Lessons #597 and 598
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New American Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
+ 4. Text is based on 1984 edition of the NIV +
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Instructions about Timothy’s visit (1 Cor 16:10-11)
10 If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. 11 No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.
In the previous section of 1 Corinthians 16:5-9, Apostle Paul wrote concerning his future travel plans that are subject to the Lord’s approval. His travel plans include a proposed visit to Corinth via Macedonia but in this present section, the apostle instructs the Corinthians regarding a proposed visit of them by one of his associates, Timothy. The apostle assumed that this visit would take place before his own proposed visit to them. Consequently, there is the sense that how they respond to his instructions regarding treatment of Timothy would indicate how they would treat him when he finally arrives in Corinth.
Apostle Paul signaled to the Corinthians that he was moving to another topic that is related to his travel plans because of a Greek particle (de) that he used at the beginning part of verse 10 that was not translated in the NIV and many of our English versions. The Greek particle is one that is routinely translated “but” to reflect a contrast between clauses but when a simple connective is desired, without contrast being clearly implied, it may be translated “and,” and in certain occurrences the particle may be left untranslated as is the case with our verse in such English versions as the ESV, the CEV, the NCV and many others. Although the particle is often translated “but” in the English as it is done in our verse in the LEB when there is a perceived contrast between two clauses, but it has other meanings such as “now,” “then,” “and,” “so” when it is used to link segments of a narrative. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:10, the Greek particle is used to link what the apostle writes in verse 10 to what preceded it with the implication that he was about to deal with another matter that involves visiting of the Corinthians although by Timothy and so it may be translated “now” as it is done in such English versions as the NASB, the NET, among others. Anyway, the apostle by using the Greek particle that we discussed alerted his readers of a change in the focus from his travel plans to the visit of Timothy to Corinth.
Be that as it may, the apostle proceeded to communicate his concern in what he wrote in the next two verses is about Timothy’s visit. So, the apostle proceeded to instruct the Corinthians about how they should conduct themselves as it pertains to Timothy. We can say that the message he intended to convey to the Corinthians in what he wrote is simply that they should take good care of Timothy upon his visit to them for the purpose of the ministry. Timothy’s visit to the Corinthians, although not directly stated here, is concerned with the ministry of God’s word to ensure they are conducting themselves in keeping with God’s word. It is true that Timothy’s visit would also be concerned with the collection issue that the Gentile churches were collecting but whatever Timothy does while he was with them is to be understood as being related to the ministry of the word of God. Because of the message the apostle wanted to convey to the Corinthians, we derive a message from this passage that is applicable to any local church of Christ as it relates to their treatment of the ministers of God’s word among them. The message is that Members of local churches of Christ should take good care of those who minister among them. This message will be expounded by considering the three instructions the Holy Spirit through the apostle gave to the Corinthians as it pertains to Timothy’s visit to Corinth and so we will consider three responsibilities of the local church to their ministers as we may gather from the passage we are about to study.
Apostle Paul continued to be conscious that his plan or any person’s plan is subject to the approval or will of God. Consequently, he premised his instructions to the Corinthians regarding Timothy upon his visit to them. He did this by beginning his instruction with a conditional clause of 1 Corinthians 16:10 If Timothy comes. The word “if” is translated from a Greek particle (ean) that may be used as a maker of condition of a reduced likelihood of occurrence of an activity referenced with the meaning “if.” It can also mean “when” as a marker of point of time which is somewhat conditional and simultaneous with another point of time. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:10, the apostle used it in the sense of “when” or “whenever” to indicate that he was uncertain regarding the time of the arrival of Timothy. There is no uncertainty regarding Timothy’s visit since the apostle had already indicated that he had dispatched Timothy to the Corinthians as recorded in 1 Corinthians 4:17:
For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
In effect, the apostle was concerned with when the condition he stipulated would be fulfilled and not whether it would be fulfilled.
