ORGANIZED SPONTANEITY
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Opening Prayer
Loving Savior, continue to show me who you are and who I am in you. I want to be more like you, better able to share your love with others.
Read 1 CORINTHIANS 14:26–40
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Good Order in Worship
26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
34 Women[a] should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.[b]
36 Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit,let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.38 But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.[c]
39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 14:34 Or peace. As in all the congregations of the Lord’s people, 34 women
- 1 Corinthians 14:35 In a few manuscripts these verses come after verse 40.
- 1 Corinthians 14:38 Some manuscripts But anyone who is ignorant of this will be ignorant
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Meditate on the greatness of the God who brought order to chaos at creation and who brings harmony between disparate people in salvation.‘Rammy’ is a word used in Scotland for a quarrel or disorder. There was an increased potential for a rammy in Corinth’s church gatherings where different people chose hymns, brought instruction, or received revelation, while others spoke in interpreted tongues and prophesied. This potential continues in the church today. But ‘vibrancy and order are not enemies’* if our agreed criterion is building up the church (v. 26). It’s not a competition! Where our common motivation is instruction and encouragement (v. 31), and when prophets control themselves (v. 32), even interruption is tolerated (v. 30). This image challenges protective practices when it comes to leading worship and preaching. A prophet can kindly give way to another with a revelation, choosing not to hog the limelight but allowing other contributions. Space is provided for all of God’s people to bring their insights. Prophecy is not a prepared talk, but neither is it an uncontested word from the Lord (v. 29).
We can only guess that some wives were inclined to air their questions about prophecies, challenging their husbands in public, which was far from the accepted norm (vv. 34, 35)! Given 1 Corinthians 11:5, it was clearly not a lifetime ban! Rather, this restriction aimed to nullify distraction from building up the church (v. 26).
Apply
Examine your own heart to question your motives for speaking and how well you listen to others.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to use my voice to build up my brothers and sisters in you, to be ready to hear and value the voices of others.
* TR Schreiner, 1 Corinthians, IVP, 2018, p295.
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