Transcription
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Hey, shalom Israel. Most high in Christ bless. Captain Met here. Welcome to another edition of Giving the Sense from A to Z. So, we've been covering the book of Corinthians and we're about to finish it off as well today. It's 1 Corinthians 16 and I'm going to start it off as I always do.
Going to start off as I always do. Nehemiah chapter 8:8. "So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading." So that's why we hold these classes so that our people can get the understanding of the reading and uh be able to teach it Lord's will themselves in the future. So hope brothers and sisters been taking good notes, brothers especially.
All right, so this is uh 1 Corinthians the 16th chapter. Uh chapter 15 went over a lot of stuff, a lot of a lot of deep stuff. Um, you know, the new bodies, the the the rulership transferring from Christ. No volume. Can everybody hear me? Can everybody hear me? All right. All praises. All praises.
So 1 Corinthians 16, we're going to start at verse one. It says, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye." So Paul is letting us know, and is letting the Corinthians know that he's going to come and he's going to pick up a collection. All right? Now, this collection is used for the betterment of the body, which is, you know, the same thing that we do today.
So when you go to um 2 Corinthians chapter 11, when you go to 2 Corinthians chapter 11, you can see um the the use of the collections. Well, not use, but you know, he's going to let you know some things. 2 Corinthians chap 11 and verse 8, it says, "I robbed other churches taking wages of them to do you service." So things that the Corinthians may have needed, he got them from other churches and then he brought them back to the Corinthians to help them out. Why? Because when you go to the book of Acts, this is one of the things that um this is one of the things that helped the churches and still help the churches today. All right? Like everybody knows, we're a grassroots organization. We ain't get no federal funding. We ain't get no no none of that. The things that we get come from our own pockets because we actually work. We have jobs. We we we put our money together and make things happen. All right?
That's what the apostles did a four time in the book of Acts chapter 4. And I'll start at verse 32. Acts 4:32. "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common." So brothers didn't have that selfish mindset of, well, this is my stuff. I, you know, I I don't feel like giving out my stuff to everybody. And no, they said, "All right, if if I'm working, the Lord blessed me with a little more, I can give a little more to the body. My bills are paid. My family is taken care of. If I have extra, that's for the Lord." And that's how they kept that's how they kept it. That was the mindset of the people. That's the mindset that we need to have today.
Verse 33. "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked. For as many as were possessors of house of lands or houses sold them and brought [clears throat] the prices of the things that were sold." So people had extra. They had abundance. They didn't just sell every single thing that they had and they were left with nothing and gave everything to the apostles. No, they had extra. They had abundance and they sold the extra and got the money from it.
Verse 35. "And laid them down at the apostles' feet. And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." So whoever needed anything, they got it from that pot that they just collected. All right? People that were possessors of lands or houses, they sold those extras, got the money from it, gave it to the apostles, and whoever needed it, they came to the apostles for it. That's how you work together. That's nation building.
So Paul was telling them in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse one, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order unto the churches of Galatia, even so do ye." So just like I told the Galatians, all right, I want it done this way. Same thing I'm telling y'all. Remember in in 1 Corinthians chapter one and verse 10, he says, "Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you." So in order for him to tell the churches they got to speak the same thing, he has to speak the same thing to all of the churches. So when he came for the collection, he said, "Look, the same thing that I told them in Galatia is the same thing that I'm going to tell y'all. I want y'all to collect it this way."
Uh, verse two, I'm gonna read it. Uh, 1 Corinthians chapter 16 verse two said, "Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God had prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come." So he's like, "Look, by the time I get there, I want y'all to already have the money. I don't need y'all to still be collecting funds and going to this person and going to that person, going to this household, going to that household. By the time I get there, everything needs to be collected." That's order. That's structure.