The condition that must be fulfilled for the instructions of the apostle given in the passage we are studying to be applied is Timothy’s visit to Corinth as in the clause of 1 Corinthians 16:10 If Timothy comes. The word “comes” is translated from a Greek word (erchomai) that may mean “to go” in the sense of proceeding on a course, with a destination in view, as it is used to describe Jesus’ movement towards the fig tree, He eventually cursed as narrated in Matthew 21:19:
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
The word may refer to movement from one point to another so that it means “to come.” However, although the word may mean “to come,” there are several nuances conveyed when the word “come” is used. For example, the word “come” may mean “to become”, as it is used to describe the state of the woman the Lord healed as recorded in Mark 5:26:
She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.
The verbal phrase grew worse translated in the LEB as became worse is more literally came back for the worse. The word “come” may have the sense of “to return, come back” as it is used by Apostle Paul in quoting the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Romans 9:9:
For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
The word “come” may mean “to appear or make public appearance” as that is the sense of the use of our Greek word to reference Jesus’ Second Coming in 1 Corinthians 4:5:
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
The word “come” may have the sense of “to happen, to take place” as our Greek word is used by Apostle Paul to reference events that took place that have enabled him to preach the gospel, as he stated in Philippians 1:12:
Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:10, the Greek word means “to come,” that is, “to travel toward” in the sense of physically approaching someone. In effect, the apostle anticipates Timothy to come or visit the Corinthians as he stated If Timothy comes.
The mention of Timothy by the apostle this second time in his epistle without any introduction of him assumes that the Corinthians knew him or are acquainted with him. This was indeed the case because he and Silas joined Apostle Paul in Corinth as they brought financial support to him from the Macedonians that freed him to devote more of his time preaching and teaching the word of God in Corinth as we may gather from Acts 18:5:
When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
Who is Timothy that Apostle Paul would write of his visit to Corinth? We have considered this question in a sense when we studied the passage we cited previously, that is, 1 Corinthians 4:17:
For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
However, for our purpose in 1 Corinthians 16:10, I will review in detail what we said about Timothy previously in a previous study for the benefit of those who were not here when we did that study and even those who were, they would have forgotten some of the finer points we made.
The name Timothy means “the one who honors God.” This name must have been given to him either by his mother or grandmother to express their hope that their son would grow up to be an individual who honors, God; how prophetic was his name. Timothy was the son of a Jewish believing mother and unbelieving Greek father who lived in Lystra. This we know from Acts 16:1:
He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek.
It was probably because of his Greek father that he was not circumcised which caused Apostle Paul to circumcise him in order to be a part of his missionary team, according to Acts 16:3:
Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
We should note that the apostle circumcised Timothy because his mother was Jewess for when it came to Titus who was a Gentile through and through, the apostle refused to circumcise him. This he alluded in his recount of his experience in the first church council in Jerusalem, as we read from Galatians 2:3:
Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.
We assert that Timothy’s father was an unbeliever because Luke was careful to mention that the mother was a believer but says no such thing about his father. His mother’s name was Eunice and his grandmother’s name was Lois, according to 2 Timothy 1:5:
I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Timothy might have been converted during the first missionary Journey of the apostle, but it was during the second missionary Journey that we heard first about him. Apparently, he must have been taught the Hebrew (OT) Scriptures by his mother and grandmother so that the apostle could assert that he had known the Scriptures from his childhood, as we read in 2 Timothy 3:15:
and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, when he responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ he was at least well versed in the Hebrew Scriptures, giving him a similar background to Apostle Paul. This may be one of the many reasons the apostle chose him to be a part of his missionary team. Once, he joined the apostle during his second missionary journey, he played a prominent role in the remainder of the second missionary journey. For example, when Paul was forced to leave Berea because of an uproar started by Jews from Thessalonica, Silas and Timothy were left behind to strengthen the work in Macedonia, as we may gather from Acts 17:13-14:
13 When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.
Timothy was indeed an important member of the apostle’s missionary team as can be gathered from the various assignments the apostle gave him. He was sent to Corinth to deal with the crisis in that church by teaching them the truth as the apostle mentioned in 1 Corinthians 4:17.
Apostle Paul proposed and probably sent him to the Philippians to encourage them, as we learn from Philippians 2:19:
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.
