1 corinthians 16

Read 1 Corinthians 16 at Bible Gateway.

1 Cor 15:1-16:14 chiastic structure:

1a.1) 1 Cor 15:1-58, Stand fast in the faith;

1a) 1 Cor 15:1-11, Hold fast the gospel you received / His grace toward me not in vain;
1b) 1 Cor 15:12-23, The resurrection of Christ:
1c) 1 Cor 15:24, He will deliver the kingdom to God the Father, putting an end to all rule, authority, power;
1d) 1 Cor 15:25, For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet;
central axis) 1 Cor 15:26, The last enemy that will be destroyed is death;
2d) 1 Cor 15:27, For, “He has put all things under His feet;”
2c) 1 Cor 15:28, The Son Himself will also be subject to Him, that God may be all in all;
2b) 1 Cor 15:29-57, The resurrection of the Church:
2a) 1 Cor 15:58, Be steadfast, immovable, knowing your labor is not in vain;

1a.2) 1 Cor 16:1-4, Instructions concerning the collection for the saints;

1b) 1 Cor 16:5-7, I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia;

1c) 1 Cor 16:8, But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost;

1d) 1 Cor 16:9, For a great and effective door has opened to me + there are many adversaries;

central axis) 1 Cor 16:10a, And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear;

2d) 1 Cor 16:10b-11a, He does the work of the Lord + therefore let no one despise him;

2c) 1 Cor 16:11b, But send him on in peace, that he may come to me, for I am waiting for him with the brethren;

2b) 1 Cor 16:12, I urged our brother Apollos to come to you, but he will come when he is able;

2a.1) 1 Cor 16:13, Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong;

2a.2) 1 Cor 16:14, Let all that you do be done with love.

What does it mean to stand fast in the faith? I thought it interesting that the admonition to stand fast makes the first bookends for the 1 Cor 15 chiastic structure, but the central portion all has to do with the resurrection and the coming kingdom of God. For the admonition to stand fast is to those believers who face the threat of persecution or death because of their faith – just as Christians around the world, but especially in the Middle East in our day, do. When you are free to practice your faith without reprisal, then it is easy to hold to it. But if practicing puts you in the crosshairs of the enemy, then we must be brave and be strong, in order to do those simple things – gather with believers, own a Bible, abstain from worship of idols – that we take for granted. What helps to stand fast, then, is to know that, yes, you might be beheaded today, but your life in Christ goes on, only now it is in His kingdom and not in the kingdoms of the world any longer.