Paul's Final Call to Faithfulness
Notes
Transcript
Handout
I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 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. 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. Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 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— be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people. The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
This morning we come to our final lesson in Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church. We have worked through this epistle at a faster pace than normal and most of it we studied together through a screen which was odd, but we should be grateful to God that he has provided us means by which we were not cut off from his people and the blessing of studying his Word together. For that I am thankful. Hopefully, we have all gained a better understanding of this letter and how the examples and exhortations we see throughout Paul’s first writing to the church at Corinth should guide us as a NT assembly of believers.
In these verse today we have basically this same patter of example and exhortations to learn from. We are going to see in verses 5-11 and example, we will learn from first of all,
I. Paul’s Desire to Visit the Church at Corinth
Secondly, we will learn from Paul’s exhortation in verses 12-19 where we see,
II. Paul’s Direction to the Church at Corinth
Third, we will again learn from Paul’s example as we see,
III. Paul’s Devotion and Affection for Christ and His Church
Before se get started, I want you to consider the context of Paul’s writing. He is writing to this church he know intimately. He helped plant this church spent time teaching this church, saw men and women come to faith here. Witnessed brothers and sisters being saved from paganism, immorality, and idolatry. We had a love for this body of believers at Corinth.
However, he had eventually been sent on another missionary journey to continue to fulfill the calling the Lord put on his life. As he is on the field preaching, teaching, and shepherding he here of the current state of affairs at Corinth. He hears of them dividing over individuals, of sexual immorality being tolerated in the church, of worship being profaned in the church, of rampant spiritual immaturity in the church. So he takes to writing them a letter, in order to call them to repentance and a return to right worship.
Now we have come to the end of his letter, how would he finish, when he runs out of time and ink what would he say in his final words of his first letter? After all that he has said how would he conclude?
Consider our context for a moment, how many of us have left other churches and as we have grown in Christ and our love for the local church look back and see their errors. Not that we don’t have any at Pray’s Mill, not that we are the perfect church, but I mean we look and see clear doctrinal, ecclesiological, and practical errors. Now think what would you write to them, how would you close your letter to affirm your love for them and desire for them to be a body functioning according to the Scriptures?
Well let’s looks and see how Paul handles it.
First of all, the apostle Paul, affirms his,
I. Desire to Visit the Church at Corinth (5-11)
I. Desire to Visit the Church at Corinth (5-11)
In the affirmation of his desire we first see,
A. Paul’s Care for the Church at Corinth (5-6)
A. Paul’s Care for the Church at Corinth (5-6)
I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go.
Paul explains, I plan on coming to visit you. On my next mission trip through Macedonia I intend to come to you. Paul has a desire to spend more time with the Corinthians, and continue to instruct them and shepherd them that they may continue to grow in the knowledge and love for the Lord. That they may be a faithful body of believers who have a love and devotion to the gospel, who preach Christ crucified and worship in a way that honor the Lord and brings glory to his great name.
Notice, Paul does not want to make a short passing visit though. He say perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter. Paul has no desire to make a short term stop in Corinth. He loves this church and wants to stay long enough to make his visit meaningful and make an impact on the local body.
However, that is not the only reason he wants to spend some time with the he also explains his purpose. He wants to stay a while so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. He makes it clear that he is coming for a purpose, not only for the church at Corinth’s benefit, but for the benefit of the other churches Paul may be a blessing to the other churches through the ministry of Paul as he traveled about on his missionary journeys.
Now what we will learn in 2 Corinthians is that Paul didn’t get to stay long when he finally made his intended visit and explains, that the first visit didn’t go so well.
For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.
But that study is for 2 Corinthians not this specific chapter. Because here what we need to see is Paul’s continued pastoral care for local churches. He we willing to commend them when things were going well, but also correct them when the churches wandered off the path.
But Paul was not just coming to spend time with Corinth to get support for his ministry he truly wanted to be a blessing to the church in Corinth.
For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
Here you see Paul’s heart. he truly want to spend some time with them as brothers and sisters in Christ. He doesn’t just want to fly in thunder the Word and fly out. He really want to spend time fellowshipping. Getting to know them, counseling them, praying with them, gathering for worship and gathering around the table with them.
Do you see his statement of qualification?
if the Lord permits.
Now I want us to consider this for a moment. First of all is Paul consistent with allowing the Lord to lead him in his ministry, his movement between churches, and making decision on where he will serve?
And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
Absolutely, we see in the book of Acts that there were times when the Holy Spirit would stop Paul from going where he thought he should go.
Do you remember what Paul wrote to the Romans?
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
Paul was not going to the Romans unless God allowed him to go.
