In This Together: Be The Church

April 27, 2025|In This Together|1 Corinthians 16:1-12

JD Cutler

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This morning we come to the final chapter of 1st Corinthians, and all God’s people said…Amen.

If you are not keeping count, this is our 31st sermon from the book of Corinthians that we started back in August of last year. What a journey it has been through this fascinating letter from the Apostle Paul.

We have been looking at this letter from Paul under the heading, Life in the Church. As we have gone through the letter, I pray that you have seen how that title really does encompass Paul’s emphasis throughout this letter. Paul loved the Corinthian church and wanted them to experience the blessing of being part of a healthy body of believers. When Paul could not be with them to instruct and disciple them, he would send letters to them. Although we call this letter 1st Corinthians, he had written them previously to this letter, in what we call one of the lost letters. Not that we believe it was lost, we believe in God’s providence he did not see fit to preserve it as scripture for us.

It seems that Paul had both gotten a return letter with some specific questions as well as received a report from someone in the church that there was division and problems within the church, so Paul ahead of a planned visit, writes this second letter, trying to call the church back to the gospel as well as give instructions on living together as the church.

We have seen Paul address the fleshly divisions that had grown up in the church as well as those that were claiming to be wise but in fact were acting foolish. The apostle reminded the church who they are, who they belong to, and how they should view both his and other’s ministries in the body. He has addressed the tolerance of egregious sin in the congregation of Corinth as well as the unChristlike way believers were suing other believers in government courts. He taught on marriage and singleness in light of the church, how to respond to food offered to idols in a way that promotes one another’s growth and not damages it. He has warned against the dangers of idolatry in the church and how we should be willing to sacrifice some personal freedoms if they are hindering the advancement of the gospel. Paul addresses proper roles of men and women in the gathering, the right expression of spiritual gifts in the church, as well as rebuked their practices in taking the Lord’s Supper. He has called them to orderly worship and to be motivated by love in pretty equal measures. In the last chapter he has rebuked those who were claiming there was no resurrection and called the church to anchor their faith and hope in not only the living savior but the future resurrection.

All that to say, it should come as no surprise as Paul wraps up his letter, he is going to address concerns and issues in the context of the church. Chapter 16 functions a little like a P.S. at the end of a letter. Some of our younger congregation may not have ever seen an actual letter. But many times after the conclusion of a letter, you might find a p.s. or a p.s.s which stand for post-script or post-script-script. Post script simply means ‘after text’.

When you are writing a letter the old fashioned way with pen and ink, if you remember something you wanted to say, or an additional thought, it was not practical to start over and there wasn’t a good way to edit the letter. In such moments, the p.s. became very useful to add an addition thought, comment, or instruction. It was also an easy way to emphasize a short instruction or reminder that separated it from the main letter. While not exactly the same, it does help for us to think about chapter 16 in a similar way.

For instance, in this little section Paul gives a series of short imperatives or commands (9 in these 24 verses compared to 1 in the 58 verses of chapter 15). It is includes very practical instructions for the church in Corinth as well as reminds us of the importance of working together in unity for the advancement of the gospel.

We will be looking over those 9 commands over the next two weeks as we conclude our study of 1st Corinthians. In the first 12 verses that we will look at today, we find four of those imperatives, all surrounding how we should be supporting one another in the church. This morning we are going to look at three areas of support Paul calls us to.

The first area is…

I. SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER THROUGH GIVING

Let’s read the first four verses of chapter 16 together this morning.

1 Corinthians 16:1–4 (ESV)

1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

The topic of giving can immediately cause some to tense up or tune out. To think, “here we go again, of course the church is talking about giving.” Listen, I get it, there are myriads of churches and leaders that have abused and coerced and fleeced their people through teaching on giving. With that in mind, let me go ahead and get a few things out of the way.

1) Giving is not a way to manipulate God- you will never hear from this pulpit that you need to sow a seed of faith in order to get what you want from God. God is not a cosmic genie that grants your wishes and you cannot manipulate him through giving. 2) Giving is not a way to manipulate the church- you will not receive any special treatment for giving here. You can not buy control or influence, and the reason I can say that is that I intentionally do not look at who gives what so that I cannot even be subconsciously influenced by it.

