Gender Distinction and The Glory of God - 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

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Gender Distinction and The Glory of God - 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

October 2, 2022 • Andrey Bulanov • 1 Corinthians 11:2–16

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Outline:

God created both men and women equal in his glorious image.
God created men and women with differing characteristics and callings, which uniquely bring glory to him.
All women are not under authority of all men, but under their husbands
Male headship does not mean female subservience or subordination, it means strong Christ-like love
Male headship is leadership from the inside.
The church must be a place of healthy gender distinction
The glory of God, not people, must be at the center when God's people gather.

Application:
Is your understanding of men and women in the church shaped more by culture or by Scripture?
Do you work to intentionally cultivate healthy masculinity and femininity in your life and relationships? Do you welcome the complexity of these conversations?
Is the primary aim of your life and relationships in the church to honor and spotlight Christ?

Scripture References:
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Genesis 1:26-28

Living as honest followers of Jesus in a broken world is a challenge in any age. Although God's truth is clear, black and white - the task of constantly and faithfully applying God's word to our specific personal, cultural and historical situations is always challenging and always changing.

Today we return to our study of 1 Corinthians where one of the big themes is the call for Christians to live distinct and different from the world around.

Corinth was the ancient equivalent of combining New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It was a center of both business, religion and the arts in the ancient world.

The christians in Corinth were coming from a wide variety of backgrounds including pagan and jewish backgrounds.

As we have studied in the previous chapters the Corinthians were being naive in their relationship to the world - especially the world of pagan idolatry.

Paul comes along to help address various specifics on how we navigate our identity as christians in a broken world:
1. Divisions in the church (chapters 1 – 4);
2. Questions surrounding sex and singleness (5 – 7);
3. How to navigate controversies surrounding meat offered to idols (and other controversies that kept them from reaching people) (8 – 10)

Chapters 11-14 are all built around how we as christians must approach our worship together when we gather.

As I mentioned a minute ago - even though God's word is clear, our process of application of his truth to our cultural settings is often challenging and requires maturity and wisdom.

Every generation of disciples to Jesus faces this constantly renewing task - to receive the traditions and practices from previous generations, to look into God's Word, to assess their culture - and to live as faithfully as they are able.

One of these constantly contentious topics is the roles of men and women in the church and in the family.

As we dive into this book today, we are diving into one of the most complex passages in the NT. It is one of the key passages in the NT about gender distinctions. And yet it also contains numerous confusing statements that have often been totally misunderstood.

When it comes to complex passages in the Bible, we need to learn to work from the obvious and clear points down to the more confusing parts.

My approach is to build mostly off the stuff we know for sure Paul is saying - which is most of the text. From there, we work to the more confusing parts, which OFTEN will iron themselves out once we understand the big picture.

As we have said, a lot of confusion existed in the Corinthian church regarding gender.

Historical background:

In the Roman world, one of the key features of healthy womanhood was the characteristic of modesty and respectability. One of the ways that this was expressed was in the wearing of a covering or a shall .

For a woman to wear her hair down in public places and especially in religious contexts - was considered sexually promiscuous - a sign that she is available and attracting attention of men.

Paul had come to the Corinthians in the past, and taught them that in Christ, all are one. That we are equally brothers and sisters in Christ and none of us is considered more significant to God because of our gender or our social status.

It's clear that some women in the church were taking this point a little too far. They were participating in the worship service with their heads uncovered.

If you remember from the previous chapters, there were a few weird expressions of "higher spirituality" including some women who decided they needed to not have any physical intimacy with their husbands.

Putting all these things together, we can see there was a confusing and disruptive situation going on in which some women were making it look like they were no longer acknowledging the leadership and authority of their husbands and making themselves look promiscuous by wearing their hair down.

How does Paul go about bringing clarity to this issue?

God created both men and women equal in his glorious image.

The question of the difference between male and female - and the proper way to make those distinctions is one of the most vicious debates in our culture today - AND in the church.

There are two extremes we see in history (both in the church and the world)
Exaggerated difference - usually male dominated, repressing women and their value compared to men.
Exaggerated sameness - usually female dominated, repressing any gender distinction or restriction leading to sexual confusion and sin.

Gender distinction is BOTH universal AND culturally defined. Every culture until now has affirmed some form of difference between male and female, and yet every culture has had different expressions of male and female.

Our challenge is to affirm the universality and importance of gender distinction while also avoiding the mistakes of embracing culturally flawed expressions of gender.

this is what Paul is trying to do here. He is pushing back against abusive authoritarian male domination, while also affirming a healthy biblical distinction.

All throughout this text, Paul is affirming that men and women are both equal in worth and value.

This happens in a number of ways in the text.

the clearest place we see that is verse 11-12

11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. 12 For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God.

Paul says that one gender is not more worthy and valuable than the other because all come from God, and because both are interdependent upon each other.

Throughout this text Paul is constantly alluding to Genesis 1:26-28
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.
28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”

Notice the important emphasis on equality. Both are created in God's image. Both are blessed. Both are given the command to be fruitful, multiply and subdue the world and rule over the animals.

Another way Paul shows their equality is that in verse 3 man is called the "head" but in verse 7 the woman is called the 'glory" of man.

She has a glory, she is made second, not necessarily meaning lower but meaning she is the completion of the man. If man was the crown of creation, she was the crown of the crown.

Finally we see that Paul compares the relationship of man and woman to the relationship of Christ and God the Father. Just as the Son and the Father same the same nature and glory, man and woman share the same nature and glory - though they have different roles.

This goes against the culture of the day. The greco roman world viewed the woman as a deformed man, of lower status and value.

This goes against a lot of unhealthy tradition in the church regarding male headship where women are seen as inferior and less important than men.

Women are seen as having no role in the church when it comes to spiritual depth and insight and a genuine contribution to the life of the church.

Paul himself here is talking about the importance of women "praying and prophesying" in the church.

