Context of 1 Corinthinans 14?
Steve has been promoting Jesus Christ via simple churches since the early 90's. Also a Conference organizer and the author/compiler of several books. He is a man of very high integrity. I've had the joy of encountering him several times. Good memories.
As for the meetings mentioned in 1 Corinthians, they included multi-lingual expressions (tongues) as well as intelligible extraordinary revelations from God (prophecies). I inquire: If these gifts were not active in a group today would more of the meeting 'default' to ordinary teaching? Every elder, you recall, must be "apt to teach". How does this fit in?
I am just stating the obvious. Most churches do not have persons which have these gifts - or at least they are not aware of them. I am not saying that all spiritual gifts have ceased - some are just rare. Healing - for example.
Personally, I would think it strange that a Christian would possess a spiritual gift and be unaware of it. But that is a separate topic.
And why would the apostle impose limits for tongue speakers or prophets? "Let two or three speak."
Also, could a traditionalist Christian argue that they do have open participatory meetings by way of interactive Sunday School classes? And that they have regular fellowship meals, too, even though they usually separate their fellowship meals from the "ritual" bread and wine?
As for the sharing of music, that seems to be the easiest issue to settle. Most traditional congregations today eagerly invite special music as would those who meet in homes.
And don't miss another participatory element which is completely overlooked in these discussions. It's right here in this same chapter, by the way. It's the verbal, audible amen of agreement. 1 Cor. 14:16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
Obviously, I do not have all the answers. I am just attempting in my views to be led by Scriptures and to be fair to others. I am submitting this short video as food for thought.
As always, I am interested in the historical and scriptural contexts. The good news is that we serve a patient God who looks at our hearts most of all.
May the Lord direct my steps. Yours also.
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There's a lot to contemplate here. Thank you for your post.
Generally speaking, I feel like many churches actually discourage active participation by those in attendance. This gets back to the notion of the clergy-laity system that we often discuss in this forum. How can the clergy retain control if they don't keep the sheep in line and submissive? Like any other human endeavor, hierarchical systems are threatened by the free flow of information. Participatory worship threatens those who seek to control the church.
Those who know me well will tell you that I often use the term "balance" when talking about difficult concepts. And while I believe that there is certainly a place and time for leaders in the church to help guide God's people in their worship, there appears no longer to be any balance in how we conduct our worship activities. What should be an open forum grounded by a few rules that encourage all to participate, instead we march congregants into extravagant auditoriums where they are spoon-fed some teaching, instructed to sing hymns that reinforce that teaching, and then coerced into giving a tithe to keep the entire system running. Yet I can't find any of this in Scripture, at least not in form we see today. The robes of the NT are the coverings that allow the Son to present His people to the Father without blemish, not some formal garb designed to give more credence to the guy running the show.
My struggle today with the institutional church is that I have been unable to find a single one without rules that disqualify me from being an accepted member of the body, even though I proclaim that Jesus is God Incarnate and that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. This has caused me to look elsewhere to find what I seek. I must confess, however, that it is my own lack of trust that has held up my journey. Instead of asking God for discernment to identify the true Gospel, instead I rely on my own wisdom and put up my own barriers to accepting God's word as it comes from His people. My prayer, therefore, is that I can shake the idea that things like church buildings and ordination matter, instead looking to those that God has placed in my midst to guide me regardless of whether their theology aligns exactly with mine.
Until Christ returns or calls me home, my long to find a place where Christ comes first and where I'm able to engage with my fellow believers at more than just a superficial level.
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A great post and a very keen summary paragraph, too:
Generally speaking, I feel like many churches actually discourage active participation by those in attendance. This gets back to the notion of the clergy-laity system that we often discuss in this forum. How can the clergy retain control if they don't keep the sheep in line and submissive? Like any other human endeavor, hierarchical systems are threatened by the free flow of information. Participatory worship threatens those who seek to control the church.
Todd, somehow in all of this we must work toward unity with other Christians, which admittedly seems impossible on some days.
