1 Corinthians 16:-11
16:1Now 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.
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.
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. [1]
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What struck me in this passage are the connections that Paul is making between the Corinthian church and the church at large. Paul is very aware that being part of the body of Christ is a communal matter, not an isolated local journey. This is true of us as individuals, as well as individual congregations, which can become focused solely on their local ministry.
We see Paul here arranging for a charitable offering for the church in Jerusalem, encouraging the Corinthians to prepare for his visit by starting their offering now. He also talks about his coming to Corinth in the context of his larger plans to visit other church, both before and after coming to Corinth. He also encourages their reception of Timothy, who will be passing through as he serves the church at large.
The point is this: If I am a Christian, I am part of the body of Christ which includes a few billion people around the planet. If I am part of a congregation, my congregation is connected to other congregations around the world.
Our culture is very individualistic and independent. One manifestation of this has been the growth of the popularity of identifying oneself as “spiritual but not religious.” In many ways this is individualism applied to faith. I will identify myself as spiritual (my individual beliefs) but not religious (part of a community).
But Christianity is thoroughly communal because as Christians, if we are connected to Christ we are connected to each other. We are part of one body, responsible to and for each other.
So this passage is leading me today to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ whom I have never met and never will meet (until heaven!). I’m praying for myself and for all Christians to live in the awareness that we are part of the body of Christ.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (1 Co 16:1–11). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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