Lessons #599 and 600
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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.
This section of 1 Corinthians 16:10-11 as we indicated in our previous study is concerned with Apostle Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians in preparation for the visit of Timothy. From these instructions we derived a message we believe the Holy Spirit intends for the universal church of Christ. This message is that Members of local churches of Christ should take good care of those who minister among them. This message we stated would be expounded by considering the three instructions Holy Spirit through the apostle gave to the Corinthians as it pertains to Timothy’s visit to Corinth. Based on these instructions, we derived three general requirements of responsibility of any local church of Christ towards those who minister the word of God to them. The 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. This we considered in our last study with the promise to continue with the remaining requirements in today’s study.
A second 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 do not disrespect them. This second responsibility results from the first. This we know because of the word then used in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 16:11 is translated from a Greek particle (oun) that has several usages. It may be used as a marker of continuation of a narrative in which case it may be translated “so, now, then.” It may be used as a marker of emphasis with the meaning “certainly, to be sure.” It may be used as a marker of inference indicating that what it introduces results from or is an inference from what precedes so may be translated “therefore, then.” It is in this usage that it is used in our verse to indicate that the instruction of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:11 stems from the instruction he gave to the Corinthians in verse 10. In effect, the Corinthians were to make Timothy feel at home with them because he was doing the work of the Lord. So, based on this the apostle gave his second instruction that is an inference from what is stated about Timothy’s activity.
The second 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 derived from the instruction of 1 Corinthians 16:11 No one, then, should refuse to accept him. A literal translation is Therefore (let) not anyone despise him.
The expression “refuse to accept” is translated from a Greek word (exoutheneō) that may mean “to treat with contempt,” that is, “to regard another as of no significance and therefore worthy of maltreatment” as Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt as recorded in Luke 23:11:
Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.
The sentence Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him is more literally Herod with his soldiers also treated him with contempt and having mocked him. The word may mean “to reject disdainfully” as Apostle Peter used it to reference Israel’s rejection of Christ in Acts 4:11:
He is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’
The word may mean to show by one’s attitude or manner of treatment that an entity has no merit or worth, hence “to disdain” as Apostle Paul used it to caution against looking down on another believer as it relates to food or dietary laws as he wrote in Romans 14:3:
The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
The verbal phrase must not look down may be translated must not despise/disdain. It is in the sense of “to reject disdainfully,” that is, “to have no use for something as being beneath one’s consideration” that Apostle Paul used it in cautioning believers against rejecting prophecy, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:20:
do not treat prophecies with contempt.
It is in the sense of “to be utterly disdained,” that is, “to be or become treated contemptuously as if completely worthless or despicable” that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:11.
The instruction of 1 Corinthians 16:11 No one, then, should refuse to accept him means that the Corinthians should respect Timothy as he came to them. This is in keeping with the requirement of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul regarding believers showing respect to those who minister among them as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:12:
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
What really is this respect that the Corinthians were to have towards Timothy? I contend that it is the acceptance of his authority to teach the word of God when he comes to the Corinthians. Timothy would have been aware of such understanding because of the instruction the Holy Spirit gave him through the apostle as recorded in 1 Timothy 4:12:
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
The expression “look down” is similar to the expression “refuse to accept” of 1 Corinthians 16:11 since the expression “look down” is translated from a Greek word (kataphroneō) that in 1 Timothy 4:12 has the sense of “to despise,” that is, “to look down on with contempt.” This aside, what the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthians is simply not to reject Timothy’s authority as one that communicates the word of God. It is important that believers in a local church accept the authority of those who teach them the word of God. This we can see from the instruction given to Titus to communicate with authority as stated in Titus 2:15:
These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
In addition, the Holy Spirit through the human author of Hebrews commands believers to submit to the authority of their leaders according to Hebrews 13:17:
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
We can authoritatively state that many Christians are not growing spiritually because they are unwilling to submit to the authority of their pastors. This is specifically the case in the West where so much emphasis is placed on human freedom so that many do not see any need to be under any kind of authority and such an attitude affects spiritual growth. Many people are not aware that it is difficult to learn from any teacher for whom a person has no respect. The reason is that learning of any kind requires that a person subjects self to the teacher’s authority. For example, if a student feels that his/her teacher does not know what the individual is talking about, that student would not learn anything from the teacher. This is because the student’s mind would completely shut down while listening to the teacher so that he/she is unable to grasp what the teacher teaches. This is particularly true in the teaching of the word of God. If a believer for any reason does not respect the pastor or teacher’s authority, it would be impossible for that individual to learn because the person cannot concentrate and hence could hardly be in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Thus, what happens is that those who reject the authority of their pastors do not accept what they teach and so ignore what they learn.
