So Long, Farewell

The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.                                            I Corinthians 16:19-24

 

Paul closes his letter with an epilogue of sorts – what we might call a post script. These verses give us an inside look at the relationships among the people of God, what Peter described as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (I Pet. 2:9). The greetings sent are heartfelt and tender.

 

The unity and solidarity of the community reverberates in Paul’s passionate defense of our Lord. Although it seems harsh, he is only reiterating what our Lord said, that those who reject the unconditional love, unending grace and ultimate sacrifice of God’s only son are cursed already (John 3:18).

 

Finally, Paul begs for the coming of the Kingdom of God in its fullness, the second coming of our beloved Lord. The combined voice of the global church cries out yet louder today, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).

Short Orders

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.           I Corinthians 16:13-14

 

A military leader commands his troops with very short, yet clear phrases: Attention! About face! Fall in! At ease!

 

By the time Paul wrote this letter he was on his third missionary journey and was responsible for the churches across the whole of Asia. He commanded the soldiers of the cross into fierce battle against persecution and demonic attack. In these two verses we see the divine authority Paul wielded expressed in succinct commands for every believer who fights the good fight of faith.

He starts with a warning – Be watchful (ESV). Of what should we watch for? The answer is multi-faceted. We watch for danger (Is. 62:6-7), both physical and spiritual (Matt. 26:41). We watch to protect that which we care about (Neh. 4:15-20). We watch for our deliverance (Ex. 12:42), and we watch for the second coming of Christ (Matt. 25:1-13).

 

Next Paul gives the believers an encouragement to “Stand firm in the faith.” A Christian who stands firm doesn’t waver in their beliefs (Jas. 1:5-8). They know their foundation is firm, so they can face the storm with confidence (Matt. 7:24-25). A tree that has deep roots has the benefit of being able to bend in the wind without breaking. Standing firm doesn’t mean being stiff and inflexible. It is a matter of what we’re holding onto, both when things are calm and chaotic.

 

Next Paul exhorts the believers to “Act like men (ESV).” This echoes his sentiments to “put away childish things” (I Cor. 13:11). It is a call to maturity and responsibility. It ties closely to his next command to “Be strong.” Strength comes with training. One is not physically strong unless they either work hard or train for a sport (I Cor. 9:24-27).  Strength implies effort. Recently I heard at a retreat that “Effort is not the opposite of grace. Works are.” Effort is the strength with which we hold on to God as He carries us through life.

 

Paul closes with a word about motivation. He challenges us to look into our hearts and see what lies at the root of our actions. What stimulates our actions? Many things may influence them, such as self-preservation, self-interest, professional or personal gain. As a follower of Christ, however, our ultimate motivation for everything we do should be love. It was for love that God created us, chose us, saved us and called us. It should be for love that we work, relate and fulfill His will in our lives.

Mutual Affection

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. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers. Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity. You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people. I urge you, brothers and sisters, to submit to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it. I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.      I Corinthians 16:10-12,15-18

 

The relationship between church leaders and their constituents is a mysterious and fragile blend of encouragement, respect, loyalty and reciprocal support. A good pastor knows that he needs his congregation as much as they need him. Paul explores this mystery in the context of his own co-laborers and those whom are under their care. It is a bit surprising to us that Timothy would need to be put at ease or that Paul would be lonely and worn down.

 

Leaders are people too. They need as much help as everyone else, probably more. Their journey is fraught with criticism, demanding schedules, constant harassment from the enemy and a lifestyle void of privacy. They need us to be there for them when they are overwhelmed, in need of hospitality, and we need to be understanding when they cannot fulfill every request.

 

God has chosen them to be our guides and visionaries. As an act of obedience to God’s ordained order, Paul encourages us not to despise our leaders. Rather, we are to be responsive to their authority over us and properly recognize their service to God’s people.

 

What is evident in Paul’s discussion of his friends is a strong mutual affection. Respect for our leaders does not exalt them above us; it stimulates an atmosphere of family where the parents are loved and honored.

Across the Miles

Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.                             I Corinthians 16:1-9

 

If you have attended church for very long you have undoubtedly witnessed the visit of a visiting pastor or missionary requesting support from your congregation. Often the visit includes opportunities to hear stories of the work they are doing and the people they are ministering to. Sometimes the visitor is in need of financial support for their work, but often the need goes deeper than that.

 

As Paul says in this passage, they often just need our time. God uses these opportunities to not only give the home congregation a chance to contribute in something beyond their city, but He also uses the folks at home to encourage, refresh and recharge the visitor so they can return to their work with new energy.

 

God also uses visits to sow vision in the hearts of future global workers. When I was a young girl I remember our pastor’s son coming home from his missionary work in Africa and how much that influenced my heart for mission work. This influence continued in my life for the next 30 years and affected my choice of college, career and church ministry involvement.

 

Visiting pastors and missionaries also give a focus to the offerings of the church. Often churches in the West want to help, but don’t know who needs help the most or what the money will be used for once it’s sent. A visitor can often talk about the areas of greatest needs and explain how the money will be spent. This is God’s way of providing the home church with guidance for planning their financial giving oversees.

 

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.                                                  Ecclesiastes 11:1