1 Corinthians 16

은혜로 빚어진 일상 · An Everyday Life Shaped by Grace

1 Corinthians 16:1–12

Here is a question for you. When was the last time giving money away actually felt good? Not guilt, not pressure. Just good.

For most of us, generosity is something we feel our way into. We give when we are moved, when an appeal tugs at us, when guilt finally catches up with us. But here is the strange thing. The apostle Paul never once asks the Corinthians how they feel about giving. He just tells them when, how much, and how often.

That is where we land today: 1 Corinthians 16, verses 1 through 12. And here is what is remarkable about this chapter. It comes immediately after the most glorious passage in the whole letter. Chapter 15 is the resurrection chapter. Christ is risen. Death is swallowed up in victory. Our labor is never in vain. And then chapter 16 opens with a fundraising plan, travel logistics, and personnel notes. John MacArthur once observed, in a sermon on this very passage, that Paul seems to move with quiet humor from the grandest vision in all of Scripture straight into the most ordinary business of church life (MacArthur, 1977).

That shift is not an accident. It is the whole point. The resurrection not only gives us a doctrine to believe. It gives us a life to live. Today, we walk through three places that life shows up: our Provision, our Patience, and our Partnerships.

[POINT 1 — PROVISION]

First: Provision.

Verses 1 and 2: "Now about the collection for the Lord's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 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" (1 Corinthians 16:1–2, NIV).

Notice what Paul does not say. He does not say, "Give whenever you feel led." He says: Plan it. Every week. In proportion to what you have actually earned. Calvin, commenting on this passage, observes that whatever is done suddenly and in a rush is rarely done well. Giving was meant to belong to the steady rhythm of worship, not to a spontaneous afterthought.

There is something deeper underneath this, too. Calvin notices that Paul's language here echoes Jesus's own words in Matthew 6:20: " Lay up your treasure in heaven, not on earth. For the Christian, giving is not a loss. It is a transfer into one place that thieves cannot reach.

And preaching on this same passage, MacArthur described the right posture toward giving as flowing from "a liberal, free, willing, sacrificial heart" (MacArthur, 1977).

One more layer. In other letters, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 and Romans 15, Paul uses the very same Greek word for this collection that he uses for the deep fellowship believers share with one another. This was never merely a transaction. You cannot share your resources with someone without sharing your life with them. Giving, rightly understood, is fellowship made visible.

[POINT 2 — PATIENCE]

Second: Patience.

Verses 8 and 9: "I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me" (1 Corinthians 16:8–9, NIV).

Here is what is striking. Paul loved the Corinthians. He says so just a few verses earlier, even hoping to spend the whole winter with them. But he does not go. Not yet. Why? Because God had opened a door somewhere else, and that door came with real opposition attached.

Calvin's comment on this verse is worth sitting with. He says Paul did not choose Ephesus for his own convenience, but stayed for one reason only. In Calvin's words, because it was the place "where he might do most good, and serve his Lord with most abundant fruit" (Calvin, 1546/n.d., commentary on 1 Cor. 16:9). Paul submitted his calendar, even his affection for a church he loved, to wherever the Lord was actually working.

And just one verse earlier he adds: "if the Lord permits" (v. 7). That is not Paul hedging. That is Paul submitting. How many of our own plans and timelines, our "once this happens, then I will" moments, could use that same small phrase attached to the end?

[POINT 3 — PARTNERSHIP]

Third: Partnership.

Verses 10 and 11: "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. No one, then, should treat him with contempt" (1 Corinthians 16:10–11, NIV).

Why the warning? Because Timothy was young, and young men get overlooked.

Then there is Apollos, the very teacher some Corinthians had practically made their favorite. Paul had urged him to go, but Apollos chooses not to, not yet. Paul does not force it, and he does not take offense. He simply explains it and moves on.

What strikes me here is what is absent. No rivalry. No turf. No one keeping score. Paul defends a younger cowor

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
Here's a question for you.
When was the last time givingmoney away actually felt good?
Not guilt, not pressure, justgood.
For most of us, generosity issomething we feel our way into.
We give when we are moved, whenan appeal tugs at us, when guilt

(00:27):
finally catches up with us.
But here is the strange thing.
The apostle Paul never once asksthe Corinthians how they feel
about giving.
He just tells them when, howmuch, and how often.
And that is where we land today.

(00:49):
And here is what is remarkableabout this chapter.
It comes immediately after themost glorious passage in the
whole letter, and that ischapter fifteen, which is the
resurrection chapter.
Christ is risen, death isswallowed up in victory, and our
labor is never in vain.
And then chapter sixteen openswith a fundraising plan.

