A Final Word

1 Corinthians 16:13-24 - Riley Boggs

This morning we will complete our journey through the letter of 1 Corinthians after 28 sermons. I know that the Lord has used His Word, this letter, to sanctify myself and you all, I see it in you. He has used it to grow us as a church and help us to build a strong foundation in very formative time of our church. And I’ve mentioned this several times before, but the statistic that is often quoted is that 80% of church plants fail. If you look this up, it probably is somewhere between 50 and 80 percent. But regardless, half, or maybe the majority, of church plants don’t make it. They start with a lot of outside help and excitement, and then overtime people get less interested, money starts to disappear, and slowly but surely it just dies.

That’s something I have to wrestle with and be honest about. But, here’s what I decided very early on in this endeavor, before we ever started to make this happen. If we plant a church and the church only lasts 5 years, but the people who were a part of the church during those 5 years grew in their faith and were sanctified, then that is a success. Isn’t that the goal of the Christian life? On the other hand, if the church only lasts 5 years, and the people who were a part didn’t really grow at all, maybe even regressed a bit in their faith, then that isn’t a success. And so, I decided early on that my goal was primarily to shepherd, teach, and encourage those who were a part of the church, and not to constantly be looking past them hoping that more people come in the doors. Of course I hope and pray that through our evangelistic efforts more and more people might come, but I never want to be so concerned with more people in the doors, that I overlook those who are here right now.

But here’s the irony of this. I think this is exactly how a church plant survives. Instead of constantly feeling like there must be more people, they seek to grow in the Lord, and love those who are beside them now. And then, as the Lord grows the church, people who do join in are attached to a healthy body who will care for them. Now, that isn’t to say that we shouldn’t be sharing the Gospel, inviting people to church, and all the rest. But I just want to push back any temptation that we may have to look past those around us in search of more people.

The reason I say all of this is because I think it is where our text leads us this morning. These are Paul’s final words in his letter to the Corinthians, and what he encourages and instructs them with. I hope they will also encourage and instruct us as we go forward. So, I want you to see 4 different things here in these closing words. The first one can be seen in verses 13-14.

1.) We must stand firm in the faith and be brave (vv.13-14)

He starts off by giving 5 charges. Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, when simply means to be brave, be strong, and do everything in love. That is the sum of it. That is what we have to as individuals and as the church. After all of Paul’s instructions, this is what he wants to leave them with. 

When I hear these charges, my mind immediately goes to the story of Martin Luther. Many of you likely already know this story. Martin Luther was the protestant reformer who posted the 95 theses against the Roman Catholic Church in 1517. These 95 theses condemned the Catholic Church for all kinds of unbiblical practices that Luther saw in the church. The church did not take kindly to this and 3 years later Pope Leo X wrote concerning 41 of these theses and how they were wrong. Luther publicly burned this writing from the Pope. Because of this, one year later he was officially excommunicated from the church.

However, just because Luther was excommunicated did not mean his popularity has dissipated. In fact, his writings and views were beginning to spread faster and further through the Romans Empire. The Catholic church thought they had to do something about this, so the newly elected Pope, Charles V, summoned Luther to the German city of Worms. There they were going to hold a “diet”, which was a meeting of the most prominent political authorities in the Roman Empire. This event is known as the “Diet of Worms”.

So, on April 17, 1521, Luther stood before everyone and was questioned about all he had been writing and teaching. They asked him to renounce it, and he asked for another day to consider what to do, and they agreed. The next day, April 18th, he returned to stand, again, before the most significant people in the Roman Empire. Luther said he had spent much time in prayer and consulting friends, and was ready to respond. He admittedly said a few things might have been too harsh and apologized, but also said that if he were to recount his works, he would be promoting error.

Amidst this response he delivered what is one of the most signific speeches in church history and beyond. Before all the people calling him to take back all he written and taught, he said, “My conscience is captive to the word of God! To go against conscience is neither right nor safe, I therefore cannot, and I will not recant! Here I stand. I can do no other." He and his writings would go on to be condemned by the papacy, and he would have to flee for his life.

Do you see why this story comes to mind when we hear this text? I doubt any of us will have to stand before the Holy Roman Empire for what we believe, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t been called to the same kind of boldness. We have been called to stand firmly on the Word of God, even when it is difficult. It takes bravery at times. It takes strength to continue to stand. It takes watchfulness to know where the pressure is about to come from.

