unity

It’s A Family Affair

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8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. – Romans 1:8-15 ESV

Paul had heard about the believers in Rome, but he probably had little or no awareness of any particular individuals, because he had not yet been able to visit the church there. However, he had become aware of the church as a whole and expressed his gratitude to God for them.

I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. – Romans 1:8 NLT

The church in Rome had gained a reputation for its faith. News of their corporate commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ had been spread throughout the known world, and Paul longed to see them face to face. He prayed for them consistently and persistently asked God to allow him the opportunity to visit them.

It is clear that Paul loved the believers in Rome even though he had never met them. He was more than an evangelist, spreading the good news about Jesus Christ and watching people come to faith in Him. Paul was a builder. He wanted to see the local congregations that were springing up all around the world grow into spiritual maturity. The majority of his letters were written to local congregations and have a corporate context. There is a tendency to read his letters from an individualistic viewpoint, failing to understand that his words were intended for the congregation as a whole, not the individual believer.

The church in Rome had a corporate reputation for its faith. It was as a body that they had become known for their faith, not as individuals. Somehow, with our Western, individualistic mindsets, we lose sight of the fact that there is a reason we were baptized into both the local and global body of Christ. We have become members of something far greater and more significant than ourselves. For Paul, salvation was not an individual event; it was a team sport.

Later in this same letter, Paul tells the believers in Rome, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.r” (Romans 12:4-5 NLT). He wrote something similar to the church in Corinth.

But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. – 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 NLT

Our tendency is to focus on our own spiritual growth while neglecting the body’s well-being. We concentrate all our efforts on ourselves. But it’s interesting to note Paul’s comment to his brothers and sisters in Rome.

For I long to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift to strengthen you. – Romans 1:11 ESV

It is unlikely that Paul is saying he wants to lay hands on every one of them and give them a spiritual gift, such as tongues or healing. He clarifies what he means in the very next line.

…that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. – Romans 1:12 ESV

In other words, Paul simply wanted to be a source of encouragement to them as he shared his faith with them. And he knew that they would lift him up in his own faith as they ministered to him. He was less focused on any specific spiritual gift than he was on the mutual encouragement that believers receive as members of the body of Christ. Paul’s heart was for unity in the body and a sense of shared concern for one another, so “that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26 ESV).

Sometimes we make far more of the gifts than the purpose behind them. Paul told the Corinthian believers, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” (1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT). Whatever gift the Spirit has given, He has done so for the mutual benefit of the body. We exist to build one another up. My presence within the body of Christ is other-oriented, making it all about us and not me. That is why God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers to the early church  “to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13 NLT).

The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT).

The gift of mutual encouragement is desperately needed in the church today. We are in this thing together. We are members of one body, serving one God and sharing a common faith in one Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May we learn to share our gifts with one another and grow in our desire to love and encourage one another. And may our corporate reputation for faith in Christ spread throughout the world.

Father, we live in an individualistic society where the sense of community has been lost or replaced by a souless focus on identity politics and group think. Our affiiliations are shallow and have little to do with a shared faith or a common bond in a just or righteous cause. Yet, You have placed Your sons and daughters into a family where they are meant to enjoy the benefits of a loving, faith-based community that is empowered by Your Spirit, instructed by Your Word, and built up by their shared belief in a Savior who died for their sins. This isn’t about idealogy or perceived identity. It is all about the saving work of Jesus Christ and how he broke down the barriers of identity, ethnicity, and individuality. His death unified a disperate and diverse group of people into a family where our selfless displays of mutual love and corporate care reveal that we are Your children. But it is so easy to practice an individualistic faith that negates the blessings of community and destroys the testimony of the body of Christ. Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT). When we live in unity, we are a force to be reckoned with. Together, we become a powerful light shining in the sin-stained darkness of this world. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Spirit-Empowered, Not Self-Motivated

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11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. – 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 ESV

How do you close out a letter like this one? For 13 chapters, Paul has had to defend his ministry, confront the Corinthians about their lack of giving, encourage their continued spiritual growth, and expose the false apostles undermining his authority and hindering his work. Now, as he wraps up his letter, he does so with five simple statements.

First, he tells them to rejoice. He doesn’t explain what they are to rejoice about, but he most likely has their position in Christ in mind. They are children of God, heirs of His Kingdom, recipients of His grace, and possessors of His Holy Spirit, and they have much to rejoice about. Yet it is so easy to lose sight of all that God has done and to allow ourselves to live ungrateful, joyless lives. The life of the believer should be marked by joy and rejoicing, but it is a choice. We must decide to express our gratitude to God for all that He has done for us. Even if we find this life difficult and full of trials, we can rejoice that our future is secure and that all God has promised us is guaranteed. We have an eternity ahead of us, free from sin, pain, and sorrow. Even if we must suffer in this life, we face a suffering-free future because of our faith in Christ.

Secondly, Paul tells them to “aim for restoration.” This could actually be translated, “set things right” or “put things in order.” This interpretation seems more appropriate because Paul has been pointing out issues within the church that were not as they should have been. He was concerned about their reticence to give to the saints in Judea. He was worried about the impact the false apostles had had on their faith. Paul wanted them to get their proverbial act together and pursue spiritual maturity.

It is quite easy for believers in Christ to find themselves distracted from their primary God-given directive to pursue spiritual maturity. Yes, we are to witness and share the gospel with those who have not yet heard. But our transformed lives are one of the greatest testimonies we can give to the power of the gospel. Disorder and disunity in the church are antithetical to our calling as the children of God. Selfishness and self-centeredness are not to characterize our relationship with God. As Paul wrote in his first letter, the Corinthians had a habit of living as if they were still part of the world.

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT

Paul wanted them to get their spiritual house in order and restore things to the way God wanted them.

Next, Paul told them to “comfort one another.” Actually, this might be better translated as “be encouraged” or “be comforted.” This seems to fit in with what Paul said earlier in his letter.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ESV

Paul wanted his letter to bring them encouragement. He knew that their situation was far from perfect and realized that their pursuit of spiritual maturity was anything but easy. So he tried to encourage and comfort them by letting them know that God was not done with them yet. As they were comforted by God, they would be better able to live in unity and peace with one another.