Why is giving often such a divisive topic in the church? I think the problem is that we have separated the communal act of giving from both worship and as a means of supporting one another. What we see here is Paul rooting giving both in the normal rhythm of worship as well as a participation in supporting others.

Let’s look at what he says. Now concerning the collection for the saints: As we have noted previously in this letter, when Paul says, now concerning it is reference to a question asked by the Corinthian church. The church had probably heard that Paul was coordinating a collection among the churches in order to support the saints. What we find in corresponding scripture, both in the book of Acts and in other epistles is that this collection was specifically to be used to alleviate the poverty in the churches of Judea. Upon hearing this, the church wanted to know how they could help support their brothers and sisters who were in need.

So Paul tells them the same thing he had directed other churches to do. He then lays out practically what giving to support one another looks like, which helps us understand how we support one another through giving. I’m going to give you seven things that describe this kind of giving.

Giving should be regular and weekly- on the first day of every week What is significant about that? The early church met on the first day of the week, or Sunday to worship the risen savior. I’ve recently seen some online videos that indicate that man, specifically the Catholic church changed worship from the Sabbath to Sunday. That my friends is, to quote a pastor friend of mine, boloney. Jesus rose on the first day of the week, he appeared to his disciples in the new testament on the first day of the week, and by Acts chapter 20, we find these words, (ESV) 7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them… John calls it the Lord’s Day in the book of Revelation. The New Testament sets a clear precedent for gathering on the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, or Sunday, however you want to say it. So Paul tells them as a part of their worship of the risen Savior, they should set aside their monetary gifts.

(what about monthly giving? I think the greater emphasis is on regular rather than weekly, but I also think it is one of those things that we let our conscious be the guide of questions of frequency, as long as it is regular) offering plate passes, you can thank God

Who is called to do this?

Giving should include every person- each of you, or every person individually Paul uses a masculine gendered adjective here, I think indicating, each man among you, which would have translated to each family among you. Does this mean that single women or widowed women are not commanded to give? No, Paul is dealing with the normative situation. Every family has a head and as that head they should lead their family in giving. Husbands and wives, talk about your giving, parents, discuss it with your kids, not to necessarily get their input but so that they understand why you give and what it looks like for your family. Put it in the context of talks about finances and freedoms. C.S. Lewis, talking about the generous giving Christians are called to, points out that there ought to be things that the worldly families around us are doing that we cannot because we are using our resources differently than the world does.

Giving should be private- put something aside This imperative or command is singular tense. You put something aside. We do not need to publish our giving, we do not need to broadcast it, it is between you and the Lord. We do not give to be seen by men, but we trust that when we give faithfully and quietly, our Father in Heaven sees.

Giving should be proportionately- as he may prosper Jesus highlights the way God measures giving in a lesson to his disciples in the temple. No doubt you are familiar with the story. Mark 12:41-44 (ESV) 41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” The verb tense deals with potentiality- as each one may or may not prosper God does not measure our faithfulness in dollar amounts but in percentages. Your $100 may be more than their $1000 depending on your situation.

Giving should be done properly and not by pressure- so that there will be no collecting when I come Paul wanted the Corinthians to faithfully give week after week so that there would not need to be a big public giving campaign or a special giving Sunday. He wanted them to give with the right heart and not because they were pressured or emotionally charged up. Is spontaneous giving okay, of course, but it is far better to determine in your heart what to give and then follow through.

Giving should be done through the church- store it up I don’t think Paul is saying that every person needs a treasure chest at home with their weekly offering, I fully think that, in the same way Jesus had someone appointed among his disciples to hold and manage the money bags, the church is called to collect, store, and distribute the gathered funds as directed by the church for the fulfillment of its gospel mission.