In addition, Timothy was sent to the Thessalonians to teach them and help in the spreading of the gospel, as recorded in 1Thessalonians 3:2:
We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
He was also sent to Ephesus at some later time to pastor that church. According to the church historian, Eusebius, who wrote in A. D. 325, Timothy was the first bishop of Ephesus. He, like Apostle Paul, was imprisoned for the gospel of Jesus Christ, as we may gather from the assertion of the human author of Hebrews about him in Hebrews 13:23:
I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.
Of course, he was with Apostle Paul during his Roman imprisonment as implied by the fact that the apostle mentioned Timothy when he wrote his prison epistles, as for example, Philippians 1:1:
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
Timothy was a well-respected young man in his Christian community even before he became a part of the apostle’s missionary team, as we learn from Acts 16:2:
The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
Apostle Paul himself had a high opinion of him as indicated by the descriptions of him he gave in 1 Corinthians 4:17.
Apostle Paul described Timothy first in 1 Corinthians 4:17 as his spiritual son in the phrase my son. The phrase meant that the apostle led Timothy to Christ and is also his teacher of God’s word. It is not only that the apostle described Timothy as his spiritual son, but he also expressed his fondness of Timothy in the clause of 1 Corinthians 4:17 whom I love although the literal Greek reads who is my beloved. The Greek word (agapētos) used pertains to one who is in a very special relationship with another and so means “only, only beloved.” Hence Apostle Paul meant that Timothy was his dearly, loved and cherished spiritual child. The apostle also spoke of Timothy’s character. He described him as faithful and so dependable as in clause of 1 Corinthians 4:17 who is faithful in the Lord. It is because of Timothy’s character and devotion to the Lord that the apostle sent him to various local churches including Corinth as we mentioned. Having answered the question of who Timothy was, we turn our attention to the instructions given to the Corinthians about Timothy that should be applicable to all local churches in relation to those who minister the word of God to them. So, we are going to give the instructions in a general form that is applicable to all local churches in Christ. By the way, before we get to the instructions, we should be clear that the reason we tailored the application of the message to all ministers of the word of God is that Timothy was indeed a minister of the word so that what was written about him is applicable to all ministers of God’s word in any local church of Christ.
A first instruction that is a general requirement of any local church of Christ’s responsibility towards those who minister the word of God to them is to ensure that they make them feel at home in their local churches, that is, that they function without fear in executing their function. This first requirement is given in the instruction of 1 Corinthians 16:10 see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you. This instruction needs to be further explained n form of what it entails. Quite often, teachers of the Scripture read the requirement in the Scription without helping believers to know how to apply the instruction. We endeavor to avoid that.
Therefore, the first requirement of ensuring that ministers of the word of God in a local church feel at home, demands that all believers in the local church be vigilant that they are doing what the Holy Spirit demands of them. We say this because of the word see in the instruction see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you.
The word “see” is translated from a Greek word (blepō) that may mean “to see,” that is, to perceive with eyes as in the instruction given by the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul to the Corinthians about focusing on heavenly things than earthly ones in 2 Corinthians 4:18:
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
The word may mean “to watch, be aware of” in the sense of being ready to learn about something that is needed or is hazardous, as it is used in the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul to the Galatians concerning backbiting each other as in Galatians 5:15:
If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
The word may mean “to be careful” as it is used in the instruction how one conducts self as a believer as stated in Ephesians 5:15:
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:10, it is used with the meaning “to watch carefully,” that is, “to be vigilant or to be careful.”
We insist that vigilance is required of all believers in a local church if they are going to carry out the first responsibility that we are considering. We do so because the apostle used a present tense in the Greek in the command see. The present tense used in the command requires a repeated action, that is, for those commanded to do what is commanded again and again. Doing something again and again requires that a person be vigilant to ensure that the individual is consistent in doing whatever is required of the person. Hence, our insistence on the necessity of vigilance not only by the original recipients of the instruction but also all believers in a local church.
The thing that requires vigilance on the part of the Corinthians and all believers is given in the clause of 1 Corinthians 16:10 see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you. A literal translation is see that he may be with you without fear. The word has in the NIV, or the verbal phrase may be in the literal translation is translated from a Greek verb (ginomai) that may mean “to be” although it is different from another Greek word (eimi) that may also mean “to be” in that our Greek word emphasizes that of being what one was not before. That aside, our Greek word has several meanings. For example, it may mean “to come into existence” so may have the sense of “to perform” as it is used to describe the miracles of the apostles as recorded in Acts 5:12:
The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade.
