Christian World Ministry
"..the churches of Christ salute you" Romans 16:16
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Christian World Ministry "..the churches of Christ salute you" Romans 16:16
Introduction
A. The King James Version of 1611
translated I Corinthians 16:15 as " I beseech you, brethren (ye know the
house of Stephanas; that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have
addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints)..."
1. This verse has been translated in
many and various ways but the real sense of it has not been fully explored.
Hence, this study.
2. Let us examine this passage in the
light of other passages from the New Testament so that we shall know the TRUTH,
John 8:32.
B. We shall approach this study in the
following manner:
1. Discovering the meaning of the
passage in other versions
2. Who was Stephanas? What is/was the
meaning of " addicted to the ministry of the saints?"
3. What are the lessons we can learn
from the NT account on " service to the saints?"
Discussion
A. Discovering the meaning of the
passage from other versions
1. From the English Standard Version,
the verse is as follows: " Now I urge you brothers- you know that the
household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia; that they have
devoted themselves to the service of the saints."
2. " Spending their lives in
service to God's people," (New Living Translation)
3. " Set themselves to minister to
the saints," (American Standard Version)
4. Other words for " devoted"
in infinitive form are " to assign, to appoint and to set in
order."
5. " They were seriously assigned
to the service of the saints."
6. Synonyms are " magnificent
obsession or zeal."
7. Addicted with a determination- as
person devoted to something or dependent upon something."
8.It also suggests " hunger for
more; not satisfied with the present."
B. Who was Stephanas? Meaning of "
addicted to the ministry of the saints."
1. First converts in Achaia or Greece (including
his household)
2.Converted when Paul went to Athens and
Corinth during a missionary journey
3. Their trait was the opposite of the
church in Ephesus which " left their first love," Revelation 2:4
4. Stephanas supplied the temporal and
spiritual needs of the saints and helped promote the gospel of Christ
5. In response, Paul asked the
Corinthians " to submit" to Stephanas and his family " as a way
of repaying their good and free service to the saints.
6." Addicted" has also a bad
connotation as in the following verses:
a. I Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7 (addicted
to wine or given to wine) elder
b. I Timothy 3:8 (not addicted to wine/
not given to much wine); deacon
c. Titus 2:3 (given to much wine) aged
women
C. Lessons from I Corinthians 16:15 are
as follows:
1. Voluntary service- Stephanas
appointed himself to the service of the saints
a. He saw the need; felt a calling even
though he was not paid
b. He didn't wait to be chosen but
started ministering to the needs of the saints according to his ability and to
opportunity
2. Refreshing service- I Corinthians
16:17 implies that Stephanas supplied Paul what the church lacked (time and
personal visit)
3. To be great in God's kingdom, one has
to be humble and become a servant as Christ did and gave His life as a "
ransom for many," Matthew 20:26-28
4. " Tasso" and "
Hupotasso" had ordered or arranged (Tasso) their lives to the ministry of
the saints
5. Thus the Corinthians must/ should
submit (Hupotasso) themselves to people like Stephanas and others
6. Submission (Hupotasso) voluntary
yielding in love as in Ephesians 5:21 out of respect for Christ
Conclusion
A. Summary of the Main Points
B. Invitation to become a "
disciple of Christ" through Matthew 11:28-30