Giving should be done with accountability- send those who you accredit by letter, they will accompany me Paul does not want to be the one solely responsible for handling the money, he wants to be above reproach and for the church to be accountable for its delivery. As someone who regularly gives, you have a right to know where your money is and how it is being spent. You ought to be a part of managing its use. This is why we ask our members to approve our financial budgets, this is why we provide quarterly financial reports, and this is why we make ourselves available for financial questions at Member’s Meetings.

Again, all of these instructions are very practical but the purpose is far from just practical. The reason that we all contribute financially is to help advance the gospel and support believers in need. When our church helps a member in need, you are a part of meeting that need. When I am available to meet a member and council them in a crisis that you might not ever know about, you are part of meeting that need because the church has decided to support me financially so I can focus on the kingdom work here. When we help someone in the community with an electric bill or groceries, you are a part of meeting that need.

When our church sends 10% of our received donations on to the SBTC, you are helping plant churches all across Texas. You are helping families in need when SBTC disaster relief goes into a community and cleans up, having gospel conversations as they do. A portion of that money goes to SBC impacting missionaries, church plants, and on and on. If you have gone through our membership class, you have heard all this before, but it bears repeating. When you give you are impacting the kingdom and helping advance the gospel, you are supporting believers in need, all of us, collectively accomplishing more together than we ever could apart.

So Paul shows us that we support one another both in the individual body and the church body across the world through giving.

The second area of support Paul addresses in these closing thoughts is…

II. SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER THROUGH HOSPITALITY

Let’s pick up in verse 5 and read through 9.

1 Corinthians 16:5–9 (ESV)

5 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. 7 For 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.

Of course, at first glance this is simply Paul sharing his travel plans with the church, but as we look deeper we see that in this he is revealing both his dedication to the advancement of the gospel as well as his reliance on the support of fellow believers. verse 6 spells both out pretty clearly. Part of the Apostle Paul’s planned visit to Corinth whether for a short stay or over winter includes the expectation that wherever the Lord leads next, the Corinthian church would be a part of helping him on his journey.

If all we ever do to support one another is give of our money, we will fall far short of what God has called us to do together as believers. Paul has already told the Corinthians they have a responsibility to physically take care of those that spiritually take care of them in chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians.

 1 Corinthians 9:11 (ESV) 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? In that same area of the letter, Paul makes it plain that he has not made use of this right nor is he asking for them to financially support him now. Paul’s ministry was supported by other churches as well as his own ability in tent-making. But even as self-supported as Paul was, he understood that to accomplish the work God had given him and was giving him, it would require a partnership with other believers through mutual support and strategic planning in the ministry.

Interestingly, even now, Paul does not command, but he asks the Corinthians to be prepared to receive him and then help him on the way. Literally, outfit him for the rest of his journey. As a missionary, Paul could not always return to his home and relied on the generous hospitality of other believers, believers like Lydia in Philippi, Jason in Thessalonica, Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth, etc…

We support one another through hospitality.

Originally, the meaning of hospitality was literally ‘love for strangers’ or to ‘be a companion to strangers’. This was especially important concept in the Graeco-Roman culture as roads were developed but travelling accommodations were limited and often less than desirable, possibly even dangerous. Travelers had to rely on the kindness of others. One commentary says it this way.

Romans Background Studies: Hospitality in Graeco-Roman Society

Many people stayed with friends when possible, and people would also write letters of recommendation for friends so that they could find lodging in private residences. Ancient hospitality hinged on the idea of treating a stranger as a friend (philoxenia), which created a formal agreement of friendship and reciprocity between host and guest.

Paul is calling on the Corinthian church to honor their mutual commitment to one another, his for their spiritual good and them for his physical good when he was with them.

What about within the body of Christ when we live in such a way that travelling hospitality is not as necessary as it was in the first century and we all have homes we live in, and we are not strangers? How does the idea of hospitality applied to us? Christian hospitality may have been influenced by not only Graeco-Roman life and the Old Testament scriptures, but it also went beyond it. Listen to the Apostle Peter.