It was a common practice in the early church to greet one another with a kiss as a sign of unity and their common bond in Christ. But Paul insists that they must greet one another with a holy kiss, without hypocrisy and not just for show. A holy kiss can only come from holy lips. You can’t verbally tear down a brother in Christ, then greet him with a kiss as if nothing is wrong. James writes, “Sometimes it [the tongue] praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” (James 3:9-10 NLT). Holiness is the key to true unity and peace.

Finally, Paul closes his letter with a salutation that alludes to all three members of the Trinity: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Grace, love, and fellowship. These three things are critical to the health and spiritual effectiveness of the church. We exist because of the grace or unmerited favor of Christ, made possible by His death on the cross, and we are to extend that grace to all those within the body of Christ.

In his letter to the believers in Rome, Paul confirms that Jesus’ death was the direct result of God’s love for sinful mankind.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8 NLT

God loved us so much that in spite of our sinfulness and rebellion, He sent His own Son to die on our behalf. And we are to love one another in the same selfless, sacrificial way.

Finally, as believers in Jesus Christ and recipients of God’s love, we have been given the Spirit of God. We are inhabited by the Holy Spirit, who makes our fellowship with one another possible. He has given each of us spiritual gifts designed to benefit the rest of the body. He empowers us to love as Christ loved, and produces within us fruit that is designed to minister to one another: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

Our unity is Spirit-empowered, not self-motivated. Our love for one another is made possible by the Spirit of God, not our own self-will. Grace, love, and fellowship, made possible by the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, are all we need for living together as the body of Christ, as sons and daughters of God.

Father, Peter said that Your “divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Petere 1:7 BSB). You loved us enough to send Your Son to pay our sin debt with His own sinless life. Jesus willingly died so that we might live and enjoy forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life. And the Holy Spirit took up residence in us the moment we placed our faith in Jesus, empowering us to live as Your sons and daughters in a broken and sin-damaged world. As a result, Paul calls us to be joyful, grow to maturity, encourage each other, and live in harmony and peace. While there are times when those lofty goals seem impossible and unachievable, You have graciously provided everything we need for life and godliness. At no point have you left us to fend for ourselves or to live godly lives in our own strength. Nothing is impossible for You and, therefore, nothing is impossible for us. May I embrace the attitude that Paul had: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 BSB. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Practicing the Three R’s

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5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. – 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 ESV

In these verses, Paul refers to an unnamed individual who had been a source of trouble in the church. Evidently, he had played an adversarial role, attempting to undermine or question Paul’s ministry or the validity of his apostleship. In doing so, he had caused Paul and the church pain  (lypeō – sadness or grief). This man’s disruptive presence had been a source of consternation and sorrow, and Paul concedes that it had been harder on the Corinthians than it had been on him.

Unlike their earlier response to the man who had been having an incestuous relationship with his stepmother (1 Corinthians 5:1-2), in this case, they had chosen to deal with it. Even this had caused grief, because practicing tough love toward a fellow believer is never easy. In the case of the young man committing adultery with his stepmother, Paul had told them, “You should remove this man from your fellowship” (1 Corinthians 5:2 NLT). He went on to defend his recommendation, telling them, “You must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.” (1 Corinthians 5:5 NLT).

Church discipline is neither fun nor easy, but the alternative can be devastating. Paul had warned the Corinthians of the danger of procrastinating about internal problems within the church. 

Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. – 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 NLT

Regarding the individual Paul refers to in this letter, the Corinthians had practiced church discipline, but now it was time to restore their brother in Christ. He gently, but firmly, reminds them, “Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise, he may be overcome by discouragement” (2 Corinthians 2:6-7 NLT).

The goal of church discipline should be the repentance, restoration, and reconciliation of the offending party. This man’s public ostracization by the church had made an impact on his life. Now, Paul wanted them to forgive and restore him so that he would not lose heart and perhaps fall into greater sin. Paul writes, “ I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him” (2 Corinthians 2:8 NLT).

According to Paul, the body of Christ has been given the ministry of reconciliation. It was the same ministry to which he had been called by Christ.

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” – 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 NLT

Helping restore lost individuals to a right relationship with God is our mission. However, it also includes restoring believers who, through persistent, unrepentant sin, have walked away from God and the body of Christ. Paul told the believers in Galatia:

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. – Galatians 6:1 NLT

It would be ungodly to practice church discipline on a fellow believer without pursuing the ultimate goal of their restoration. Removing an offending believer from your fellowship without intending to restore them one day is not what Paul had in mind.

One of the things we must always keep in mind is that Satan is always out to divide and conquer. Jesus said of him, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10a ESV). His intention is to attack those within the flock of God who are weak and vulnerable. He can’t take away their salvation, but he can steal their effectiveness and joy. He can kill their sense of contentment and destroy their unity with the body of Christ. Satan would much rather destroy the church from within than attack it from the outside. That is why we must be so concerned about sin within the camp.

Sin, like yeast, permeates and spreads. It can be like cancer, growing unobserved and undetected, silently infecting the entire body. So we must always be on the alert and willing to confront sin within the body of Christ. But along with confrontation, we must extend compassion and pursue restoration. And it all begins with forgiveness. This was a recurring theme for Paul:

…be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. – Ephesians 4:32 NLT

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. – Colossians 3:13 NLT

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. – Romans 15:5-7 NLT

Paul knew that God longed for unity among His people. Christ prayed for it in His High Priestly Prayer.

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” – John 17:20-23

Sin was and is an ever-present reality within the body of Christ, but forgiveness should be as well. Otherwise, we open ourselves to the evil schemes of Satan, who seeks to outwit us and destroy the unity Christ died to provide. That is why we need to practice the three R’s: Repentance, reconciliation, and restoration.

We are in this together. We are the body of Christ, the family of God, and our unity should be as important to us as it is to our heavenly Father.