Throughout the NT we see numerous examples of women who were bringing important spiritual contribution and insight to the life of the church.
Anna prophesied about Jesus
Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to learn
Pricilla, the wife of Aquila worked together with her husband to instruct Apollos

So ladies, just because your husband is called to be the leader, it does not mean that you role and spiritual depth and contribution is less significant.

One of the mistaken assumption of christian teaching on gender often seems to be that women's spiritual depth is less important and their spiritual contribution to the life of the church is less significant than the men. The result is shallow and naive women.

Sometimes this is because men make women feel inferior and frown upon them when they contribute to meaningful conversation.

Sometimes it is because the women themselves take a back seat and don't see the importance of deep discipleship for themselves.

If the church affirms an equal spiritual value to both men and women, that means that the church must work to cultivate a culture where the thoughts of both men and women are valuable.

Its interesting that many who use this text to stress the lower status of women because it says the husband is the head of the wife, often fail to see that this whole text revolves around the idea of women praying and prophesying in the church.

Paul says it is totally appropriate for women to pray and prophesy in the church gathering, they just need to do this in a way that is not making it look like they are rebelling against their husbands.

In our church we believe the gift of prophesy was given in the early NT church time to build up the church while the Bible is being written, so we don't believe the gift of prophecy is still functional today.

But how does this apply today?

Women are encouraged to share in the groups and fellowship gatherings. There is nothing more godly about a woman who sits and says nothing. The woman is a sister in Christ and has just as much to share about how God is working and what she is learning as the men.
Women are encouraged to learn and grow in biblical doctrine. Just because women are called to support their husbands leadership does not mean she does not need to cultivate biblical depth. All are called to be disciples and disciple makers.
Woman are encouraged to teach, counsel, and disciple other women and kids.
Women are called into evangelism and many other kinds of ministries where their spiritual insight is required.

God created men and women with differing characteristics and callings, which uniquely bring glory to him.

3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.

8 For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. 9 Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man.

The central thrust of this text is to push back on the sexual promiscuity and gender confusion of the church.

God created men and women in a structure of authority and function which is expressed most clearly in the family and in the church.

Men are created as the head of their wives who submit to Christ and lead in a way that honors Christ. Women are created as the glory of man which empower his leadership, support him, nurture and bring beauty to life around the home and society in a way that only a woman can.

Man - responsibility, provision, protection, leadership, love
Woman - support and submit to healthy leadership, cultivate, nurture, beautify, empower.
"for the sake of man..." - not as a servant, but as a companion to the mission and charge that God had already given Adam.
Within the church this also means that only qualified men are called to be pastors/elders.
All women are not called to submit to all men, but to their husbands
There has been a number of unhealthy and not-so-helpful ways that biblical manhood and womanhood has been taught in the last 50 years.
Some books instruct women how they need to be careful if a man asks them for directions, and in giving him directions, they don't impose on his masculinity. they need to give him directions in a way that still expresses submission.
This is not right.
Scripture calls women to submit to their own husbands. Yes there is a way that a woman carries herself in public that is feminine and beautiful. But Paul's focus is on women not being rebellious and sexually promiscuous.
The NT calls us to live as brothers and sisters in the body. Headship and submission is expressed in the family, and it is expressed in the church submitting to healthy male pastoral leadership.
We need to be careful not to OVER DO the prescription of men and women.
Male headship does not mean female subservience or subordination, it means strong Christ-like love
We can see countless examples of women treated as second class citizens and servants.
Ungodly and immature christian men have used this text as an excuse to mistreat their wives and demand their service like slaves.
Yes women are called to submit and respect their husbands. But men are called with use their position of authorities to love their wives as Christ loved this church.
This leadership is loving, protective and honest. It assumes responsibility for the good of the wife and the kids - not for personal good at the expense of the wife and kids.
The relationship is not of a slave to a master, but of a king and a queen. this is DIRECTLY what we see in Genesis 1:27.
This is also what you see in Paul's statement that the women is the "glory of a man"
She is the reflection of his love, strength and leadership.
Male headship is leadership from the inside.
Jsut as the church follows Jesus, women are called to follow their husbands. But this also implies that the husband leads in a way that is not pressing his authority and forcing his way. Rather he is leading in a way that wins the woman's heart and trust - in way that makes her want to follow his leadership.

Men are called to take the initiative, to pursue godly strength, to have a clear sense of mission in life from God, to make his wife and family feel protected and provided for.
A lot of men want the benefits of being treated as a head when they act like they are not the head - selfish, lazy, passive and weak.
The church must be a place of healthy and beautiful gender distinction
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head.
5 Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved.
14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?

Once again - gender distinction is BOTH universal in creation AND culturally defined.

The challenge for christians is to see the principle here and apply it to their cultural setting.

In the Corinthian church people were creating a spotlight for themselves. Some women wanted to show how spiritual they were by not wearing any coverings on their heads during worship. If you remember in the previous chapters, there were also some women who were refusing to have physical intimacy with their husbands because they were too spiritual.

But this was just confusing and distracting - make the church seem to be a place of sexual promiscuity and confusion.

The same thing with men and long hair. In the greco roman world, a man with longer hair was a man who was actively trying to look like a woman.

Paul says, "you should not do that". A woman is to behave in a way that shows that she supports the authority of her husband and the authority of God in the church.

A man is to dress and behave in a way that shows that he is a man.

Clearly, we can see that head coverings and men with long hair don't mean the same thing today, as they did in Paul's time.

this is where we need to see the core principle of the text and apply it to our time properly.

If a woman was raised in a setting where the head covering was a key expression of femininity, and she ways to wear it - this is great! No problem.

But the deeper question is - why are the ways that we express and live out healthy masculinity in the church?

Clear expression of qualified male pastoral leadership in the church.
This is a job that God said is specifically given to some men who fit the calling and the qualification, who are affirmed by the church.
Healthy femininity dresses and behaves in such a way that demonstrates that it upholds the proper leader ship of their husbands and the men in their lives.
Healthy masculinity that takes seriously the calling of spiritual leadership in the home. Men who are passive or fearful to lead in the home are abandoning their God given callings.

What about single people? The commands here are specifically directed at the married folks.