Authority of a pastor is important in the leading of a congregation so we should recognize the other side of this concept of authority as it relates to the pastor himself. A pastor does not have to demand that those he shepherds, should respect his authority; he has to make it difficult for them not to respect him. How? You may ask. Certainly, it cannot be that the pastor goes on to demand respect for his authority. No, it goes back to the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul to Timothy in the clause of 1 Timothy 4:12 but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity that we read previously. This instruction indicates that the way a pastor gets the congregation to respect him and so accept his authority is through his exemplary life as stated in the instruction. There are two related ways to understand the phrase an example for the believers. First, Timothy is to be an example to his congregation as it pertains to devotion to the word of God. Second, he is to be an example of what it means to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Both ways of understanding this phrase apply. That is, Timothy is to be an example to his congregation of what it means to be devoted to God’s word and to live as a believer in Christ. It seems to me that Satan has brought many Christians to accept the lie that a pastor’s life is not as important as his message. Of course, we know that God’s word is more important than any human being. But to think that a pastor’s life is not as important as his message has caused many pastors to be careless in their lifestyles despite the fact that the Holy Spirit requires pastors to watch their lifestyle as they watch their doctrine as we may gather from 1 Timothy 4:16:
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
The instruction Watch your life and doctrine closely tells us that a pastor should never separate his teaching of truth from his own lifestyle. In effect, just as a pastor should take pains to ensure that he teaches what is in accordance with truth, he must also ensure that he lives out what he teaches. This means that he must strive to be controlled by the Holy Spirit moment by moment to enable him to live out what he teaches since no one is capable of living the Christian life without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. My emphasis is on pastors because of the passage we are studying in 1 Corinthians 16:11 is concerned with treatment of Timothy, who is a pastor, but what I have said of pastors applies to all believers. In effect, you should strive to learn the word of God, but you should equally strive to live out what you learn. There should be no bifurcation in our spiritual life in which what we learn does not affect our conduct. That aside, our focus is that a pastor should strive to live an exemplary life before his congregation as that is one of the ways to establish his authority over the congregation. It is because of low expectations among some believers as it pertains to their pastors that encourages many pastors not to watch closely their lifestyle and doctrine. Hence, the devil has rendered many pastors ineffective in their ministry, although they may be good in explaining doctrines they learned from another person, or they read from books. It is clearly the emphasis of the Bible that those who are teachers of the word should be exemplary. If this was not so, how is it that Apostle Paul kept encouraging others to follow his example? Or how is that he kept pointing to his exemplary life? Take for example, what he instructed the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:1:
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
To the Thessalonians, the apostle referenced his exemplary lifestyle in 1 Thessalonians 2:10:
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
Remember that Apostle Paul was as human as we are, nonetheless, he was directed by the Holy Spirit to write these things. He had the same Holy Spirit available to us. So, we pastors have no excuse not to encourage others to follow our examples except that we are not closely watching our doctrines and lifestyles. The point is that we should never make light of the exemplary life of those who teach the word of God. If a person believes in what he teaches, it ought to show in his own life. How can people who care about truth take seriously an individual who says one thing and does another? A pastor who is not setting an example to his congregation of devotion to the word of God and living out the spiritual life is one that is ineffective and deficient in his function. In any event, the second 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 do not disrespect them. This brings us to the third.
A third 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 are hospitable towards them by providing them adequate support. This requirement is related to the second although in a contrasting manner. We say this because of a Greek particle that begins the second instruction of 1 Corinthians 16:11 that was not translated in the NIV and a handful of other English versions. The second instruction of verse 11 began in the Greek with a Greek particle (de) 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 done in the NIV and a handful of English versions as we stated previously. Nonetheless, in our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:11, the Greek particle is used to relate the second instruction of 1 Corinthians 16:11 to the first instruction of the verse albeit in a contrasting manner. Thus, it may be translated “but” as it is done in such English versions as the NASB, the NET, among others. However, because the first instruction of verse 11 is a negative one, the particle may be translated “rather” as reflected in the Revised edition of the NAB probably following the suggestion of the standard Greek English Lexicon (BDAG).
The third general requirement of a local church of ensuring they are hospitable towards those who minister the word of God to them is derived from the second instruction of 1 Corinthians 16:11 Send him on his way in peace.
