1 Corinthians 16:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.

NIV: For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.

NASB: For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.

CSB: For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people.

NLT: They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.

KJV: For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.

NKJV: For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.

Coming to the end of his letter, Paul has been praising Stephanas and his household to the rest of the Christians in Corinth. Stephanas and two other men, perhaps servants from his household, came to visit Paul in Ephesus. Most likely, these men brought the letter Paul has been responding to in this epistle (1 Corinthians 7:1). He may have sent what we now know as 1 Corinthians back with these three men.

In the previous verse, Paul wrote that their arrival has made up for the absence of the Corinthians. By this, he seems to have meant that he has been missing his friends in Corinth and these men helped him feel better about that. Now he adds that they refreshed his spirit. They have truly been encouraging to him.

Paul has urged the Corinthians in verse 16 to put themselves under the authority of servant-leaders such as Stephanas and now he commands them to give recognition to such people. Clearly, Paul cared deeply for Stephanas. It's also possible that Stephanas represented those among the Corinthians on the correct right side of the doctrines Paul had written about in this letter. If so, Paul may be telling the others to side with Stephanas on those issues.

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.