Lev 1:14 “If his offering to Yahveh is an ascending offering of birds, then he will bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons.
Lev 1:15 And the priest will bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood will be pressed out on the wall of the altar.
Lev 1:16 He will remove its crop with its contents and toss it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes.
Lev 1:17 He will tear it open by its wings, but will not divide it completely. And the priest will burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is an ascending offering, a fire offering to Yahveh with a soothing aroma.
not divided completely
The mystery of the sacrifice of Christ is made even more mysterious by Christ’s unique nature. He was a union of the human and the divine. This union continued even as he died on the cross, calling out his Father to forgive his executioners. The fact that Christ retained his complete nature even while being sacrificed for us was symbolised by the tearing open of the turtledoves’ wings. Just as the bird retained its wholeness through the process, so Christ kept his wholeness — while making it possible for us to become whole again.
LORD, thank you for your amazing sacrifice for our restoration.
Lev 1:10 “If his gift for an ascending offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he will bring a perfect male,
Lev 1:11 and he will kill it on the north side of the altar in Yahveh’s sight, and Aaron’s sons the priests will coat the sides of the altar with its blood.
Lev 1:12 And he will cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest will place them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar,
Lev 1:13 but the entrails and the legs he will wash with water. And the priest will offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is an ascending offering, a fire offering to Yahveh with a soothing aroma.
a soothing aroma
We will see these words often describing the result of offerings burnt upon the altar in the tabernacle. They speak of the change that comes over a person when they smell a nice aroma: a calming change to the disposition.
The ascending offering is called that because it is intended to reach God’s throne, and change his disposition toward the worshipper. Christ did that for us. Because of Christ’s death on the cross, the Father can once more be pleased with humanity. Christ has turned human beings — particularly believers in Christ — into something that makes God feel good.
LORD, thank you for reversing the enmity between the Father and us.
Lev 1:4 He will lay his hand on the head of the ascending offering, and it will be accepted for him to provide reconciliation for him.
Lev 1:5 Then he will kill the bull in Yahveh’s sight, and Aaron’s sons the priests will bring the blood and coat the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the conference tent with the blood.
Lev 1:6 Then he will chop the ascending offering cutting it in pieces,
Lev 1:7 and the sons of Aaron the priest will set fire to the altar and place wood on the fire.
Lev 1:8 And Aaron’s sons the priests will place the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar;
Lev 1:9 but he will first wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest will burn all of it on the altar, as an ascending offering, which is a fire offering to Yahveh with a soothing aroma.
Leviticus as Christology
God is timeless. He is not confined to history as we are. He walks through history with us, but he can also walk through it backwards — which we cannot do. when he instructs the Israelites on how to approach him through the tabernacle sacrifices — he does so with the full knowledge of how each of those offerings reflect the person and work of Christ.
We see in these first nine verses a reflection on…
Christ’s eternal value,
his perfection,
his role as a substitute to reconcile humanity to God,
his offering himself entirely to God’s purpose,
and his ascension back to the throne after completing the task.
It is all in there in the rules concerning the ascending offering.
LORD, show us Christ in all his significance and glory as we read and study Leviticus.
Lev 1:1 Yahveh called Moses and spoke to him from the conference tent, and this is what he said,
Lev 1:2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when any human among you brings an offering to Yahveh, you will bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.
Lev 1:3 “If his offering is an ascending offering from the herd, he will offer a perfect male. He will bring it to the entrance of the conference tent, so that he may be accepted in Yahveh’s sight.
Leviticus as scripture
All of Genesis, and much of Exodus is narrative — stories reflecting God’s dealings in history. The hard part of exegeting narrative is putting it in its historical context — so that its words are understood as they would have been understood by the audience at the time. Even though Leviticus is not mostly narrative, the same challenge exists. But, added to that, we have to wrestle with Leviticus as scripture. We have to ask why God reached back into time, and gave his people these words. We need to grasp the eternal purpose of this book.
One clue that we get to this question in today’s text is that God is giving his people instructions on how to approach him.
LORD, teach us how to approach you today as we begin our study of these ancient instructions.