Now consider what we might learn here. How should we weigh a decision to decide to leave a church or even serve in another location? Should we also say, if the Lord permits? If it is the Lord’s will? Absolutely.
Now here is where it gets a little more practical and personal.
How do we know if it is the Lord’s will? How do we know if the Lord permits?
If we get a warm and fuzzy feeling?
If we have a desire to do something different?
If we are not happy about something going on in our current context?
How then?
By much prayer.
By much pouring through the Scriptures.
By seeking the counsel of our shepherds.
By seeing a door opened, not us kicking a door open. (we are going to see this in the next verse)
By seeking unity in the body and putting others before ourselves.
Let me ask, if we do these things do you think it will make decisions much clearer when it comes to the churches we will visit , serve, and spend time with?
So we see Paul’s care for the church at Corinth, secondly we see, Paul’s,
B. Commitment to His Current Church (8-9)
B. Commitment to His Current Church (8-9)
But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
Paul writes, brother in Corinth, I love you, I care for you, and I have a desire to spend a good while with you. But right now I cannot. Right now I have a current commitment to a the church in Ephesus. My plan is to stay til Pentecost.
Here is a way that Paul knew he couldn’t leave Ephesus at the time. For a wide door for effective work has opened to me,
You want to know one of the ways we should choose a church and ministry to serve alongside, to pour our lives into. Look for the ones that Lord makes blatantly obvious. Look for the ones that the church affirms. Remember we are not lone ranger Christians we all want to just do whatever we want whenever we want, but the Lord has provided us not only elders to counsel us in our body life, but he has given us the entire body to counsel us and look our for us. To pray for us and seek to help us in our ministry.
Again, we don’t need to run out seeking to bust doors down that we might enter them, but look for the ones that are wide open for us to walk through.
Now what does Paul say next, look for the easy rode that is all fun and games and where there is no hardship?
Paul says, a wide door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. We don’t have the time this morning, but go back and read Acts 19 this afternoon and you will see the kind of opposition Paul was facing at Ephesus. So
Paul isn’t staying in Ephesus because he is riding the gravy train.
Paul isn’t staying in Ephesus because the treat him like a king and the entire city loves him.
Paul isn’t staying in Ephesus because their is no problems or persecution.
He is staying in Ephesus to shepherd the church.
To keep preaching the Word
To keep protecting the flock against the wolves
To keep evangelizing the pagan city
To keep watch over the church and guard them against the adversaries.
This isn’t just a lesson for church leaders, this is lesson for church members. What are some reasons we hear pastors or members leaving a church for?
Do you ever hear a pastor say, I believe the Lord has called me to a smaller church that is a train wreck?
Do you here members of a church say I am leaving my local church because this other church is struggling in maintaining body life?
I hope we can all learn how Paul’s desire to visit the church at Corinth and his commitment to his current context in Ephesus is an example for us to all as we consider our care for the local church.
But notice that Paul didn’t just leave the church at Corinth in a lurch. We see Paul,
C. Commissioning Faithful Men (10-11)
C. Commissioning Faithful Men (10-11)
When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 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.
Paul says, look I can’t come right now, but I know you are in need of some pastoral care. Therefore, I am going to send Timothy to you. Now we know that Paul loved Timothy, he was his son in the faith. He was a faithful friend and servant of Christ. Timothy traveled with Paul, ministered with Paul, and was a trusted partner in the gospel.
Paul showed his care and concern for the Corinthians by sending one of his most helpful and faithful friends. Notice what he didn’t do. He didn’t send someone to care for them that wan’t qualified. He didn’t send them someone who wasn’t proven. He didn’t tell them to gather up a pastoral search committee and see if you all can find a pastor to come care for you.
He said, look, I am unable to come but I am sending you my partner, my son, and my friend. And when he comes,
put him at ease among you.
Listen to Paul’s counsel to the church, when Timothy comes, don’t make him uncomfortable, don’t cause him problems, don’t make him unsettled. Don’t make things difficult for him.
What ares some things that we know about Timothy?
He was young, timid, and ailing (stomach issues).
What does a young, timid, ailing protege of Paul’s not need?
Unnecessary drama, there is enough difficulty within the life of a local church. We don’t need to make things anymore difficult that they already are within the body.
Consider,
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Do you see the weightiness to the pastoral office? Look when we consider the heaviness of being called to watch over the souls of men and women in the church this work is hard enough, therefore as mature men and women in the faith we ought to guard our pastors from the goofiness of that goes on with the spiritually immature as we see in Corinth.
Even more than Timothy’s personality causing him angst, consider being the Apostle Paul’s right hand man. The greatest preacher second only to Jesus is commissioning you to go to Corinth to correct error and care for souls. How about that for a high standard and expectation.