Father, unity does not mean universality. As members of the body of Christ, we are not all the same. We come from different backgrounds, have differing talents and abilities, and we have each been given a different gift by the Holy Spirit for the mutual edification of the church. But we all share a common struggle with indwelling sin; we can’t escape it. Some are more spiritually mature than others. There are those who are weak and more susceptible to sin. And while You have called us to confront sin when we see it, we should never do so without pursuing their repentance and reconciliation. You never said it would be easy, but as Paul makes clear, reconciliation is a non-negotiable necessity. Peter said that judgment begins in the house of God (1 Peter 1:17), but it must be accompanied by restorative love and a desire for spiritual healing. Show us how to practice tough love with the heart of Christ, and never out of judgmentalism or prideful arrogance. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Decency and Order

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33 As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order. – 1 Corinthians 14:33b-40

This passage is a landmine of potential controversy. Over the centuries, there have been various attempts to soften its content and diminish its potential impact on the modern church. Its controversial content has resulted in Paul being labeled a sexist by many and has been used by some to prove their assertion that Christianity is archaic and out of touch with the modern world. Some claim that these words are simply Paul’s personal opinion and not a command from God. They use Paul’s similar statement written to his young protege, Timothy, as proof.

Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. – 1 Timothy 2:11-12 ESV

So what are we to do with these verses? Are we to simply ignore them, write them off as irrelevant, or are we to take them as the word of God and apply them to our local fellowships? To make matters even more difficult, it appears that Paul is contradicting himself. Earlier in this same letter, he states, “Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven” (1 Corinthians 11:4-5 ESV).

It would seem that the context he is referring to regarding prayer and prophesying is that of corporate worship. There would be no need to prophesy in private. Like all the other spiritual gifts, prayer and prophecy were intended for the edification of the body of Christ. So Paul seems to be saying that it is perfectly acceptable for women to pray and prophesy in a worship context. So why does he appear to change his mind and say, “women should keep silent in the churches”?

As always, when interpreting the meaning of a particular verse or verses, context must be considered. That includes the context of the passage in which the verses are contained. But it also includes the cultural context with which the particular book of the Bible is dealing. It is also essential to consider the original audience to whom the author was writing and the specific issues he was addressing.

In this letter, Paul writes to believers in the Greek city of Corinth, most of whom had come from pagan backgrounds and were relatively young in their faith. They were a gifted congregation, but because of their spiritual immaturity and the influence of their pagan past, they were experiencing considerable disorder and disunity in their corporate worship services. They were misusing the spiritual gifts and were failing to exhibit Christlike love for one another. There was an overemphasis on their freedoms in Christ, which resulted in quarrels and contentions over everything from eating food sacrificed to idols to who had the most important spiritual gift.

One of the issues Paul addresses repeatedly is disorder. When it comes to corporate worship, there was to be an atmosphere of order and decorum. Yet some within the church were using their gifts inappropriately, leading to confusion and a spirit of competition. It is important to note that just before Paul calls for the silence of women in the church, he states, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33a ESV).

For Paul, the issue of order was directly tied to that of headship and submission. God not only had a manner in which the body of Christ should operate when gathered together, but He had also established a hierarchy of leadership. Back in Chapter 11, Paul discussed God’s ordained headship of the husband over his wife.

I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. – 1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV

This had nothing to do with the value or worth of the husband or the wife. Christ and God the Father are co-equals and both members of the Trinity, but Christ submits to the authority of God the Father. He does the will of His Father. In the garden, on the night of His betrayal, Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42 ESV). The issue concerns authority and order.

When Paul refers to God as a God of peace, the Greek word he uses denotes harmony and concord among individuals. There was a lack of amicability within the Corinthian church, and their worship services were marked by disorder. So in these verses, Paul once again addresses an apparent abuse of God’s call for order and harmony.

“It is clear from this that the apostle was not concerned about women who properly exercised their gifts in prophesying or in praying, but was greatly concerned about women who disrupted the meetings with questions and comments, and perhaps even challenged the teaching of apostolic doctrine with contrary views.” – Ray Stedman, Should A Woman Teach in the Church, RayStedman.org

It would seem from the context that there were women who were stepping out from under their husband’s God-ordained headship and asserting what they believed to be their right to participate in the worship experience. But their actions were viewed as disruptive to the service and disrespectful of their husband’s headship. Paul states that is is shameful for women to speak in the church, but it is important to note that the word he uses for “speak” means “to declare one’s mind and disclose one’s thoughts.” It has nothing to do with using their spiritual gifts. A woman using her spiritual gift would be under the authority of the Spirit of God. But for a woman to verbally “declare her mind” and state her opinion, seemingly in conflict with a spoken word of prophesy or revelation, would be out of place.

Paul states that “If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home” (1 Corinthians 14:35 ESV). Once again, the issue has to do with order, authority, and headship. The wife should honor her husband by bringing her questions and concerns to him first. Even though he might not have the answer to her questions, she would be encouraging him to step up and fulfill his role as God’s appointed spiritual head of the home. Undermining his authority or that of the leaders of the church would accomplish nothing in terms of the edification of the body of Christ. Disunity and disorder are always destructive.

This passage, while difficult to understand, appears to be a simple admonission to submit to God’s will regarding His preordained order for the church and the home. It is a call to unity and a warning to avoid disorder of any kind.

Paul ends this chapter with the words, “All things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40 ESV). It is easy to lose sight of his main point and get hung up on what appear to be inconsistencies or inequities in his teaching. But for Paul, the central concern was the well-being of the body of Christ, the family of God. There was no place for individual rights or self-seeking attitudes. Love was to be the primary motivating factor behind all that was done. The example of Christ was to be the focus of their attention, resulting in willing submission to God’s authority and a selfless desire for the good of others.

Father, Paul had a way with words but sometimes those words were difficult to understand. Even the apostle Peter admitted, “Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture” (2 Peter 3:16 NLT). When Paul writes something we find disagreeable or confusing, our first reaction is to rationalize a way to reject it or to consider it as not applicable to us. But all Scripture contains bibilical truth and principles that are not only relevant for today, but inspored by the Holy Spirit for the buiding up of the body of Christ. Forgive us for choosing to cherry pick Your Word and for treating it is as up for debate or no longer relevant. May Your Spirit give us the wisdom to discern the life-changing lessons these passages contain so that we might apply them for the good of the body of Christ and the glory of Your name. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A God of Peace, Not Confusion

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26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

36 Or was it from you that the word of God came?  – 1 Corinthians 14:26-33a ESV

The fact that Paul goes into such detail about the gifts reveals that this was a real problem for the church in Corinth. This was not a case of the gifts being in short supply; they seemed to have them in abundance. But they were confused about their purpose and neglected to practice them in a spirit of love. So now, Paul gives more specific comments regarding their use in corporate worship.

