1 Corinthians 16:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let all that you do be done in love.

NIV: Do everything in love.

NASB: All that you do must be done in love.

CSB: Do everything in love.

NLT: And do everything with love.

KJV: Let all your things be done with charity.

NKJV: Let all that you do be done with love.

Paul has added five very quick commands to the end of his letter, between discussing travel plans and sending greetings. The previous verse contained four of those: be watchful, or "on guard", stand firm in faith, act like men of courage, and be strong.

Now he adds this one: Let all you do be done in love. This reflects the profound teaching of 1 Corinthians 13, in which Paul demonstrated how love is superior to the exercise of any spiritual gift. Better, the exercise of any spiritual gift is meaningless without love.

Paul now insists that every single word or action should be motivated by the definition of love he provided in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. Many of the issues in the Corinthian church that Paul has confronted in this letter would have been quickly resolved if everyone was motivated by that kind of sincere love for each other.

First Corinthians 16:12–18 contains some of Paul's last-minute instructions to the Corinthians at the close of his letter. He tells them Apollos will not be coming to visit them right away. He urges them to be on guard and stand firm in the faith, likely against false teachers. They must be strong but also do everything in love. Finally, Paul tells them to submit and give recognition to people like those of Stephanas's household. These devoted servant-leaders were the first Christians in Corinth and have greatly encouraged him by coming to see him in Ephesus.

Having finished the main teaching parts of his letter, Paul wraps up with some matters of business. He tells the Corinthians how to gather funds for a special contribution. He describes his travel plans, including his plan to arrive there before winter. He warns them to treat Timothy well and commends a delegation from Corinth that have come to see him. He concludes with greetings from other believers, along with a curse and a blessing. He curses those who do not love the Lord—here apparently meaning false teachers—and prays the grace of the Lord on everyone else.

First Corinthians 16 concludes Paul's long letter to the church in Corinth with several business matters. He instructs them on how to prepare a special contribution for needy Christians in Jerusalem. He describes his plan to visit them in person after wrapping up his ministry in Ephesus and stopping by churches in Macedonia. He reveals that Timothy is coming to them more quickly and that Apollos is not. Finally, he commends a delegation from Corinth that has come to see him. His final words in the letter are a declaration of love for all of them.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.

Accessed 4/29/2024 3:56:46 PM