Here are a couple points of application we can learn from Paul’s commissioning Timothy to Corinth.
1. We need to be willing to send our best to provide care for struggling churches, as Paul commissioned Timothy. We need to send those who are already as Paul says, doing the work of the Lord. This is going to be painful, it is going to hurt, but if you remember Paul Washers sermon during the G3 conference on missions, he said we need to send those who cause us to weep when the leave. We need to send qualified men, men who have proven to be faithful to the work and Word of the Lord.
2. We need to receive those whom we are sent by the Lord well. Look pastors and elders are God’s gift to the local church. We need to seek to raise up faithful men, and we also need to recognize when God gifts us with those that providentially are freed up to come serve with us.
We must heed,
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.
If we have had to send someone out, a new pastor, comes in we must recognize that it is our calling as the body of Christ to put him at ease, to not despise him because maybe he doesn’t do things like the pastor that left. We ought to help him in his work of the Lord in peace.
The Works of George Swinnock, M.A., Volumes 1–5 Chapter XV: How a Christian May Exercise Himself to Godliness in Hearing and Reading the Word, and of Preparation for Hearing
As evil humours, because of the doctrine taught, so prejudice against the person teaching must be removed. Prejudice against the preacher is the greatest prejudice to the hearer.
Matthew Henry writes,
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume 1 Corinthians 16:10–12
Christians should be very careful not to pour contempt on any, but especially on ministers, the faithful ministers of Christ. These, whether young or old, are to be had in high esteem for their works sake.
I love the way Paul closes verse 11. I treat him right, that he can rejoin me in our work. I am expecting him to come back to help me with the brothers, those who are faithful servants and friends who work alongside me.
We even see, Paul trying to send more help to Corinth.
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.
Now we don’t know what it wasn’t Apollos’ will to come at the current time. But, we see even Apollos was willing to come when the time was right.
We remember from Chapter 1and 2 that Paul had rebuked the Corinthians for dividing over personal preferences of pastor/teachers. Apollos was one of these. Paul may be urged him to go back in order to show the church that he agreed with Paul’s exhortation and rebuke. Apollos may not have felt the timing was right to go back fearing he may reignite the schism, but whatever the case Apollos cared for the church and did not say, I am never going back there, they have ticked me off, and I am done with them.
As men and women of God we have got to be better than that. We must be willing to forgive as we have been forgiven while at the same time using wisdom in the way we restore relationships within local churches.
Do you think we can learn more from Paul’s desire to visit Corinth than you thought?
The more I walked through these verses, the more I was amazed at the instruction and relevance of the Paul’s example of interaction with the church at Corinth and Ephesus.
Let’s move from Paul’s Desire to visit Corinth to Paul’s,
II. Direction to the Church at Corinth (13-18)
II. Direction to the Church at Corinth (13-18)
First Paul exhorts the church with a string of commands to,
A. Stand Strong (13-14)
A. Stand Strong (13-14)
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
“Curtis Vaughan explains, the first four commands would be directed respectively against carelessness, fickleness, immaturity, and moral weakness of the Corinthians.”
He calls the church at Corinth to be watchful, be alert, and awake. Don’t be slothful in your service. Be diligent, keep our eyes on the Scriptures, keep you gaze on Christ, and watch out for the wolves.
2. Secondly, he says, stand firm in the faith, don’t swerve from sound doctrine, don’t get knocked of the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and his good news of salvation, and the absolute certainty of his resurrection and return.
3. Third, and one of my personal favorites, act like men. Now he is not calling women to act like men. Let’s get that out of the way. But he is calling those in the church to act like grown ups. Don’t whine, don’t weaken, and don’t waver from the Word and worship of God!
In other words, we are to act like mature men and women as we are worked on by and through the Word of God.
The Works of George Swinnock, M.A., Volumes 1–5 Chapter XV: How a Christian May Exercise Himself to Godliness in Hearing and Reading the Word, and of Preparation for Hearing
If the saint be afflicted, it can hold his head above water, and keep him from sinking when the billows go over his soul; there are cordials in it rich enough to revive the most fainting spirit. If the saint be assaulted, the word is armour of proof, whereby he may defend himself manfully, and wound his foes mortally. If the soul be unholy, this word can sanctify it; ‘Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken to you,’ John 15:3. This water can wash out all the spots and stains. If the soul be an heir of hell, this word can save it: ‘From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise to salvation,’ 2 Tim. 3:15; other writings may make a man wise to admiration, but this only can make him wise to salvation.