1Co 16:19 The churches of Asia say hello. Aquila and Prisca, along with the church that meets in their house, send you affectionate greetings in the Lord.
1Co 16:20 All the brothers say hello. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
1Co 16:21 I, Paul, sign this salutation with my own hand.
1Co 16:22 If anyone does not love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Marana Tha!
1Co 16:23 The grace of the Lord Jesus is with you.
1Co 16:24 My love is with all of you in Christ Jesus.
Marana Tha
“Marana tha.” That ancient Aramaic greeting carries the weight of centuries of longing. It is not a slogan. It is not a poetic flourish. It is the cry of a people who know the world is broken and who refuse to pretend otherwise. It is the confession that the Lord must return, because nothing short of His appearing will set right what has gone wrong.
The early church used this greeting because it held together two realities at once:
the world is still full of injustice, disappointment, and decay
the Lord is coming to redeem, restore, and reign
Paul’s letter to Corinth makes both realities painfully clear. Corinth was a church with gifts, but also with fractures. A church with potential, but also with pride. A church touched by grace, but still marked by immaturity. And Paul never sugarcoats that. He names the problems plainly. He exposes the failures honestly. He acknowledges the disappointments without flinching.
But he never ends with disappointment. He ends with hope.
The world is not yet what it should be. The church is not yet what it will be. But the Lord is coming.
That expectation is what allowed the early believers to endure hardship, to persevere in ministry, and to remain faithful in a world that often seemed hostile to their hope. It is what allowed them to look at the brokenness around them without despair. It is what allowed them to look at the brokenness within the church without giving up.
“Marana tha” is the reminder that the story is not finished. It is the anchor that keeps the heart steady. It is the lens through which all disappointments are reframed.
Paul ends the letter with that ancient greeting because it is the only way to live faithfully in a world that is still groaning. The Lord is coming. And because He is coming, the disappointments of the world and the failures of the church do not have the final word.
Looking up is not escapism. It is endurance. It is clarity. It is hope rooted in the promise of the returning King.
1Co 16:15 I am encouraging you, brothers — you know about Stephanas’ household — that they were the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to ministry to the holy ones.
1Co 16:16 You should also be subordinated to these, and to everyone who works and shares their burden.
1Co 16:17 I celebrate the presence of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence;
1Co 16:18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give special recognition to such people.
leaders left behind
Paul’s comments about Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus are more than polite acknowledgments. They reveal something important about the relational strain inside the Corinthian assemblies and the pastoral wisdom Paul brings to bear on it.
These three men had traveled from Corinth to Ephesus and had refreshed Paul’s spirit. Their presence encouraged him, supplied what was lacking, and gave him a clearer picture of the situation back home. But Stephanas also made it clear that their absence would not be easy for the congregation. Corinth was a church with strong personalities, fragile unity, and a history of resisting leadership. Losing three stabilizing figures at once would create tension.
Paul’s response is pastoral and strategic. He urges the Corinthians to show respect and submit to the leadership of those who remained. This was not about hierarchy for its own sake. It was about honoring the work of the gospel and supporting the people who carried its weight. By respecting the leaders who stayed behind, the Corinthians would be showing honor to the missionaries who had gone out. Their obedience at home would be a way of recognizing the sacrifice and service of those abroad.
Paul understood something that remains true in every generation of the church: When missionaries, pastors, or ministry workers leave for a season, the congregation must step up in faithfulness, unity, and respect. Otherwise, the absence of key workers becomes a burden instead of a blessing.
Paul’s instruction is simple but profound: Honor the workers by honoring the work. Respect the leaders who remain. Support the ones who go. Recognize that all of them serve the same Lord.
In doing so, the Corinthians would not only strengthen their own church but also show tangible appreciation for the missionaries who represented them elsewhere.
LORD, you know what you are doing. Give us the wisdom to adjust to things as they are — not to complain and withhold our support when the leadership structure changes.
1Co 16:12 Now about our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but he did not at all want to come now. He will come when he has the opportunity.
