Exhortations: Stand Fast in the Faith, in Mutual Love (1 Corinthians 16:13–18)

1 Cor. 16:13–14. Be watchful, stand firm in faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

What does he remind them of? Of watchfulness, steadfastness in faith, courage, strength, and mutual love. One might add: as every Christian should have. The watchful one looks in all directions and guards lest the enemy approach suddenly. When the enemy comes and wants to knock the watchful one from his position, he stands his ground, not yielding. The position of Christians is faith, in its all-encompassing meaning. The enemy intensifies his attacks; he is resisted courageously; in courage one is strengthened. By what? By mutual love. All constitute one body, bound together tightly. In few words the Apostle told them and reminded them of a great deal. “Apparently he offers an exhortation, but at the same time he rebukes them for carelessness, and therefore says to them: ‘Be watchful,’ as to those sleeping, ‘stand firm,’ as to those wavering, ‘act like men, be strong,’ as to the faint-hearted, ‘let all that you do be done in love,’ as to those lacking mutual accord. One is directed against deceivers, namely: ‘Be watchful, stand firm’; another against those who injure, namely: ‘act like men’; a third against those stirring up discord and strife, namely: ‘let all that you do be done in love,’ which is the bond of perfection, the root and source of blessings. What does it mean: ‘let all that you do be done in love’? Whether one rebukes, rules, or serves, teaches or learns, all should be done with love, for all the evil mentioned (among the Corinthians) arose from neglect of love. If love had not been neglected, they would not have boasted and said: ‘I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos’ (1 Cor. 1:12); if it had been among them, they would not have gone to law with one another before the unbelievers, or rather, would not have gone to law at all; if it had been among them, the fornicator would not have lived with his father’s wife, they would not have despised weak brothers, would not have had divisions, would not have boasted of spiritual gifts. Therefore the Apostle says to them: ‘let all that you do be done in love’” (Saint Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 16:15. Now I urge you, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas is the firstfruits of Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints.

“Earlier in the epistle he mentioned this, when he said: ‘I baptized also the household of Stephanas’ (1 Cor. 1:16), and now he calls them the firstfruits not only of Corinth, but of all Greece. No small honor to be first to turn to Christ. But the Apostle not only said that they were first to believe, but that they were the firstfruits, expressing that together with faith they also showed its beautiful fruit in their lives, and proved themselves worthy in all respects. Truly, the firstfruits must be better than all the others of which they are the firstfruits, which Paul indeed testified to them by such an expression. For they, as I have said, not only sincerely believed, but also demonstrated in deed great piety, high virtue, and zeal in works of mercy. And not only by this does he prove them worthy of honor, but also by the fact that the entire household was filled with piety. And how zealous they were in good works, this the Apostle shows in the following words: ‘they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints.’ Do you hear what praise he gives to their hospitality? He did not say: they serve, but: ‘they have devoted themselves to the ministry’—they have chosen such a life for themselves forever, they are constantly concerned with this” (Saint Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 16:16. I urge you to be subject to such as these, and to every one who helps and labors.

The flow of discourse is thus: I urge you, brethren—you know, of course, the household of Stephanas—such and such a one, so I urge you, be subject to such as these, and to every one who…

“Be subject,” ὑποτάσσησθε, means more than honor. Subjection, ὑποταγή, is submission, obedience—the obligation of the subject to the one in authority. Therefore, we must suppose that Stephanas was among the overseers of the Church. That the Apostle surrounds him with the words: “such as these—and every one”—mingling him in the mass of other worthy persons—depended on the fact that Stephanas was present and was to present the epistle to the Corinthian community. He needed to be protected. Saint Paul certainly did not leave the Corinthian community without overseers. To whom could he better have entrusted it than to one like Stephanas and similar to him? The community was large: certainly the overseer was not one. “Those who help” Saint Paul calls persons who assist in the good order and welfare of the Church in some way other than by presiding; “those who labor”—serving in church and outside, in baptism, preaching, helping the poor and sick. Elsewhere he distinguishes those laboring in the word. Are not they the ones he means here? Theodoret writes: “He gives the commandment that they and those consenting to such work be honored with all honor.” Saint Chrysostom speaks generally from the perspective that they “have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints.” “Cooperate with them in monetary gifts and bodily service, have fellowship with them, for their labor will become easier if they have co-workers, and the works of charity will extend to a greater number of people. He did not simply say: cooperate, but: ‘be subject’ to them, do whatever they command, inspiring the strictest obedience. But so that it might not appear that he is indulging them, he adds: ‘and to every one who helps and labors.’ Let, he says, this law be general; I speak not of them exclusively, but every one similar to them should receive the same. Therefore, even as he begins to speak of them, he calls the Corinthians themselves as witnesses. You, he says, yourselves know how they labor, and have no need to hear this from us.”

1 Cor. 16:17. Now I rejoice in the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for they have made up for your absence.

Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus were messengers from the Corinthians, who brought their epistle to him, to which Saint Paul answered point by point. I rejoiced, he says, in their coming, because in them I saw all of you. He shows a strong love for them, witnessing that he would have wished to see all of them—but you are absent; these messengers have made up for your absence. At the same time, by this expression of joy, he approves those who sent them for their choice, and praises those sent, that they bore themselves so worthily that they diminished in no way the joy which their first meeting brought. “In praising those who came to him, he at the same time gives praise to others, joining the senders with the messengers. They came to him in place of all, presented in their person the entire city, were representatives of all believing Corinthians” (Saint Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 16:18. For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore, recognize those who are such.

They refreshed the spirit of Saint Paul by giving him the opportunity to see in themselves all his beloved children of the Corinthian Church, and especially by presenting the condition of that Church in its true light—that there are indeed irregularities, but they are rather the result of lack of understanding than of negligence in doing good and unwillingness to show themselves correct in all respects. And this meant that it would suffice merely to point out to them how things should be, and all would go as it should. Which is what Saint Paul does in his epistle. They refreshed the spirit of the Corinthians by consenting to take upon themselves the labor of traveling and by giving them hope that their spiritual needs would be met and everything that troubled them would be prevented—they refreshed them with hope. This gives the thought that those sent were persons in whom one could confide in all respects. In this same word, perhaps, is understood also that they will refresh; but that they will refresh, there could be no doubt. The Apostle speaks of it as though it had already been accomplished.

“Know then those who are such”—that is, show them gratitude by your acknowledgement, attention, love, and honor. “For you they have left their homeland and their own house; for all of you they undertook to make such a journey; know then them. You will do this if you reward them with a kindly disposition toward them, if you will honor them, if you receive them, if you show sympathy in their good works” (Saint Chrysostom).