Love for Christ Marks True Believers

Paul’s closing words in 1 Corinthians 16 show that even the greetings at the end of a letter are full of truth. The churches of Asia did not send empty polite comments to Corinth. Their greetings were real, genuine expressions of concern for believers they may never have met because they were bound together in Christ. The bond of Christ reaches farther than personal familiarity, and it calls believers and churches to pray for, encourage, and support other gospel preaching churches rather than treating ministry like a competition.

Aquila and Priscilla picture what faithful, mature believers look like. Their home became a place where the church could meet, their lives became useful in discipling Apollos, and their steady service became a blessing in more than one local church. Their example shows that great usefulness does not always require a platform. God uses believers who simply open their homes, give themselves to people, and faithfully do the work in front of them.

Paul’s command to greet one another with a holy kiss points to the warm affection that should mark God’s people. The outward form may look different in America, whether a handshake, a hug, or a warm greeting, but the heart behind it should be the same. The church should not be a place where people come in unnoticed and leave untouched. Christ creates a real family, and believers should make that family affection visible.

Paul’s own handwritten greeting assures Corinth that his love for them is personal. His final warning, however, is serious: “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.” The lack of even an affectionate love for Christ exposes a heart that may still be lost. True believers do not love perfectly, because only God loves perfectly, but God puts a real love for Himself and His people inside those He saves.

Maranatha carries urgency: “O Lord, come.” Paul calls for false believers to be separated from the body before they do more harm, and he also calls professing Christians to repent before Christ comes and it is too late. God’s grace remains available, but a church must not confuse outward profession with genuine conversion. Christ changes the heart, turns it from self and the world, and gives it a growing desire to love, serve, and obey Him.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Christ creates a real family [01:12:26] The bond between genuine believers is deeper than shared culture, language, or personal history. Christ gives His people an instant connection because they belong to the same Savior and have received the same new life. That bond should move believers beyond casual politeness into real concern, prayer, and encouragement. [72:26]
• 2. Faithful service often happens at home [01:04:58] Aquila and Priscilla did not become useful because they sought attention. Their home, hospitality, and steady faithfulness became tools God used to strengthen the church and disciple a gifted leader. God still uses ordinary faithfulness that makes room for people and gives itself away for Christ. [64:58]
• 3. Love for Christ reveals spiritual life [01:20:29] Genuine salvation produces more than church attendance or religious behavior. Christ gives believers an affectionate love for Himself and a real, though imperfect, love for His people. A heart that continually has no desire for Christ, His commands, or His people needs honest examination. [80:29]
• 4. Maranatha makes repentance urgent [01:31:46] Christ’s return will settle every false profession and expose every hidden heart. Paul’s warning is not meant to produce empty fear but urgent repentance and true faith. Grace is freely offered now, but no one should presume upon tomorrow.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [35:30] - God Will Never Let His Sheep Go
• [40:15] - Final Exhortations and Greetings
• [45:43] - Every Word of Scripture Matters
• [48:09] - Greetings From the Churches of Asia
• [51:30] - Encouraging Other Believers and Churches
• [57:03] - Aquila, Priscilla, and Faithful Service
• [61:03] - Opening Their Home for the Church
• [65:29] - The Holy Kiss and Christian Affection
• [75:16] - Paul’s Personal Handwritten Greeting
• [77:16] - The Warning Against False Profession
• [89:41] - Maranatha: O Lord, Come
• [93:05] - Evidence of Genuine Salvation

1. Who sends greetings to the Corinthian believers in these closing verses, and what do those greetings reveal about the relationships between churches? [48:09]
2. What details are given about Aquila and Priscilla, their home, and the church connected with them? [57:03]
3. What command does Paul give about greeting one another, and what would that greeting have communicated among early Christians? [01:12:59]
4. What serious warning does Paul place between his personal greeting and his final words of grace and love? [01:17:16]

1. Why would greetings from churches in Asia have encouraged the Corinthian church, especially after Paul had addressed so many serious problems in the letter? [53:15]
2. What does Aquila and Priscilla’s example show about how a Christian home can become useful for the work of the gospel, even without a public platform? [01:05:14]
3. Paul’s command to greet one another with a holy kiss came from a different culture. How can a church keep the same warm, holy affection while using appropriate forms of greeting today? [01:13:46]
4. Why is love for Christ and love for other believers important evidence of genuine spiritual life, while still not requiring perfect love from believers? [01:20:29]

1. Are there believers, missionaries, or gospel-preaching churches that could use genuine encouragement this week? What specific action—prayer, a message, a note, or a gift—could make that encouragement real rather than merely polite? [51:23]
2. Is there any tendency to view another faithful gospel-preaching church as competition rather than as a partner in Christ’s work? What might it look like to pray for and speak well of those churches? [54:47]
3. Aquila and Priscilla used their home and ordinary faithfulness to serve people. What has God already placed in your hands—your home, time, work, skills, or relationships—that could be used to strengthen others? [01:05:25]
4. Think about the experience of someone visiting the church or small group for the first time. What simple, genuine ways can you help make sure that person is noticed, welcomed, and cared for? [01:14:42]
5. Paul’s warning calls for honest self-examination. Is there growing evidence in your life of affection for Christ, desire to obey Him, and love for His people? Where do you see a need to repent of self-focus and ask God to grow that love? [01:35:13]
6. “Maranatha” reminds believers that Christ will come. Is there an area of delayed obedience, hidden sin, or false assurance that needs to be brought honestly before the Lord today rather than put off for another time? [01:31:54]