It's like trying to stand in the ocean when there are big waves. If you want to stay in one spot, you have to actively try not to move. If you aren’t trying to stay, you will end up moving. You have to watch when the waves are coming and anticipate them crashing into you, because the moment you turn your back and forget they are coming, they will knock you down. Don’t let your guard down, the enemy wants you to fall. Be watchful, stand firm, be brave,  and be strong. And do all of it, everything, in love. The true mark of a Christian. We can’t seek to become so brave and so strong that we forget that we have been called to love. 

Paul doesn’t say all of this to scare the Corinthians. He is telling them this so that they don’t forget what they have been called to do, and so it is with us. It’s what we must do, day-by-day. The second point that Paul leaves the Corinthians with can be seen in verses 15-17.

2.) We must recognize who the Lord has joined us with, especially those who lead us (vv.15-17)

This section takes a bit of background and contextual understanding for us gather what is happening. Let me do my best here to explain it. Paul starts off by mentioned the household of Stephanas, who he says were the first converts in Achaia. Achaia was a Roman province which contained two major cities, one of them was Athens and the other was Corinth. And so Paul mentions this man and his household become he is from their church, he and his household were some of the first people to convert to Christianity. He then goes on in verse 17 to list 3 people, one of them being Stephanas again, and then he mentions Fortunatus and Achaicus. These last 2 men, I think, are men, slaves or former slaves actually, who were part of Stephanas’ household and was converted. When Paul brought the Gospel to Corinth, all 3 of these men were converted. Paul identifies them as Stephanas’ household and then names them specifically.

Okay, now what is Paul saying about them. Well it seems that they are the ones who brought the letter from Corinth to Paul, which is what he means when he says that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. We’ve seen several times throughout this letter where Paul is clearly responding to something the Corinthian church has said, and this is how. These 3 men, Stephanas and his slaves, or former slaves, have traveled to him to bring him the letter. And Paul says, they have made up from your absence and refreshed his spirit. In other words, though Paul longs to be with the Corinthians, being with these men has encouraged him.

But then, I want you to notice what Paul tells the Corinthains to do concerning these men, and others like them. There are 2 things. First, in verse 16 he says to “be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.” Then secondly, as the end of verse 18, he says, “Give recognition to such people.” What he is saying here is important for us to catch. I think Paul is encouraging the church of Corinth to recognize who the Lord has joined them with as a church, those who are laboring alongside them. Take note of them.

But further than that, he tells them to be subject to them. These men have given themselves to the service of the church, they are leaders, and so Paul is telling them to recognize them as such and submit yourselves to them as they lead you. This is a good word for us, and I don’t just say this because I am your pastor. I pray often that the Lord will bring us another pastor, and if the Lord does this, then it would be right for all of us, including myself, to recognize this person for who they are, and to submit ourselves to them.

Also, I just want to point out here that Paul makes no distinction based on social status. 2 of these 3 men are either slaves or former slaves, and yet everyone in the church is to submit to them. There is no room for social status to dictate who should and shouldn’t be a part of the church or lead the church. We should simply recognize who the Lord has brought to us as a whole, and especially those who the Lord has brought to lead us. 

This is what I meant earlier by the importance of not looking beyond those around us. The Lord has given our church so many wonderful brothers and sisters to do life with. They are gifts to us, let’s be faithful to recognize each and every one of them for the gifts that they are. And if we are to be faithful in this way, we are to love them. This is where Paul goes next. 

3.) We must love those who the Lord has joined us with, and also the church at large (vv.19-20)

Again, these 2 verses take a little bit of background knowledge to understand what is happening here. If you remember, Paul is writing this letter from Ephesus, which is in Asia. And so he starts off by mentioning that the churches in Asia send them their greetings. Then he mentions a couple, Aquila and Prisca. To get the right context on who they are, turn with me briefly to Acts 18.

Starting in verse 1, “ After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

Now skip down to verse 18, “18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”

Pricilla and Aquila were a couple who Paul met while doing ministry in Corinth and who joined Paul along his missionary journeys, and they are with him now. The Corinthian Church knows know them. And Paul says that they, along with the church they have started in their home, send their hearty greetings in the Lord. And then, even further, Paul says that, “All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.”

