When we Gather
1 cor 14:26-40
1.
1. Background
Paul asks at the beginning of this section, “What then, brothers?” What
then, brothers, what should your public meetings be like in light of the
particular issues you are bringing up.
In light of the Lord’s supper, in light of the spiritual gifts, in light
of love, in light of prophecy and tongues, in light of the wonder of the
church, the very body of Christ, where God himself manifests his presence, in
light of all these things – what then?
What then when you come together?
This is a question we need to be asking ourselves today. What then, brothers? What are we to do when we come together? What are we to do in light of the entire
bible and what God is calling us to?
What is this thing called Sunday morning worship or Sunday morning
service or church? What then, brothers? There are a thousand different ways churches
are going these days in terms of Sunday morning meetings. Check out these examples from John MacArthur:
The
Members listen to sermons whose topics include the pastor's '70 Ford pickup, and Christian sex (rated R for "relevance, respect, and relationship," says [the pastor], "and more fun than it sounds"). After the service, they dance to a band called—what else?—the Honkytonk Angels. Attendance has been steadily rising [1]
…. the following ad for a Sunday evening service appeared in the bulletin of one of the largest and best-known churches in the heart of America's "Bible belt":
Circus - See Barnum and Bailey bested as the magic of the big top circus comes to The Fellowship of Excitement! Clowns! Acrobats! Animals! Popcorn! What a great night!
This same church once had their pastoral staff put on a wrestling match during a Sunday service, even going so far as to have a professional wrestler train the pastors to throw one another around the ring, pull hair, and kick shins without actually hurting one another. Again, these are not really extraordinary incidents. Scores of churches are following similar methods, employing every means available to spice up their services.
Clearly, Sunday worship is undergoing a revolution that has no parallel in all of church history. [2]
Main Idea:
How do we answer the question What then brothers? 1
Corinthians 14 has answers for us.
Though not meant to be an exhaustive treatise on corporate worship, 1 Corinthians 14 teaches us that when we
gather, we gather together, we gather in order, and we gather to build up. That is what our message is about today. We gather together, we gather in order, we
gather to build up.
2.
2. we gather together
First, we gather together when we gather together. That may sound silly but we can miss this all
too easily. This whole section of
scripture is saturated with the truth that the Christian life is a corporate
life. An isolated Christian is a
horrific contradiction. Christians are
part of the body of Christ and the body is not a dismembered body. That is the stuff of second rate horror
movies. To be separated from the people
of God is always seen as a curse in scripture.
If you are here today and have any notion that you can be a solitary
Christian let me tell you in love that you are in grave danger and you are
insulting the very Lord you profess to follow.
If I understand 1 Corinthians 11 rightly, God takes it very seriously
when we do not acknowledge the body of Christ – when we refuse to see our
interconnectedness with other believers, and the call to a local body each of
us has. An isolated and self-sufficient
Christianity is an impossibility.
So our section is full of a picture of a corporate experience of worship. Notice what Paul says right as he starts to address the question, “What then..”. When you come together, each one has something to give. Each one has a…. . Do you notice that - each one is bringing something. Later one it says , “For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. Clearly this is not a corporate worship service where all come to hear one talk. That reminds me of the description of a football game, “50,000 people who desperately needing exercise watching 22 people who desperately need to rest.” I think some folks view of Sunday worship is very close to this. But this section portrays something very different.
1 Corinthians 14:26-40
(ESV)
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, With Many
contributors.
Now, don’t forget that each one does not mean every one. We see earlier in this section of scripture that not all exercise any particular gift. Do you remember that? Check out chapter 12 verses 27-31.
1 Corinthians 12:27-31
(ESV)
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God
has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,
then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various
kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do
all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with
tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will
show you a still more excellent way.