1Co 16:13 Keep watch, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
1Co 16:14 Stay in love — all of you.
obstinate Apollos
Paul’s brief mention of Apollos in this section is more than a travel update. It is a window into the relational complexity of early Christian ministry and a subtle pastoral lesson for the Corinthians themselves.
Apollos was gifted—brilliant, eloquent, powerful in the Scriptures, and deeply used by God. But he was also strong‑willed. Acts and 1 Corinthians together paint a picture of a man who was not easily persuaded once he had made up his mind. When Paul urged him to join the team going to Corinth, Apollos declined. Paul pressed him strongly. Apollos still declined.
And Paul’s response is telling. He did not manipulate him. He did not shame him. He did not question his devotion. He respected Apollos’ decision and moved on. Paul understood that gifted people often come with strong personalities, and that the unity of the church is not maintained by forcing everyone into the same mold. Paul chose balance.
That balance is exactly what he then commends to the Corinthians: a firm grip on the truth, and a firm grip on love. Strength without love becomes harsh. Love without strength becomes sentimental. The church needs both.
Corinth especially needed both. Their assemblies were filled with strong personalities, competing teachers, and people who struggled to handle disagreement without fracturing into factions. Apollos himself had become a rallying point for one of those factions, even though he never intended it. Paul’s gentle handling of Apollos becomes an implicit model for the Corinthians: firmness without coercion, conviction without domination, love without naïveté.
Walking with that kind of balance is never easy. It becomes even harder when encountering people like Apollos—gifted, valuable, but not always easy to work with. Yet Paul shows that the way forward is not control but charity; not force but respect; not suspicion but trust.
The church still needs that balance today: a strong faith anchored in truth, and a strong love that makes room for the complexities of real people doing real ministry in a real world.
LORD, give us a strong faith, balanced by a strong love.
1Co 16:8 But I will stay on in Ephesus until the Pentecost celebration,
1Co 16:9 because Ephesus is proving to be like a large wide-open door, and I have many opponents.
1Co 16:10 When Timothy arrives, make sure that he feels comfortable working among you, because he is doing the work of the Lord just as I am;
1Co 16:11 So then, let no one treat him with disrespect. But send him on his way in peace so that he may come to me. Because I am expecting him to accompany the brothers.
timid Timothy
Paul’s concern for Timothy in this section is pastoral, practical, and deeply revealing about the dynamics inside the Corinthian assemblies. Corinth was not an easy place to minister. Strong personalities, competing teachers, spiritual pride, and a tendency toward factionalism made it one of the most challenging churches Paul ever dealt with. Timothy knew that. Paul knew that Timothy knew it. And Paul also knew that Timothy dreaded the assignment.
So Paul makes a very specific request: that Timothy be allowed to work among them “without fear.” The phrase is striking. It shows that Paul understood how easily a congregation can intimidate, discourage, or even crush a young minister. The NLT’s “don’t intimidate him” captures the sense well, but the literal wording is even more revealing. Paul is asking the Corinthians not to create an atmosphere that drives Timothy into fearfulness or retreat.
Paul valued Timothy as a ministry asset—not because Timothy was impressive, but because Timothy was faithful. He was doing “the work of the Lord,” and that alone made him worthy of respect and protection. But Paul also understood something that every seasoned pastor knows: many who are called to do the Lord’s work are chased away from that work by people who have no consideration for them. A harsh word, a dismissive attitude, a critical spirit, or a demanding posture can wound a minister more deeply than most congregations ever realize.
Paul’s request is simple but profound: Be considerate of those who minister among you. Not because they are fragile, but because they are human. Not because they deserve special treatment, but because they carry a burden that is often invisible. Not because they are above the congregation, but because they serve it.
“All of us have our limits.” Paul knew that. Timothy knew that. And every minister since has learned it the hard way. Ministry is holy work, but it is also vulnerable work. Paul’s plea to the Corinthians remains timeless: create an environment where those who serve can do so without fear, without intimidation, and without being driven away by inconsiderate behavior.
It is a reminder that supporting the workers of the gospel is itself a spiritual act—one that strengthens the church and honors the Lord they serve.
