In 1 Corinthians chapter 16, you can tell that Paul doesn’t quite trust the Corinthian Christians to be organized when he gets there. After all, the special offering for the needy in Jerusalem was at stake.
Paul has such a soft spot in his heart for the church in Corinth. He knows they know the Gospel and that they have huge potential. He really wanted to be able to say great things about this church so he gave them this little heads up; this little reminder. “Okay, I’m coming to receive your offering so we can send it on to Jerusalem. Put a little money away every week so you won’t be unprepared….” The Macedonians had collected such a generous gift to send and they were much poorer than the Corinthians. Paul didn’t want the Corinthian Christians to be embarrassed.
The rest of the letter is letter stuff…greetings, travel plans, praises to Stephanas and his family and all their hard work in spreading the Gospel. You might think his sign-off is a little harsh, but remember, Jesus said, if you love Me, you will obey Me. Considering the shenanigans that had been going on in the Corinthian church, I think Paul probably wanted to end on a serious note. Good advice.
If you’re reading along with the podcast, this is the final chapter in the first letter to the Corinthians. Congratulations! You finished another book! Before you know it, you will have finished the whole New Testament.
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