So while it says that
each one has a contribution and that all can prophesy I don’t think that in
every worship gathering in
“It is completely foreign to the New Testament,” he writes, “to split the Christian community into one speaker and a silent body of listeners.” The same point has been made by many more popular writers: chapter 14 reflects a church service where there is dynamic interplay, sharing, give and take – not detailed liturgy climaxed by lengthy exposition delivered by one properly recognized authority.[3]
1. 2.1.1. Many Components
So each one is coming to bring something. The various parts of the body are functioning in their gifts to create a corporate experience. Let’s take a look at some of the elements this section that each one brings and then we will briefly look at other components of corporate worship mentioned elsewhere in scripture. Paul says that each one has a hymn. This is also translated as a psalm. You know how that is said in the original language bible from which we get our bibles? This word “psalm” speaks of the songs we sing to God. This would include singing actual psalms from the book of Psalms but also any song of praise to God. In 1 Cor. 14:15 Paul says that he will “psallo” with his mind and with his spirit. This is the action of psalm-singing. This “psallo”-ing with his spirit is singing in tongues. It is unlikely that he is singing one of the Psalms in tongues. This term – psalmos – includes singing the Psalms but would include a broader body of singing similar to the psalms themselves. Nevertheless, the Psalms are a wonderful place to start! Last week Ken read from Psalm 103. What a wonderful way to begin our worship time. “Praise the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits.” My prayer is that we will continue to experience worship through the reading and singing of the psalms and other spiritual songs. May each one having a psalm be a regular occurrence when we gather – be it on Sundays, or in Caregroups or casually!
In Ephesians 5:19 and
Ephesians 5:19 (ESV)
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody to the Lord with all your heart,
It looks like we may have portions of some of these early psalms, hymns and spiritual songs captured for us in scripture. Check these verses out.
Ephesians 5:14 (ESV)
14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O
sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
1 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in
the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the
nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
Colossians 1:15-18 (ESV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For
by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created
through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things
hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be
preeminent.
So, part of the corporate experience of worship includes specific folks bringing a song of worship. We could spend an entire message just on this aspect of corporate worship. Suffice it for now, to say that song singing to God is a key element for corporate worship because of not only the witness of 1 Corinthians 14 but the entire scriptural record of music, singing and worship. Thank God for such wonderful songs like “I Will Glory in My Redeemer”
I will glory in my Redeemer
Whose priceless blood has ransomed me
Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails
And hung Him on that judgment tree
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who crushed the power of sin and death
My only Savior before the Holy Judge
The Lamb Who is my righteousness
The Lamb Who is my righteousness
and “Isn’t He Good”.
Isn’t He good, Isn’t he kind
Hasn’t He blessed us time after time
Isn’t He good, all of our days
With endless mercies and ceaseless grace
O let us sing:
He is good.
Let each have a hymn! We are committed to making the singing of truth and scripture to God a key part of our gathering together. This is why we sing when we gather.
2. 2.1.2. Lesson
Additionally, we see that each one has a lesson or a teaching. Again, not every single person but some persons brings this element. This teaching is something distinct from the other elements of corporate worship such as prophecy or singing. We see echoes of this elsewhere in scripture. Colossians 3:16 teaches us to let the word of Christ dwell richly in us or among us, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. Certainly this pertains not only to the general Christian life but also to corporate worship. The parallels to 1 Corinthians 14 are clear and the corporate context is assumed throughout the New Testament. Additionally, earlier in chapter 14 Paul says that he would rather bring five words in order to instruct others than 10,000 in a tongue. So, some form of teaching is another element to the Sunday gathering. I think this passage teaches us, along with Colossians 3:16, that there is a degree of teaching that all believers can impart to one another and this is to be an aspect of the corporate gathering. So we seek to have folks share truths from God’s word and how God has been teaching them recently. This aspect of our corporate gathering brings such life to our midst. Isn’t it so refreshing to hear how God is teaching someone? May we be diligent as a church in this. I love hearing from you guys. If you have a testimony of how God has taught you from his word, please come up so we can see if God would have you share it to bless your brothers and sisters.
Colossians 3:16 (ESV)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one
another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with
thankfulness in your hearts to God.
