You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people. I urge you, brothers and sisters, to submit to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it. I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.
The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.
If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
- 1 Corinthians 16:15-24
This passage wraps up the end of 1 Corinthians, the first letter we have from the Apostle Paul to the Church in Corinth. Paul provides his closing greetings here.
In verse 15, Paul references “the household of Stephanas.” Paul is promoting that household as an example for the Corinthians to follow. We do not know much about Stephanas or his household except for this reference. In that culture, it was common for when the head of a household was converted, everyone else in that household followed suit – not just the family members but also any servants associated with the household. Achaia was a province of Greece where the city of Corinth was located, so this household may have been local to the people of the church in Corinth.
Paul points out that the household of Stephanas was devoted to serving God’s people. The word used for serving there is diakonia, which is where we get our English word ‘deacon’ from. The role of deacons in many churches is to serve people, whether that be service during the worship service or service outside of worship gatherings.
Paul brings up this household as an example for the Corinthians to follow (verse 16). The Corinthians were to join in the service of others as the household of Stephanas, and we are urged to do the same in our churches and communities today. The text implies that Stephanas’ whole family joined in service, and our whole families should join in serving others as well.
In verse 17, Paul mentions Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus by name. Scholars believe that these three men were the ones who brought the Corinthians’ letter to Paul that prompted this letter as Paul’s reply. We are not sure what was meant by Paul saying they have “supplied what was lacking.” It may mean that their delivery of the Corinthians’ questions encouraged Paul that they were open to his advice and instruction for their congregation.
Paul wanted to recognize these three men (verse 18) because of their delivery of the letter. Their presence refreshed Paul’s spirit and encouraged him for the sake of the Corinthian church. It is likely that these men also delivered Paul’s reply of 1 Corinthians back to Corinth, so the people there would also be refreshed by the results of this exchange.
Next, Paul starts his actual greetings section to close out this letter. A section like this is typical of Paul in all his letters. Paul brings greetings from other churches to the Corinthians. When Paul mentions the churches in “Asia,” he’s referring to what we now know as western Turkey. There were already multiple churches located there, and Paul was promoting unity among the churches as they were all on the same mission from God to spread the gospel and make disciples of Jesus.
Paul specifically calls out greetings from Aquila and Priscilla in verse 19 because they were influential in founding the church in Corinth (Acts 18:1-3). According to Acts 18:18, Aquila and Priscilla sailed to Syria with Paul after their visit to Corinth, and they were influential in the spread of the early church. They are also mentioned in Romans 16:3-5 where Paul writes that they risked their lives for him.
It was a common practice at that time to greet other believers with a “holy kiss” (verse 20). This custom was also mentioned in Romans 16:15, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. It would show unity in the faith among the believers. This was not just something that the Christians did, but greeting with a kiss of friendship was a common practice in the Ancient Near East. Scholars note that it would have been culturally understood that this kiss of friendship would not cross genders; men would “holy kiss” men and women would “holy kiss” women.
In verse 21, Paul states that he writes this greeting in his own hand. This was a sign of authenticity for the letter. It was customary for letters to be dictated to a secretary of sorts who would do the actual writing.
Paul felt the need to add a stern warning to the end of this letter in verse 22, that anyone who does not love the Lord would be cursed, meaning that they would be under the wrath of God. This is how important it was for Paul that the recipients of this letter be followers of Jesus! Finally, he ends with a shorter benediction than is typical for him in verses 23-24, concluding with sharing his love for the Corinthian believers, even if he did need to give them some harsh words throughout this letter.
The main takeaway we can have from this section as modern believers is that we should regard this entire letter as authoritative Scripture. The people and places that Paul mentions are authenticated by other parts of Scripture. Paul’s indication that he wrote this greeting himself gives it validity as well. These concluding greetings and remarks can give us the confidence to trust Paul’s words throughout this letter as inspired by God and as an authority for our lives.
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