Masculinity and femininity don't depend on marriage - you are still men and women
Cultivate healthy expressions of your gender in your singleness and practice for the callings of marriage in various ways
Single women are not lower in the church than single men just because they are women

The glory of God, not people, must be at the center when God's people gather.

As we finish up, it is very important to see Paul's deeper aim in this text. His goal is not just to establish some sort male dominating leadership.

His focus is to point to the fact that God is to be the center of our life as the church.

"2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. 5 Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head..."
Paul begins the text by giving them a universal biblical principle. And then he goes on to apply that biblical principle to their specific problem.

A lot of people miss the forest for the trees here by jumping to the gender stuff but his deeper purpose here is the fact that the authority structures between men and women that God has placed, especially in the church - all flow back to the glory of God.

The headship structures create a flow of authority which ultimately shows honor to the head. When we disrupt this order we are dishonoring the head.

"man...dishonors his head...woman dishonors her head..."

The ultimate head being dishonored is Christ.

this is his chief concern.

Later in the text the conversation switches to the concept of "glory" but the idea is the same - men who don't act like men are disgracing the glory of God. Women who don't act like women are disgracing the glory of man and - ultimately and most importantly - God.

There is a great temptation always for people to replace the glory and honor of God in the worship service and life of the church - to the glory of people - whether it be men or women.

Paul is making a deeper point - this is God's church. This is the place where we come to honor and glorify HIM. The church is not a platform for the glory of people - when it becomes that, it disgraces and dishonors God.

We will see this deeper concept trace through the next 4 chapters in the questions of practicing the Lord's Supper and in spiritual gifts. And here we see it applied to the gender distinctions that we embrace as Christians.

What you do with your body - how you behave as a man or a woman in the church - is ultimately bringing glory or shame to God.

And the most important place in the world to see the glory of God on display is in the community and life of the church.

Our gender is one of the important aspects of how God has created us has his unique image bearers.

That glory is marred and tainted by sin.

And it is through the work of Jesus, becoming a man, taking sin upon himself and triumphing over death in new life - that God is restoring that glory.

the only way that our humanity is restored is not by trying to be better men and women on our own - but through Christ's transforming work in our hearts.

He is the one who restores our identity - and in him we live as a community of his people that honor him. Husbands as heads, lead and love as Christ loves. Wives follow, support, cultivate. Church leaders exercise oversight. The diversity of the body that works together to honor Christ.

Application:
Is your understanding of men and women in the church shaped more by culture or by Scripture?
Do you work to intentionally cultivate healthy masculinity and femininity in your life and relationships? Do you welcome the complexity of these conversations?
Is the primary aim of your life and relationships in the church to honor and spotlight Christ?