“When you come together,” Paul says, “each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation” (1 Corinthians 14:26 ESV). The gifts were designed primarily for use within the community, and Paul makes their intended purpose clear: “Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26 ESV). The gifts were not designed to draw attention or to make the one with the gift look good. And they were certainly not to be used competitively or chaotically. But it seems the Corinthians were in the habit of practicing their gifts almost as if it were a competition. There was no order to their services; everyone was prophesying, singing, teaching, and speaking in tongues at the same time. Which is what led Paul to say, “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 ESV).

The gift of tongues was not to dominate the corporate gathering. As Paul made clear earlier, tongues were intended for the lost, not believers. But if someone was going to practice the gift of tongues within the worship service, there must be someone there to interpret what was said. Otherwise, they were to remain silent, and Paul restricted the use of tongues to no more than three individuals per worship service. He did the same thing with the gift of prophecy. “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said” (1 Corinthians 14:29 ESV).

The worship service was not to be a circus or free-for-all, with everyone speaking at the same time or saying whatever they felt led to say. Even those with a prophetic word were to be evaluated by others with the same gift, so there was a confirmation of what was being said. Just because someone prophesied did not mean that what they said was prophetic or true. There was a need for others with the gift of prophecy to ascertain whether what was being said was of God.

This is an important distinction. Not all tongues are of God. Not all prophecies are from God. Not all revelation is given by God. The gifts can be easily replicated and done apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. Anyone can claim to prophesy in the name of God, but they may not be speaking for Him. There are those who claim to have the gift of tongues, but fail to practice them according to Scripture. They provide no interpretation, and so there is no message for the congregation to receive. So, no one, except the one speaking in tongues, is built up. This was all unacceptable to Paul. It reflected the former pagan background of the Corinthians more than it did God’s intended form of worship for the church.  

The next apparent abuse Paul had to address was that of women speaking in the church services. This is a not-button topic that has caused more than its fair share of controversy over the centuries. But what is Paul’s point? Is he simply being misogynistic or patriarchal? When he flatly states, “Women should keep silent in the churches” (1 Corinthians 14:34 ESV), it comes across as harsh to our modern sensibilities. Was Paul denying women the right to speak in church? That question is easily answered by looking at his statement in Chapter 11. 

…every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. – 1 Corinthians 11:5 ESV

Obviously, women were allowed to pray and prophesy in the church services, so why does Paul state that they must remain silent? As with most controversial or seemingly contradictory matters in Scripture, the answer lies in the context. In chapter 14, Paul discusses the use of the gift of prophecy and the need for order in the church service. He places boundaries or guardrails on the use of all the gifts, including prophecy. If someone exercises the gift of prophecy, their words must be validated by someone else with the same gift. That scenario means the second individual would either corroborate or contradict the first speaker’s words. With that potential scene in mind, Paul instructed women (those with the gift of prophecy) to remain silent. This restriction is directly tied to Paul’s earlier discussion on headship.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet” (1 Timothy 2:12 ESV). This provides additional insight into Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians. For Paul, this was about the God-ordained order of the home and the church. But it was also about proper decorum in the worship services. In Corinth, the corporate gatherings had become chaotic and disordered. It was a free-for-all, with everyone speaking at the same time.

Tongues were being practiced without interpretation. Prophecies were being uttered with no validation or verification. That is why he instructs those who speak in tongues to remain silent when someone else is speaking. In verses 29-31, he commands a prophet to be silent if someone else is prophesying. And then, in verses34-35, he adds that women with the gift of prophecy should refrain from speaking up when a man has prophesied. For Paul, it was all about order and decorum. But it was also about protecting and preserving God’s character.

“The theological point is crucial: the character of one’s deity is reflected in the character of one’s worship. The Corinthians must therefore cease worship that reflects the pagan deities more than the God whom they have come to know through the Lord Jesus Christ. God is neither characterized by disorder nor the cause of it in the assembly.” – Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians.

Order. Edification. Peace. Godliness. Love. All of these things are to characterize the corporate worship of the body of Christ. God has given gifts to help build up the saints. When the Spirit of God is at work within the congregation, it should be evident. There will be a spirit of love present. Orderliness, not confusion, will characterize the assembly. The gifts will be complimentary, not competitive. The use of the gifts will be dictated by the Spirit of God, not the selfish desires of men. And the result will be the edification of all, not the elevation of one.

Father, this is a tough passage that has caused a lot of debate and disension over the years. But we tend to misread and misapply it, leaving out the central message Paul was trying to make. Even in debating the content, we lose sight of the context and the central point Paul was trying to make. It is all about order and unity, sanctification and mutual edification. We are a people who sometimes lose sight of Your will and make it all about us. We even have the capacity to treat the spiritual gifts as if they are the proofs of our personal piety and use them to puff up ourselves up rather than build up the body of Christ. Help us to read and apply Paul’s words as intended because they come from You. Give us the ability to read Your Word carefully and apply it diligently, for the good of the flock and for Your glory. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Spirit of Unity, Community, and Mutual Dependability

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13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? – 1 Corinthians 13:13-14:1-6 ESV

Now Paul begins to differentiate between the gifts. He is not necessarily making one more important or spiritually more relevant than another, but he is prioritizing them based on their particular benefit to the body of Christ. He has just spent an entire chapter emphasizing the importance of love.

He has described love as selfless and sacrificial. Those who practice this godly brand of love under the influence of the Holy Spirit put the needs of others ahead of their own. And the same should be true when they use their spiritual gift. Now, it seems that the Corinthians had so elevated the gift of tongues that it had become a problem within the church. And their practice of the gift was not in keeping with Paul’s admonition that love be the motivating factor behind all the gifts. For the Corinthians, the gift of tongues had become the most desirable of all the gifts. Evidently, they viewed that particular gift as more spiritual and therefore, more preferable. It was flashy and flamboyant, and to be able to speak in an unknown tongue was sure to be an attention-getter. But that was a big part of the problem with their prioritizing this gift over all the others.  Those who practiced it seemed to do so with a focus on self rather than on building up the body of Christ.

So while Paul encourages them to earnestly seek the spiritual gifts, he promotes prophecy over tongues, and his explanation is simple and direct.