(01:15):
Fundraising plan?
Travel logistics and personalnotes, or rather personnel
notes.
John MacArthur once observed ina sermon on this very passage
that Paul seems to move withquiet humor from the grandest
vision of all scripture straightinto the most ordinary business

(01:38):
of church life.
Now that shift is not accident.
It is the whole point.
The resurrection not only givesus a doctrine to believe, it
gives us a life to live.
Today we walk through threeplaces that life shows up our
provision, our patience and ourpartnerships.

(02:01):
Provision, patience andpartnerships.
Let's take a look.
First provision.
Verses one and two now about thecollection for the Lord's
people.
Do what I told the Galatianchurches to do.
On the first day of every week,each one of you should set aside
a sum of money in keeping withyour income, saving it up so

(02:26):
that when I come no collectionswill have to be made.
Notice what Paul does not say.
He does not say give wheneveryou feel led.
He says plan it every week, inproportion to what you have
actually earned.
Calvin, commenting on thispassage, observes that whatever

(02:50):
is done suddenly and in a rushis rarely done well.
Giving was meant to belong tothe steady rhythm of worship,
not to a spontaneousafterthought.
There is something deeperunderneath this too.
Calvin notices that Paul'slanguage here echoes Jesus' own

(03:11):
words in Matthew six twenty.
Lay up your treasure in heaven,not on earth.
For the Christian, giving is nota loss, it is a transfer into
one place that thieves cannotreach.
In preaching on this samepassage, MacArthur described the

(03:32):
right posture toward giving asflowing from a liberal, free,
willing, sacrificial heart.
Now one more layer.
In other letters, SecondCorinthians eight and nine and
Romans fifteen, Paul uses thevery same Greek word for this
collection that he uses for thedeep fellowship believers share

(03:56):
with one another.
This was never merely atransaction.
You cannot share your resourceswith someone without sharing
your life with them.
Giving rightly understood isfellowship made visible.
Second, patience.
eight and nine.

(04:16):
I will stay on at Ephesus untilPentecost because a great door
for effective work has opened tome, and there are many who
oppose me.
Now here is what is striking.
Paul Paul loved the Corinthiansand he says so just a few verses
earlier, even hoping to spendthe whole winter with them.

(04:38):
But he does not go.
Not yet.
Why?
Because God had opened a doorsomewhere else, and that door
came with real oppositionattached.
Calvin's comment on this verseis worth sitting with.
He says Paul did not chooseEphesus for his own convenience,

(04:58):
but stayed for one reason only,in Calvin's words, because it
was the place where he might domost good and serve his Lord
with most abundant fruit.
Paul submitted his calendar,even his affection for a church
he loved to wherever the Lordwas actually working.

(05:21):
And just one verse earlier headds if the Lord permits verse
seven.
And that is not Paul hedging,that is the apostle submitting.
Now how many of our own plansand timelines are once this
happens then I will momentscould use the same small phrase

(05:44):
attached to the end.
Third, partnership verses tenand eleven.
When Timothy comes, see to itthat he has nothing to fear
while he is with you, for he iscarrying on the work of the Lord
just as I am.
No one then should treat himwith contempt.

(06:06):
Now why the warning?
Because Timothy was young andyoung men get overlooked.
And then there is Apollos, thevery teacher some Corinthians
had practically made theirfavorite.
Paul had urged him to go, butApollos chooses not to, not yet.

(06:28):
And Paul does not force it, andhe does not take offense.
He simply explains it and moveson.
Now what strikes me here is whatis absent, no rivalry, no turf,
no one keeping score.
Paul defends a younger coworker's dignity and he respects

(06:49):
an older co worker's freedom tosay not yet.
The congregation competed overthese two men, and the two men
simply cared for one another,and in a church as fractured by
favoritism as Corinth was, thatis no small thing.

(07:12):
Now here is the thread runningunderneath all three the money,
the calendar, the co workers.
None of it works without chapterfifteen, without the
resurrection.
The offering box is just moneychanging hands.
The calendar calendar is justscheduling and Timothy and

(07:33):
Apollos are just two men whocould be competing for a job.
But because Christ is risen,because death has already lost,
even our smallest and mostordinary obedience carries
weight that lasts forever.
The gospel does not just save usfor eternity.

(07:56):
It shows up on a Tuesday.
Coach Bryan's questions Thethree P's provision, patience
and partnership.
Unprovision.
What would it look like for youto make giving?
Giving is something plannedinstead of something you only do
when you happen to feel moved.

(08:18):
On patience.
Where right now are you waitingon God's timing instead of your
own?
What is it like to stay in thatplace a little longer?
On partnership, is there someonea co-worker, a friend, a fellow
believer you have quietly beencomparing yourself to?

(08:40):
What might it what might it looklike to simply esteem them
instead?
Well that's it.
Once again, this is Coach Brianand thanks for joining us.
Don't forget, in Christ we arefree to live.
Now let us live to free others.
Godspeed.