So when you look at how Paul was operating, Paul was no nonsense, especially to the church of Corinth. A lot of his letter of Corinth was rebuke. And the reason why he was getting on them like that was because of, let's go back to 2 Corinthians chapter 8. So he was telling them, look, as concerning the collection, the same thing I told Galatia is what I'm telling y'all. And y'all need to have it ready when I get there. Don't be collecting, still gathering, scrambling for money. Let the money be already ready by the time I get there because that money is going to be used to help other churches.
This is uh 1 Corinthians chapter 8. I mean, 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse one. It says, "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed upon the churches of Macedonia, how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." So even though they didn't have a lot, they still gave a lot. That's what the churches of Macedonia did.
"For to their power I bear record. Yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves, meaning to give. Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering of the saints. And as they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God." In so much that we desired Titus that as he had begun so he would also finish in you the same grace also. Because they were they were giving diligently. It didn't matter if they had it all or whatever. They gave of their power and beyond the power and was begging Paul like, "No, look, take this. Take this." Some of y'all know people like that. You know, they don't have a lot, but you you come to them, they're so hospitable that they will give you whatever that they think that they going to give you. You know what I'm saying? As as a token of hospitality. And you may say, "No, no, no." But they entreat you like, "No, take this. You got a far journey, you got to do this, you got to do that." Macedonia, they was very giving, they was very liberal.
Uh, back to 1 Corinthians chapter 16 says, "Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God has prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come." And it says, "as God had prospered him," just like in Acts chapter 4, you know, whoever was possessors of lands or houses or whatever that they had, the abundance that they had, some people had a lot, some people had a little, but whatever the Lord gave you, as much as he gave you or as little as he gave you, give according to that little. Like it says in Tobit, "Don't be ashamed to give a little when you only have a little. And don't be slack to give a lot if you have a lot."
Verse three. "And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem." Meaning your gifts, your collections. Because everybody went just like New York is the headquarters. Back in the day, Jerusalem was the headquarters. And they got all of these different churches and all of these different areas, but eventually they all answered to Jerusalem cuz that's where the apostles were. It's where the elders were. All right? And it said that whoever they sent because not everybody was trusted to go with the money. I mean, you got a whole lot of money on you. If you got the devil on you, that money is gone.
One example of that is Judas. Let's go to John chapter 12. One example of that is Judas because they had to have trusted men that were going to take the funds to Jerusalem. They had to be trusted that they wouldn't steal it, that they wouldn't uh be deceitful in the amount that they would take one bag of money from here to over there and give it to who it was supposed to go to.
John chapter 12 and verse six uh verse four. "Then saith one of his disciples Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him. Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor? This said, this he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein." So Judas wasn't the one that you wanted to send from Corinth to Jerusalem with a bag of money. He wasn't the one. So whoever was sent with that bag of money had to be trusted. Had to be trusted. A trusted man and trusted men, you know, back in the church to deal with the money, but a trusted man to make that journey that Paul told him to make from Corinth to Jerusalem.
Uh, back to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. Uh, I'm gonna read verse three again. "And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, let uh them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me." So if he needed to go to Jerusalem at that time, then whoever got the bag, they coming with me. So either way, the bag is going to make it to Jerusalem. Paul is going to make sure of it.
Verse five. "Now I will come unto you when I shall pass through Macedonia, for I do pass through Macedonia." That's what we was reading in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 cuz he passed through Macedonia and he started to let the church of Corinth know about their uh their liberality, their generosity, their diligence, all of that stuff. Macedonia was in the spirit. Let me see something real quick. Matter of fact, I'm I'mma read that after this. I'mma read that after this.
Verse six. "And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey, whithersoever I go." So Paul stayed in Corinth for, you know, quite some time. He stayed there for quite some time. It was not it wasn't nothing for him to uh go visit a place and stay there for six months, three months, a year and a half. Like that's what he did. And that's the level that we have to get to. That's the level that we have to get to as far as our faith goes because the spirit that's here on the Israelites in America, that spirit has to get on the Israelites abroad. It has to. A lot of our people don't have the same exact spirit that we have over here. That's why we have to travel and build them up and put them in mind of the Lord. Put give them the spirit that our elders gave us.