For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. – 1 Corinthians 14:2 NLT

If no one understands what you are saying, no one benefits from your use of the gift, not even you. It will remain a mystery, known only to God. And while you may be speaking in the power of the Spirit of God, it will do nothing to build up those around you. However, as Paul points out, someone “who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them” (1 Corinthians 14:3 NLT).

The gift of prophecy was the Spirit-empowered ability to reveal truth from God that had not yet been revealed. It was a word from God intended for the benefit of the entire congregation. This gift was evident and necessary in the early days of the church because the Canon of Scripture had not yet been compiled. The Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) existed but were not always available to the new congregations springing up among the Gentiles. The gospels had not yet been written, and Paul, Peter, and James were still writing their letters, which would later be included in the Canon of Scripture. So, there was a desperate need among these fledgling and far-flung congregations to hear the truth of God. And those who had been given the gift of prophecy were to speak through the Spirit’s power for the benefit of the people of God. But tongues, at least as practiced by the Corinthians, was a more self-centered gift.

A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. – 1 Corinthians 14:4 NLT

The one who spoke in an unknown tongue may receive a blessing from knowing that they were being used as an instrument of God, but if no one could understand what they were saying, the body of Christ could receive no benefit. But when someone prophesied, everyone gained from the experience. In the previous chapter, Paul made the bold statement, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2 NLT).

None of the gifts were of benefit if they were practiced without love. But tongues, because it involved speaking in an unknown language, was particularly troublesome. The first time the gift of tongues was manifested in the church was at Pentecost.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” – Acts 2:1-8 ESV

The purpose of this manifestation of the Spirit of God was to communicate the gospel so that all could comprehend it. For this to happen, the Spirit enabled the disciples to speak in languages they did not know, for the benefit of the thousands of people from other countries who had gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost.

There was no need for interpretation, because the hearers understood what was being said. However, in Corinth, the use of tongues had become self-centered and self-edifying. They were missing the point. At Pentecost, the people who heard the disciples speak in tongues, or foreign languages, were amazed. They said, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” (Acts 2:7-8 NLT). But look closely, and you will see that it was the substance of their message that got their attention, not the style. The very same people reacted, “‘We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.’ And all were amazed and perplexed” (Acts 2:11-12 NLT).

It was the content that was important, not the means of delivery. For Paul, the bottom line was the church’s spiritual edification. The question to ask is, “How will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching” (1 Corinthians 14:6 ESV). Speaking in a foreign tongue was of no benefit to anyone unless the message it contained was understandable and from God.

We tend to think of the gifts of the Spirit from a purely personal perspective. We seem to believe our gift was given for our own benefit and spiritual enlightenment. But the gifts are given to individuals for the benefit of the community. My gift is for you, and your gift is for me. The one who receives the gift is simply a conduit through whom God pours His blessings on others. As Paul told the church in Rome, when we practice our gifts in love, all will benefit.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. – Romans 12:6-10 NLT

Notice the other-oriented nature of Paul’s instructions. His emphasis is on the edification and encouragement of the body of Christ, not the individual. The gifts were never to be used in a selfish or self-promotional manner. They were never intended to elevate the recipient’s spiritual status. Instead, they were to promote a spirit of unity, community, and mutual dependability that edified all and glorified God.

Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. You didn’t have to provide us with His presence and power, but You did. And I am grateful that Your Son’s resurrection and return to Your side in heaven was accompanied by the coming of the Spirit. Without Him, we would be helpless and hopeless. Yet, we tend to operate as if He doesn’t exist or we’re tempted to use His gifts as if they only exist for us. But You have always been about unity and community. And, Holy Spirit, Your presence in my life was never intended to make me appear good to others or make me feel better about myself. My life is supposed to serve as a conduit for Your power as it passes through me to all those around me. The gift You have given me was never for my benefit; it was intended to bless others. We have all the gifts we need but, like the Corinthians, we need to learn how to use them for Your glory and the good of others. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Unity In Diversity

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12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 ESV

God’s goal for us is oneness. It was one of the primary requests Jesus prayed to His Father in the garden on the night He was betrayed.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” – John 17:20-23 ESV

Jesus knew that the unity of His followers would be the greatest expression of the heart transformation that only salvation can produce. It is the Spirit-empowered oneness of believers that proves to the world that Jesus was who He said He was and that He actually accomplished all He claimed He would do.

Paul picked up on the theme of Jesus’ high priestly prayer and echoed those sentiments to the believers in Corinth, whose brand of spirituality was not working. Rather than leading to unity and reflecting the oneness of Christ and the Father, it was producing arrogance, pride, and division within the church. Even their view of the gifts of the Spirit was dividing rather than unifying the body. So Paul gave them a lengthy primer on the spiritual life, with special emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit.

Paul emphasizes that they are all one in Christ, but they are not all the same. Unity does not demand uniformity; instead, it embraces diversity. That is what makes the body of Christ so unique and reflects God’s power. He takes people of all shapes and sizes, colors and creeds, backgrounds and traditions, and molds them into a single entity called the body of Christ, His church. The unifying factor of the church is not our shared ethnicity or ancestry, our common cultural background, or country of birth. It is our mutually shared calling by God and our redemption as a result of faith in the death of His Son. We are one because God has made us so. He has adopted us as His sons and daughters, placed us in His ethnically diverse family, and given us the power of the Holy Spirit so that we might live in love and unity.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul described Jesus as “the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it” (Colossians 2:19 ESV). It is our common faith in Christ that binds us together, and He does so through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. That is Paul’s point to the believers in Corinth, and to make it clear, he uses the analogy of the human body.

Each of us has just one body, but it is made up of many parts. It consists of muscles, ligaments, organs, and limbs, each assigned a different purpose and designated function. Some parts operate behind the scenes, unseen and unrecognized for their role in the body’s functioning. Others are more prominent and seem to bear greater responsibility for the body’s overall health. We give these “vital” parts the lion’s share of our attention because we can’t imagine life without them. Paul uses the ears, eyes, hands, and feet as an example.

If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? – 1 Corinthians 12:15-17 NLT

It is the diversity and unity of the human body that make it so incredibly amazing. Each part, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is necessary for the whole body to function properly. In fact, Paul states, “some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary” (1 Corinthians 12:22 NLT).

