1 Corinthians 16, 13+14
Text: Peter Schweizer, civil engineer, 56 years old, CGB Basel
I used the 2024 annual slogan as my sermon topic:
• 1. Corinthians 16 verse 14: «Let everything you do be done in love»
.. and supplemented with the verse before: -> so1 Corinthians 16 verses 13+14:
13 Watch, stand firm in the faith, be manly, be strong!
14 Let everything be done with love!
A total of 5 requests are mentioned in these 2 verses.
We are in the last chapter of the 1st letter, from Paul to the Corinthians.
It's a pretty serious letter that Paul writes to the church in Corinth that he founded a few years ago on his 2nd missionary trip.
Corinth was an important and modern city at this time... a large city and presented some quite challenges for the young Christians... both
• her personal life as JC's successor
• as well as for their communal life as a community!
Before Paul concludes this letter with greetings and words of blessing, he once again states his main concern in short and concise words in the form of 5 commands...
13 Watch, stand firm in the faith, be manly, be strong!
14 Let everything be done with love!
We now want to take a closer look at these 5 requests and let them speak to us:
• At the beginning of a new year...
• As a resident of a large city in Basel, which also wants to exert its influence on us Christians...
1. Watch
The first thing to appeal to is our spiritual state.
Being awake...as opposed to sleepy, or indifferent, or apathetic
When I hear the word “WAKE,” my time as a soldier in the Swiss army immediately comes to mind.
We always had to keep a guard during the night during our exercises,
• we were practicing war
• there is an enemy... mostly red and coming from the east
• or other dangers such as fire...
so that the rest of the team can sleep well and safely
What is important in guard:
• that you are AWAKE... and not asleep
• that you are ATTENTIONAL... with all your senses! no sunglasses or headphones on...
• that you are READY... know the watch orders and know how to react in the event of an incident,... alarm,... etc.
• READY FOR OPERATION IMMEDIATELY... there were also rest and even sleeping times (shifts) for the guards... but: you were allowed/had to sleep in your clothes and shoes. .. just loosen the belt by 1 hole and always have the weapon within reach (+ bayonet strapped on... presses when lying down...)
Waking for me was usually very tedious and, above all, boring... because most of the time nothing happened anyway...
Nevertheless NECESSARY!... – ...because
• There is an enemy - and he doesn't sleep...
• My comrades must be able to rely on me when they sleep and I wake.
Therefore, vigilance offenses are punished very severely! -> sharp arrest! – because failing at the crucial moment can have devastating consequences...
• for myself
• for the entire company...
Watching is just as important for us Christians.
With the difference that the request “WATCH” is not limited to the guards, but applies to EVERYONE:
• Be vigilant, because there is a real enemy
• 1. Peter 5:5: 8«Be sober and watch! For your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour.
• This is spiritual reality - we should be aware of it. – No fear, but respect and caution: we know his intentions (2 Cor 2:11): because he wants to harm us... in many areas...
• Be vigilant so as not to sin!
• JC told his disciples in Gethsemane:Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation! (Mark 14:38)
• But the disciples fell asleep... and were not ready for what happened next...
• If we are not awake, we will not even recognize the temptation and impending danger...
• Be alert... against false teachings and bad influences:
• Behind every false practice there is a false doctrine - that's where the matter begins!
• Paul warns the church leaders of Ephesus at his farewell meeting in Miletus (Acts 20):
• from “wolves” that attack the flock (=community) from outside
• in front of men from their own ranks who speak wrong things to lead the disciples away from the right path...
• and therefore says: «Therefore watch» (Acts 20:31)
• We must not give in to the illusion that all around us there is nothing but “peace, joy”...
• We live in a world that is corrupted by sin and rebellion against God... and wants to exert its corrupting influence on us too...
Guarding is a preventive action and requires our full attention.
It is important
• that we know our watch command = BIBLE well
• and immediately notice when something different suddenly comes along as a new trend or something different is said than what is in the Word of God....
• Recognizing this is often not that easy, which is why our full attention is needed... and that brings us to the next point:
2. Stand firm in the faith
So that we are not "driven about by every wind of doctrine(Ephesians 4:14) we need a firm stand for our faith on a firm foundation .
This is about the CONTENT of our faith, our BELIEF!
We should know exactly
• WHAT we believe and believe to be true
• And WHY we believe it
• And stand firm in that
• Hold on to it and preserve it: 2. Tim 1, 13+14, an invitation from Paul to Timothy
• Defend when fighting, Jude 3: Fight for the faith that was delivered to you
The Christian faith is a highly contested area and must be fought for, occupied and held again and again by every individual and every generation.
The source is the word of God = BIBLE (=OT and NT)!
It is crucially important
• that we know the Bible and read it regularly
• that we love and value the Bible as God's word and will for us and live in it
• It is important that every Christian comes to his or her own faith conviction that is deeply rooted in the Word of God.
• There should be
• we stand firm
• we should hold on to that...
• ... fight for it if necessary -> Defensive fight!
Paul puts it like this 1 chapter earlier:
1. Corinthians 15 verses 1+2:
1 But I remind you, brethren, of the gospel which I preached to you, which you also accepted, in which you also stand firm,
2 by which you also will be saved, if you hold fast to the word that I have declared to you
We need to know exactly what to capture.
• It must be valuable and precious to us... and mean a lot to us!
• Then we are ready to stand up for it and defend it!
Find a nice example in 2. Samuel 23:12: Shamma, one of David's heroes:
11 And after him Shammah the son of Age the Hararite. When the Philistines gathered together, there was a field full of lentils; and when the people fled from the Philistines,
12 Then he stood in the middle of the field and defended it and defeated the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great salvation.