The word may mean “to become something” as Apostle Paul used it in cautioning believers not to become stumbling blocks to others in their use of their freedom in Christ in 1 Corinthians 8:9:
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
The word may mean “to occur as process or result” hence may mean “to take place, to happen.” Thus, it is the word that is used with the meaning “to happen” to describe the change of attitude of the islanders of Malta when they noticed that although a viper coiled around Apostle Paul’s arm, he suffered no harm as narrated in Acts 28:6:
The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:10, the word means “to be” in the sense of be in association or in company with someone especially because of the phrase of 1 Corinthians 16:10 with you.
The situation that should exist when Timothy would be in the company of the Corinthians, and so all ministers of the word of God in company of those they minister the word to, is given in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 16:10 nothing to fear or literally without fear. The expression “nothing to fear” is translated from a Greek adverb (aphobōs) that pertains to being without fear of what might happen so it may mean “without fear” as in the inspired song of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father concerning what the God of Israel would enable them to do as stated in Luke 1:74:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear.
The word may mean “fearlessly” as Apostle Paul used it to describe the effect of his imprisonment on some believers regarding the preaching of the gospel according to Philippians 1:14:
Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:10, the word has sense of “fearlessly” or “without fear.” Thus, the literal sentence of 1 Corinthians 16:10 he may be with you without fear is translated by Moffatt in The Bible, A New Translation, as make him feel quite at home with you. It is for this reason that we described the first responsibility of local church of Christ towards those who minister the word to them as ensuring they feel at home in the local congregation.
What does it mean that a congregation makes a minister of God’s word to feel at home in a local church? A congregation will make a minister of the word to feel at home or to be without fear if they do not interfere with the teaching of the word of God. When believers in a congregation dictate to a pastor what he should teach that is an action that will make him to be fearful. In effect, he knows what the truth is but because of the pressure brought on him by the congregation and because he knows that he should be true to God’s word, he will be stressed and therefore become fearful. It is important that a local congregation should recognize that a minister of the word of God is to be a voice of truth that may make them uncomfortable. A pastor who is faithful to the God’s word will teach things that make people uncomfortable. You see, it is the function of those who communicate the word of God to ensure they give the full truth on any subject that they are teaching. Such teaching would enable people to recognize their sins and so repent of them. Unfortunately, that is not what is taking place in many local churches today. Some pastors are dancing to the whims of the congregants instead of the truth of God’s word so that they are like the false prophets that were denounced for failing to tell people of Israel about their sins as stated in Lamentations 2:14:
The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading.
These false prophets did not denounce the people for idolatry, among other sins, that if they denounced them and the people repented, they would have avoided God’s judgment in form of exiling them to foreign nations. By implication, pastors do great disservice to those they shepherd if they are not willing to speak of sins that believers should avoid no matter how uncomfortable they may be. Members of a local church should recognize that they have a child-parent relationship with their pastors. A child does not tell parents how to raise him/her but the parent who knows better should be the one that instructs and guides the child. Likewise, a pastor who immerses himself in the study of the word of God should know better than the congregation regarding what is in the word of God and so being faithful to the Lord requires that he should teach without fear. We have mentioned one thing that the congregation should avoid in order to make their minister to be without fear. There is a second thing that is indeed part of what the congregation should avoid in order to make a pastor feel at home in the congregation. This second thing is indeed the second responsibility of congregations as it pertains to the ministers, and we will get to that at the appropriate time in our study.
In any case, the Holy Spirit gives us a reason local churches should ensure that their ministers feel at home, that is, they operate without fear in executing their function. That the Holy Spirit provides a reason for the first responsibility of congregations towards those who minister the word of God to them is given in the word for that begins the last clause of 1 Corinthians 16:10. The word “for” is translated from a Greek conjunction (gar) that has several usages. For example, it can be used as a marker of inference with the meaning “so, then, by all means” or it can be used as a marker of cause or reason for something in which case it may be translated “for, because.” It can be used as a marker of clarification or explanation so that it may be translated “for” or “you see.” In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:10, it is used as a marker of reason for the first responsibility of local churches towards those who minister the word of God to them.
