Paul’s focus in this chapter is very pastoral. How does he walk a tightrope between correcting the church in its overemphasis on speaking in tongues, yet not diminishing this practice that admittedly does bring personal benefit to the believer? Here’s the approach Paul takes with the Corinthians: in order to demonstrate the blessings and limitations of speaking in tongues, he contrasts it with the ability to prophesy. In doing so he also gives clear instruction regarding the use of tongues in church.
Much has been said and written on this 13th Chapter of 1 Corinthians. It’s the love chapter, often recited at weddings. It is generally regarded as being one of the most beautiful passages in all of literature. But I think it truly comes alive when we read it in the context of God’s entire message to the Corinthian church. Remember our series title for the entire book of Corinthians? Living by Love in a Lustful World. It can be argued that this is the climactic passage in the entire book, the sum total of all that the Holy Spirit through Paul wants the Corinthians to embrace, the proper summary of all that it means to live the Christian life is this messed-up, selfish, lust-driven world. Let’s look at this most excellent way of love.
Understanding the church in this way is essential to our strength because we no longer think of ourselves as individual believers facing our own individual battles and struggles, but instead “if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together,” meaning that we go together as a team wherever God leads us. When one of us falls, we all are affected, when one of us succeeds, we all succeed. Why? Because, Paul says, in verse 27: “you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
We recognized that there are going to be times in your execution of your ministry in building up the church that you run up against ministry needs that are beyond your ability to meet even if you are serving in the strength that God supplies. In those times, the Holy Spirit manifests himself in a supernatural manner so that the ministry can be met even through weak people like us, so that He receives all of the glory. In these times we stand back and say, “wow!” because it is evident to all that God had done an amazing work. That’s what this list in 1 Corinthians 11 is all about. These are “wow” manifestations – the Holy Spirit showing up in a way that everyone can see to meet a ministry need that couldn’t be otherwise met. Notice three important things:
In our day as well, I believe that there is a lot of confusion, or ignorance, about the workings of the Spirit and what some call spiritual gifts. We have many Christian movements that, like the Corinthians, are enamored with anything they believe the Spirit is doing and make these dramatic displays central to the life of the church. Over the next six weeks, we are going to study these things together as a church, and pray that we may be a church which practices no more and no less that what the Spirit has revealed through His Sword, the Word of God.
In the second part of chapter 11, Paul continues to instruct the church about how to meet together. I am going to start by asking you guys a question. Why do you come to church? Why do you come? Because it’s a habit? Because you are afraid of what people might think or say if you don’t come? Because you like to see friends? Because your parents drag you here? Because you need to get your God-fix on for the week? Another question I could ask is, why do you come to this church? Because of the people? Because of the music? Because of the Chinese food every month? Some of you guys are new here, or are visiting to see if this is where you want to set your flag down. What are you looking for as you go from church to church? These are important questions to ask because how you answer these questions will reveal a lot about your attitudes toward the church and toward the body of Christ.
We live in a very gender-confused age. Distinctions between man and women, male and female have been decried as archaic, oppressive, arbitrary and harmful. Gender is merely a biological superficiality (we got different sex organs) to be molded by social constructs. This is what is taught in nearly every woman-studies or gender-studies program at university. Societies create gender and societies can deconstruct gender. Gender roles are arbitrary and archaic. Gender is a continuum – there is not male and female, there is a continuum of traits that society has defined as maleness and femaleness and we all are somewhere on that line and can move. Is this really where were at? Bisexualism is in or trendy. Gender ambiguity is in. The moral cause of our day is fighting for the rights of differently engendered peoples. This is the culture that we live in.
In a culture such as ours, a passage like the one we are going to look at today seems like it is from a different planet, another world. It is difficult to preach and often embarrassing to have associated with our holy scripture. Head coverings? Really!
People need to see a grateful, freeing, Jesusful Christianity. Isn’t that an awesome picture? Some of you here need to experience it first. Your Christianity has been reduced to black and white enslaving rules that you selfishly follow to look good on the outside while the inside rots away. Can’t you see that Jesus is calling you to something greater. Something that makes you open your eyes in the morning and say, Thanks. Thanks. Thank you God for your indescribable gift! Something that makes you excited to be his follower again and make you walk around with a goofy smile ion your face and when people ask you why your wearing such a grin you simply reply, “He loves me!”
Here’s Paul’s bottom line in this issue: Flee from Idolatry. If something weakens your allegiance to Jesus Christ, either because it captures your soul and turns it away from him, or it seems to bestow His approval on things he would never approve, then you must flee from it.
At this point, someone might ask, wouldn’t it be easier if we just had everything clearly spelled out? If God just told us do this, don’t do that, eat this, don’t eat that, go here, don’t go there. Believe this. Don’t believe that. Wouldn’t it be great if all Christians believed exactly the same things about every issue? If they always acted in exactly the same way in every situation? If they had specific and complete guidance in nearly every decision they came across during their day. Wouldn’t it be easier if God did just make us cookie cutter Christians? If instead of giving us principles to live by and apply in various situations, he simplified everything and just told us exactly what to do and how to act in every situation.