1 Corinthians 16:1-11 Store Up Your Money
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 8, 2020 1 Corinthians 16:1-11
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 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 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.
(Understanding the Text) Paul has spent a long time berating the Corinthians for their factionalism, accusing them of tolerating and encouraging open sin, explaining how they are not living up to acting in love toward each other, and showing them where their doctrine is wrong. However, after all that, Paul still expects them to give money for Jerusalem. The Corinthians had many problems, but they were still followers of Jesus. They had not rejected their Savior. As such, Paul could reasonably expect them to help their fellow Christians who were in trouble in whatever way they could. They had money, so they were expected to give.
Paul had plans to travel around collecting money for Jerusalem and revisiting the churches that he had started. However, Paul did not plan to be responsible for the money. Instead, he was also collecting people to travel with him and carry the money for their area. This way, Paul did not have to take responsibility for the money collected. He could not be accused of stealing, but I think maybe he was doing it this way because he was simply not interested in this duty. He had his own duties that only he could perform, so he was delegating to people who could take responsibility. In fact, at this point in time, Paul was not sure if he would go to Jerusalem himself or if he would simply send the money with the churches’ chosen guardians there alone. However, in the end, Paul would travel with them. Another reason to have others in charge of the money was sheer practicality. They would be carrying this money as they walked for a lot of the journey. The money then was not light-weight paper. It was metal coins that would weigh a lot, so Paul could not possibly physically carry all that weight all the way to Jerusalem. He needed young strong men who could carry heavy packs on their backs for long journeys.
Paul planned to travel through Macedonia before he went to Corinth. He did not know if he would spend a short time with them or if he would stay all winter. In the meantime, he was sending Timothy on ahead to the Corinthians, probably bringing Paul’s letter. Paul told them to treat Timothy well. Paul felt that he had a lot of authority with the Corinthians. Not only did he feel free to berate them. He expected them to contribute money to Jerusalem and to help Paul himself by funding his next missionary endeavor. In addition, Paul felt that they would listen to him about who to treat well and respect.
Paul explains that he is sending Timothy because he cannot leave Ephesus at that moment. There was a new opportunity for spreading the gospel there that Paul needed to take advantage of, but it had to be Paul because there was also opposition that Paul was qualified to deal with. In other words, it was a critical time in Ephesus. Looking behind the scenes, it looks like Satan was stirring up trouble among the Corinthians to distract Paul from the Ephesians. Rather than rush over to the Corinthians and leave the work in Ephesus, Paul wrote a letter, sent his most dependable helper, and then trusted God to take care of the situation. Paul knew that the Corinthians were already believers, so he could trust them in the Spirit’s care. The Ephesians, on the other hand, were still in need of hearing the gospel. Paul had to prioritize and delegate and trust God.
(Revelation of God) Just like Paul, God expects us to respect His authority as our King and Creator. We may be wayward and backsliding and struggling with sins, but that does not excuse us from following the light that we know and can follow. The Holy Spirit may be berating us in one area, but He still holds us in His strong arms to comfort us and looks at us as His co-workers in helping others. One problem area is no excuse not to serve God in the areas that are not problems for us. God does not treat us as cripples. We are handicapped humans who are expected to do what we are able to do. God respects us as independent beings at the same time He knows our limitations.
(Application) My application for myself is that there is not a smooth path without problems. The Corinthians were believers that Paul trusted to want to contribute to their fellow Christians. In other words, he knew them to be generous. At the same time, they were argumentative and prideful, looking down on those who disagreed with them. They were not tolerant with each other’s differences, yet they were tolerant of sin. They believed false doctrines that were not scriptural and lacked love and understanding of their brothers with weakness. With all those problems, Paul still respected that they were sheep in Jesus’ flock and that the Spirit was working among them. Paul didn’t give up on them or reject them. Instead, he tried to teach them while still giving them the respect that they were fellow Christians. I can’t expect everyone to be listening to the Spirit well. However, that doesn’t mean that they are not being led by the Spirit in some areas. It just means that they are not listening well in some areas. It’s okay to reject the dark areas of a fellow Christian’s experience while still knowing that there are areas where they are Spirit-led.
(Prayer) Help me to serve and obey as much as I am able and give me the strength to serve for when I have none. Teach me to treat others with respect while holding them up in the areas where they need assistance. Help me to take your discipline with respect and love.