| Teacher: Rusty Kennedy Series: 1 Corinthians (Acts) |
Rusty's Notes | |
- The final issue out of the barrage of questions that Paul has to deal with in 1 Corinthians—quite possibly the final issue that the Corinthian church wrote to him about in the letter that he turns to in 7:1—has to do with a collection that Paul has embarked on, and that will occupy his attention for at least another couple of years, for a group of fellow believers in Jerusalem and in the province of Judaea surrounding it, that was necessitated by a severe drought leading to a considerable famine in the late 40s of the first century.
- It’s now the mid-50s, but there are still lingering effects, and in 2 Cor 8–9 Paul will discuss this collection in considerably greater detail.[1]
16 Now about the collection for the saints: Do the same as I instructed the Galatian churches. 2 On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he is prospering, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.
- It seems unlikely that Paul is referring to a fixed percentage of their income; that would be an odd way of expressing it.
- Each person should give generously, even sacrificially, not to trade places with the poor but giving from their surplus but being ruthlessly honest about how much is surplus.[2]
- Everyone can give something and it is highly encouraged… we are not talking about Leavener specifically.
- Every group of people will have givers and takers.
- It is hard to do the opposite of what you are gifted to do.
- We just came out of holidays… gift exchange.
- You had to take.
- Cory bought our dinner last night.
- I take from you each week.
- The Cates had a new baby this week. Meal train.
- The Langmaacks are huge givers but are having to learn how to take.
- “If you give enough that it’s clear you were generous, then I’ll accompany it. I don’t want to lose faith or look bad if the collection is a meager one.”
- We are never told in so many words that the money was handed over; we can only assume that it was.
- But there is conflict that arises when Paul is falsely alleged as having brought a Gentile into the portion of the temple precincts that they were not permitted to go into. (Acts 21)
- So, what began out of all the best motives in the world leads to a riot, leads to Paul being arrested to save his own life, leads to him addressing the crowds and then languishing in detention for several years after that.[3]
PAUL’S TRAVEL PLANS
5 I will come to you after I pass through Macedonia—for I will be traveling through Macedonia--6 and perhaps I will remain with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go.
- Paul indicates his plans for the future but as we read ahead in Romans and 2 Corinthians we find out that it doesn’t always go as planned.
- Paul was willing to allow time to pass before he visits because he thought his letter needed time to circulate and for them to work on these issues he has written about.
- It would not make much sense to send this letter and then immediately follow up with a visit.
- Verses 8–9 also indicate that there is much opposition in Ephesus, and it would be easy to think that Paul should have written (or that we should have translated) that he’ll remain in Ephesus until Pentecost, because there’s an open door for effective ministry or service, but there is much opposition.
- But he uses the word normally translated “and,” and I see no reason to change that here.[4]
- That is a good reason to stay in one place when you have both acceptance and opposition.
- If you have one or another it is probably a sign that Paul needs to move on to another region.
- Timothy is Paul’s young disciple.
- Paul gives Timothy accreditation here.
- Stamp of approval
- Paul depends on encouragement from Timothy by listening not only to his ministry but also how well the Church is doing.
- There is no indication of why Apollos would not go to Corinth other than he understood the conflict of having multiple teachers.
- Remember the “some followed Paul and some followed Apollos” issue.
FINAL EXHORTATION
13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. 14 Do everything in love.
- Constantly, we say. “Stay focused” as we depart ways with one another.
- “Stay focused” on what? – Jesus
- We know that the evil one is constantly putting negative thoughts into our head and we have to know the difference between them and the Truth.
- Paul is literally just saying “BE”
- Respectfully submit to those you recognize as spiritual leaders.
- There was not a “Bible” at this time for everyone to filter messages through.
- But there were proven messengers, teachers and role models of the faith that were highly respected.
- Paul encouraged the Church at Corinth to pattern their lives after these leaders.
- Why did Paul want to be around these men?
- Because they were encouragers in the faith.
CONCLUSION
19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla send you greetings warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home. 20 All the brothers and sisters send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
- And in our sexually charged world, we need to stress that this was a warm and affectionate greeting on one or both cheeks—not any erotic or sexual context involved with it.
