Act Like Men (1 Corinthians 16:10-24)
Act Like Men
1 Cor 16:10 – 23
Connection/Tension
So, there my wife and I are. It’s evening- I’m bothered about the same thing as I usually am- something out of place in the house or something not done on time. I know if I make a comment in a certain way, it will set off conflict. Yet, I can’t seem to help myself. We fight again. We’ve fought the same fight a hundred different times.
As the leader of the house, these moments reveal in me a lack of inner resolve and resilience- not so much that I need to remain silent and not speak, but rather a failure control my emotions and lead and love from a place of stability. Instability is an Achillies heal to my relationship with my wife and daughter. It has kept us from maturing as a healthy family that does more to reach and minister to the neighbors on my block.
In what way do you lack stability and what effect is that having on your spiritual growth and ministry?
I want to suggest to you that if we ever want to make great impact in the world, we need to start with finding great stability in our inner worlds. Whether we step into conflict in unhealthy ways or retreat into our own space and disassociate, there is a lack of resilience in many of us that is taking away life- and the Lord Jesus wants us to take a step towards healing that this morning.
Context
We have made it to the end of 1 Corinthians. We started this journey near the beginning of last year and now are bringing it to completion.
As usual at the end of Paul’s letters, he jumps around to a few different topics. So, please bear with me as I try to keep our focus on one thread I think runs through these final verses:
Revelation
10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am.
So, Timothy is coming to Corinth and Paul is feeling a little anxious about it. And he should. If you read the story of Paul planting this church in Acts 18, you will find out that Corinth is a dangerous city with hostile opposition to the gospel. If you read this letter, you will find that Paul and the church in Corinth have conflict- there is tension between them. For Timothy- Paul’s disciple and associate to show up, could put him into crossfire.
Paul reminds them that he’s doing the work of the Lord and the church should protect him- as he would be a vulnerable traveler in the ancient world. Whenever you can give refuge and safety to someone in need, especially another brother and sister, you get to show what the gospel is like.
11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.
Paul is also saying that the church in Corinth should do no harm to Timothy either, since, he’s Paul’s disciple and this letter presents deep conflict between Paul and this church.
You can hear in Paul’s voice his heart of protection for this younger brother in the Lord.
12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.
Apollos was a famous preacher in the early church (2 Cor 8:18). It’s likely this church had requested Apollos to come to them- yet they didn’t get Apollos- they ended up with Timothy instead.
And is this not what life in the local church is like? You don’t necessarily choose who you worship with and who leads you. By virtue of belonging to this particular church, you kind of just end up with this group of people. God has called you to embrace with contentment these humans as your family, and your imperfect pastors as your teachers and leaders.
Timothy wasn’t Apollos, but Timothy was still a great man of God, and more than that, it was God’s will that Timothy come to them at this time. So, just as the Corinthian church, we must be content with which people we get to follow Jesus alongside in this time and place in the world.
And now Paul gets to a sequence of commands where I want us to spend most of our time this morning;
13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.
You can feel the temperature suddenly rise in this text- Paul gets direct and concise. With this list of commands, he is cultivating a mentality for the church in Corinth to put into practice and obey all he has written so far in this great letter.
He beings, “be watchful,” that is, be actively on the look out for threats. Whether or not we are in Corinth, this present world is a dangerous place to do ministry because its present master opposes us and wants to root us out of this city and de-convert us from the faith.
“stand firm in the faith” Two images Paul uses to describe the Christian faith are walking and standing firm. Walking depicts the Christian as a traveler on his way to the presence of God. Standing firm depicts the Christian as a soldier (Eph 6:13), holding and even taking ground against evil. In combat in the ancient world, it was the army that broke and ran first who suffered defeat and death- and so withstanding opposition and not flinching is an image of victory and spiritual life.
There is warfare within (the deceitful desires of your heart) and without (the corrupt value system of our city). It’s not war against our neighbor, but for our neighbor and against everything that’s destroying their soul. A posture of peace in a time of war is dangerous to yourself and everyone you are responsible to watch over and protect.
“act like men.” Another way to translate this phrase is to be “courageous.”[1] Greg Morse mentions in an article that this term appears seven times at the end of Deuteronomy and Joshua and refers to Joshua’s role as military leaders as he leads the people into the land.[2]
That’s quite a term in this day and age- Calvin, writing 500 years ago, had almost nothing to say about this phrase as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world. Today, using a statement like this brings up confusion or possibly offense.
This is because a phrase like this locates courage as primarily (not exclusively) a male virtue. That is, God designed men especially to exhibit courage. That does not mean he did not design women to also be courageous (cf. 1 Pet 3:6)- it just means that a mature man will excel in this virtue.
There are also virtues that connect to femineity more closely than masculinity- like being nurturing. Again, it does not mean that men should not be nurturing (it’s quite terrible when they are not!). Even though a mature female is going to possess and live this virtue best. The Apostle Paul compares himself to a “nursing mother” in another one of his letters (1 Tim 2:7).
So, I take this command as not just being addressed to men, but to the whole church- to live with “manly fortitude” as we follow Jesus.[3]
And then the command, “be strong” has the idea of strengthening yourself and acting with might.
I believe we live in a time of less resilience and greater fragility than most times in history. Most of us have never had to contend for daily survival where famine or war are active threats to our lives (as most humans have in history). In addition, in our formative years, many of us had excessive time for leisure and diversion and neglected preparation for life.
As a result, many of us are poorly prepared to face adversity, exercise courage, and overcome obstacles. There were many great things about my childhood, but I do not feel prepared to exercise the kind of grit it takes to be a mature, fruitful husband, father, and Christian.