A reason local churches of Christ should ensure that their minister feel at home, that is, operate without any fear in executing their function is that they are carrying out a task assigned to them by the Lord of the church. We derive this reason from the reason Apostle Paul gave to the Corinthians for ensuring that Timothy feels at home among them given in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 16:10 he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.
Executing of the function of a minister of the word of God is given in the verbal phrase carrying on the work of the Lord. Th expression “carrying on” is translated from a Greek word (ergazomai) that may mean “to work,” that is, “to engage in activity that involves effort,” as the apostle used the word to describe his and his team’s manual labor to provide for their physical needs, as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 2:9:
Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
The word may mean to do or accomplish something through work and so it may mean “to do, accomplish, carry out.” It is in the sense of “to do” that our word is used to encourage good works by believers in Galatians 6:10:
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
It is in the sense of “to officiate at, to perform” that the word is used to describe those who work in the temple that should live by things associated with it in 1 Corinthians 9:13:
Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?
The clause those who work in the temple is more literally those performing the holy services. It is in the sense of “to do,” that is “to carry out or perform an action or course of action” that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:10. The apostle used the present tense in the Greek implying that the action in view is that which Timothy and so all ministers of the word of God should regularly carry out. In effect, there can be no laziness on the part of the minister of God’s word. A minister should be untiring when it comes to the ministry of the word of God. This requires that such individuals be devoted to constant study of the word of God so that they have something to constantly teach the congregation in a meaningful manner each time they meet.
The thing Timothy does and what all ministers of the word God should do regularly is given in the phrase of 1 Corinthians 16:10 the work of the Lord. The word “work” is translated from a Greek word (ergon) that may mean “work” in the sense of that which one does as regular activity as Apostle Paul used it to describe the activity of Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:30:
because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.
The word may mean “deed” as that which displays itself in activity of any kind as Apostle Paul used it to describe sinful activities that believers should reject in Romans 13:12:
The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
The word may mean “product” or “undertaking” as that which is brought into being by work as it is used in the command of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul in Romans 14:20:
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
The phrase the work of God is translated in the TEV as what God has done since the literal phrase the work of God refers probably to the church, which is the result of God’s work through Jesus Christ. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:10, the word means “work” or “task,” that is, “that which one does as regular activity.”
Again, the work or task that Timothy and all ministers of the word of God should regularly be involved with is described with the phrase of 1 Corinthians 16:10 the work of the Lord. There are two questions we need to address. The first is who the Lord is and the second is how this Lord is related to the word “work” in the phrase the work of the Lord. To answer the first question, we should examine the word “Lord” in detail. It is a word that is translated from a Greek word (kyrios) that may mean “owner” as it is used to describe the owners of the colt that Jesus requested to be brought to Him for His entrance into Jerusalem, as recorded in Luke 19:33:
As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
The word may mean “lord, master” as a person in a position of authority. It is in this sense that the word is used to describe Abraham in relationship to his wife Sarah as one with authority hence Sarah described Abraham as her master meaning that he has authority over her, in 1 Peter 3:6:
like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
The word may be used to describe God in a general sense without distinction to the person of the Godhead in view as in Matthew 4:7:
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
The phrase Lord your God implies that Lord refers to God without distinction of the persons of the Godhead. It is in the sense of God the Father that the word is used in Matthew 11:25:
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
The word “Lord” may refer to the Jesus Christ. This may be the case in some quotations from the OT Scripture. Take for example, in Jesus’ quotation from Psalms in the question He posed to the Pharisees as reported in Matthew 22:43–45:
43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ 45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
The Lord Jesus quoted from Psalm 110:1 where we have the sentence The Lord said to my Lord. In this psalm “Lord” refers to God in a general sense of the supreme creator whereas the phrase my Lord refers to the promised Messiah who is, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the second “Lord” refers to Jesus Christ. The word “Lord” is applied to Jesus even when there is no quotation from the OT. Thus, the word was applied to Him when He had ordered His disciples to get Him the colt, He would ride into Jerusalem in Luke 19:31:
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
The word is applied more often to the Lord Jesus Christ in the epistles of Apostle Paul, as for example, in Ephesians 3:11:
according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The apostle’s use of the word to refer to Jesus Christ implies that he recognized Him as God as, for example, in Romans 12:11:
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
As we have indicated, the apostle uses the word “Lord” to refer to Jesus Christ so if he encouraged serving the Lord, he must mean serving and worshipping the Lord. The apostle would not have in any form advocated for worship of any being other than God so even in this passage in Romans 12, he implied that Jesus Christ is God. As we have stated, Apostle Paul, when he is not quoting from the OT uses the word often to describe Jesus Christ although in some passages it is difficult to be certain whether he means Jesus Christ or God in a general sense, as in 1 Thessalonians 4:6:
and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.