Strong Faith in a Broken World - 1 Corinthians 16:13-24

February 26, 2023 • Andrey Bulanov • 1 Corinthians 16:13–24

Outline: 1. Be strong in the faith. - Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be loving. 2. Respect and follow the right people. - Recognize and submit 3. Walk in the love of christian community Scripture References: • 1 Corinthians 16: 13-24 • Hebrews 13:7 • Hebrews 13:17 Application questions: • What are the holes in your spiritual strength? Alert? Rooted in the faith? Courageous? Loving? • Are you intentional about who you respect and submit to? What is your active relationship to the leaders in your life? • Do you come to church and group to enjoy the love of your church family? Are you here to share that love with others? Discussion questions: • What is your impression of a person who is spiritually strong? What does it take to be that person? How does your idea compare to what Paul is saying here? • How do we think about the idea of submitting to leaders? What are the barriers to practicing this well? • How do we submit to leaders? What does this mean? • What are the barriers that often prevent our experience of love and community in the church? ----- Our journey through 1 Corinthians has been a very amazing one. Paul addresses a variety of topics, he speaks harshly - and yet it is a letter that is so deeply personal. His firmness is balanced with care and vulnerability as a leader. There is so much we can learn from the overall approach. In this final section we see his final greetings, we see his marching orders for strong faith in a complex world. One of the core challenges for the Corinthians is the question of how do we as christians live in the midst of the world that is broken and wrong on so many levels - and yet maintain our clear identity as christians? How do we live in such a way that our christian faith is not constantly manipulated and influenced by the sinful values of the world around us? So much of what the Corinthians got wrong had to do with a lack of clear difference between them and the world. They were worshipful of certain leaders in the church in the same way as the greek world praised its wise teachers. They were prideful and selfish about their spiritual gifts in the same way the world around them exalted in human wisdom. They were loose with sexual sin in the same way that the world around them was. As Paul concludes the letter he exhorts them one last time to be firm and strong as christians in the world. this is something we all need. And this spiritual strength we all know we need we often admit that we lack it, but we make the process of growth too complex. Paul gives us some very clear and firm commands that help dictate our steps in a broken world. 1. Be strong in the faith. 13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. 14 Do everything in love. People will say, "I feel weak and unmotivated. I am not like those spiritual people." But being strong in the faith is not a feeling or emotion. it is a lifestyle. Paul gives us 5 key actions for it. In many ways all these words describe a person who is in a state of war. This is a common finishing theme for Paul in his letters. this is because this IS our reality. The world you and I live in is a world of fierce and relentless war. There is a war for your soul going on. There is a fierce enemy. There is a hell. there is eternity. And many poeple are lost. And if you follow Jesus, it is the enemies job to get to knocked out of the mentality that life is a war. His goal is to get you do get embroiled in drama. To have conflicts in your life. To be distracted. to be obsessed with entertainment. To allow sin to take down your life - so that while you are down, all the people around you who need your help would be exposed and weakened spiritually. • be alert "be watchful" "be on your gaurd" We must live with an awareness that every day we face challenges that target our souls. With an awareness that the world is a dangerous place. That sin is not just a little thing. Whenever i am dealing with daily battles - a disagreement with my wife, challenges in the church, struggling with parenting my kids, choosing my entertainment, - these are the moments when i am struggling in dangerous territory. These are times when there is a true threat to me and the people i love. • Stand firm in the faith Our alertness must be rooted in our commitment to the truth of Scripture. "stand firm in the faith" refers not just to the ACT of faith - of beleiving. Its referring to "the faith" as in "the truth of the gospel". "Stand firm in the true christian faith" because all around you is error. The reason why christians today are so easily manipulated by the world is because christians today don't know what they believe. They don't have a deep foundation in biblical truth. If we do not take time to study, to think, to learn what Scripture teaches - if your christianity is more about inspiration and emotion - you will be naive and easily manipulated by sin. NOTE - lots of people listen to podcasts and sermons today. But you know, this can also just be a form of emotional encouragement rather than intentional pursuit of growth in the faith. The question is, do you know WHAT is the truth that you are fighting for in your life? Do you know the King that you follow? Do you know his kingdom and his values well? Growing in biblical knowledge and understanding is not just about being smarter - its about knowing our own battlefield and our story well. • be strong and courageous literally "be a man" or "act like men" walking faithfully in the truth takes courage. it takes courage out in the world obviously. But it also takes courage in the church. It takes courage to call people out, to call sin sin. To tell people when they are off track. It takes courage to stand firm in the faith in your own home. Husbands especially need to admit this. it takes courage to speak truth, to share your needs to let others in to your life, to stand close with others. If your faith doesn't require any courage on a weekly basis something is off! • Do all things in love This last command echoes back to the beautiful chapter 13, where Paul reminds us of the centrality of love. Love is the balancing force to true strength and courage. without love, our "spiritual strength" becomes prideful and insensitive. But without strength and courage, our love becomes spineless and worthless. Its really interesting to reflect back over this epistle and see how Paul himself reflects all these characteristics. He is not naive - he is very much alert to the danger that is taking over the church as he sees the errors. His whole heart is rooted firmly in the truth, the faith that he has recieved - and this is the basis for everything he does. He is able to warn about the dangers. He is able to speak and correct and guide. He demonstrates powerful courage as he lays his whole ministry on the line. He is not doing the popular thing. He is not telling them what they want to hear. He speaks firm and convicting words to them. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him. Yet at the same time he does it in such love and care. He is vunerable. He shares his heart with them. Because this letter is so specific with all the things he has to challenge them in, its also very very personal. 24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus. As he models this, he also calls them to a life of spiritual strength. 2. Respect and follow the right people. 15 Brothers and sisters, you know the household of Stephanas: They are the firstfruits of Achaia and have devoted themselves to serving the saints. I urge you 16 also to submit to such people, and to everyone who works and labors with them. 17 I am delighted to have Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus present, because these men have made up for your absence. 