The expression “send on …way” is translated from a Greek word (propempō) that may mean “to escort, accompany” in the sense of “to accompany a person for a short distance at the beginning of a journey” as it is used to describe what the elders of Ephesus who came to meet with Apostle Paul did in that they escorted him to the ship by which he was traveling on his way to Jerusalem according to Acts 20:38:
What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
The word may mean “to assist someone in making a journey” and so means “to send on one’s way with food, money, by arranging for companions, means of travel” as the word is used by Apostle Paul to instruct Titus regarding him rendering assistance to Zenas the lawyer and Apollos as mentioned in Titus 3:13:
Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need.
It is in the sense of “to send on one’s way with provisions, supplies or other necessities” that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:11. Apparently, it was customary for believers to assist those involved in traveling ministry with provisions for their travels as we may gather first from what Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans in Romans 15:24:
I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.
The concept is further evident from what the Holy Spirit penned through Apostle John about helping the brothers on mission trip as we may gather from 3 John 6–7:
6 They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.
Thus, it is clear that it is expected that believers should support missionaries and not unbelievers. This is one reason it is troubling to see local churches raise money for their buildings or other activities of their local church by tactics or events that could lead to unbelievers supporting ministry related activity.
The ministry of God’s word is to be totally supported by believers and not unbelievers. Of course, it is possible for God who is sovereignly in control of all things to move an unbeliever to support a ministry but if that happens it must be because God is working out His purpose not because believers asked for help of unbelievers to support a ministry activity. We assert that God who is sovereignly in control could move an unbeliever to support a ministry activity based on two reasons. The first reason for our assertion is that God moved Cyrus king of Persia to help in the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem after the seventy years of exile of Israel to Babylon as we read in Ezra 1:1–4:
1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: 2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Anyone of his people among you—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”
Cyrus did what God had planned as what he did was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah as recorded in Isaiah 44:28:
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’
Yahweh described Cyrus as my shepherd. This means that he would be like an Israelite king to the people of Israel since the word “shepherd” is a common title in the OT for the kings of Israel as, for example, David was regarded as Israel’s shepherd according to 2 Samuel 5:2:
In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”
Thus, that Yahweh addressed Cyrus as my shepherd merely imply, he would be in a leadership role regarding the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. We cannot be certain that he was a believer in the God of Israel although he used the word Yahweh or LORD in his proclamation in Ezra 1:2“‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. That he used the word Yahweh does not necessarily mean that he believed in Him no more than Pharaoh used it when he requested Moses and Aaron to pray for him so that the plague of frogs would cease as recorded in Exodus 8:8:
Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.”
Pharaoh did not believe in the God of Israel for if he did, he would have released Israel once Moses told him the command to release Israel from bondage was from Yahweh, Israel’s God. So, when Pharaoh used Yahweh in his prayer request, he was merely using Moses’ term for Israel’s God. The situation was probably the case with Cyrus since authorities tell us that there is evidence that Cyrus used the names of other gods when he addressed those nations to be what today is known as “politically correct.” The point is that there is no indication that Cyrus was a believer, but God simply raised him to carry out the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity Israel underwent. The second reason we assert that it is possible for God who is sovereignly in control of all things to move an unbeliever to support a ministry is because of the truth that Scripture indicates God reserves the wealth of unbelievers for believers. We learn this fact in Job 27:16–17:
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay, 17what he lays up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver.
We read of similar concept in Proverbs 13:22:
A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
The same concept is stated in Ecclesiastes 2:26:
To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
The expression “hand over” of the NIV is translated from a Hebrew verb (nāṯǎn) that means “to give,” that implies that one freely transfers something to another. Here the fruit of the unbeliever’s labor is freely transferred to the believer that pleases God. The point is that instead of storing the product of his labor, its benefits are given to the believer in the right relationship with the Lord since the clause the one who pleases God is a reference to the believer who is in the right relationship with God. It should be noted that the passage does not say how this transfer takes place or who does the transfer. In effect, there is no suggestion of the believer going to beg or ask the unbeliever for his wealth but what God does. It is for this reason that we say that it is possible that God could move an unbeliever to use his wealth to support a specific ministry related to God only that the believer is not the one who begs or asks an unbeliever to do so. We are saying that God who is sovereign because of His plan could move an unbeliever to support an activity of the ministry of God’s word if He so chooses but that the normal thing is that believers should not ask unbelievers to support any ministry activity. This is clear from the response of Zerubbabel and heads of Israel’s family who rejected an offer of help from unbelievers or Israel’s enemies to rebuild the temple as narrated in Ezra 4:1–3:
1When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, 2they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” 3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”
The response of Zerubbabel and the leaders of Israel to the offer of help should be considered the normal attitude towards unbelievers helping in the ministry of God’s word. This being the case, believers should never solicit help from unbelievers to do anything that is related to the ministry of God’s word, but believers should provide any needed support for the ministry of God’s word. Hence, the instruction of Apostle Paul to the Corinthians regarding Timothy in 1 Corinthians 16:11 Send him on his way in peace.
