📖WEB · 1 Corinthians 16:10
What does 1 Corinthians 16:10 mean?
"Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear, for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do."
— 1 Corinthians 16:10 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
For I do not wish to see you now in passing, but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits.
But I will stay at Ephesus until Pentecost,
for a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear, for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.
Therefore let no one despise him. But set him forward on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.
Now concerning Apollos, the brother, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now; but he will come when he has an opportunity.
Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!
Explanation
This verse comes near the end of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, in a section where he is wrapping up practical matters and personal instructions before his closing greetings. Paul had sent Timothy, his young co-worker and protégé, to visit the church in Corinth, likely to reinforce the teaching Paul had already given them and to help address the divisions and problems that plagued that congregation. In this verse, Paul asks the Corinthian believers to receive Timothy well and to make sure he has no reason to be anxious or afraid while among them.
In plain language, Paul is saying something like this: "If Timothy arrives, make sure you treat him in such a way that he doesn't feel threatened, dismissed, or intimidated. He is doing the same kind of work I do — the Lord's work — so treat him with the respect that deserves." The concern about fear likely reflects Timothy's youth and the Corinthian church's known tendency toward pride, factionalism, and disrespect toward those they considered less impressive or authoritative than Paul himself. Timothy was younger, perhaps more reserved in temperament, and Paul elsewhere describes him as someone who needed encouragement not to be timid (compare 1 Timothy 4:12 and 2 Timothy 1:7).
Theologically, this verse highlights several important truths. First, it affirms that gospel ministry is not measured by a person's age, forcefulness, or status, but by faithfulness to the Lord's work. Paul puts Timothy on the same footing as himself — "as I also do" — show
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