LORD, we value those you send to minister among us. Help us to treat them well, and give them no reason to fear us.
1Co 16:5 But I will come to you whenever I go through Macedonia (because I am going through Macedonia),
1Co 16:6 and I might stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you can send me wherever I need to go.
1Co 16:7 Because I do not want to see you now just as a stop over. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows it.
travel plans
If all goes well, by the time this is posted, my wife and I will have arrived back in New Zealand, after visiting two countries in Africa. That will make four different countries we have visited so far this year, either as Asia Pacific missions area directors, or as global trainers. These trips help us to see what God is doing in different parts of the world, and gain a better perspective on the people he has gifted his church with, and the problems they face. It is not always fun. In fact, sometimes we are overwhelmed by what we see. But, by God’s grace, we hope to be an encouragement, and to be encouraged. There is no substitute to going and spending time with these holy ones whom God has sent.
Traveling across continents, meeting believers in wildly different contexts, seeing both the beauty and the brokenness of the global church — that is spiritual work. It is resurrection-shaped work. It is the kind of labor Paul had in mind when he said that nothing done “in the Lord” is ever in vain.
My reflection on returning to New Zealand after Africa fits naturally into the flow of Paul’s thought:
Resurrection hope fuels perseverance.
Perseverance expresses itself in real, embodied ministry.
Real ministry means showing up — in person, in love, in service.
And showing up is often exhausting, overwhelming, and deeply holy.
Paul’s collection for the saints was not a fundraising campaign. It was a spiritual act of solidarity. It was the church saying, “We belong to one another because we belong to the risen Christ.” In the same way, your travel, your training, your presence among believers in Africa and the Pacific is not logistical work. It is resurrection work. It is the church being the church.
There is no substitute for going. No substitute for seeing. No substitute for standing beside the holy ones God has placed in difficult fields.
And there is no substitute for the encouragement that flows both directions — the kind you receive and the kind you give — when believers meet face to face, share burdens, and remind one another that the risen Christ is still building His kingdom in every corner of the world.
Your closing line captures Paul’s heart as well as your own: There is no substitute for going and spending time with these holy ones whom God has sent.
That is resurrection hope made visible.
LORD, raise up a team of heroes who have the time to spend with those you have placed on the mission field.
1Co 16:1 But about the collection for the holy ones, follow the directions I gave to the churces of Galatia.
1Co 16:2 On the first day of a week, each of you must put something aside, storing it by himself, depending on how much he has gained, so that no collections have to be taken when I come.
1Co 16:3 Then, when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve with letters from me to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
1Co 16:4 And if it there is cause for me to go also, they will travel with me.
serious spiritual business
Paul’s final instructions in the letter are not an appendix, nor a shift into unrelated practical matters. They belong to the same broad category he introduced back in 12:1—spiritual things, matters shaped by the Spirit and expressive of the life of the kingdom. The collection for the saints is not bookkeeping. It is not administrative cleanup. It is not a footnote to the “real” theological content. It is a continuation of the same spiritual logic that has run through the entire letter.
Relief work is spiritual work. Generosity is spiritual obedience. Material giving is a visible expression of invisible grace.
Paul treats the collection as a deeply spiritual act because it embodies the very gospel he has been defending. The resurrection chapter ends with a call to steadfast, abundant labor for the Lord. Immediately afterward, Paul gives a concrete example of what that labor looks like: caring for the needy within the body of Christ.
Money matters—not because money has spiritual value in itself, but because it becomes a tangible expression of love. It is a way of participating in God’s care for His people. It is a way of embodying the unity of the church across geography and culture. It is a way of demonstrating that the resurrection hope produces real-world fruit.
For Paul, theology and practice are never separated. The resurrection leads to hope. Hope leads to steadfastness. Steadfastness leads to generosity. Generosity becomes a spiritual act of love.
The chapter on resurrection is not an isolated theological treatise. It flows directly into the call to give, because both belong to the same Spirit-shaped life.
LORD, may we learn to practice the spiritual discipline of helping the needy.