The word “peace” is translated from a Greek word (eirēnē) that may mean “harmony in personal relationships, tranquility”, as that was what the Holy Spirit intended for believers as per His instruction through Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:3:
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
The word may mean “freedom from worry” as it is used in describing one of the various facets of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
The Greek word translated “peace” may also mean a state of well-being and so means “welfare, health.” In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:11, it means “peace” in the sense of “harmonious relations and freedom from disputes.” Thus, Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthians to ensure that they harmoniously provide the support Timothy would need for his travels, implying that when Timothy leaves Corinth he would do so in a friendly manner and not of any discord.
We stated that the third general requirement of a local church of ensuring they are hospitable towards those who minister the word of God to them is derived from the second instruction of 1 Corinthians 16:11 Send him on his way in peace. However, we have noted that the instruction is indeed concerned with providing the things Timothy would need for his travels, so how could it be that the instruction leads to the third general requirement of hospitability on the part of a local church towards those who minister the word to them? The answer lies with the fact that sending someone away with provisions in the manner advocated by the apostle should be recognized as the tail end of hospitality towards a guest. In effect, we are saying that unless a group of people had become hospitable to a visitor that the individual could not be sent away with provisions as done in the ancient world. A good example of this assertion is the hospitality shown to Apostle Paul and his team by the Islanders of Malta following the shipwreck of the ship taking him to Rome to face trial before Caesar as we read in Acts 28:7:
There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably.
Luke reported how hospitable the chief official of the island was, but he was not alone for his people had joined in the hospitality to Paul and his team. Thus, because of their hospitality towards Paul and his team, the Islanders provided for his travels as we read in Acts 28:10:
They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.
The example of the Islanders of Malta supports our assertion that there must be a general hospitality shown to a visitor in the ancient world before such a person is provided for his travels. This being the case, it is to be expected that the Corinthians would have been hospitable to Timothy while he was with them before they could provide for his travels. Indeed, we should expect this to be the case. You see, Apostle Paul had already taught in this first epistle of the apostle to the Corinthians the necessity for believers to take care of those who minister the word of God to them as we read in 1 Corinthians 9:13–14:
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? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
Consequently, it is a given that the Corinthians would have understood that they were to be hospitable to Timothy while he was with them but to cap that hospitality by providing for his travels. It is for this reason that we contend that the requirement for the Corinthians to provide for Timothy’s travels implies a local church should be hospitable to those who minister the word of God to them as that is also in keeping with the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:6:
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
In any event, a third 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 are hospitable towards them by providing them adequate support.
The instruction of Apostle Paul to the Corinthians about providing adequately for Timothy’s travels has a purpose. This purpose is introduced with the phrase so that of 1 Corinthians 16:11 that is translated from a Greek conjunction (hina) that may be used as a marker of purpose with the meaning “in order that, that, so that” or it can be used as a marker of result so that it may be translated “that, so that, as a result.” Often, it is difficult to differentiate purpose from result in which case the Greek conjunction is used for the result that follows according to the purpose of the subject. This notwithstanding, the Greek conjunction is used in our verse to express the purpose the apostle had in mind for the instruction to the Corinthians about providing for Timothy’s travels.
The purpose the apostle stated was that Timothy would come back to him who sent him on a mission to Corinth. It is this purpose that is stated in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 16:11 he may return to me. The word “return” is translated from a Greek word (erchomai) that we considered in 1 Corinthians 16:10 that means “to come” but has other meanings. For example, it may mean “to reach” as it is used to describe Apostle Paul’s stopover in his travel to Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 21:8:
Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.
The word may also mean “to return” as the word is used in Apostle Paul’s quotation from OT Scripture regarding the promise God made to Abraham as we read 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 may mean “to arrive” as Apostle Paul used it to explain the cause of hypocritical action of Peter in withdrawing from fellowship with Gentile believers because he wanted to please those in Jerusalem as stated in Galatians 2:12:
Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.