18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such people. Its hard for us to be exactly sure, but most likely, these three guys are the ones who are carrying the letter back to the church. It's also likely that they are the ones who came to Paul to tell him about how the church is doing and tell him about all the problems. they are involved in ministry leadership in the church - that is also clear. They are also some of the founding members of the church - Paul describes them as some of the first believers in Achaia - the general region where Corinth is found. If you remember, one of the problems the Corinthians had was being too worshipful and attached to certain people. Paul tackles this issue in chapters 1 and 2. Paul says all the leaders in the church are just servants of Christ, and we should not elevate them to a higher status that is healthy. Our allegiance to different leaders should not cause division or separation in the church. At the same time, this does NOT mean that we should not put any thought into respecting and following leaders. Here, as Paul concludes the letter, he is actually emphasizing that the people you respect and follow is CRITICALLY important to your spiritual health. We are driven by example and visible leaders. This is how we are created as human beings and that is not a flaw. Who you follow and who you respect will determine the kind of person you become. Heb 13:7 7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Paul sets Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus as worthy examples and leaders for the church. And he says two things - recognize such people and submit to such people. • Recognize What kind of people do you respect? What kind of people earn your admiration? We live in a world where digital technology can allow us to become almost worshipful of certain people without realizing it, without reflecting - wait, why DO i love this person so much?? What kind of people grab your attention? What are the qualities of these people? This is something I had to reflect on this week in my Instagram use. I follow some athletes and enjoying seeing their goals and achievements. At the same time I had to stop and ask, "Why and how much do I admire this guy? Yes he's really good in certain areas, but in other areas he is vile and terrible." No matter how rebellious and independent you are - we all have our stars. There were a lot of flashy people and impressive people grabbing for attention in the Corinthian church. Paul says, you know what kind of people you need to respect? These kind of people. People who may not be so flashy or impressive - but they are truly devoted to serve God and the church. They are the kind of people that it is refreshing to be around. They are the kind of people that others are blessed and encouraged by. Not only do they work hard to humbly serve the church, they also have a track record of fruit - the people around them are refreshed and encouraged. These people YOU KNOW. They are not somewhere out there. They have been laboring in your church from the start. In our digital age its tempting to get attached to people we admire online more than people in our lives, and we think that those leaders online are so great and so perfect - we are shielded from their true selves. Sometimes we are drawn to people - but we don't think about what kind of effect those people have on us. Are we becoming more cheerful, more joyful, more serving? or does this person make me more cynical, critical and angry? Are you conscious about the kind of people you respect? • Submit I urge you 16 also to submit to such people, and to everyone who works and labors with them. biblical discipleship is all about learning to follow Jesus together. That means that we are all learners at the end of the day. We are all submitted to someones preaching and teaching. It is a lot easier to be submitted to some preacher on youtube or some podcaster than it is to be submitted to the leaders in your church. Its interesting that you can't MAKE poeple submit to the leaders of the church. You submit willingly to the people that you respect. If you don't submit to the leaders that God has placed in your life, its because you don't value and respect these people to the point that you trust them with your soul. Theres only two reasons for that - either something is very wrong with them and you shouldn't submit to them, and in that case find a different church. Or something is very wrong with you - and you live your life rebelling against good people and following bad ones. Submitting to your leaders is an active posture on your part - and it includes following their leadership, seeking them out, valuing their input and agreeing with the direction they set for the church. Hebrews 13:17 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. It's impossible to be a strong christian without submitting to healthy leadership in your life. People who think they are independent are naive because they are likely submitting themselves to teachers and role models that are destroying their life. 3. Walk in the love of christian community 19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla send you greetings warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home. 20 All the brothers and sisters send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus. One of the common accusations that non christians had about the early church is that they were perverted weirdos that called each other brothers and sisters and said they all loved each other. They made up all sorts of false stories about christians. It was super weird for the world to see how christians greeted and loved one another. In a world of pride and sin, true loving community is extremely unusual. And yet at the same time its our deeper human desire to belong and to be known and loved. Paul finishes the letter on a note of greets. Greetings from him. Greetings from others. And a command for the Corinthians to live in a life where they have a true and honest love and openness to each other. The call to great one another with a holy kiss is a command that appears here and a few other places in the NT. It is carried over both from Judaism and the greco-roman world where a kiss was a very common sign of kinship, respect and reconciliation. This is still true in many cultures in the world. The point is that we greet one another in whatever form is most expressive of this idea - of kinship, openness and belonging. In American culture kissing each other is not how we express kinship - its rather a hug, or a handshake or a combination of the two. The point is that as a christian - you should live and experience a deep sense of bond, belonging and love for the community of christians you live with. and you should live with that sense of bond with the wider community of the church in the world around you. Its a dark and lonely world out there. But what we have in Christ is the deepest and most amazing experience of belonging. Jesus doesnt just call us to be individual followers or slaves - he calls us to be his family. and he wants us to share in all the benefits of being encouraged and strengthened as we live in his family. So often we come to church so preoocupied with our own emotions and thoughts and problems, and we fail to just simply enjoy the family of God. Sure we aren't perfect, but theres a lot of people here who care for you who are happy to see you. Do you allow yourself to recieve the encouragement of showing up and being around God's poeple? Also, are you a person who intentionally comes to church and to group to make others feel loved and welcomed? "No one notices or cares about me" As you pour into others you will also see that there are a lot more poeple around you who care about you than you may realize! This is essential to our spirutal strength out in the world. We need to learn to live in a sense that we are connected to a family - that we aren't at it alone! I love the concluding phrase here, "Come Lord Jesus!" Paul finishes in this exhortation to point to the end. Christianity is not about just being good poeple or living a good life. Its about our spiritual strength that is rooted in the message that Jesus has come - that being God he entered our world and became one of us, that he came to live the perfect life we could never live, and to pay the price we could never pay - to give his life for our sin and guilt. This message of Jesus as the conquering King who through his love has victory in this world - thats the banner than hangs over our lives. Its pointing to the fact that he came and that we look forward to his coming. Our whole struggle for wisdom and spiritual strength is fueled by him, but who he is and what he did. He is the reason we can pursue spiritual strength. He is the reason we bond with our spiritual leaders. HE is the reason we live in a community of real love and belonging. Application questions: • What are the holes in your spiritual strength? Alert? Rooted in the faith? Courageous? Loving? • Are you intentional about who you respect and submit to? What is your active relationship to the leaders in your life? • Do you come to church and group to enjoy the love of your church family? Are you here to share that love with others?