1 Peter 4:8-11 (ESV) 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Peter calls us not only to show hospitality without grumbling (or mumbling under our breath) but to show it willingly to one another. Peter is writing to those he calls ‘elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia’, so it is possible that he also has in mind hospitality in between churches themselves, but it is inescapable that he is talking to those that belong to one another because he puts hospitality in the context of serving one another.

How does Peter say we show hospitality to one another? As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. In speaking and in serving. Don’t miss what he is saying, in the same way you would use your house to be hospitable to a traveller, use whatever God gives you to be hospitable to one another. Our lives ought to be so intertwined that I have regular opportunity to serve you with what God has given me and you have regular opportunity to serve me with what God has given you. My favorite way to define the idea of hospitality simply for people, is this, “hospitality is creating room for someone else in your life.” As simple as that sounds, in today’s busy world, it is a radical idea. What gifts do you have that you could first leverage to serve one another in the church and second that you could use to impact the world for the kingdom?

Having recently completed a cohort through Replicate, they shared stories of some of the things they have been hearing from churches who have implemented their model of discipleship groups. Like a mom who realized it was the same set of moms who sat around the ball park for practice every week. So she invited them to walk together around the park while she shares from the scriptures she has been studying that week. Like a man who works in a quarry, who decided to make himself available during lunch time to study the bible with anyone who wants to. What are they doing? Creating room for others in their life in a way that has the potential to impact them with the truth of the gospel. Using what they have, time at the ball park, or a lunch break, inviting others in and sharing the truth of God with them.

Everyone’s hospitality will look different because everyone’s gifts are different, but this is one area that we can support one another beyond just our money.

The final area of support we want to look at this morning is…

III. SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER THROUGH UNDERSTANDING

Let’s pick up in verse 10 of chapter 16.

1 Corinthians 16:10–12 (ESV)

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

We know that Timothy was a disciple of Paul. Paul had taken Timothy under his wing, as it were, and raised him up in the ministry. We see him accompanying Paul on missionary journey’s, we see him acting as Paul’s messenger and a teacher as he is here in Corinth, and we see Paul leave him in Ephesus to pastor and lead the church in establishing elders and deacons of its own. Earlier in Corinth Paul says, 1 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV) 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

The context of that statement is Paul’s command to imitate him and then he says, this is why I sent you Timothy. Paul was reproducing himself, discipling Timothy to be someone who made disciples. Paul trusted Timothy to do what Paul would do if Paul were there. But far from merely imitating Paul, Paul says that Timothy was engaged in the work of the Lord, just like Paul. Although he is younger, although he may not be as skilled as Paul, he is a co-laborer for the kingdom and deserving of not only respect, but support. We as a church are called to support those who are being trained in the ministry, not begrudgingly but willingly and joyfully.

Let’s look at what Paul commands the church to do when it comes to Timothy.

See that you put him at ease among you- this is am imperative or a command that Paul gives the church as individuals and as a whole.

see that- consider how you may to see with the mind- to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider, contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine

put him at ease- that he may be among you without fear

Timothy has been discipled by Paul, but Timothy is also different from Paul. He is asking the church to think carefully about how they might receive Timothy and support him by understanding what would put him at ease while he is among them. Why would Timothy be fearful or uneasy in Corinth? Could have been his age. Could have been the amount of prideful and divisive people who seemed to be in Corinth. Paul does not spell it out here, but I think his age is at least part of it because Paul says that no one should despise him. Literally, to think nothing of, or to take no account of.

Paul tells Timothy a similar thing in his pastoral letter to Timothy while Timothy is serving in Ephesus when he says, 1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV) 2 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Paul calls the church to understand who and where Timothy is on his journey so that they may know how to properly support him while he labors among them. Additionally, he calls them to help him, or send him on his way equipped to return in peace. While Paul may have the spiritual idea of peace in mind, it is far more likely, taking into consideration the context that he is talking about the things that would give Timothy peace as he left. That they would make sure he had everything he needed to return safely to Paul.

Young Christians may need a different kind of supporting than older, more mature Christians. Young, growing pastors or teachers may need a different kind of supporting than more established, seasoned pastors and teachers.