When you go to Acts 18:1 um, I'm going to start at 8. Acts 18:8. "And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house. And many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night vision. In the night by a vision, be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace, for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city." So this is Paul in Corinth. And he continued there a year and six months teaching the word of God among them. So Paul spent a lot of time with Corinth. It's why it's one of the biggest letters. Why? Because he had a lot to say. He saw a lot. He had a lot to correct. He had a lot to to to make sure that they was doing. So, he stayed there a year and six months. That's why he said, "If it be the Lord's will, I'm going to stay there through the winter time with you." He gonna stay there a whole season. It's one of the reasons why Paul couldn't get married because look at all the work he was doing.
Back to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. And verse seven. "Now, for I will not see you by the way, but I trust to tarry while with you if the Lord permit. But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost." So he said he was going to come see them and then he was going to go to Pente to Ephesus until Pentecost. Let's go to Acts chapter 20. Acts chap 20 and verse 16, it says, "For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus because he would not spend the time in Asia, for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost." So he said he was going to chill in Ephesus until Pentecost because he wanted to make it back to Jerusalem. Why? Because three times in a year must all the males appear before the Lord. So he wanted to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost if if if that was the Lord's will. So he stayed in Ephesus. And these are the correlations that you have to make when you're reading the book of Acts and when you're reading the uh the letters of Paul because a lot of a lot of the details are split between either the letter and the book of Acts. The book of Acts is the history of the New Testament. You can't understand Paul's letter if you don't understand Acts. Really can't. That you can't understand Acts if you don't understand the prophets and the law because that's all it was. That was the big argument.
So verse uh seven again, I'm gonna start at verse seven again. 1 Corinthians chapter 16:7. "For I will not see you now by the way, but I trust to tarry with you if the Lord permit, but I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries." So what is that great door and effectual? Let's go to uh Colossians chapter 4. See what that great door and effectual is. Colossians chapter 4 and verse three. It says, "With all praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds." So that utterance was the ability to teach the gospel to other Israelites. That door of utterance meaning it was an opportunity for them to go to a different place and teach the gospel. So he was praying that that, well, he was letting them know that a great door and effectual is open unto me. Meaning I got an opportunity to spread this gospel further. That's why he was saying, "All right, I got plans to to be with y'all for the winter, but I also got to make this run over here. I'm trying to be in Ephesus before uh Pentecost and then if the Lord's will, I'm trying to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost." Paul was busy. Paul was doing a lot of traveling. All right. Paul was doing a lot of traveling. He he he was not sitting still.
Uh, verse 10. Now 1 Corinthians chapter 16:10. "Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear, for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do." Now, you know Timothy was near and dear to Paul. Timothy was like a son to Paul. That's why he said uh, let me see, 1 Timothy chapter 1 and we'll start at verse one. 1 Timothy 1:1, it says, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord." So Paul called Timothy his own son in the faith. Why? Because Timothy um Timothy had history. Timothy, Timothy's mother and grandmother was known by Paul. They they they had a good spirit on them. Paul's father was an unbeliever. You know, Paul circumcised Timothy and Timothy was a, you know, he was a fiery young man underneath Paul. So Paul looked out for them and he told he told the church in Corinth that to not let Timothy be there without fear. Why? Let's go to second Timothy chapter 1. I'm going to start at five just to back up what I said about Timothy's mother and grandmother. 2 Timothy 1:5. "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also." So they had unfeigned faith in his mother and his grandmother. And he's hoping that that same faith is in Timothy.
