Paul asked the Corinthian church to show their generosity by taking weekly offerings for the Jerusalem ministry. He encourages them to develop the habit of setting aside a portion of their income weekly. Paul never encourages tithing - instead he writes about first-fruit and freewill giving. NT giving is to be a voluntary habit done with joy, not duty!
It is quite interesting that Paul does not want to see or even touch the money! He says to take the collections before he gets there, and send it to Jerusalem with elected stewards. His ethical standards when it came to finances were far above board. I am reminded of the commitment Billy Graham made about financial integrity - and a scandal has never touched him!
Paul wanted to spend some quality time with the Corinthian church - a brief visit wouldn't suffice, but he knew that God wanted him to stay at Ephesus. He said "a great door for effective work has opened to me." How did he know this with such certainty? Because "there are many who oppose me"!!! Opposition & tension - what an excellent reason to believe that you are being obedient!!!
At the end of this final chapter, Paul takes the quill pen from his scribe, and begins to write sloppily with his own hand: "If anyone does not love the Lord - a curse be on him." Yep, that is Paul all right, no more authorization of authorship needed! May a curse be upon anyone who does not love God, His church, and His people.
Then Paul uses an Aramaic phrase: "Maranatha" meaning "Our Lord, Come!" This is both a cry of hope and a stern warning. Christ is coming - shape up! If you are sitting on the fence, get off. If you are hindering the work of Christ, now is the time to seek God's forgiveness. If you are living in immorality, bitterness, or causing division - repent now before it is too late.
Come quickly dear Lord!
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