For myself, I have likely been too harsh at times in my own criticisms. I have blamed the paid clergyman for excessive control and I still hold to that sad reality. HOWEVER, I must add that, in my own (very limited) experience, for every controlling clergy there are dozens of excuse-making, lazy "laymen" who are more than content to do NOTHING in terms of ministry or service to the church and others.
My point, however feeble, is that there is blame on both sides. And so, the system feeds off of itself... as the centuries roll by.
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I think that you're spot-on with your comment on unity within the church. This is why, when possible, I bypass the clergy and go directly to the laity. God has given us a wonderful tool in email, so it's easy to directly reach out to my church friends without the clergy having any ability to shut down the Gospel message that I seek to bring. In fact, I also have ordained leaders in my email list so that they can see what I'm saying as well. It puts them on notice that their sheep are hearing something different that what the clergy offers.
While it doesn't surprise me, whenever I send an email I am likely to get a response from the laity yet receive no response whatsoever from the clergy. You would think that if I'm sending a message of faith in Christ and an affirmation that Jesus is God Incarnate, come in the flesh to save us from our sins, that the clergy would be quick to encourage me to continue this work. Instead, it's crickets. Why is that? Why would the clergy not do everything in their power to promote the Gospel by sending a quick "keep it up" message when it is so simple to do? My fear is that it's because they know that the true Gospel represents a threat to the "good order" of their churches. Even though I never criticize the church directly or call out the leadership for their failures, even a discussion of Jesus as a warm and loving Savior appears to be some kind of threat. My belief is that they think that it's easier to keep people in line with threats than by doing the really hard work of teaching the Gospel in its entirety. Shaming people into keeping in line takes much less time and effort than teaching.
I will break break with anyone professing Christ as outlined above since that is what we have in common. I can do nothing if they reject me as not being a good enough Christian to want to share the bread and the cup.
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I think we have a broken system that works a bit like the old story of the Emperor's New Clothes. We are all pretending in something that is simply not present. This reminds me of “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master." Matthew 10:24. If we have a long line of teachers who have no clue how to do ministry, then what can be said for the student who learns under such a teacher? Both think they understand hows it's done, but in reality, they are clueless together. SO... whose fault is it? I think we need to kick such thinking to the curb as all it does at this point is cause us to endlessly chase our tail.
Making us still stuck.
A personal revival of the heart back to the Father is what is needed I think.
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First of all, I admit a bias in favor of open meetings. At the same time I have seen the advantages and disadvantages of them. Even with the disadvantages, they are worth working through for the benefits.
At the same time, I think Steve is pressing a point that Paul is not pressing. In my opinion, which is based more upon observance than scholarship, I believe Paul is emphasizing his authority to bring order out of the confusion that he found in Corinth.
As a child of the pentecostal/charismatic movements, I know how things can get out of hand in meetings and that not everyone knows what to do with that kind of freedom. I have been in gatherings that were filled with enthusiasm and the joy of the Lord which did not end in chaos. I have also seen times when that freedom was misused.
It is also my opinion that one of the reasons the spiritual gifts are not in evidence in many churches today is the reaction against the chaos they can bring. A recent movie, "The Jesus Revolution," gave an example of how the spiritual gifts can go to a persons head, and how the leadership, (Chuck Smith in this case) needed to rein in the situation.
Paul is trying to bring balance to the Corinthian church, and show that love is the greatest gift of all. At the same time he is acknowledging the value of the spiritual gifts when exercised in a respectful manner. There are other passages that are prescriptive, but I think this prescription is to this situation of the disorder in Corinth.
"1 Tim 4:11-14
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. " NIV
Eph 5:17-20
"17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. " NIV
Col 3:14-17
"14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." NKJV
Some might think that the above verses need not apply to our gathering only. I agree, but they should at least apply to our gatherings. While miracles, prophesy and tongues are not mentioned, we know from other places they are not forbidden. (Romans 12).
1 Peter 4:10-11
1"0 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. " NIV
None of these passages limit the use of spiritual gifts to the Christian gatherings. If we read The New Testament we learn that many spiritual gifts were shown in action outside the meetings as well. Life in the Spirit should be experienced daily everywhere possible!