The Lord's Work - 1 Corinthians 16:1-12

February 19, 2023 • Victor Kuksenko • 1 Corinthians 16:1–12

Title: The Lord's Work Structure: I. Paul instructs the Corinthian church on financial participation II. Paul expects partnership from the Corinthian church in his ministry III. Paul's care and understanding for his co-laborers - Timothy - Apollos Scripture: - 1 Cor. 16:1-12 Quotes: • John Wesley once said "Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart • Gordon Fee says it well "Paul demonstrates remarkable willingness to put the unity of the church and the interests of his coworkers above his own personal desires and fears." ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sermon Notes: Open with me to 1 Corinthians 16:1-12 What fills the space in this passage? What common things come up? • We see various churches and people ◦ We are introduced to Galatian churches - who were also desiring to participate in collection for the needs of the saints. ◦ We read about the saints in Jerusalem that are in need. ◦ He addresses his plans to go to Macedonia to visit churches there. ◦ Currently it seems that he is in Ephesus and amazing things are happening there. ◦ Paul is telling the Corinthians that Timothy is coming to them, but they are to treat him well. ◦ And Apollos is not willing to come to Corinth for now even though Paul strongly urged him to go but probably later. • The whole section is directed to the Corinthian church. And even though they had problems in their church, and some had issues with Paul himself. He still had confidence that they will help him in his ministry. ◦ As Apostle Paul is instructing them, and sharing his plans, in the process he is teaching all of us how to think, and what to do in the Lord's Work. The work that is being done is our Lords. He is building his kingdom through his people to the ends of the earth. ◦ We know that when God created this world, he told Adam and Eve to populate this world and fill this world with God's presence. God is the Lord of the universe and he desires us to reflect his image, his desires, his will in all that we do. ◘ This Eden is to be all over the world. A place where God reigns and as a result everything works. ◦ Yet, humans rebelled against their Lord, we wanted to be our own lords, and in the process severed ourselves from His kingdom. We created our own kingdom, which lead our souls from paradise into the desert, where there is scorching sun, beating down on our hearts. Where we cannot be satisfied because our satisfaction is from the Lord. ◘ No matter what we do, what we build and where we go, all of it still is not enough to fill our empty souls, that cannot be satisfied without the Lord. ◦ Yet, our Lord who had full right to destroy us, out of his Love promises a Savior who will bring us back into himself. God became man, his name is Jesus. He took our sins that separated us from God and nailed them to the cross! ◘ He died to pay the price of our rebellion against our Lord. He was buried, but on the Third day he arose from the dead. ◦ Now he is calling all of us, to come to Him, for he fills our longing hearts and parched souls with living water. ◦ Those who receive Jesus - by repenting of their sins and trusting in Jesus's work on our behalf is placed into his church. His kingdom! • But that is not the end of the story. Jesus sends out his disciples, to establish God's reign on the earth. ◦ How is that happening? - Jesus is building his church through us. ◦ Now he wants us to do His Work by His power and His guidance for His glory ◦ This is HIS WORK! • So the Lord's work is not just for special people, but for all those who have been brought near, all those who know this good Savior of our souls. This is why we need this word today: To be encourage to do the Lord's work. To see how does this work looks like, where can I serve. What can I do.. We will break down this text into three points: _________________________________ I. Paul instructs the Corinthian church on financial participation v. 1-4 The Jerusalem church experienced extreme poverty and needed financial support. • No one really know exactly why they were in such a dyer need, it might have been numerous factors. ◦ There was a famine of the late 40s, this book was written around 55 AD ◦ A number of poor people flocked into the early church, because everyone was welcomed. ◘ They even created a system to take care of the widows. ◦ Jews becoming Christian would most likely have been cut off from the distribution of food and provision for the needy. • It was a big enough problem that Apostle Paul made it his aim to raise funds from various Gentile churches to help in the need. ◦ This collection was very important to Paul he dedicates two whole chapters in 2 Corinthians 8-9 on it ◦ Many churches were participating in this need: from Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia and Greece. • Money plays a big role in Ministry. ◦ For example, for our church to function as it is, it requires financial support and that is happening from faithful tithers in our church. ◦ When a person comes to Jesus one big change that happens is that person becomes sensitive to the financial needs of people around them. ◘ Especially sensitive to the need of giving to the church to support the work of ministry. • Often we don't realize how important it is to support something financially. ◦ God blesses people with higher income so they would be able to give more. ◦ John Wesley once said "Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart" ◦ Jesus says that where our money is that is where our hearts will be also! ◘ Our money is a strong indicator of what we care about. ◘ If we care about God's kingdom we will give to it. But notice how Paul teaches this church to give. It is very organized and careful. • There is a lot wisdom here. Because it is one thing to give, but also it is another thing to be strategic in giving. The Corinthian church was asking him about this collection for the Jerusalem saints and he instructs them how to do it well. 1. Giving should be planned ◦ on the first day of the week which is Sunday, set aside and save. ◘ Side note: this was the time the church gathered together, so they were instructed to save weekly for this need. ◦ When Paul comes then they don't need to overburden the people, the gift is already ready to be collected. ◦ It is not chaotic or random, but planned and carefully thought of. ◘ How is our giving? ◘ Often even in tithing the best way to give is when you get your paycheck you give right away and then calculate your bills and things. ◘ But also when need comes, it might be wise to save up a small portion from your income and when a need arises you can take that and give generously and more if you want. 2. Giving should be proportional ◦ he says "save in keeping with how he is prospering" ◦ If God is blessing you then give more and participate more. ◘ If you are very tight then you are not obligated to give. We all have seasons and we can use the times of blessing to save to give. ◦ It is not spiritual to give everything because there is a need and wait for God to provide for you. ◘ You consider how can you move your expenses around and then decide to give for a need. ◘ Yes, God might call some to give radically, but that is not a norm. 3. Giving should be under accountability ◦ Notice he is asking them to find trustworthy people whom the church recommends to send this gift. ◘ Paul does not bring his own people for this, but rather he gives them a way to not only give but also deliver this gift to Jerusalem. ◘ So there is no question where this money went to. ◦ Also there should be a few people, not just one. ◘ There are checks and balances, ◘ He gives no room for corruption and theft. How are we participating financially for God's kingdom? • Are we sensitive to various needs? Do we realize that as people of God we need to care about the poor and the widows. • Yet, many of us may be living from paycheck to paycheck and are unable to give for various needs, maybe in those situations we need to seek wisdom and understanding how to work with money and budgeting. ◦ Maybe we need to look through our expenses and close some of them down, various subscriptions and change our habits? Before we even give. ◦ We need to realize that if we don't plan on it we will never have money to help in financial needs. ◦ Maybe it may mean when you get your paycheck you set aside a small amount into a specific "special needs savings" and it starts growing, and as you see a need around you you can pull from that and give. • Are we careful in giving? Is there accountability? Not all people who ask for money are in need. ◦ There are so many businesses that operate on peoples "good" desire to give. ◦ Some may say, well God knows my heart, but are you not lazy to do your homework? - ◘ What if your money is keeping a system alive that is based on lies? ◘ What if your giving is promoting a lazy lifestyle? ◘ Did you know that the best results in missions is when the local church is able to self-support and care for their needs outside of foreign funds? ◦ We need to be generous but also wise in our giving • Do we care about the condition of our