Orderly Worship Building the Body of Christ

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: 1 Corinthians 14:26-38

 

1 Corinthians 14:26

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.

(ESV)

 

Imagine going into a classroom or lecture hall and everyone is talking at the same time. As an innocent bystander, you would have no idea what is said and would learn nothing. Paul opens the text in 1 Corinthians 14:26, by telling readers how worship services in the Corinthian Church were conducted with it not conducive to building up the body of Christ. Therefore, the Apostle Paul believes it is necessary to provide instruction for conducting orderly worship which still applies to gatherings for worship in the Church today.

 

When the Church in Corinth would gather, everyone had a hymn, lesson, revelation, tongue, or interpretation. This led to confusion in the gathering as each person spoke out of turn and was not conducive to the building up of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:26). Paul then laid down some guidelines to follow to restore orderliness to the gatherings of the Church. Regarding tongues the guideline is for only two and at the most three persons to speak with an interpretation and for them to remain silent if no interpreter is found, speaking only to themselves and God (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). They are instructed to let two or three prophets speak with the others weighing what is said (1 Corinthians 14:29). If a revelation is made of a prophecy, let the prophet be silent for all can prophecy but it must be done one by one so each attending can learn and be encouraged (1 Corinthians 14:30-31). The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets because God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:32-33). This means the prophet can choose when to speak waiting it is his or her turn to maintain order.

 

Paul then makes what would be considered a controversial statement in the Church today by telling women to remain silent in submission (1 Corinthians 14:34). Paul tells the women that if they want to learn anything, to ask their husbands at home because it is shameful for them to speak in church (1 Corinthians 14:35). Paul then asks the Corinthians whether it was from them the word of God came and if they were the only ones it has reached (1 Corinthians 14:36). Anyone thinking they are a prophet or spiritual must acknowledge that Paul is writing commands of the Lord to them (1 Corinthians 14:37). Anyone not recognizing what Paul is writing is a word from the Lord is not to be recognized by the Church (1 Corinthians 14:38).

 

There was disorderliness in the worship services of the Church in Corinth with Paul providing instructions on how to restore order in the services. However, there is also a need to contextually address the issue of women speaking in the Church as there appears to be a conflict in Paul’s writing as he seems to demean the role of women in the Church (1 Corinthians 14:34). However, in Philippians 4:2-3 Paul commends two women who were a help to him in his ministry in Philippi. The context of 1 Corinthians 14:34 is disorderliness in the worship services in Corinth with all speaking up whenever they wanted. The mention of women in this context could be to silence a group of women attempting to incite disorderliness in worship like what occurred in Antioch (Acts 13:50). With the context of this passage in mind, there was possibly a group of women that had infiltrated the Church in Corinth taking the liberty to speak out in the disorderly worship of the Church that was inciting discord in the Church. Paul is telling these women to be silent with this passage not intended as a Church doctrine of all women remaining silent in the Church, just these women.

 

While it is still important to have orderliness in the worship services in the Church, orderliness must not be so rigid as to inhibit any spontaneous movement of the Holy Spirit. However, balance and orderliness are necessary in large gatherings for the worship and the teaching of the Word of God to effectively build up the Body of Christ. This is why many larger, and even some smaller, Churches have small groups. These small groups provide greater interaction in the Body of Christ through prayer, study of the Word of God, and fellowship. It is in these small group meetings that individuals can interact with others, ask questions to a Church leader or pastor leading the group, and share prayer needs or praise reports. These smaller groups also resemble the gatherings of home churches in the early church, forced to gather in homes to avoid persecution.

 

I want to encourage those reading this post to become involved with both the large corporate worship in their Church through regular attendance and to also attend a small group bible study or prayer group in the Church. It is in these smaller groups that the spiritual growth of individuals occurs as one can delve deeper into the Word of God and have their questions answered. It is also where the seeds of revival can start because revival in the Church is not some large event in the Church but a revival of believers in Christ who grow spiritually into a more intimate relationship with Christ. If you are reading this and have not prayed for forgiveness of your sins and to make Jesus your savior, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.