1Corinthians, Day 10
Remember These Five Things
I Corinthians 16
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (I Corinthians 16:13 – 14).
In the last chapter of I Corinthians, Paul informs and challenges the church about their role in the collection for the poor in Jerusalem. Then, he commends two of his top leaders for their great work and calls them to be vigilant in the faith and love for their community. He then finishes the chapter by giving them some final words as he closes this extensive letter.
In Verses 13 – 14, Paul lists five things that will lead the Corinthian church to success. These five things are considered by some scholars a summation of the problems addressed throughout the letter by Paul. A study of the Greek words and the use of these words in other letters give us some great insight into Paul’s challenge to the Corinthian church.
1) Be watchful (grégoreó) Paul calls the people to vigilance as the body of Christ. It is a call to active caution. Peter uses the same word in I Peter 5:8, where he writes, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
2) Stand firm in the faith (stēkete) Paul calls the people to godly perseverance and integrity. Paul also challenges the Thessalonians using this same Greek word in II Thessalonians 2:15: “[B]rothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”
3) Act like men (andrizesthe) Paul uses this Greek word only once in his letters. In fact, it is the only time it is found in the New Testament. He uses this word to call men to proper behavior that is reflected in being responsible, courageous, and committed to a passionate pursuit of God’s call through faith (pistis). In these few words, Paul confirms the responsibility of the men in the church to model behavior that reflects an authentic relationship with God.
4) Be strong (krataioó) This word literally means “to prevail by God’s dominating strength.” In Ephesians 3:16, Paul uses this word in the middle of a very long paragraph that records a prayer for the church. He uses this word as he petitions God to give them strength through the power of the Holy Spirit.
5) Let all that you do be done in love (agapeo’) The key word in this final exhortation is “love.” It is a call to sacrificial love driven by the power of God at work in us. Paul is telling them that the root cause of success in the first four exhortations is love. In Galatians 5:22, Paul makes the same point by placing love as the primary fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love …” Love is the soil where spiritual fruit grows. Paul consistently points out this truth through his letters and exhorts every church concerning this primary catalyst of spiritual growth and unity.
Pauls’s list in these two verses provides some great insight into the expectations he had for the people of the church. We know that Paul had an affection for this church despite its many issues. He saw the potential for the church to make an impact in their community in spite of their challenges. Take some time today and reflect on this list, praying for our church to pursue the five things listed by Paul as we grow together in unity, reaching our community for Christ.
Pastor Chuck