INSTRUCTIONS AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE CHURCH

1Corinthians 16.1-24

Paul proposed that on the first day of the week (Sunday) the church shall put their collected donations aside and save before he (Paul) will come to them (1-2). This suggestion of Paul perhaps based on the reason that he does not want to be collected anything on the Sabbath Day when he usually teaches, but such work collection of donations (or any other work or service) should be done on any other day of the week.

It seems that Apostles in Jerusalem and other Christian establishments were in need due to certain circumstances, which could be persecution, hunger of famine, some sort of disturbance, or anything else what Paul did not mentioned here. In verse 3 Paul call donations of the church as a gift to Jerusalem.

Paul was very effective and very practical man, and he had made his ministry, travel, and his plans in such way that he would be more useful and very efficient in his work to spread the Gospel of Christ all over Asia and even Europe (9).

Concerning his beloved Timothy (10-11) Paul caution the church to treat him well and not despise him for his youth, because like the Paul himself, Timothy doing the Lord's work.

In verse 14 Paul again mentioned love and urged the church that if they do something, it must be done with love. Paul always placed and exulted love as the most important spiritual quality for any Christian in which summarizes the most important and essential spiritual features of excellence in worship and service of GOD. For a true Christian everything must be done only in love, anything else is not counts.

"First fruits" in verse 15 mean the first Christians in the region of Achaia, thanks to Paul and other missionaries who visited them and converted them to Christ. The household of Stephanas dedicated themselves to help all those who work in the name of the Lord and spreading the Gospel of Christ in their region. Perhaps they offered food and shelter for Christian's travelers or serve them by some other means in order to help them in their mission.

Greeting by kissing (20) is not a Christian invention or Paul's statute, greeting by kissing is a very ancient tradition and also recorded in the Bible, but Paul in this verse called as "holy kissing." Holy, because the true Christians are holy people who worship and serving their Holy GOD, and so, if the GOD is Holy and so His followers are also holy, and whatever they do, their work and their life all are holy.

Verse 21 in KSB Bible sounds a little bit unfinished and confusing, but in NRSV Bible it is clearly translated that Paul by his own hand wrote this Epistle to the church of Corinth.

The one of the last statements of Paul (22) is very direct, bold, and to the point, declaring that anyone who does not love the Lord is cursed. Just like Jesus Christ Who declared that who is not with Him is against Him, Paul does the same and did not provide any middle ground or choice between two sides. In terms of love for GOD, it must be unconditional. This means that or you with GOD or against Him and nothing else exist or can be found between these two positions.

Its general interpretation, the world is cursed, because it does not have the love for GOD.

Greetings in Christ JESUS

Around 6000 years ago our Lord GOD in His wrath punished the MAN by sent him forth from the garden of Eden, as He revealed to Moses after around 2500 years after Adam, or 1500 years BC, as is written in Genesis 3:22-24:

22 And the Lord GOD said, Behold, the MAN is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the TREE OF LIFE->(the invisible GOD is the Life-John 1:18), and eat, AND LIVE FOR EVER:
23 Therefore the Lord GOD sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground FROM WHENCE the MAN was taken->(the MAN was taken from an environment out of the Garden).

24 So GOD drove out the MAN; and GOD placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming Sword (Word of fire) which turned every way, to keep the way OF THE TREE OF LIFE.-> The own GOD, the Word is GOD, GOD Himself, the Life, Father of our Lord JESUS Christ, Self-executing, Self-executable.
And around 4000 years after Adam, or around 2000 years ago, our Lord GOD sent JESUS to make the reconciliation with MAN He had created (John 5:17 and 43); -> Paul Apostle revealed: 2Corinthians 5:18-19: ->18 All things are of GOD, who hath reconciled us to Himself by JESUS Christ, and hath given TO US the MINISTRY of reconciliation; 19 -To wit, that GOD was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not IMPUTING their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation.

-> (the MAN was taken from a place out of the Garden, and made as GOD said: Genesis 1:26 -> And GOD said, Let us make MAN in our image, after our likeness:...) ->By the way, this will happen again from now on, taking us out from this satanic world of Devil (John 1:12-14) establishing the 3rd heaven-Daniel 2:44-45 and 12:1-3 combined with Ephesians 1:3-23 and Matthew 25:29 and 34 and Revelation 12:10-12, and mainly Luke 20:35-36, take a look),

Revelation 11:15-18 combined with Matthew 5:5 and Revelation 5:10
15 ... The kingdoms OF THIS WORLD are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before GOD on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped GOD,
17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord GOD Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

18 And the NATIONS were (WILL BE)angry, and thy WRATH is come (again, after around 6000 years), and the time of the dead, that they should be judged(Daniel 12:2 combined with Isaiah 26:19-21), and that thou should give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and should DESTROY them which destroy the earth.

Revelation 19:8-9:
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of GOD.
8 And to her (to the Church, to the GOD's people, sons of GOD by adoption) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Alleluia! Praise GOD. Amen.