1 Corinthians 14:19 (ESV)
19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in
order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Also, our understanding of the office of pastor-teacher and
the qualifications and responsibilities of such detailed in Ephesians 4, 1
Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and elsewhere, inform us that there are those who have a
special ability and responsibility to teach and oversee the teaching ministry
of the church. So, the lesson or
teaching from God’s word via a pastor-teacher will also have a prominent part
of our corporate gathering. It will not
have the only place for a corporate gathering, neither will it have a
negligible place. I think the weight of
scriptural testimony and the importance of teaching and preaching to the health
of the church dictate that teaching have a prominent place in the corporate
gathering. This certainly was the case
for a gathering that went on in Troas before Paul journeyed to
Acts 20:7 (ESV)
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread,
Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged
his speech until midnight.
I personally am so grateful for this element of our corporate gathering. Who can say enough about the benefit of a consistent diet of sound exposition and preaching of God’s word. It has changed my life and I can point to specific teachers behind every point of growth or maturity in my life. I think of men like John Piper, RC Sproul and John MacArthur. I personally have had my life turned upside down by CJ Mahaney and Dave Harvey.
I still vividly remember the first time going to a conference where these men spoke. I don’t remember all of what they said but I remember thinking – “I have never heard God’s truth spoken like this, with such clarity, such power. I have longed for teaching and examples like this and here it is before my eyes. From that point on I was ruined for mediocre teaching – I wanted teaching that thundered the truths of God and detailed the gospel and its implications for all of life. Teaching is essential and I am so grateful for these men as well as faithful men who have profoundly influenced me like Tom Griffith, Jim Cannon, and Aron Osborne. Thank God for teaching!
3. 2.1.3. Revelation, Tongue and Interpretation
The next two elements speak to the gifts of prophecy and tongues. We have covered them extensively over the past month and if any missed those messages please get a tape or a CD after our gathering. Suffice it to say that NT prophecy and tongues with interpretation play a part in the corporate gathering as well. We shall talk more about how to order these things briefly.
4. 2.1.4. Other elements throughout scripture.
One message can not do justice to all the components of a corporate gathering. If we were to study all of scripture, OT and NT, we would see other key elements in the corporate gathering of God’s people. Prayer, the public reading of scripture, musical instruments and the Lord’s supper are all key ingredients we see in scripture. All these things are an important part of our corporate gathering.
It is so important that we don’t lose the forest for the trees at this moment. The corporate gathering is not about the elements themselves. If I read my bible right it is all about God. And he is a God who is a relational God. He is a God who reveals himself to others and calls them into fellowship with himself. He is a God who calls and creates a community of his people who corporately experience and manifest His glory. All these elements are designed by God, flow from God that we might render worship to God and enjoy Him and make Him known. Let us remember this as we continue to move on in our discussion.
3.
3. we gather In order
1 Corinthians 14:26-40
(ESV)
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? 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.
So we gather together for a truly corporate experience of the various elements of corporate worship. Paul makes clear here that the sharing of these elements is to occur in an orderly fashion. So when we gather corporately we gather in order.
1.
3.1. In Turn
Take a look at the section here. In verse 27 Paul instructs the Corinthians to take turns in their sharing. Now you may laugh because this seems so infantile, “make sure you take turns.” You may think that you won’t ever have the problem of waiting your turn on Sunday mornings but if we begin to really understand the corporate nature of the corporate gathering and really start to come on Sundays ready to give and receive, we will start having problems taking turns. Isn’t that already a temptation for us all? Isn’t it so easy in a conversation to be so eager to share what you got that you don’t ever listen? Have you ever been so busy thinking about what you are going to say next that you don’t hear what is being said? Have you ever been in a conversation in a group where you can’t wait for the previous person to finish so you can have a chance. Sometimes that happens amidst the very best times together in the Lord.
Just yesterday at Men’s Fellowship a number of us were so excited about the truths of God and His grace illustrated in Augustine’s life that we could have kept on talking for hours.
