's gone). Paul begins the end with his travel plans, moves to clear commands, shows how those play out, and ended with last greetings.

  1. The Call of Love is one of intentionality(5-12)
  1. Love desires time & purpose (5-9)

1 Corinthians 16:5-9 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

  • Paul's desire was not a token desire - Sometimes we say token things in letters to people when we are not really sure what to say (don't get me started on duty filled "thank you" notes or the back of Yearbooks). Paul's plan was to go from Ephesus to Macedonia, where the churches of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea were. Remember, Paul spend 18 months with this group. His mode of operation was never to offload information, do formal training, and then leave, but was always to impart not just the gospel of God but his own life with them (1 Thess. 2:8). His desire was not simply to pass through, but to spend time with them. Love is not always efficient but often means an outpouring of time. This time would be purposeful, so that they could help him prepare for the journey ahead. There is always mutual benefit in love, as Paul would bless them in teaching and training, and they would bless him with encouragement and resource.
  • Paul's desire was always trumped by God's will - Paul had a clear desire, and yet it is clear from this text and from 2 Cor 1-2 that his desire to see them was trumped by other plans God had for them. In this text, though he desired to be with them, there was a greater need to stay at Ephesus, since God had clearly made ready effective work for Paul, even in the midst of heavy opposition. Desire to come to them and failure to come did not mean Paul was a flip flopper (2 Cor. 1:17) or that he did not care, but was subservient to His love for God and His mission. Sometimes we are called away from those that we love to accomplish the work God has for us. This is grand self-sacrificing love on both sides who see God's will and God's work trumping our desire for each other.
  1. Love displays reciprocation (10-12)

1 Corinthians 16:10-12 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11So 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. 12 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.

  • Help all workers in ministry, not just the All-Stars - Paul was not going to come yet, but he was sending Timothy in his stead. Knowing how the church could treat those they deemed lesser, he made sure that when Timothy arrived, he would be treated with nothing less than they would receive Paul, or to say it another way, in a loving fashion. Why would they despise Timothy? His youthfulness, his timid nature, being Paul's sidekick, the way he presented himself, his message, his breath? We don't know, but what is clear is Paul's expectation that they receive him well, and that he would be helped.
  • Have a great deal of understanding for workers in ministry - Finally, he addresses Apollos, who was dear to many in the church (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4-9). They had to understand that a worker in God's harvest often has many duties, and often must make tough choices, especially those that will upset some. Paul made sure that the people knew that Apollos' absence was not out of a lack of care or love, but simply timing of God's will. They should have a great amount of understanding toward Apollos.
  1. The Call of Love is imperative(13-14)
  1. Overarching commands for all

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

Paul then moved to his main point of his final statements to the church. Each of these are imperatives, which means they are commands with the intention to perpetuate. These make up the crux of what the church needed to do moving forward.

  • Stay Alert - The church was to be watchful, to stay aware of what was going on around. The church at Corinth had to stay alert to all the things they were corrected and warned about. The Bible uses this idea of being alert in 6 ways under two categories:

Warning: The caution is to be alert against Satan's schemes (1 Pet. 5:8-9), against temptation to sin(Mark 14:38),against apathy (Rev.3:1-3) and false teaching (2 Tim 4:3-5). We all have a tendency to be lulled by our own sin, by the culture around us, or by our own desire for comfort. Each of these areas feed off each other, and we must be aware that there is a battle raging around us and in us. Without constant vigilance, we will be open to all kinds of influences, sin, and downfall.

Anticipation: There is also an anticipatory kind of alertness, and that has to do with our alertness in prayer (Mark 14:38; Eph. 6:18) and our alertness for the Lord's return (2 Pet 3:10-12). We stay alert by seeking God through prayer and waiting hopefully for His return. This is the way to fight apathy, turn from temptation, and uncover false teaching and devilish schemes.

