1 Corinthians 16:19-24 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 16:19-24, which read,
v.19, 20 - The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Paul gives his final words to the Christians in the church in Corinth. He connects the church in Corinth with the churches of the world. Paul's good friends, Aquila and Prisca, who have a church hosted in their home, also greet the church in Corinth heartily probably because they were there for a time and would personally know some of the people Paul was writing to. Church, as we know it, with a central building dedicated for worship was foreign to the 1st century churches for their times of worship. The temple and synagogue were off limits for this activity by the Christian church. This did not deter them from meeting together. They met in homes, down by the river or any gathering place that was available to them.
The kiss spoken of here in context was a kiss given from man to man or woman to woman on each cheek as a greeting. The kiss is not so important as it was a "holy" kiss. It was a kiss that meant that all was well between you and me. It was a kiss that had no sexual connection but a kiss to show the affection of love between brothers and sisters in Christ. It is interesting that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, all be it not a holy one and Jesus questions him on it. "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" It is like Jesus was telling Judas, "You don't do that with a kiss." May we greet one another in holiness. We may not follow this custom of the day but may our hugs and handshakes be also holy between each other.
v.21-24 - The greeting is in my own hand--Paul. If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
What an ending to this letter to the Christians in the church in Corinth. He writes this ending in his own hand so that they can see that it is he who has been dictating this message and not someone else. Paul gives one last gospel appeal to let those know that if someone does not love the Lord then the curses of hell are what lie ahead. He also gives them the Aramaic word "Maranatha" which means "O Lord, come!" Paul speaks in the language that Jesus would have used to connect with the Savior and this rally cry of the Christians for His return. His return means glory but also judgment.
Paul ends the letter with what we need most, the grace of the Lord Jesus and also something that he offers, the love of a brother in Christ to take the time to write to brothers in sisters in Christ. He will write again as we go forward to 2 Corinthians tomorrow but for today he wants those in the church to know of his love for them in Christ.
Have you said those words to someone in the church lately? Have you told a brother or sister in Christ how much you love them in the Lord? Have you written a letter in your own hand to show them that all is well and the letter comes with a "holy kiss?" I fear that we do not communicate this enough within the walls of the church. Some may have never heard those words from someone in their church family or even their physical family. Paul ends the letter with the truth, "if anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed," but he also ends the letter with love with it being in his own hand and his own words of affection for them. He was following the Scripture to "speak the truth in love." He has given them a lot of correcting truth in this book but he has also given them a lot of love.
"Lord, thank You for Paul and his service to You and to the people that You directed him to. Thank You that he did not sugar coat the gospel and that he also was very open with his love for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. May we take Paul's example on both ends. May we see an opportunity today to let someone know in our church family how much we love them being apart of the family of God and also part of our local family of God. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.19, 20 - The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Paul gives his final words to the Christians in the church in Corinth. He connects the church in Corinth with the churches of the world. Paul's good friends, Aquila and Prisca, who have a church hosted in their home, also greet the church in Corinth heartily probably because they were there for a time and would personally know some of the people Paul was writing to. Church, as we know it, with a central building dedicated for worship was foreign to the 1st century churches for their times of worship. The temple and synagogue were off limits for this activity by the Christian church. This did not deter them from meeting together. They met in homes, down by the river or any gathering place that was available to them.
The kiss spoken of here in context was a kiss given from man to man or woman to woman on each cheek as a greeting. The kiss is not so important as it was a "holy" kiss. It was a kiss that meant that all was well between you and me. It was a kiss that had no sexual connection but a kiss to show the affection of love between brothers and sisters in Christ. It is interesting that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, all be it not a holy one and Jesus questions him on it. "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" It is like Jesus was telling Judas, "You don't do that with a kiss." May we greet one another in holiness. We may not follow this custom of the day but may our hugs and handshakes be also holy between each other.
v.21-24 - The greeting is in my own hand--Paul. If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
What an ending to this letter to the Christians in the church in Corinth. He writes this ending in his own hand so that they can see that it is he who has been dictating this message and not someone else. Paul gives one last gospel appeal to let those know that if someone does not love the Lord then the curses of hell are what lie ahead. He also gives them the Aramaic word "Maranatha" which means "O Lord, come!" Paul speaks in the language that Jesus would have used to connect with the Savior and this rally cry of the Christians for His return. His return means glory but also judgment.
Paul ends the letter with what we need most, the grace of the Lord Jesus and also something that he offers, the love of a brother in Christ to take the time to write to brothers in sisters in Christ. He will write again as we go forward to 2 Corinthians tomorrow but for today he wants those in the church to know of his love for them in Christ.
Have you said those words to someone in the church lately? Have you told a brother or sister in Christ how much you love them in the Lord? Have you written a letter in your own hand to show them that all is well and the letter comes with a "holy kiss?" I fear that we do not communicate this enough within the walls of the church. Some may have never heard those words from someone in their church family or even their physical family. Paul ends the letter with the truth, "if anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed," but he also ends the letter with love with it being in his own hand and his own words of affection for them. He was following the Scripture to "speak the truth in love." He has given them a lot of correcting truth in this book but he has also given them a lot of love.
"Lord, thank You for Paul and his service to You and to the people that You directed him to. Thank You that he did not sugar coat the gospel and that he also was very open with his love for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. May we take Paul's example on both ends. May we see an opportunity today to let someone know in our church family how much we love them being apart of the family of God and also part of our local family of God. Amen."
Pastor Adam
Comments
Post a Comment