One of the ways we support one another is to understand what each one may need. This requires intentionality and thought about those God has called to lead you and to serve with you.

Apollos is a different story. What we know about Apollos from 1st Corinthians…. We know that he was skilled in the Old Testament, we know that he was a dynamic teacher, we know that his ministry was seen by some as equal to or greater than that of Peter and Paul, and we know there was at least a faction of believers in Corinth that held him in high esteem. We know from other NT scriptures, that as skilled as he was, he remained teachable as we see in the case of Priscilla and Aquila pulling him aside in Ephesus.

It seemed that the church had requested that Apollos come, perhaps to help straighten some of the mess out. Paul says, I acted on your request and I strongly urged him to visit you. But it was not at all his will to come now- he did not have the desire to come right now. He will come when he has opportunity- but he will when he has opportunity.

They needed to consider what Timothy needed to be supported, in the same way they needed to understand that God is using Apollos somewhere else right now and be okay with that. Paul calls him our brother, reminding them of what he said earlier, whether it was Paul, Cephas, or Apollos, they are all just ministering servants and the Corinthians ought to be more attached to the Word of God and its truth than they are the messengers that God uses to deliver it. The same should be true of us, we ought to be more attached to the truths of God proclaimed from this pulpit than the messenger God uses to deliver it.

Considering these two examples, Apollos and Timothy, we understand that in the case of Timothy, they needed to support him by understanding that he was doing the work of the ministry there among them, and in the case of Apollos, they needed to support him by understanding that he was doing the work of the ministry elsewhere. One the embraced in love and one they celebrated and prayed for, but they were to support both in ways that were appropriate.

We are called to embrace the varied gifts within the body of Christ, supporting one another in our weakness and strength. This promotes unity and fulfills Christ’s command to love one another. Not the idea of one another, not the theory of one another, but one another, each one unique in their needs and each one supported in different and varied ways. This is only possible when we are intentional and thoughtful about what each one needs.

We have seen three areas of support Paul calls us to in the church contained with our passage this morning.

Supporting one another through giving.

Supporting one another through hospitality.

Supporting one another through understanding.

As we think about that list, isn’t this exactly what our savior did while he was here ministering on Earth? Isn’t he our ultimate example of how to live in obedience to the Father?

Did he not give everything he had in order to serve humanity and meet its greatest need? Did he not make room in his life for others? Not just the well dressed and well to do, but tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. Christ created room for others so that they might encounter the good news and hope of the gospel.

Did he not minister to each one in the way that they most needed? He called some to follow him, he called some to give up all their wealth, he called some to stay where they were and testify about what God had done in their lives. Christ perfectly modeled building his church in this way.

So the question is, what area are you most struggling to support one another in this morning?

Is it giving? Are your resources closed off to the kingdom of God. Praise the Lord for faithful givers in our church. You know I don’t talk about giving much at all and yet this congregation regularly gives so that the ministry budget is made. Above that you respond to mission offerings, children’s ministry fundraisers, and community outreach with generosity and joy. May we abound all the more. If you are not one of those faithful givers, I would encourage you to ask God to examine your heart this morning and create in you a desire to support those around you and the work of the kingdom here, regularly, proportionately, and joyfully.

Is it hospitality? Do you regularly create room for those around you to be a part of your life? If you are a teacher, are you creating space for people to belong in your class? If you are a participant in one of our classes, are you creating room for your teacher to speak truth in your life? Is your home open to those around you, is your schedule, are you using your particular gifts in the church, are you willing to create space in your days, weeks, months where you use your gifts to serve one another?

Is it understanding? Do you regularly consider what those around you need to be supported. Hebrews tell us that we should… consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.to consider how to stir one another up. Again calling us to think deeply and intentionally about what each one needs around us in order to not only be supported but spurred in to love and good works.

We have been commanded to support one another, we have been empowered by the Spirit to support one another, and we have the perfect model in our Lord of supporting one another; may we all walk away today with a refreshed desire to fulfill the commands of God, in the ways of God, through the power of God.

Let us pray.