The evangelicalism of the last twenty yeas has done a good job preparing us to be merciful and compassionate to the broken (this is a good thing). It has done not as well of a job exhorting us to be the fierce competitors for the gospel Jesus calls us to be. When Jesus said, “make disciples of all nations,” that is a call into spiritual conflict with unbelief until your city acknowledges “Jesus is Lord.”
If we look at Jesus’s example, we see that a great deal of his life was confrontation- with Pharisees, with the Roman government, with demons, with people’s sin and unbelief. When he died on the cross, he was triumphing over Satan and dark spiritual beings, according to Col 2:15.
In all the gospels we do not have a single story of Jesus wavering or backing down. Something else to note is that he never picks the wrong fight or gets dragged into the wrong controversy either. But once in the right battle- he perseveres.
I want to call myself and our church to grow in spiritual and emotional resilience and courage in everyday life.
In what kind of situation do you lose control of your emotions and vent or go off on people?
In what kind of situation do you stop being present and retreat inside yourself and shut down- becoming emotionally absent even if you are physically present?
These moments are tests for us. They are spiritual battles AND they are meant to prepare us for bigger and grander spiritual battles we are supposed to step into. I want to boldly pray for healing for my neighbors, I want to plainly call them to repentance, I want to even cast demons out of people who need it.
I think one reason my life does not look like Jesus yet in these ways is that I need to win smaller battles of emotional resilience to mature into the firm, stable man who enters spiritual conflict in greater and greater ways for the sake of others.
We need to cultivate competitive spirits in a healthy way. We should not be squandering our competitive energy envying others or getting into unnecessary conflict, but rather, we should have a competitive Spirit for Jesus to Lord of all people in all places, beginning with those nearest to us.
Considering these verses, I love what Paul says next,
14 Let all that you do be done in love.
You could misapply what I just said to think that it’s good to be brash, or insensitive, or callous towards others, just fiercely proclaiming truth in people’s faces with a disregard for them.
Yes, we must be tough as nails yet also tender as lambs. Jesus doesn’t force the truth down people’s throats, he forms relational bonds with them as he does so- even if they happen in an instant like when he heals someone or casts a demon out of them.
How will I know when to be tough and when to be tender? Stuff like this is why we pray, why “be with the Father” is our first core value, so that God can mold us with the hearts that spontaneously respond the most like Jesus would if he were you in day-to-day life.
15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— 16 be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.
Now, Paul here gives us an incredible picture of what waging spiritual warfare looks like in this age between Christ’s two comings. He points to the household of Stephanas- a strong and enduring Christian household in that city. I say strong and enduring because they were “the first converts” meaning that they started following Jesus first in a city violent against the faith, and were almost alone- and they endured.
This household is such an emblem of the faith that Paul commands the church to “be subject” to this household, which, I take to mean, “get around them and learn from them how to follow Jesus.”
I think the “every fellow worker and laborer” are the missionaries who would travel town to town to teach and lead.
And so, I think there are types of instructors here that Paul wants us to get behind- Paul and his missionary associates (his “fellow workers”) which may be trusted leaders from other places who travel here to minister to us.
The other is strong, godly, mature households like the household of Stephanas that has a history of faith and faithful ministry.
Building a strong, godly, hospitable household that deeply forms children in the ways of Jesus and welcomes neighbors and spiritual family into a place of refuge and rest is spiritual warfare par excellence. It is brave to shape your household in this manner.
Exhortation: if you are not this yet, get around a household that is to learn from them and participate. If you’re not married yet (or maybe ever), get around a household like this and become a vital part of family ministry and life as the Lord provides opportunity. It’s been so good for me and my household to connect with people like Isaac, Patty, and Johnny lately for love and shared ministry. The life of the Christian household is a front line on the war against spiritual darkness and for the souls of our neighbors.
One quote I love from Rosaria was brought to my attention from Michael Patterson. She wrote,
“The weapons of our warfare cast down atheistic imaginations with pot roast suppers and watermelon, psalm singing and warm mugs of tea, prayer and repentance.”[4]
Here’s a couple of application questions to consider how to grow in this area:
o What’s one new weekly rhythm my household needs?
o Or what household do I want to learn from and serve with and do I need to talk to them about what that could possibly look like?
17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.
These three men are likely members of the Corinthian church who are carrying correspondence back and forth with Paul. Paul wants to “recognize them.” All I want to say here is that recognizing others both publicly and in private is such a gift.
19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20 All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
You can feel Paul’s affection and the affection in this early church. Hey may call his church towards strength, valor, and spiritual combat, yet he also models a tender heart and that we must be warm and affectionate towards one another as Paul was- as Jesus was.
In our culture, I would recommend greeting one another with a hug than a kiss. That’s ultimately between you and the Lord.
21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
One of Paul’s statements in there reveals the passion that burns in his heart for Jesus- “if anyone has no love…” In this statement Paul is not demonstrating a disregard for people. According to this very letter, his whole life was about sacrifice so others could know Jesus (9:23), “I do it all for the sake of the gospel.” No, Paul has great regard for the well-being of others. It’s just that he has the greatest regard for the glory of God, and so he yearns for the end of history, the return of Christ, and even the judgement of his enemies.
I hope we become increasingly a network of strong, courageous, and interconnected households who are ministering in our communities fruitfully. I hope if you are not yet married, that you would find a household or more than one that you become a vital participant in.
And that family, concludes this great letter to the Corinthian church. It has been such a joy to walk through it with you.
Let’s pray.
[1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 76.
[2] https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/holy-bravery
[3] Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries on I and II Corinthians.
[4] Rosaria Butterfield, https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2021/09/in-the-presence-of-my-enemies/