There is a God-ordained design to the human body that causes it to operate most effectively when it is unified, and each part fulfills its assigned role. The same thing is true of the body of Christ. Paul writes, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT). That means no one is more important than anyone else and no spiritual gift is more essential than another. The spiritual gift each individual receives is intended to build up the body of Christ, not to stroke the ego and promote an air of self-importance and selfishness.

Paul lists various spiritual gifts, including the utterance of wisdom, the utterance of knowledge, faith, healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, the ability to distinguish between spirits, various kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. The list is intended to emphasize the variety of the gifts, not their order of importance. Yet the Corinthians were categorizing the gifts by what they believed to be their importance. They were focusing on which gift appeared to be the most significant and spectacular. But Paul reminded them that it was the Spirit who distributed the gifts, as He saw fit.

The Corinthians needed to spend more time using the gifts they had been given rather than debating over who had the better gift. The goal was unity, but it was their God-ordained uniqueness that made it possible. Each individual’s gift, assigned to them by the Spirit of God, is intended for the mutual edification of the entire church. But in the Corinthian church, the more flamboyant gifts, like healing and tongues, had been deemed more important and therefore more desirable. But one’s giftedness is not to be a badge of honor or a source of pride.

The Holy Spirit does not give out gifts to stroke our ego or prioritize our importance within the church. We have been gifted by God for the good of the body of Christ. The goal behind our calling and giftedness is “harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26 NLT). Individuality and community. Uniqueness and unity. Giftedness and shared good. That is what makes the body of Christ function and proves that our faith is real and our Savior is alive.

Father, unity in diversity is a difficult concept for us to grasp. We tend to prefer homogeneity and uniformity. because there is something strangely comforting about sameness. Yet, at the same time, we all fight the urge to be different, to stand out in the crowd. And we see the spiritual gifts as an opportunity to set ourselves apart. So we place them into categories that differentiate their importance and elevate our own significance. But that was not Your plan. The gifts were given to unify and edify. As the apostle Paul stated, the diversity of the body of Christ was meant to illustrate Your wisdom. “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT). The church was intended to be a melting pot of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, unified by their faith in Christ and equipped with the gifts of the Spirit for their common good and Your glory. Show us how to make that a reality in our individual fellowships and throughout the universal church. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Disorder, Disunity, and Division

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17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. – 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 ESV

Disorder, disunity, and division. All three took place in the church in Corinth. That is partly the reason Paul had to address the issue of authority and headship. It appears that some were uncomfortable with his teaching on headship and submission. Once again, the issue of freedoms and rights had come up. In the opening verses of this chapter, Paul addressed women in the church who refused to cover their heads during worship. This was not about value or worth; it was about God-ordained headship, authority, and responsibility.

Paul said, “The head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV). It is noteworthy that Paul makes it clear that both the husband and the wife, the male and the female, were free to prophesy and pray when the church assembled. But the man was to do so with his head uncovered, because to pray or prophesy with his head covered “dishonors his head” (1 Corinthians 11:4 ESV). In other words, he would be blatantly rejecting Christ’s headship in his life. And if a wife prophesies or prays with her head uncovered, she “dishonors her head” (1 Corinthians 11:5 ESV). Her actions would be construed as dishonoring her husband’s God-appointed headship.

For Paul, it was all about order, unity, and submission to God’s will. That’s why he now addresses their attitude toward the Lord’s Supper. Ordained by Jesus Christ Himself, this ordinance was to be a regular occurrence in the church, and the early church commemorated it as a feast. Unlike our modern version of the Lord’s Table, theirs was a meal. In the book of Acts, we read, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:46-47 ESV).

This “love feast” was a communal gathering at which they commemorated the Lord’s death with the bread and the cup. But they also shared a meal, and that’s where the problem began. Paul says, “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat” (1 Corinthians 11:20 ESV). In other words, they had turned the Lord’s supper into something altogether different. Their supper was marked by selfishness, division, and even drunkenness. They were making it all about the meal instead of memorializing Christ’s crucifixion. The food had taken center stage, not the celebration of Jesus’ sacrificial death, which made their salvation possible.

Paul doesn’t sugarcoat the problem. “For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:21 ESV). The gladness and generosity mentioned in Acts 2 had long since passed. It was as if everyone was in it for themselves. Some ate, while others went without. The meal had lost its communal aspect because people were eating without any regard for others. And then there were those who were using the “love feast” as an excuse to get drunk. There was little difference between this Christ-ordained event and the feasts held in pagan temples. Paul was shocked by their behavior and couldn’t understand why they didn’t just eat their meals at home if they couldn’t control themselves. The Lord’s Supper was meant to remember all that Christ had done to make their salvation possible, not to satisfy their fleshly appetites.

In a not-so-subtle attempt to shame their actions, Paul asks them, “Do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?” (1 Corinthians 11:22b ESV). Their actions reflected a lack of love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. There was no sharing of meals or compassion for the needy among them. The church in Corinth bore little resemblance to the early church recorded in the Book of Acts.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. – Acts 2:42-45 ESV

How easy it is to lose sight of our purpose as followers of Christ. We can turn our times of corporate worship into individually-focused moments of self-satisfaction. If we forget that we gather to worship God, we end up making it all about ourselves, demanding that the music and the message cater to our personal preferences. We can go through an entire Sunday service, neglecting those around us and never truly worshiping God. In doing so, we miss the whole point of corporate worship.

For Paul, the Corinthians had missed the message behind the Lord’s Supper. It was not about enjoying a good meal; it was to be a celebration of their common bond in Christ and a commemoration of His sacrificial death on their behalf. Luke records the words of Jesus on the night that He instituted this sacred service.

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”

After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” – Luke 22:14-20 NLT

Just moments after this sobering sequence of events, the disciples would argue over who was the greatest among them. They had missed the point. So Jesus said to them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:25-27 ESV).

The Kingdom of God was about selflessness, not selfishness. Followers of Christ, in imitation of Him, were to be servants, not self-serving. When we focus on the self, we end up loathing the body of Christ. When we make it all about ourselves, we neglect the fact that Jesus died, not just so that we might enjoy the self-satisfaction of our salvation, but solidarity as the people of God.