Verse six, "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." Meaning, you know the scriptures, you have the ability to lead. I pray that that spirit stays with you and I pray that you stir it up. Verse seven, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." So the same thing he told Corinth, "Let Timothy be with you without fear." He told Timothy himself, "God didn't give us the spirit of fear." So if you're feeling fear, that's not the spirit of God. Stir up that faith unfeigned that your grandmother and your mother had. You got the same gift. He was letting them know that he was giving them words of encouragement.
Back to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. I'm going to read 10 and 11. "Now, now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear, for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him, but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren." Now, what is he talking about? Let no man despise him. Let's go to First Timothy chapter 4. And verse 12. 1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." So he said, "Don't let nobody despise your youth." Timothy was a young man. So, I mean, those of y'all who have traveled before, when you're a young man and you're traveling and your your elders, you know, they're they're looking to you to do good. You you want to do well for the Lord's sake, you want to do well for the congregation that you're visiting. You know, it's a lot of pressure on a young man, and some young men may get that spirit of fear on them. So, he was letting them know like, look, the church once once he once Timothy gets there, make sure that y'all give him comfort because he's doing a lot of work for the Lord just like I am. And don't let nobody despise him cuz he's a young man. He got a lot of faith. He has a lot of gifts and he's a he's he's a good help to me to this work. So, that was what it was what he was talking about when he said, "Let no man therefore despise him." Because as a young man, people will despise your youth. People will despise your age. It is what it is. People will despise your age. But that's when you have to let your works speak for themselves. Let your let your faith and your works show your spiritual maturity.
Back to first Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 12. "As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time." Because Apollos, just like Paul, was traveling all over. He was uh, you know, getting reports from the the different schools and visiting the different churches. And not all of the time can you be everywhere at once. Especially back then, it wasn't like they had cars, planes, trains, and automobiles. They was going on camels, on horses, on on donkeys, on sailing on ships. They was doing walking. They wasn't they wasn't as easily moved like how we are today. And look and look at us today. Like, we got all of this at our disposal. And some brothers still won't go nowhere. That's crazy.
Verse 13, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith. Quit you like men, be strong." So this is another word of encouragement to the Corinthians. Why? Because when you read the whole book, they had a lot to deal with. They had divisions in the church. They had uh people that was eating things, sacrificing unto idols. People needed charity. They had uh gifts that their brothers and sisters had, but they had to learn to work with those gifts. They had to learn to work with each other. They had to get their marriages back in order. They had to get the household back in order. They had to get the women to shut up and be quiet and the men to to take the lead. They had all kind of stuff that they had to do.
Verse 14, "Let all your things be done with charity," which goes back to chapter 13. Because even if you have like he say 1 Corinthians chapter 13, I'm gonna start at verse two. "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." So, you could you could have all of the wisdom in the world, but if you're not charitable to your brothers and sisters, none of it means anything because you're not loving your neighbor as yourself. You're not looking out for your neighbor. You're going to be high-minded. You're going to you're going to uh you're going to look for evil. That's why verse four it says, "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil." Like all of these different things was spirits that was on in the church of Corinth. So he had to let them know, look, y'all need charity. If you don't have charity, you ain't got nothing. That's why he said, "Continue in it."
Uh, 1 Corinthians chapter 16:14, "Let all things be done with charity. I beseech you, brethren, ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints." Achaia is the area that Corinth was in and they were the first fruits of Achaia and they addicted themselves to the gospel and that's what a lot of us have to do today. We were a lot of us were once addicted to it. But let's go to Revelations chapter two. And I'm going start at four because um a lot of us we haven't addicted ourselves to the ministry. Not the way that we should. When you first came into the truth and you was watching videos all day and you know you had all all manner of of of information, you know, you your Bible stayed open. You wasn't there was no sleepy spirit that came on you when you first came into the truth. When you first came into this knowledge, you would sit and read all day, look at this book all day and be excited. You have to addict yourself to this ministry. And that's what they did back then. This is also what what Christ told uh the church of Ephesus as well.
