If You Want to Make God Laugh Tell Him Your Plans! - 1 Corinthians 16

The Collection for the Lord’s People

16 Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 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. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

Paul returns to practical matters in this last chapter to the Corinthians.  When he says "now about", he is replying to a question they had.  The collection of money was for the church in Jerusalem, which was experiencing a famine and also had a lot of widows to provide for.  Paul gives them the practical principle of setting aside a specific sum of money, on a specific day of the week.  Today we might call this "systematic giving".  A lot of people in our church give through, "Simply Giving" which is a direct deposit online a certain day of the week or month.  The one thing it insures it you won't miss out on your weekly giving.  Then, he says, "in keeping with your income".  Though we are to give generously and not be slaves to formulas, it just makes sense that you give relative to what you earn.  Deciding how to give for a person who makes $100,000 is a lot different than for someone who makes $1,000,000.  The amount of resources at each persons's disposal are much different. And as the scriptures says, "To whom much is given, much is given."  

Personal Requests

5 After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. 6 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. 7 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. 8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

Though Paul has plans, he knows they are subject to things outside his control.  You know the old saying, "If you want to make God laugh tell him your plans."  Proverbs 16:9 says, "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps."  

Paul shares another very important principle in missionary work.  Part of his plan to come to Corinth is predicated on staying on in Ephesus.  Why?  Because the Lord had opened up a great door for effective work there! When we read Acts 19 we know that Paul had much opposition in Ephesus, but also opportunities. (Guzik).  The Chinese character for "danger" is the same for "opportunity".  We can make our strategic plans but when God opens up a door for us, we need to walk through it.  Notice it says "effective work".  If we want to be effective in our work, we should walk through the doors God opens up.  Sometimes the doors are not open that long so we need to take action quickly.  This is what faith is all about!

10 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. 11 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. 12 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. 13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love. 

Paul was concerned for Timothy's well being.  Because Paul himself was criticized for being a "false apostle", he thought maybe this treatment would carry over to his young protege.  Also in 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul tells Timothy not to be "timid" because of his youth.  He knew Timothy needed encouragement, as we all do.  It also is an important reminder  to continue to develop young people to be ministers of the gospel and not despise them because of their youth. 

Because Paul knews that the Corinthians would also face opposition in the hedonistic culture they lived in, he urges them to be strong and steadfast.  

"The terms in this verse are all military: Watch ye, watch, and be continually on your guard, lest you be surprised by your enemies… Stand fast in the faith – Keep in your ranks; do not be disorderly; be determined to keep your ranks unbroken; keep closetogether… Quit yourselves like men – When you are attacked, do not flinch; maintain your ground; resist; press forward; strike home; keep compact; conquer… Be strong – If one company or division be opposed by too great a force of the enemy, strengthen that division, and maintain your position… summon up all your courage, sustain each other; fear not, for fear will enervate you.” (Clarke)

But the other side of "strength" is love.  Strength and love go together, just like courage and compassion.  As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, "Without love any thing we do is like a loud gong or clanging symbol."  And he says, "Love never fails." As we finish Paul's letter to the Corinthians there are many similarities to the culture we live in today.

We live in a hedonistic culture where pleasure trumps all else.  We have divisions in the church based on personalities.  We get prideful and puffed up and forget about love.  We forgot to realize that though we have individual gifts, we are the body of Christ. The foot cannot say to the hand, "I have no need for you!"  So I think Paul would say the same thing to us today.  

Stay on guard, stand firm. Be courageous and strong.  Do everything in love.  Look for the open door to effective ministry being led by the Holy Spirit.  The church of Corinth made a huge impact on the lives in and around it.   God is still opening the doors for effective ministry.  Ministry that leads people to Christ, builds them up to Christlike maturity and sends them out to reach other people in their neighborhood and through their church!