So, Paul instructs us to take turns. Whether it be tongues or prophecy, each one must be willing to concede to the next person. Take a look at verse 29. Here we have someone prophesying and a revelation comes to another who is sitting and listening. Paul instructs the first to yield the floor to the next one. Again, we haven’t had that problem yet, but we may likely. Apparently, the Corinthians weren’t sharing short prophecies but something more extensive. How long, we don’t know, but long enough to have to be asked to yield the floor. There are a number of lessons in this. First, that we must realize that we are not the only one at the corporate worship time. Others may have things to contribute and we are to be glad for that. Secondly, just because you have a sense of God saying something doesn’t mean you’ll have the chance to share it, or at least all of it. Paul limits tongues and interpretation to three as well as the same with prophecy. That means some folks may have to sit down.
I was at a men’s retreat where 5 or more men came up with the same basic word from God. Most had scriptures with their word but all had the same specific truth they were hitting on. Only one of those guys got to share. What do you do if you are one of the other four? Do you think, “ I musn’t have heard God?” no, you did, but that is not mean you necessarily are going to share it. Let God determine that. He can speak to many of us yet only call some of us to share on a Sunday morning.
We can exercise self-control and hold our burden in. Verse 32 says that the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets. You can control yourself and focus on others and not just your burden. You and I can listen carefully to what is being shared and take in each sharing and each scripture passage one by one, benefiting from each, that we all may learn and be encouraged before we move on to what we have to share.
2.
3.2. Under Leadership
Related to the idea of taking turns is the principle of weighing and ordering the corporate gathering. What we see going on here is not something akin to a Quaker meeting where everyone sits there waiting for a sense of the “inward voice.” There is leadership here. Not only does 1 Corinthians imply this but the weight of scripture explicitly teaches and illustrates it. Leadership is present in the people of God from Genesis to Revelation. Nowhere do we see leaderless groups viewed favorably in scripture.
Although Corinthians may not use the word ‘elder’ they must be assumed throughout. This was Paul’s practice before planting the Corinthian church and afterward. I don’t believe they were any exception.
In particular in this passage we see leadership going on. First, in prophecy, others are to weigh what is being prophesied. Who are the “others” in this passage? Are they the others that are present – that is, the rest of the congregation? Or are they the other prophets? Or are they some other other? Well, to some degree we all are to participate in the weighing, and I will talk about that in a bit, but I believe the others are leaders. How to I get that? Well, following right on the heels of this discussion on weighing and order is what seems like an out-of-place discussion on the role of women. Let’s take a look at verses 34-35.
3.
3.3. Under Male Leadership
Paul is commanding that the women keep silent in the church. Can that mean that women are not allowed to say “boo” on Sunday morning? Well, turn in your bible to chapter 11. Here, in another section of scripture that is sure to rile some feminists Paul instructs the Corinthian women to use a culturally relevant and necessary sign of submission when they pray and prophesy. Take a look at verse five. Here the women are praying and prophesying. Now, some have said that this is private prayer and prophesy but that understanding is foreign to the context and nonsensical. The need for a public symbol, head coverings in this case, is negated in private. Additionally, we don’t see prophesy in private. It has limited usefulness when you are alone or just with your family. This is a public gift for a public context, whether on Sundays or smaller settings. Anyhow, we see clearly in chapter 11 women praying and prophesying, not being silent. Is Paul confused? Is he having a senior moment, forgetting what he wrote three chapters earlier? No, I don’t think so. This discussion in chapter 14 is in line with his other teachings on women and leadership. Check out 1 Timothy 2:12-13.