Father, You are all about unity and oneness. That is what Your Son prayed for in His high priestly prayer on the night He was betrayed. He pleaded that we would be one just as You and He are one. Yet, our sinful natures are prone to selfishness and self-centeredness. We have the unique capacity to make everything about ourselves. We can even turn a communal meal, designed to commemorate the selfless sacrifice of Your Son into a me-centered moment of self-aggrandizement. Yet, You have called us to live selflessly and sacrificially. You have even provided us with the Holy Spirit to make our unity possible. But as Paul said, “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants” (Galatians 5:17 NLT). It is not that we lack the power to live in unity; it is that we lack the desire. Open our eyes to the danger of selfishness. Help us to see that there is no place for self-centeredness in the body of Christ. We are to live in oneness and reflect the unity You enjoy with Your Son. As Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Hair, Headship, and Holiness

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2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. – 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 ESV

What in the world is Paul talking about in this passage? There is little debate that this is one of the hottestly debated sections in the Bible. There are those who write it off as just another example of Paul’s male chauvinism and unbridled misogyny. Others believe that we are obligated to adhere to Paul’s teaching regarding hair length and head coverings in the church today. Some have determined that Paul is addressing a cultural issue unique to Corinth that has no bearing on the modern church.

But if all Scripture “is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV), then it would seem prudent to discover what Paul is trying to tell us in these verses. Obviously, some of what Paul is addressing is cultural and contextual, and has to do with believers living in the Greek city of Corinth. They had to operate in an environment markedly different from the one in which we live. But that does not mean Paul’s remarks are entirely irrelevant or non-binding for the rest of us. There are timeless truths taught within these verses that apply to us as well.

The challenge is to discover the non-negotiable principles intended for the church in every age, and not to allow ourselves to be distracted or deterred by the seemingly incongruous and archaic arguments of Paul. Verse 3 is essential to understanding what Paul is trying to say in the passage:

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. – 1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV

The real point of this passage is authority; more specifically, God-ordained authority. As you can imagine, in the cultural context of Corinth in which Paul was trying to preach and teach, there were some strong objections to much of what he had to say. And the topic of authority or headship was one of the more controversial. So he lays out the God-ordained order of things:

The head of (authority over) Christ is God

The head of (authority over) man is Christ

The head of (authority over) the wife is her husband

Paul states that man, who was created by God, is “the image and glory of God” (1 Corinthians 11:7a ESV). Then he adds that “woman is the glory of man” (1 Corinthians 11:7b) because she was made from man. The creation account tells us that Eve was created by God from one of Adam’s ribs. So, Paul concludes, “man was not made from woman, but woman from man” (1 Corinthians 11:8 ESV). And while Paul does not state it directly, he infers that Jesus came from God, but not in the sense that He was created by God, because Jesus, like God, is eternal. The apostle John made this point quite clear in the opening of the gospel that bears his name.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. – John 1:1-4 ESV

But Jesus’ birth and incarnation were the work of God. Mary conceived because of the Spirit of God. All of this is to say that God has ordained an irrevocable order to things, and ever since the fall, mankind has been trying to turn that order on its head. It is interesting to note that, as a result of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Eve received a very specific curse. God said, “You will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you” (Genesis 3:16 NLT). One of the things that caused the fall to happen in the first place was that Adam failed to honor his God-ordained headship by allowing Eve to disobey the expressed will of God. It was to Adam that God had given His command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, Adam gave Eve the lead and allowed her to make the decision. So, “she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too” (Genesis 3:6 NLT).

The issue of head coverings and hair length appears to be culturally influenced. The real point is headship and the proper expression of it. A woman wearing a veil or head covering as a sign of submission to her husband’s authority, while culturally acceptable, did not necessarily mean that she was truly submissive. A man wearing his hair short as a sign of submission to the authority of God did not necessarily mean he actually lived under that authority. The outward evidences of submission mean nothing if the inward expression of submission is missing.

The bottom line about authority, headship, and submission is that each of us ultimately submits to God. Paul states, “But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God” (1 Corinthians 11:11-12 NLT). There is a God-ordained inter-dependency at work here. Eve was made from Adam, but every male since Adam has come from a woman. It is not that men are more important or of more value to God than women; it is about divinely orchestrated authority and responsibility. 

If we are not careful, we will spend all our time debating head coverings and hair length and miss Paul’s primary point of headship. There comes a point at which we have to reconcile ourselves with God’s will, even when it seems to contradict the world’s patterns and our own preferences. Jesus submitted to the will of God, even though it meant His death. Paul submitted to the will of Christ, taking the gospel to the Gentiles, even though his efforts were met with rejection and persecution.

Men are to submit to Christ, acknowledging Him as their head, even though it means giving up their rights and learning to love sacrificially and selflessly. Wives are to submit to their husbands and daughters are to submit to their fathers, as to the Lord. This divine order of things does not imply that the husband or father is wiser or knows better. As Paul told the Ephesians, each of us is to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21 NLT). And Peter reminds us, “humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6 NLT).

We may not understand all that Paul is saying here; we may not even like what we do understand. But we must trust that God’s will regarding headship and submission is best. We must submit to His will and trust His wisdom. This passage has a lot more to say about holiness than it does about hair. God’s will regarding headship is not arbitrary or optional. He has a divine purpose behind all His commands, and the way they manifest will remain consistent over time, although their application may vary by cultural context. Are head coverings mandatory for women in the church? That question remains a hot-button topic in some denominations. But Paul’s greater concern was the state of the heart, not the exposure of one’s hair. He was addressing the matter of headship, not head coverings.

Is it sinful for men to wear hats? If we take this passage too literally, those are the kinds of conclusions we can draw from Paul’s words. But he would argue that we are missing the forest for the trees. In the first-century context of Corinth, head coverings for women were a societal norm.

“In the Corinthian culture, women normally wore a head covering as a symbol of their submission to their husbands. Paul affirms the rightness of following that cultural mandate—to dispense with the head coverings on women would send the entirely wrong signal to the culture at large. In fact, Paul says that, if a Christian woman refuses her head covering, she might as well shave her hair off, too (verse 6). A woman who refused to wear a covering in that culture was basically saying, “I refuse to submit to God’s order.” Therefore, the apostle Paul is teaching the Corinthians that hair length or the wearing of a “covering” by the woman was an outward indication of a heart attitude of submission to God and to His established authority.” – “Should Christian Women Wear Head Coverings.” GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/head-coverings.html.