This notwithstanding, the point is that Apostle Paul used the Greek word translated “Lord” to describe Jesus Christ. This leads to the consideration of the second question.
The second question that we raised is the relationship of “the Lord” to the word “work” because of the phrase the work of the Lord. The Greek syntax leads to several possible interpretations. For example, the phrase could be interpreted as the work that belongs to or characterizes the Lord. Another interpretation is that the work is for the Lord. Another interpretation is that the work is from the Lord, that is, that the Lord Jesus assigned the work. It is probably the case that the apostle intended for us to understand the phrase as a combination of the last two interpretations. In effect, the work is for the Lord and assigned by Him. This means that the reason believers in a local congregation should be vigilant to ensure that those who minister the word of God to them are at home with them, that is, without fear as they carry out their function is that the Lord had called them and assigned them that responsibility.
To ensure the Corinthians and we, the present-day believers, do not misunderstand that the interpretation we gave is what Apostle Paul meant, he wrote the last sentence in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 16:10 just as I am or literally as I also. The literal translation reveals that the translators of the NIV did not directly translate a Greek particle (kai) used in combination with a Greek pronoun (egō) that means “I.” The Greek particle used is often translated “and” in our English versions. The meaning “and” may have the sense of being used for additional information that instead of “and” it may be translated “also.” Nonetheless, the Greek particle has several other usages. For example, it may be used to introduce a result that comes from what precedes and so may be translated “and then, and so.” It may be used to mark an explanation so that what follows explains what goes before it, leading to the translation “that is, namely, and so.” It may be used to emphasize a fact as surprising or unexpected or noteworthy with the meaning “and yet” or “and in spite of that” or “nevertheless.” Of course, it could be used simply for emphasis with the meaning “even.” In the phrase we are considering, the apostle used it in an emphatic manner. Some English versions such as the NET reflected this interpretation with the use of the word “too.” The REB reflected this emphasis using the word “myself.” Anyway, the apostle was emphatic in the comparison he made as he related himself to Timothy.
The apostle’s comparison to Timothy is really two folds. He compared himself to the work of the gospel that Timothy was doing for after all he considered him a fellow worker in the ministry as stated in the passage we cited previously, that is, 1 Thessalonians 3:2:
We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith.
The Corinthians were aware of the apostle’s work in the ministry because he preached the gospel to them that led to the founding of their local church. The apostle has already reminded them that they are the result of his preaching activity as in the rhetorical questions of 1 Corinthians 9:1:
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?
Thus, it would not be difficult for the Corinthians to perceive that Timothy was one that was involved in the ministry of God’s word. But that is not all that the apostle wanted to convey in the comparison he made in the clause in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 16:10 just as I am. Recall we indicated that the phrase the work of the Lord should be understood to mean “the work is for the Lord and assigned by Him.” Thus, the apostle in the comparison he made in the literal translation as I also intended to indicate that Timothy was assigned his task by the Lord Jesus although not in the same fashion as the apostle. Apostle Paul’s assignment to the preaching of the gospel was given in a dramatic way because he encountered Jesus Christ in a unique way. Nonetheless, the apostle was appointed to the ministry by the Lord Jesus as he stated in 1 Timothy 1:12:
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.
In any event, a first instruction that is a general requirement of any local church of Christ’s responsibility towards those who minister the word of God to them is to ensure that they make them feel at home in their local churches, that is, that they function without fear in executing their function of teaching God’s word. There is more and that is where begin our next study.
02/09/24