UBF Daily Bread

AN OFFERING AND PRAYER REQUEST

Passage: 1_Corinthians 16:1~12

Key verse: 1

The Collection for the Lord’s People

16 Now about the collection^(A) for the Lord’s people:^(B) Do what I told the Galatian^(C) churches to do. ²On the first day of every week,^(D) each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.^(E) ³Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve^(F) and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

Personal Requests

⁵After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you^(G)—for I will be going through Macedonia.^(H) ⁶Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey,^(I) wherever I go. ⁷For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.^(J) ⁸But I will stay on at Ephesus^(K) until Pentecost,^(L) ⁹because a great door for effective work has opened to me,^(M) and there are many who oppose me.

¹⁰When Timothy^(N) 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,^(O) just as I am. ¹¹No one, then, should treat him with contempt.^(P) Send him on his way^(Q) in peace^(R) so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.

¹²Now about our brother Apollos:^(S) I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.

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Christians in Corinth promised to participate in the offering for the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Now Paul asks them to prepare their gift in advance according to his instruction (2) so that they would not do it hurriedly when he showed up. To Paul, this offering was more than just material help; it was the evidence of God’s work through Paul’s ministry among the Gentiles. It was a show of the Gentile Christians’ practical appreciation of their indebtedness to the spiritual blessing of the Jewish Christians. Paul wanted to connect them to the Jewish Christians so that Jews and Gentiles would have unity in Christ. Christians’ offering must be done willingly and joyfully as the expression of their appreciation of and gratitude toward God’s grace. Giving to the needy is a part of worship and it enhances spiritual unity in the body of Christ.

Paul shared his travel plans and his present situation in Ephesus with the Corinthian Christians. He was expecting their prayer support for effective gospel work in the midst of many opponents. He asked them to accept Timothy as God’s servant with respect. He expressed his support for Apollos’ ministry so that they might welcome him on his visit. Paul humbly shared his prayer topics and asked for their prayer.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for blessing me to take part in world missions through prayer and offering. Help me to give sacrificially and pray earnestly.

One Word: A sacrificial giving with prayer support