- We need to look for equivalents in today’s world; and if that’s not it, then an appropriate kind of hug, a warm handshake, or some other culturally appropriate greeting may be the way to go.[5]
- In a pandemic, it is more of a wave, knuckles or elbow bump.
- “Greet” is the key word rather than kiss.
- Some might say “holy” is the key word because it is what we are choosing to recognize between the two believers.
- Being in one another’s presence is huge!
- Michelle’s drive by parade was just a few seconds but something she will remember the rest of her life.
- Just bring in the presence of one another is a big deal.
- We believe that Luke penned the letter for Paul because he had issues with his eyes.
- But Paul at least signed the letter at the end.
- It would not have been politically incorrect—there was no political correctness in Paul’s world—but it still would have had a certain shock value, and Paul would have known that.
- It’s a way of stressing how serious this matter is and not one that’s given directly to the enemies of God, outside of the church, but to those inside the church professing to be believers: “Make sure you are loving God!”[6]
- I don’t believe Paul is wishing or placing a curse on the nonbeliever.
- I think Paul’s understanding is that one who rejects the Gospel has a curse on their life.
- Marantha
- Let grace permeate among you!
- Let grace be the aroma that surrounds you.
- Paul literally is telling his reader that he loves them.
- Are you one of his readers? Yes! Paul loves you!
- What a great way to end the letter.
- This letter is sent to Corinth by Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus.
- Paul gets to see Timothy and then send Timothy to Corinth.
- Nero lifts the ban on Jews and allows them to return to Rome.
- Paul hears of this and send Aquila and Priscilla to Rome.
- Paul wants to establish a gentile church in the Eternal City before the Jews start trickling back into Rome.
- Delegates to the Church in Rome:
- - Aquila and Priscilla from Ephesus
- - Phoebe from Cenchrea
- - Rufus from Syrian Antioch
- - Andronicus and Junias from Jerusalem
- - Urbanus from Macedonia
- - Apelles from Asia Minor
Sharpening the Focus: First-century Rome is a cosmopolitan city—the melting pot of the entire world.
- It is the Roman Empire in microcosm with representatives of every race, ethnic group, social status, and religion.
- The city is a perfect square—about two and one-half miles by two and one-half miles (many of the poor are densely populated outside the city walls).
- Rome sits on seven hills and contains fourteen districts. The city has 1,790 palaces and 46,602 tenement apartments (called insulas).
- The population is about one million.
- Citizens range from the miserably poor to the lavishly rich.
- Half the population is made up of slaves, making it the “slave capital of the world.” Many of the freedmen live in horrible poverty.
- The Roman poet Juvenal (A.D. 110) described Rome as a filthy sewer into which flowed every abominable dreg.
- The Stoic philosopher Seneca (A.D. 55) spoke of Rome as a cesspool of iniquity.
- The Jewish population is large and free, sitting around 40,000-60,000. Jews are spread all over the city, but most of them live in a pocket of the city called the Trastevere area.
- Rome has about a dozen synagogues. All but the rich (excluding the homeless) live in insulas. Most insulas are seven stories high, covering an entire block.
- Heat and light are very inadequate. The first floor is used for shops. The second floor is very expensive. The poor live on the third floor or above. The third-floor rooms are very tiny. They do not have running water. They are also poorly built and sometimes collapse, killing the tenants inside.
- The insulas are made mostly of timber, so they are a fire hazard in the dry season.
- The city is extremely crowded with densely packed apartments. It is also unbearably noisy. From dawn to dusk, there is constant babbling in the streets and from the apartments.
- It is hard to sleep because of the racket. There is no public transportation and no street lighting (these things will not appear in Rome until the fourth century).
- While the main concourses of the city are attractive, the back streets are dirty, unlighted, pitiful, and smelly.
- They are littered with garbage and covered with flies. The garbage is never removed. The residents must await a heavy downpour to flush it into the Tiber River.
- In the pits along the sideways you can see the bodies of the poor who could not afford burials.
[1] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[3] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[5] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[6] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Co 16:1-24). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Viola, Frank. The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. Destiny Image Publishers, Inc, 2004. PP 121-122.
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