“Or do you think God’s word originated with you Corinthians? Are you the only ones to whom it was given? If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognise that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself. But if you do not recognise this, you yourself will not be recognised. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.”
1 Corinthians 14:36-40 NLT
In these verses today, Paul is wrapping things up, and he gives weight to what he has written by the phrase “what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself”. Chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians is all about speaking in tongues, messages of prophecy, and how these gifts should be used in a public context. Rather tongue in cheek, Paul suggested to the Corinthians that, actually, when it came to spiritual matters, they were not the centre of the universe. In those days, there were other churches dotted around the Middle East who were also bringing messages in tongues or prophetic utterances, and they were probably facing the same challenges but without getting things so wrong as the Corinthians did. But the main message to the Corinthians was about worshipping in a Christ-honouring way, and preferring one another in the process.
The previous parts of Paul’s letter have addressed several ways in which the Corinthians have got things wrong. There were the church divisions in chapter 1. The factionalism emerging in Chapter 3. The importance of supporting those who minister amongst them in Chapter 4. Sexual immorality and pride in Chapter 5. Lawsuits amongst fellow believers and the wrong attitude to sins, particularly sexual, in Chapter 6. Thoughts on marriage in Chapter 7. Food sacrificed to idols in Chapter 8 followed by more instructions concerning supporting those who work in their midst but who don’t receive any reward in Chapter 9. Idolatry in Chapter 10. A first look at public worship and how to share the Lord’s Supper in Chapter 11. Then we read what Paul had to say about the Holy Spirit gifts in Chapters 12 and 14, interspersed with those wonderful words describing love in Chapter 13. Paul took the Corinthians on quite a journey, but the picture that has emerged is of a church in disarray, one that has got so much wrong, and with much correction needed.
So why did Paul have to include the statement that the Lord Himself endorsed his instructions? Probably because there were some in the Corinthian church who didn’t like what Paul had been writing. Perhaps as his letter was read out for all to hear, they were squirming a bit in their seats, and some internal rebellion was welling up inside them. Perhaps these people were thinking, “Who does he think he is – after all, he’s just a man like us”. Sound familiar? I think we have all been there at one time or another. Being teachable is an important quality found in believers, particularly those who are more mature in the faith. But if Jesus Himself were adding His approval to Paul’s message, there would be no argument.
But as we bring our thoughts forward from two thousand years ago in Greece to churches in the UK and other Western countries, what can we learn? What sort of letters would Paul write to us and our churches today? This in itself is a topic that would fill more than a few chapters. There is such a plethora of different church liturgies and expectations. There are more than 29,000 church buildings to be cared for. We have so much technology. Bibles are a common feature on most people’s bookshelves, or on their smartphones, whether they read them or not, eliminating excuses such as “we never knew”. And, of course, why do we have to make things so complicated? At times, I return to the final verses of Acts 2, which start, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Of course, our enemy the devil will want to make things complicated, because he fears the stripped-down simplicity of the Gospel and what it means for believers. Some denominations enjoy bobbing up and down in a pew, following a liturgy by rote, but this is something never found in the Bible. I wonder if Paul would have anything to say about it!
Dear Father God. You never made believing in Jesus a complicated affair. It is our human tendencies that complicate matters. But we reach out to You this morning, grateful for Your grace and patience, as we stumble through life’s journeys towards our promised eternal home. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 