Um, Revelations chapter 2:4. "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." So the first works was addicting yourselves to the ministry. Your your your first works was that zeal that you had when you first understood that we Israel. That zeal that you had when you first understood that man, all our enemies going into captivity. We the Israelites, we going to take over this world. We we got to go back to that spirit. We got to go back to that spirit. We have to addict ourselves to this ministry.
Back to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. I'm going to read 15 again. "I beseech you, brethren, ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints, that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth." Meaning they the first fruits. You got to listen to them. They was here before you. They addicted themselves to the ministry. They got the spirit of God on them. They put in the work. Let's go to First Thessalonians. This is this is, you know, one of the things that Paul had to teach the the all of the churches really because keep in mind they still all black people. So just like how black people would act, that's how they was acting. The first fruits of of of one city and you got a whole bunch of other people coming in and they learn stuff and they learn this and they learn that and they recall the scriptures and they know all this that and the third and they start to look a little sideways at the people that was there before them. Especially nowadays. I don't know what it is, but a lot of younger people do not respect the elders that came before them in anything really. Not just, you know, the truth, but in Islam, I didn't seen it. In Christianity, I didn't seen it in the streets. I didn't seen it, you know, in in everywhere where we are predominantly. A lot of our youth do not respect the ones that came before them. They don't.
1 Thessalonians 5:12. "And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, and be at peace among yourselves." So, just like he said that in in uh Thessalonica, he said the same thing in Corinth. They was the first fruits of Achaia. They addicted themselves to the gospel. Submit yourself to them. Show them the respect due unto them because they deserve it. Just like he Paul showed respect to the apostles. They was in Christ before him. No matter what level of knowledge he had, they was in Christ before him.
1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 17. "I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus. a Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied." So a lot of times Paul had to deal with the church of Corinth being slack as far as giving. That's why he started off the chapter. Make sure that y'all got everything collected by the time I get there. Don't be slack. Don't be trying to get everything at the last minute. Have it all ready when I get there. Because a lot of times Paul was depending on other people to help him out. Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 9. So he was just talking about uh Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus uh for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. So what you lacked, they came and supplied it.
2 Corinthians 11:9. "And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied. And in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself." So the things that Paul needed, if Corinth didn't have it, the brothers from Macedonia, they came and got for Paul. That's how much charity and that's how much diligence them brothers showed for Paul. Like, you know what? They ain't got it. We going to bring it to you. That's why he said, "Whatever you lacked, the brothers in Macedonia, they came and supplied it."
Back to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. And verse 18, "For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them." Meaning, acknowledge the fact that they put in work and acknowledge the fact that they showed charity. Acknowledge the fact that they love their brothers, they love their self. Acknowledge the fact that they helped me out when you couldn't.
Verse 19. "The churches of Asia salute you. Aquilla and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord with the church that is in their house." So, Quill Aquilla and Priscilla had a church in their house. So, they went from house to house learning. Some people had churches in their house. Some of us started off like that. I know we did. We started off in somebody's house. A lot of other uh IUIC congregations started out like that. Hell, IC itself started out like that. It started in the bishop's house and grew international.
Verse 20. "All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss. The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha." Meaning cursed of the Lord. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen."
So that's uh 1 Corinthians chapter 16. You know, not nothing too deep, but you know, a little recap on uh the the giving, a little recap on um the charity, a little recap on uh Timothy himself, um being a fellow laborer and and the fact that Paul was looking out for him like like his only son, uh like his own son, should I say, and um letting the people know to addict themselves to the ministry, respect those that came before you, especially those that are the first fruits of your area, that are still laboring, that are still putting in work, that are still addicting themselves to the ministry. Respect them, acknowledge them for the work that they do. All right?
So, um, that's going to be it. All praise to the most high. We finished the book of First Corinthians. All right. So, Lord's will, we will, uh, wait to see what leadership going to have us cover next. But all prayers to the most high. I hope you brothers and sisters have a great day. Shalom.