I will lose the long term mission by being wrong on the inside. What am I more interested in … winning a game? Or winning the world? I can win a short term game by looking right on the outside. I can only do this while trying to imitate Jesus Christ. I can only do this with guidance and conviction of the Holy Spirit. But to do ALL is LOVE will take a changed heart. I can be strong, or alert, or even my own definition of manly when I want to. ALL?! ALL?! Really, Paul?! As in everything? Everyday? All day? Be done in love! Yeah, this takes something new. But Paul takes away the chance of my own spin on things when he tells me in verse 14, “Let all that you do be done in love”. “Be watchful!” “Stand firm!” “Act like men!” “Be strong!” I can do all these things … with my own rationalizations and justifications of why my actions may be watchful, or firm, or manly, or strong. Those are easy to wrap my head around and “act out”. What am I more concerned with? What I look like on the outside? Or what I am on the inside? I like the instruction Paul gives in verse 13. This is the instruction of a new man with a new message trying to win the world. Until immediately after these statements, Paul says this: “Let all that you do be done in love!” Let all that you do be done in love? This is not the instruction of a coach trying win a game. “Be watchful!” “Stand firm!” “Act like men!” “Be strong!” Yep, it it all sounds like the football coaches I’ve heard through out my life. And now Paul, in his final instructions, gives his final words to pump up “the players” right before they run out of the locker room and take the field. They are also providing support to other “teams” in need with their generosity. They are very much in the action and even necessary to everyone’s success. Most importantly, Paul wants the Corinthians to know they are not spectators of the action. Should the Corinthians think Paul is just barking orders, Paul let’s them know that he is facing “many adversaries”. But Paul is not just a coach on the sidelines. Stephanas, you run out and then come back. It’s almost like Paul is a football coach giving everybody their route to run on the play. Paul lists many different orders for many different people. This is the final chapter so he’s giving his final instructions to the church. Paul is drawing his letter to the Corinthians to a close. Vs 14 Let all that you do be done in love. 16:13-14 Vs 13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Our Lord, come! 23 ( AM)The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be ( AL)accursed. ( AJ)Greet one another with a holy kiss.Ģ1 I, Paul, write ( AK)this greeting with my own hand. ( AH)Aquila and Prisca, together with ( AI)the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. Greetingsġ9 The churches of Asia send you greetings. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for ( AE)your absence, 18 for they ( AF)refreshed my spirit as well as yours. 14 ( Z)Let all that you do be done in love.ġ5 Now I urge you, brothers -you know that ( AA)the household of Stephanas were ( AB)the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves ( AC)to the service of the saints- 16 ( AD)be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. He will come when he has opportunity.ġ3 ( V)Be watchful, ( W)stand firm in the faith, ( X)act like men, ( Y)be strong. Final Instructionsġ2 Now concerning ( U)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. ( S)Help him on his way ( T)in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until ( L)Pentecost, 9 for ( M)a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and ( N)there are many adversaries.ġ0 ( O)When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for ( P)he is doing ( Q)the work of the Lord, as I am. I hope to spend some time with you, ( K)if the Lord permits. 7 For I do not want to see you now ( J)just in passing. Plans for Travelĥ ( F)I will visit you after passing through ( G)Macedonia, for ( H)I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may ( I)help me on my journey, wherever I go. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. 3 And when I arrive, I will send ( E)those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 2 On ( B)the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, ( C)as he may prosper, ( D)so that there will be no collecting when I come. 16 Now concerning ( A)the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.
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