Here’s what I want us to gather from this section. We need to love those who the Lord has given us, those who we send out, those who we welcome in to our church body, and all those who are in Christ around the world. Now we don’t kiss one another as a greeting in our culture, so that doesn’t come across as a clear. Maybe a hug or a handshake is the closest thing we have. Regardless, I want you to see the love and warmth that should be shared by churches locally and the church globally.

Many of us came from other churches to start this work. When you see the people who you used to be in fellowship with, it should warm your heart. You probably want to hug them and tell them that you miss them. Knowing that the Lord is using each of you, in different places, in different ways, and yet you are both united in the same mission is a great feeling. The same goes for when we meet Christians anywhere during our day-to-day life. When you learn your doctor or the person bagging your groceries is a believer, there should immediately be a sense of love between you and them. You know that you both desire and long for the same thing, are both pressing towards the same end.

It’s not lost on me that we live in a place where many people profess to be Christians their lifestyle doesn’t reflect that reality in anyway. But I don’t want you to be disheartened by that. We have brothers and sisters across the world who are doing the same thing we are doing. They are fighting the same fight. It varies in the kinds of challenges and the setting they are in, but we are seeking the same thing. The love of God towards each of should be shown in our relationships with one another here in this church and between every believer we meet. This is seen in Paul’s own closing remarks in verses 21-24, which is we will find our final point.

4.) We must walk in the love and grace of Christ, judging where we need (vv.21-24)

Up until this point Paul has been dictating what he wants written in this letter to a scribe who is writing it down for him. But now, so that the Corinthians can be see the handwriting of Paul himself, he writes himself. And what does he say? He says, “22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

If you’re like me, verse 22 seemed to come from nowhere. In one verse he’s sharing all the greetings from people they love, then he’s telling them to love another, and how much he loves them. And in the middle of that, he says, he says that if anyone doesn’t have love for the Lord, let them be accursed. Our Lord, come! How does this fit in here?

Here’s what I think he is doing. When Jesus returns to bring about final judgement, is that day is going to be the most glorious day ever for those in Christ and the most horrible day for those who are not in Christ. For those in Christ, they will be judged by the works of Christ, and so they will be seen as blameless and Holy, welcomed into the New Earth for enteral joy. For those who are not in Christ, they will be judged by their own works. Their works that can never measure up, always have fallen short, and so they will be seen as the sinful people they are. They will be cast into the lake of fire for eternal suffering. 

And the thing is, you cannot have one without the other. If there is to be real justice and real grace, both must take place. Judgement for those who have no love for the Lord and grace for those who love the Lord. And Paul is simply telling them that in order to one have, you must have the other. I think verses 22 and 23 fit together in this way. 

Think of it like this. Let’s say a basketball team continually cheats by lowering the goal. They lower their goal to 8 feet instead of 10 feet before every game, and then at half time they raise it back up, walk to the other end, and lower the other one. Now let’s say they do this over and over again, and the coaches of the other team keeps going to the refs and saying, “Hey, that’s wrong. They can’t be doing that!” And the refs keep responding, “I don’t want to be judge what they are doing, I’d rather just show them grace.” This isn’t justice and it isn’t grace. The same is true for us. If we are to extend grace to those who are in Christ, we have to be willing to judge those who is living a life that does not reflect any love for the Lord. If we continue to show them “grace”, they will never see their need to change their ways. Rather they will continue to, like the cheating basketball team, commit wrong after wrong. Paul urges them to walk in this way, and he calls on the Lord to come so that He might enact final justice and final grace.

Until then, we need to be honest and judge those who are not showing love for the Lord. We saw an example of this earlier in this letter when Paul told the church to remove the man who was in an incestuous relationship with his mother-in-law and wouldn’t repent. At times, this might be necessary. We hope and pray that it never happens, but we trust that the Lord will lead us through that if we ever have to. It is a matter of obedience that we would. 

Then, lastly, despite all of the hard things that Paul has had to say. The many rebukes and instructions, he says that he loves them. This is where the letter comes to an end, and it is what I hope our church reflects as we leave this letter. Yes, we are to judge when someone is not showing love for the Lord, but for those who are in Christ, we need to be incredibly gracious and loving. We need to walk in that way. You’ve been called to show grace towards your brother and sister in Christ a million-fold, over and over again. And you’ve been instructed to love one another, even if hard conversations have to happen. It’s the manner in which we are to walk as a church, tremendous grace and continual love.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-18/luther-defiant-at-diet-of-worms

https://lutheranreformation.org/history/the-diet-of-worms/