• A field full of lentils is in danger of falling into the hands of the fine...
• Everyone run away from the advancing enemy.
• All except Schamma:
• he joins
• stands in the middle of the field
• and thus defends the lentil harvest
• GOD brings about such a great salvation: but it takes someone like Shamma,
• who stands up and stands firm!
who “stands his ground” like this!...-> see next point...!
3. Be manly
• What does this mean???
• What should we understand by the term “manly”???
I did some research to see how other Bible translations translate...
There you will find: be....
• ... brave
• ... brave
• ... ripe
• act/behave like a man
In Greek there is the expression «andrizesthe».... which is related to the name «Andreas»...
• Andreas means nothing other than “the male”
• So you could also say: «Be an Andreas»!....;-)... maybe we can remember it better that way!
Someone “like Andreas”, who is like that
• acting is responsible
• towards God
• towards his neighbor
• to yourself
....so NOT macho
• who can deal with resistance, obstacles and disappointments, simply because he has already had experiences with God.... The following keywords:
• Patience
• Endurance
• Courage
• Bravery
• Chivalry
• Fair play
• who behaves like an adult, as opposed to a child who is still immature in many things.
o God is very concerned that we GROW UP, that we grow. in the GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may progress toward our great Master and Example Jesus Christ! (2 Peter 3:18)
The 4th command is:
4. Be Strong
or «Get strong».
It's not about body building or muscle building... but about the development of "mental strength".
In Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10-14 it says:
• 10 Moreover, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
• 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the devices of the devil;
• 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual [ powers] of wickedness in the heavenly [regions].
• 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done everything well, you may be able to stand your ground.
• 14 It is now clear....
• Strong not in yourself - but in the Lord
• 2 Timothy 2 verse 1: You now... be strong in the GRACE that is in Christ Jesus.
• Philippians 4 verse 13: «I can do all things through him who strengthens me, CHRIST»
• Nehemiah 8 verse 10: «the joy of the Lord is your strength»
So many Bible passages encourage us to do spiritual “fitness training”... and also give us tips for it
Maybe you feel anything but “strong”...!
• I know this feeling very well from my own experience....
• Not particularly physically strong myself....
and there is a wonderful Bible verse just for weaklings like me:
Hebrews 11:
• The chapter of the heroes of faith...
• What couldn't they have done for God:
33 who by faith overcame kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions;
34 They have extinguished the power of the fire, have escaped the edge of the sword, they have gained strength from weakness, have become strong in battle, have defeated the armies of the Strangers chased away.
• They gained strength from weakness and became strong in battle
«Becoming strong in battle»... that's the secret recipe:
• Let God Himself strengthen and equip you
• And then, trusting in HIM, venture into battle...
• and then have the beautiful experience «in combat»,
• how the «muscles» swell...
• how God helps...
• .... and there is strength and success....
• but not in advance, but only when I accept God's command and promise!!!
• This is how we can become strong heroes of God!
Yes, the 4 commands in verse 13 are tough: "Watch, stand firm in the faith, be manly, be strong!
The context is clear:
• It's not about a Sunday afternoon walk in the "Zoo" or the "Green 80
• But for a fight!
... and that we do NOT become fanatical fighting or killing machines is stated in the 14th verse with the 5th request:
5. Let everything happen to you in love!
or “Everything you do, be done in love” is our motto for the year!
Love should be the motive for all our actions
Love complements everything and balances everything!
• It protects us from
• that we become hard because of our steadfastness.
• that our strength develops into tyranny.
• It keeps us meek, humble and level-headed in our maturity.
• It protects against
• that our right teaching degenerates into stubborn righteousness,
• that our lives become lost in complacent self-righteousness.
It all starts with being loved:
• From God... at a time when we didn't want to know anything about him: «For God so loved the world that he gave up his only begotten Son gave...»
• Now from our Heavenly Father, because we have become His children
The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit... and enables us to love...
• God first – “we love him because HE first loved us”! (1 John 4:19)
• our neighbors - «Beloved, let us love one another! For love is from God», and everyone. He who loves is born of God and knows God.»
Love is the DNA of the family of God into which we are born!
• she actively seeks the well-being and blessings of others.
• and is prepared to take a back seat for it.
Everything we do and let do should be permeated by love:
1. Corinthians 13:4-8a:
4 Love is long-suffering and kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, it does not puff itself up;
5 she is not indecent, she does not seek her own, she does not allow herself to be embittered, she does not blame evil;
6 she does not rejoice in injustice, but she rejoices in the truth;
7 she endures everything, she believes everything, she hopes everything, she endures everything.
8 Love never ends.
This is a very practical text...
• Love is always concrete!!!
• Expresses itself in our DOING...or NOT-DOING.
I have analyzed this text a bit and classified the properties and activities:
And I came across something unexpected:
• 7x «Positive» DO = DOs
• 9x «Negative» NOT DOING = DO NOTs
• Why? – we are still imperfect but pardoned sinners... .
DOs DO NOTs
1 Be long-suffering 1 Envy
2 Be kind 2 Boast
3 rejoice in the truth 3 puffing up
4 endure everything 4 be indecent
5 believe everything 5 search for your own
6 all hope 6 embittered
7 endure everything 7 attribute evil
8 Rejoicing in injustice
9 stop
Take a look at this for yourself and let these points speak to you... the positive... but also the negative...
Because who knows, maybe you can make a resolution for the new year....;-)
I end with one last Bible verse:
1. Peter 4 verse 8
«But above all, have deep love for one another; for love will cover a multitude of sins.»
Amen!
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