12I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 1 Timothy 2:12-13 (ESV)
By virtue of creation order and the roles God has assigned, women are not to lead the church, men are. Now, I may have just opened a can of worms for someone here. Sorry if I have and I don’t have the time to answer all your questions. I would be very glad to talk more afterwards or direct you to some scriptures and some excellent teaching on this topic. The point of this section is that women are not to speak in a way commensurate with acting as leaders in the congregation. That is the realm in which they are to be silent – in active authoritative leadership of the church. So, when there are prophecies or teaching or tongues and interpretations or hymns, it is male leadership that ultimately must weigh and oversee these functions. So, there is to be order in the Sunday gathering overseen by male leadership. There is to be ordering of every aspect. And so, I and the other men who help lead our church pray and prepare and dialogue about our Sunday gatherings ahead of time and afterwards. We assign one of us to screen prophecies and other elements ahead of time so as to be sure they serve us well. We weigh what is being shared. We have found the weighing and the leading is most fittingly done by having folks share a synopsis of what they want to share ahead of time. We then seek to discern, within the freedom and guidelines of scripture, whether what they wish to share will edify. There is leadership. There is order. There is edification.
1. 3.3.1. Guidelines We Use in Weighing
Now, I think that this section and 1 Thessalonians 5 teach us all to weigh prophecies and discard those that are unbiblical in addition to any leaders weighing these things. So let me share with you some questions that guide me as I evaluate potential words for sharing.
4.
3.4. To do all
things decently and in order.
So, we have seen that things are to be done in turn and under leadership. Paul sums this up with the command, “But all things should be done decently and in order.” Additionally, he says, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” Our corporate gatherings are to have a flow and an order that is born of the God we serve. Remember, it is all about Him ultimately, and He is a God of peace, a God of order, a God of themes, a God of truth. Our gatherings should reflect this in all we do. Now, this doesn’t mean that our meetings are predictable and stagnant, decent and orderly but not predictable and stale. That isn’t what I see when I see corporate worship in the bible. Check out the dedication of the temple under Solomon in 2 Chronicles 5-7.
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (ESV)
13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make
themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised,
with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good, for his
steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so
that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the
glory of the Lord filled the
house of God.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (ESV)
1 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven
and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 And
the priests could not enter the house of the Lord,
because the glory of the Lord
filled the Lord’s house. 3 When
all the people of
Now, God showing up in a cloud of
glory and then after Solomon’s prayer in fire and great glory probably wasn’t
something they planned. They certainly
planned the singers and music, the prayer of Solomon and the service of the
priests, but they couldn’t have planned on the rest. And you don’t see them in a fluster because
their plans were interrupted. No one is
saying, “What are we going to do, we can’t minister because God has shown up,
we can’t go into the temple! I’ve been
waiting all week to do that trumpet solo and now it’s ruined.” Or, “This is a
little shocking and out of the ordinary – we are on the slippery slope towards
4.
4. we gather to build up
1 Corinthians 14:26-40
(ESV)
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.
Our corporate gatherings are corporate, they are orderly and they are for building us up in the Lord. Paul says in verse 26, “Let all things be done for building up.” The glory of God and the edification of his people is our purpose. God has given us clear guidelines for our corporate worship, he allows us freedom within these guidelines, just as with the Corinthians, as long as it is biblical, orderly and builds up. Let us approach our corporate meetings this way. What a privilege God has given us to meet in His name. We see in 1 Corinthians 12:12 that the body, even the local body, is equated with Christ himself. God cares very much about his people and he wants to meet us and manifest himself in our midst, especially when we gather. Let us value this wonderful privilege and diligently pursue his purposes for our corporate gathering.
1.
5.
5. Conclusion
Let me ask some
questions in closing to help you benefit from this message:
1. Is there some aspect of my understanding of Sunday meetings that needs
to change?
2. Does my practice of Sundays have to change to become more biblical?
3. How am I preparing for Sundays?
4. How am I praying for Sundays?
5. How am I serving on Sundays?
6. Am I believing God to use me on Sundays?
7. Am I glad for Sundays?
1.
6. Closing/Ministry
[1]
Judy Raphael, "God and Country,"
[2] John MacArthur, How Shall We Then Worship?, http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/howshallweworship.htm
[3] DA Carson, Showing the Spirit, Baker Books, 2000, p. 135
[4] See David Garland, 1 Corinthians, BECNT, 2003, p. 664
[5] These points are partially taken from outline
by