  • Stand Firm- Standing firm means that we have a deep rooted faith that is not shaken by changing cultural norms. Its clear that what we are to stand firm in is the faith, which means we are not only firm in our own belief in the gospel, but also in the overall truth of the gospel. Satan will always scheme to cause us to question our faith, and there will always be those who say that believing in the historical Jesus, the claims of Scripture, or the truth of the gospel are ridiculous and narrow minded. The church always has and always will need to stand firm in the midst of opposition, knowing that we believe in a gospel that is to most foolishness and a stumbling block ( 1 Cor. 1:18, 22-23), but for us, it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:24).
  • Sure to Mature - The next phrase has caused some disagreement among scholars as to definition and usage of a word, but the meaning is clear. Paul uses a phrase that literally means "act like a man". Its obvious why people have a problem with this, since this is a command given to the whole church (would even be deemed sexist today). His point is not that women should act like men, but that they should all act like grown ups (much like he said in 14:20, to stop thinking like children, but to act mature; also 1 Cor. 3:1-3). Paul desired that the church would continue to mature, to grow, to become more like Christ. This meant they had to put childish thinking aside, which included selfishness, pride, tattle-tailing, and being easily offended and needed to grow up. We can easily revert to acting like kids, but adults push through selfishness because of love and seek the best of others. This is why Peter said later that the way to truly mature is to crave the Word like a newborn, but also put away our selfish, sinful ways (1 Pet. 2:1-3)
  • Stay Strong – Finally, Paul called the church to be strong. This like the call of a general to his troops, to not cower in the midst of opposition, but demonstrate the strength that the Lord provides. The key with being strong is being strong in the Lord, rather than relying on our own strength. The most important part of strength is admitting our abject weakness and need for grace. This is the same as Moses' call to Joshua in Joshua 1:1-9, where Joshua was called to find and keep his strength in the Lord. This is also why Paul told Timothy to be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:1). When we are weak in our flesh, we are able to walk by the Spirit and live by grace alone, not ourselves.
  1. Overarching command to cover them all

1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all that you do be done in love.

The key to each of these is love. As Paul pointed out earlier, we can do so many good things, but if we do not have love, we run the risk of being nothing more than an annoying sound that plays continually. Without love, we have no greater goal to stay alert. Without love, we have no motivation to stand firm. Love for God is a key mark of discipleship, and love for the fellow believers is a way we know we truly love God. Think about what life would be if we did everything we did out of a love for God and a love for others. Think if everything we did was came out as patient and kind. Love shuns selfishness. Love admits our own weakness and need for God's love. Love acknowledges others, and the fact that I am not always right. Love seeks the best for others. Love for God means that we shun our love for the world and the things in this world to uphold His glory and righteousness. Love is the antidote to pride, maintains unity, and keeps the world in its place.

Not being content with stating the command, Paul wanted to show them what all of this looks like, so he pointed out an illustration of lives that exemplified this truth, and showed it through the life of a little known yet powerful story.

  1. The Call of Love has clear implications(15-18)
  1. A Loving life is worthy to be submitted to

1 Corinthians 16:15-16 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- 16be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.

I have to admit, Stephanas is one of my favorite people in the NT. Little is known about him. We know he was baptized by Paul (1 Cor. 1:16), know he was one of the first converts in Corinth, and know he was one of those who travelled to see Paul. We don't know of any position that he held or any other notoriety that he possessed, and yet he is forever known throughout the church as one who should be followed. Whatwas it that made this man worthy to be submitted to?

  • Service without program: Stephanas was one of the first converts of a burgeoning church plant. He not only believed and followed Christ, but his whole household became followers of Christ as well (most likely this also included any servants the family had). At this stage of the church, there wasn't a lot of structure necessarily, but there was a lot of need. Stephanas and his family became the ultimate "see need - fill need" family. They did ministry (diakonos – table waiting/service) for the saints, most likely taking care of the poor and needy among the saints. They did not ask or wait for a position or appointment, but simply lived out their condition in gospel and of love. So often we think we need validation or position to serve, when our validation to serve comes through our position in Christ, and our position to serve comes from our position as a servant. They devoted themselves to care for the saints. In other words, they knew the people of their church, knew their needs, and sought to fill them. They did this without fanfare or recognition, but simply did it out of love.
  • Independent devotion, not devotion to independence – They devoted themselves, but that did not mean they were an authority unto themselves. They were not functioning apart from the Body nor the leadership of Paul, but were working within the confines of both. There is complete room to serve, always, when we are committed to relationships and loving each other. When self-love creeps in, this devotion becomes selfish, and we become independent, rather than dependent on God and His structures of authority.
  • We should make it a habit of following this type of person: position should be bred out of practice – We all need to submit one to another (Eph. 5:21) out of fear or reverence to Christ. We follow their lead, their example, and imitate their faith. Paul was very clear that the church should follow and willingly place themselves under the leadership of people like this. Hopefully, leaders in positions exemplify this, but even without positions, we should seek people like this to follow and emulate. True servants show they love God by living out selfless lives to the building up of others.

NOTE: What holds you back from serving this way? Are you waiting to be asked? Are you waiting for the right program or place to serve? Are you involved in relationships here? What needs to change in your thinking to be more like the household of Stephanas?

  1. A loving life is worthy to be followed

1 Corinthians 16:17-18 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men.

Not only should the church submit to Stephanas, but they should give recognition, or know well, the men who spent their lives in the service of ministry. Paul said that the men who travelled to Paul, who gave uptime and resource to help him, were worthy to be known, to be recognized among them.