Love is the thread that runs through everything
1 Corinthians 16 The text today could present a bit of a challenge. It’s a conclusion to Paul’s letter, so it contains a lot of, seemingly random instructions. The first time I read it, I thought that each section could stand on its own. Each section could have its’ own sermon. But the second time I read the passage, a theme became apparent. In this passage, Paul the apostle, the author, doesn't introduce any new doctrine. He’s not saying anything new in chapter 16. A number of commentaries I referenced made the point about how mundane this chapter is. After all the soaring language in chapter 15, chapter 16 is a bit anticlimactic. One commentary said that in this chapter Paul gets chatty. I don’t think our passage is anticlimactic at all. Actually, I think Paul’s topic and tone make a pretty important point. The message of the Bible isn’t just heady and intellectual. It’s not all big stories and grand narratives. The message of the Bible really does have important implication...