Swinnock says later in the chapter,
The Works of George Swinnock, M.A., Volumes 1–5 Chapter XV: How a Christian May Exercise Himself to Godliness in Hearing and Reading the Word, and of Preparation for Hearing
Men must not, like children, take down whatever their nurses put into their mouths, whether meat or poison, but know how to distinguish between good and evil. Our faith must not ‘stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.’ All weights and measures must be compared with, and tried by, the king’s standards.
Paul continues, be strong.
Don’t weaken when, tempted to sin.
Don’t weaken when, facing affliction.
Don’t weaken when, false teachers come.
Don’t weaken when, fellow church members may decided walk away.
Don’t weaken when, others whine.
Don’t weaken when, spiritual immaturity shows it’s ugly head. Instead,
Be strong in the Scriptures,
Be strong in sound doctrine,
Be strong in setting others up as more important than yourself.
Be strong in maintaining unity.
Be strong in your stance against sexual immorality and other sins.
Be strong in Word regulated worship!
But don’t miss, how the church is to stand strong,
Let all that you do be done in love.
How are we to do this?
Not only does Paul call the church to be strong,
Paul calls the church to,
B. Be Subject to Those Who Serve the Saints
B. Be Subject to Those Who Serve the Saints
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— be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.
Do you see what Paul is urging the brothers to do in,
be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.
Very simply here Paul calls us to submit to every co-laborer in Christ. I believe what he is saying here is we should seek to come alongside and submit to those within the church who have devoted themselves to specific ministries within the church.
It is obvious if it is a pastor with certain areas of oversight.
For example,
Pastor Matt has oversight over the worship service. If Matt says, Buck would you read Romans 3:11-21 today I am going to say absolutely. I am not going to say, no I would rather read Galatians 3. I am going to submit to him.
Take it to another level. If Matt Broome ask me to come and run the clock at a PM Sports basketball game, I am not going to say nah, but I will work the concession stand if you need it but I don’t like running the clock.
If Mrs. Barbara is in a bind in the nursery and ask me to help and gives me direction on how to handle the children I am going to say yes ma’am because she has devoted herself to serving the church in this area.
Not that we don’t all have roles and responsibilities and the ability to make up our own mind. But we understand that God has gifted us with men and women who have been given oversight of specific areas and we are to respond to them as fellow servants.
Paul’s final exhortation is,
C. Show Appreciation to those who Refresh the Saints (17-18)
C. Show Appreciation to those who Refresh the Saints (17-18)
I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.
Notice these brothers who filled in the gap in the absence of other believers. They brought joy to Paul even in the midst of spiritual struggles. Paul says the refreshed his spirit and the spirit of the Corinthians as well.
Here are two questions for us to consider.
Do we bring joy to others by bringing spiritual refreshment, or do we cause grief to others through spiritual immaturity, aka “the Corinthian issue”.
We need to as Paul says recognize, honor, and appreciate the brothers and sisters in Christ who refresh our souls. This brings us to our next question.
2. Do we recognize those whom have been a refreshment to us and those others laboring in the ministry?
How can we do this better?
This morning we have considered,
Paul’s Desire to visit the church at Corinth
Paul’s Direction to the church at Corinth,
Lastly we will look at Paul’s,
III. Devotion to the Church and Christ.
III. Devotion to the Church and Christ.
A. Devotion and Affection for the Church
A. Devotion and Affection for the Church
The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.
It is clear in these two verses Paul is sending greetings as he closes the letter. He sends greetings from the churches of Asia, the church in Aquila and Prisca, and he sends greetings from his own hand instead of using a amanuensis. But weaved throughout his greeting is the language that shows his devotion and affection for churches all over the land.
He twice references the church, he references the brothers, he references individual members of the body, and he calls them again to the one another aspect of the assembly of the saints. He is connected to local churches in areas throughout the region. And he wants them to know that he was taking the time to greet them with his own hand.
Paul not only was devoted to and loved the church, more importantly he had a,
B. Devotion and Affection for the Lord
B. Devotion and Affection for the Lord
If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Paul warns the church against having no love for the Lord. He says let them be accursed. Paul here affirms the absolute necessity for the believer to love Jesus. He say’s any who does not will be eternally separated from God. This verse is one of the most frightening verses in all of the Scriptures. It ranks right up there with
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
We can be like the Corinthians be engaged with the church weekly, but have no love for Christ. This is why it is alway helpful to remember Christ’s question to Peter,
Do you love me.
Do you love me.
Do you love me.
The command to love the Lord is the first and greatest command. And Paul drives the point home one of his last lines in the letter to the Corinthians.
But he doesn’t stop there,
He calls for our Lord to Come! He is ready for the resurrected Christ to return!
In closing Paul affirms his affection for Christ and his church. Instead of leaving them in a loveless state he offers,
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
and leaves them with,
My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.