Paul was encouraging the new believers in Corinth to refrain from doing anything that might damage Christ’s reputation in their community. Women without head coverings would have been unacceptable in their cultural context. Men who covered their hair would have been viewed as effeminate and unmanly. This kind of behavior would have sent mixed signals to the unbelievers in Corinth, painting the church in a negative light. But, for Paul, the issue was always about headship and following God’s divine order. He wanted believers to live in a way that honored God by submitting to His divine order.

Father, You have established an order for Your creation and, as Your children, we have been charged with maintaining that order as Your servants. You made man and woman in Your image, and we are to reflect that image to the world. You created marriage to reveal Your glory to the world as the husband and wife mirror Your sacrificial love and selfless service for one another in the roles You pre-ordained for them. We get into trouble when we decide we know better than You do. We create confusion and conflict when we try to rethink and reorder Your divine plan for the roles and relationships You have established. Chaos ensues, conflict erupts, and our role as Your image-bearers becomes blurry to a lost world that desperately needs to see Your will lived out in real time and clarity. Give us the strength to live out our calling according to Your will and not our own — for Your glory and the good of all those around us. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Run, Don’t Walk

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18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 ESV

The Corinthians were not taking their union with Christ seriously. Due to their dualistic approach to life, they seemed to believe that what they did with their bodies really didn’t matter. This led them to look on any sins they committed with their bodies as somehow separated from their spiritual lives. One can see the logic behind their thinking from the popular phrase they used.,

“All things are lawful for me.” – 1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV

This was a common expression among the Corinthians that was used to excuse their behavior. It had led them to commit all kinds of sin with impunity, including sexual sin. The very fact that they had refused to deal with the man in their church who was having sexual relations with his stepmother shows how skewed their thinking had become. But Paul is out to confront and correct their improper views of the body and its relationship with sin.

Paul commands them to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18a ESV). He uses the Greek word, φεύγω (pheugō), which means “seek safety by flight or to escape safely out of danger” (“G5343 – pheugō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). It is the same word he used when writing to Timothy.

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from (pheugō) all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. – 1 Timothy 6:11 NLT

Paul had warned Timothy about those who have “an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy” (1 Timothy 6:4-5 NLT).

Paul told Timothy to flee from these things and, instead, to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. The word Paul used means “to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after” (“G1377 – diōkō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). It is not enough to simply run from something, but we must also run to something else. However, if the Corinthians did not see sexual sin as wrong and dangerous to their spiritual well-being, they would continue in it. That was unacceptable to Paul.

So he attempts to paint a vivid picture of the dangers of sexual sin by emphasizing that every other sin a person commits is “outside the body,” while sexual immorality is a sin “against” the body. The word he uses is a Greek preposition that is most often translated “into.” When committing sexual sin, a physical union takes place that sets this particular sin apart. All sin requires the use of my body. To lie or slander, the tongue is necessary. Stealing requires the use of the hands and feet. To murder another human being requires the mind to plan the deed and the body to carry it out. And while these sins are no less serious than sexual immorality, Paul’s point is that there is a difference. Sexual immorality is a blatant sin against the body, and that body, Paul stresses, “is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God” (1 Corinthians 6:19b NLT).

As followers of Christ, we enjoy a mystical, but real union with Him. His Spirit lives within us, and we take Him with us wherever we go. Paul told the Colossians, “Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory” (Colossians 1:27 NLT). So, when someone commits sexual sin with his or her body, they are dragging Christ into that experience. Paul asks the Corinthians, “Don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her?” (1 Corinthians 6:16a NLT). There is an intimacy and interconnection established, and this led Paul to ask, “Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute?” (1 Corinthians 6:15 NLT). And just to clear up any possible confusion, Paul provides the correct answer: “Never!”

For Paul, union with Christ was an essential doctrine that needed to be understood and incorporated into every aspect of a believer’s daily life. John Murray wrote that “union with Christ is . . . the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation. . . . It is not simply a phase of the application of redemption; it underlies every aspect of redemption” (Redemption – Accomplished and Applied, Eerdmans, 1955, pp. 201, 205).

We are one with Christ. We share His identity. We are progressively being transformed into His likeness. We not only share in His death and resurrection, and all that those things imply, but we also share in His righteousness. We have the capacity to live like Christ in this lifetime. The very same power that raised Him from the dead lives within us and is available to us. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:3-4 ESV).

He went on to emphasize their oneness with Christ.

 In him we have redemption through his blood – vs 7

In him we have obtained an inheritance – vs 11

In him you also … were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit – vs 13

We are in Christ. We are one with Christ. Sexual sin uses the body that belongs to Christ and re-purposes it for immorality. It takes what God has bought with the precious blood of His Son, our body, and uses it for ungodly purposes. In so doing, we degrade and desecrate the very temple of God. Which is why Paul ends this section with a call to “honor God with your body.” Why? Because “You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT).

We belong to God – body and soul. Our bodies are no longer ours to do with as we want. Each believer’s body is the temple of God’s Spirit and is to be used to bring God glory and honor. Paul reminds us, “Give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind he will find acceptable” (Romans 12:1 NLT).

All of this is in keeping with the prayer Jesus prayed in the garden on the night He was betrayed. As He prepared for his pending death, Jesus took the time to pray “for all who will ever believe in me through their message” (John 17:20 NLT). That includes us.

“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” – John 17:21-23 NLT

The reality of our unity with Christ should motivate us to pursue righteousness in all that we do. We are His body and serve as the temple of the Holy Spirit. As individuals, we contain the indwelling presence and power of God. As a community of believers, we serve as His temple on earth and display His glory to the world around us.

Father, we live in a world that is obsessed with sexual sin. It is everywhere and the enemy is constantly tempting us to not only participate in it but to accept it as normal and natural. Our children are being exposed to its allure and lies at increasingly earlier ages. The gift You created has been turned into a cheap substitute for love and offers a self-obsessed pursuit of personal pleasure at all costs. It is destructive and antithetical to the selfless and sacrificial life we have been called to live. Open our eyes to the danger of sexual sin and give us the strength to pursue righteousness at all costs — for our own good and Your glory. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.