It is in the sense of “to return” that the word is used in 1 Corinthians 16:11. The apostle left no ambiguity as to where Timothy would return, so he added the phrase of 1 Corinthians 16:11 to me. This phrase indicates that Timothy was to return to Ephesus from Corinth since Apostle Paul was at Ephesus when he wrote this letter and dispatched Timothy to the Corinthians for the mission for which he sent him.
Apostle Paul not only stated the purpose he wanted the Corinthians to adequately provide for Timothy’s travels, but he also stated the reason or further explanation for his instruction. We know he stated the reason for his instruction because the Greek of the last clause of 1 Corinthians 16:11 begins with a Greek particle (gar) that is not translated in the NIV. The Greek particle 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 16:11, it is used as a marker of reason for the apostle’s instruction to the Corinthians to adequately provide for Timothy’s travel.
The reason the apostle provided is given in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 16:11 I am expecting him along with the brothers. The word “expecting” is translated from a Greek word (ekdechomai) that may mean “to remain in a place or state and await an event or the arrival of someone,” so the word may mean “to look forward” as it is used to describe the mindset of Abraham that enabled him to relocate his family as we read in Hebrews 11:10:
For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
The word may mean “to wait” as it is used to describe the state or condition Apostle Paul was in as he expected the arrival of Timothy and Silas to join him in Athens as we read in Acts 17:16:
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:11, the word means “to expect” in the sense of “to look forward for the arrival of someone.” The fact the apostle was expecting the return of Timothy probably conveyed that he did not expect Timothy to spend so much time in Corinth. His statement would also serve as an encouragement to the Corinthians to cooperate with Timothy’s mission so that he would not spend much time at Corinth as it seemed the apostle wanted Timothy to spend more time at Ephesus than Corinth.
Apostle Paul was certainly expecting the return of Timothy, but he added the phrase of 1 Corinthians 16:11 along with the brothers. The phrase presents a problem of how to understand the word “brothers.” The word “brothers” is translated from a Greek word (adelphos) that has several meanings in the Greek. It could mean brother in the sense of a male person from the same mother as the referenced person. It is in this sense that the word is used by Apostle Paul to reference those who are from the same mother as Jesus in His humanity as he defended his right to marry as stated in 1 Corinthians 9:5:
Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
The word may mean “a believer” as that is the sense of the word “brother” used by Apostle Paul in his instruction to slaves regarding how to treat their masters who are believers in Christ as we read in 1 Timothy 6:2:
Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them.
It is clear that “brothers” is used here for believers because of the clause because those who benefit from their service are believers. Hence, the word “brother” is the same as “believer.” Thus, it is not surprising that the translators of the NIV translated the Greek word as “believers” in the letter of the first church council that was sent to Gentile believers as we read in Acts 15:23:
With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.
The phrase the Gentile believers in Antioch is literally the brothers from among the Gentiles in Antioch. In keeping with this understanding, the word may mean “brother” in the sense of one who has the same beliefs with the one that uses the word, irrespective of gender, that is, the word refers to “a fellow believer.” It is in this sense of one who shares the same faith and so belongs to a specific Christian community, that is, a “fellow believer” that Apostle Paul used the word to describe Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:25:
But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.
It is in this sense of fellow believers, regardless of gender, that Apostle Paul used it in his final greetings to the Ephesian church in Ephesians 6:23:
Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The peace the apostle wished on “the brothers” could not possibly apply only to male members of the church in Ephesus. Therefore, the word “brothers” has the sense of “brothers and sisters in Christ” here in Ephesians 6:23. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 16:11, we cannot be certain of how to understand it. There are two possibilities. On the one hand, the word may mean “male believers” if the phrase of 1 Corinthians 16:11 along with the brothers is understood that the apostle had in mind that Timothy would be accompanied by other believers as he returns to the apostle. On the other hand, the Greek word translated “brothers” could refer to believers without regard to gender so that the sense would be “brothers and sisters in Christ” if the apostle meant that others in Ephesus joined him in expecting the return of Timothy to Ephesus. The interpretation that some brothers would accompany Timothy as he returns to the apostle is probably what the apostle had in mind because of what the apostle stated in verse 12 about Apollos traveling with the brothers. This notwithstanding, we have to admit that we cannot be certain the way the apostle intended the phrase along with the brothers to be understood but the original recipients would certainly have known what the apostle meant since they knew if Timothy was to return to Ephesus alone or in the company of other believers. In any event, we end our study by reminding you the central message of 1 Corinthians 16:10-11 that we have considered which is Members of local churches of Christ should take good care of those who minister among them.
02/16/24