Having exhorted the Corinthians to practice daily generosity, Paul shares a second of three thoughts in the conclusion of his first letter to the Corinthians – concerning details about hospitality:
“I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Cor 16:5-9).
Paul is clearly concerned about the Corinthian church and wants to not only visit them, but also to spend a great deal of time among them. His unstated purpose for a long visit probably relates to the earlier parts of this letter concerning areas where he strongly disagrees with them. But his stated purpose is to solicit support for his ongoing journey, wherever it is that the Lord will send him next.
There are two elements of hospitality here from the viewpoint of a potential visitor’s needs:
- Providing physical means of support, and
- Providing financial support for an itinerant missionary or one from a foreign country who has been persecuted for his or her religion.
“When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers” (1 Cor 16:10-11).
Paul also prepares the way for his young protégé Timothy, who is expected to pass through Corinth, but has not yet arrived. Recall that when Paul came to Corinth earlier, he clashed with Apollos, whom the people preferred over Paul. So he is concerned also that the church at Corinth might be unfairly prejudiced against Timothy, because he is Paul’s student, not Apollos’. But politics aside, the implication of this passage is that hospitality should take top priority over any differences in the theology, culture, or physical condition of a guest visiting in the name of Christ:
- Put visitors at ease;
- Correct those who disapprove of a visitor’s opinions;
- Share the peace of Christ in perfect unity; and
- Facilitate the visitor’s agenda for fulfilling his or her calling under God.