brothers of sisters? ◦ When we see a need in our church or a person going through a financial challenge, do we look for ways to help? _______________________________________________ II. Paul expects partnership from the Corinthian church in his ministry v.5-9 Paul is most likely writing this letter from Ephesus. • We read about him staying in Ephesus for 2 years in Acts 19 ◦ For the first 3 months Paul speaks boldly in the Synagogue, ◦ After he withdraws from them and starts gathering people in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. Where it says that "all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord" (19:10) ◘ Paul is also performing extraordinary miracles there, healing and casting out demons ◘ The people respond favorably by burning their magic books a total of 50,000 pieces of silver. ◦ This is precisely why Paul says that "a wide door for effective ministry has opened for me" ◦ But also he adds "yet many appose me" ◘ this was when Demetrius developed a riot in the city of Ephesus. Paul shares his traveling plans: • He will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost (which is late Spring, till May) • Then he will plan to travel to Macedonia (which is north, by the Agean Sea) • Then go down south to Corinth and stay there for the whole winter, not just in passing. Why does Paul share his blessing and struggles and his plans? • Because he saw them as partners in his ministry. • He says "So that you may send me on my way wherever I go" ◦ The word for "send me" is often referring to sending with provision or supplies. ◦ Meaning he is expecting them to help him in his stay and journey. ◦ Paul has expectations of this church, that if they are partners they will help him in any need • He desires to come to them and not just visit in passing but really stay there. In the Lord's work Paul expects the church to be ready to serve. • Notice that this works is reciprocal. ◦ Meaning that Apostle Paul served these people but also he expected these people to serve back. ◦ Our culture has a "consumer" mindset. Where I receive and that is it. ◘ The church often gets into the same rut. ◘ But in reality the church seek to help and to give in any way it can. ◦ Ex: just think of our children, if you do everything for them will they learn to do things that blesses others? ◘ We need to love them and let them do things for us and others so they learn. ◦ So is the church, it exists as a body, where every piece plays a significant role in taking and giving. ◘ Where I receive the blessing, but I also sacrifice myself in ways to bring about that blessing. ◦ In this context: we see a need to provide your home for someone. Hospitality is huge. Where you take someone under your care and provide for them. ◘ What did God give you? - you use it for the blessing of others. ◦ We need to learn to share our ministries with our brothers and sisters, so they may help up in the load. ◘ This requires us to share our struggles, challenges and blessings at times. ◘ It requires us to share our goals, ambitions and plans with others. ◘ There is this healthy horizontal element of doing ministry together. • This work is planned yet open to change ◦ Notice that Paul had a specific plan, yet "if the Lord wills". ◘ He also a reason to stay in Ephesus "because he sees an open door for his ministry" ◦ God is constantly doing something in around us, in us and through us. Are we sensitive to his leading. ◘ We should plan, strategies and think deeply about our next steps but also we need to be sensitive to what is God doing among us and in us and through us. ◦ For many of us change came be very scary ◘ We like where we are and what we have now and we don't want to change that. Yet God often calls us to change and go through challenges so that his will would be done in different ways. ◘ We need to learn to function amongst the change. ◘ This means we need to submit to God as the ultimate arbiter of my life and of the ministry that I have. ◦ If God opens the door for ministry in places we don't expect and it will require us to go through challenges, are we willing to go? ◘ Are we willing to do hard things for God? • Obviously there is wisdom here too we should not be quick to change as well, when God opens the door we are to stay where we are and be faithful in serving. _______________________________________________________ III. Paul's care and understanding for his co-laborers v. 10-11 We read about two ministry partners Timothy and Apollos in this section. Timothy ~The Corinthian church had many problems, so Paul send them a letter to answer a lot of the misunderstanding but also he is sending Timothy, his fellow co-laborer to help remind them the ways of Paul. • Paul himself does not see it a good reason to leave the work he is doing in Ephesus, so he sends someone he trust will teach them the truth. • Paul is sending Timothy into a difficult church. Paul is actually worries for Timothy, so he tells the church to treat him well. he says it twice ◦ He says: "See that he has nothing to fear while with you" and "so let no one look down on him" ◦ Paul is worried. He could have just come himself, but he doesn't drop everything, he sends Timothy, this is a way for him to learn and to be able to represent Paul. ◦ This church already had people who were not liking Paul, and to have Timothy come could make it worse. • We learn here about the importance of delegating tasks in ministry ◦ There might be a need and you cannot fulfill it, then you trust another person enough to send him or her to that need. ◦ Jesus did that as well, he sent out disciples who would proclaim the message of Jesus all over Judea. ◘ They were untrained and had little experience and Jesus entrusted them the work. ◦ Often we think we can do something better, and never bring someone around with us, or even delegate someone that need. ◘ Yes here is a chance they may mess up but in reality they will learn so much more. ◦ We are not all there is, there are many people who are along side us doing the Lord's work ◦ That is why in our church we seek to develop more leaders and ministers who will serve along side us in the work that God called us to do. Apollos • We know that Apollos plays a significant role in the lives of the Corinthians. ◦ Some were saying in the Corinthians church "I'm with Paul, others saying I'm with Apollos and others saying I'm with Christ." • Yet because Apollos was one of the focuses for disunity Paul "strongly urges" him to come and make things right. ◦ He might be able to provide significant help in the time of strife and conflict. ◦ And it seems that this church was asking for him as well. • Yet, Apollos did not agree to come for his own reasons, but suggests that he might visit later. It seems that Paul and Apollos both understood that both of them were not responsible for the troubles in the beginning of the letter. • It seems that the church took positions because of internal struggle. • Also, notice how Paul calls him "our brother" ◦ this indicates that Paul is united with this brother, even though he is doing his own work. ◦ Paul definitely does not see this church as his own ministry, he sees that God is ultimately working in their church and bringing various people who influenced and shaped them. ◦ If Paul were at odds with Apollos he would be the last person that he wanted to come. Notice Paul's respect to Apollos • Apollos disagreed to come for his own reasons, and Paul really wants him to come because it might be better for them. But Apollos does not and Paul is ok with that. • He does not push him or use his authority to do what the "apostle" sees right. • Gordon Fee says it well "Paul demonstrates remarkable willingness to put the unity of the church and the interests of his coworkers above his own personal desires and fears." Do we treat other ministers with respect? • We might have our favorite preachers or teachers and might reject those who are starting out. • Do we see value in each minister in our church. ◦ Or do we "use" them for our own benefit and when they are done we get rid of them? • God is bringing up leaders in our church for the blessing of others, are we willing to care for them and to listen to them? • It seems that in our day and age we are very quick to smother people or churches for differences of opinion of an issue that occurred? ◦ But do we have a sense of godly respect for them? __________________________________________ In Conclusion Apostle Paul is a great example of a careful minister, whom we need to imitate! • He has a heart for the needs of other believers, and is willing to bring other Christians into that need. • He is careful organized and planned. • He is open to God's leading and guidance. • He delegates and hopes for the best. • He places others interests above his own. Where did he learn to be such a minister? - From our Lord Jesus Christ. • Jesus cares about his church. • Jesus is building it from imperfect people. • He desire us to seek his will and guidance for our lives and the life of our church. • Do we take part in this work? ◦ Are ministering with our own unique abilities? ◦ Are we seeking his Kingdom to be spread around us? ◦ Are we faithfully serving?

Prophets And Tongues in the New Testament - 1 Corinthians 14:1-25

November 27, 2022 • Andrey Bulanov • 1 Corinthians 14:1–25

Title: Prophecy and Tongues in the New Testament - 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 Outline: 1. What is the gift of prophesy? 2. What is the gift of tongues? 3. Are these gifts present today? 4. How does this text speak to us today? • The goal of the gathered church is edification, not personal exaltation, or performance. • Christian growth is rooted in understanding his truth. • Spiritual experience must be explained and supported by Scripture. • We should indeed expect a dynamic daily experience of God's presence and work in our lives. Scripture references: • 1 Corinthians 14: 1-25 • 1 Corinthians 14: 30-31 • Ephesians 2:20 • Acts 2:4-13 • Acts 10:46 ---------------------------- A lot of what is wrong with human religious experience is that it is driven by personal experience and that it is rooted at exalting the self. Rather than pursuing deep, slow, patient spiritual change - people would rather have a supernatural experience that makes them feel spiritual and alive. Rather than humble themselves under God's authority - people want to feel like they are in control - like they can do something and show how good they can be. These are the tendencies of the sinful human heart, and they manifest themselves in human religiosity in a variety of settings. Unfortunately they also frequently flow into the church. Rather than submitting to the message of grace, that we bring nothing, that we must first of all see our total need in God alone - people want to come to the church as a place where there ego is put on display - a place where they can show their skills or gifts. Rather than submitting to a slow process of spiritual growth, rooted in God's Word, people want to change supernatural experience that makes them feel spiritual and close to God without humbling process of real discipleship. These are the challenges we see in the Corinthian church. They were obsessed with supernatural gifts and experiences. They made their church life about some members of the congregation putting themselves in the spotlight over others. Here in ch. 14 we get to the heart of the argument Paul makes to them about their unhealthy understanding of spiritual gifts, and the especially the gift of tongues. In thier obsession with spiritual gifts and personal exaltation - they had a particular obsession with the gift of tongues that was totally backwards - and it was creating chaos in their church services. Paul counters this imbalance by pointing to the supremacy of the gift of prophecy, and in doing this he points to the TRUE purpose of the gathering of the church - not personal glory or miraculous experience - but the building up and encouragement of all who are present. So much confusion continues to exist in the church on this same subject - prophecy, spiritual gifts, miracles, tongues. And it can be quite damaging. This chapter is massive and theres no way we will cover every detail. But we will try to get most of it. Won't be able to cover everything. I am happy to talk and answer questions. Recommend book. 1. What is the gift of prophecy? "Prophecy is the act of communicating spontaneous revelations from God." This is a very common sense definition that fits with the general pattern of the whole Bible. Spontaneous - not based on planning or studying. • 30 But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may learn and everyone may be encouraged. Prophecy is also not the same thing as teaching or preaching. Preaching has to do with studying Scripture and preparing a message. Paul challenges Timothy to be a good servant of God who "rightly teaching/handling the Word of God.." (2 Timothy 2:15) Sometimes its a prediction of future events: • Agabus in Acts 21:10-11 - Paul would be bound and imprisoned. Always for the edification of the church • 3 On the other hand, the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation. Some people say that prophecy in the NT is different from prophecy in the OT. The main proponent of this view is Wayne Grudem. We love most of his writing. But here I think he is unpersuasive. • Grudem: "Prophecy is an impression or a idea that the Holy Spirit puts on your heart, which may be fallible and should not be treated with the same authority as Scripture." • Example - During a church meeting, God puts it on someone's heart to say we should call such and such a church because they might be willing to sell their building. • Example - After church, God puts it on my brother to come up and encourage them to persevere in the challenges they are facing - though i don't even know what kind of challenges they are facing. • Essentially an impression of the Holy Spirit to say something for their building up. NT prophecy is NOT different from OT prophecy: • The New Testament speaks of prophets and prophecy a lot, it quotes the old testament about prophecy a lot - and there is never any clear reason to think that it is doing that in a way that is totally different from the OT. • Hannah, John the Baptist, Jesus, Agabus (uses formula "thus says the Holy Spirit") • The book of Revelation is called a prophecy numerous times (1:3, 22:7, 22:18, 22:19) • 2 Peter 1:20-21 speaks of the writing of Scripture as a prophetic act I certainly believe the Holy Spirit does that. And sometimes we have an impression or idea we think is from God but we may be mistaken. But we should not call that prophecy. We would just call it, "something the Lord put on my heart...". One of the dangers of this view is that it makes it almost impossible to distinguish between true and false prophets. The Bible constantly warns about people claiming false prophetic gifts - one of the key features of a false prophet is that they said something that wasn't true. But if the New Testament gift of prophecy is a gift that can make mistakes, how were christians in the early church to tell false prophets from true ones? In Ephesians 2:20 Paul says that the church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone." So the prophets have a unique role in the building and setting the foundation of the church. This is not just some gift of impressions that everyone gets. Its something that was very important to the foundation of the New Testament church. 2. What is the gift of tongues? There are two main answers to this question: • The gift of tongues is the gift of speaking God's truth in human languages that a person never learned. • The gift of tongues is the experience of expressing ecstatic utterances with no discernible code or meaning. The gift of tongues in Acts 2 is is clearly human languages. Acts 2:4-13 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.” The next instance of speaking in tongues is found in the story of Cornelius and his friends (Acts 10:1–48). They receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues (Acts 10:46). Acts 10:46 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and declaring the greatness of God. Luke makes it clear that the gift is the same one that was given to the 120 on Pentecost. In other words, Cornelius and his friends spoke in languages they didn’t know. Peter confirms this interpretation in Acts 11:17 when he says, “If, then, God gave them the same gift that he also gave to us.” Peter specifically tells us that the gift was the same one received on Pentecost. Following this line of reasoning - you have to assume Luke is speaking of the same thing in Acts 19 - because he has already established the meaning of tongues. What about tongues in 1 Corinthians? Three reasons why "tongues" in Corinthians refers to human language: • Acts clearly speaks of languages. There has to be two very different experiences in the NT with the same term used. Is there evidence of this? I don't think so. Especially since speaking in tongues in Acts was such a big deal - a sign of the coming of the Spirit and the New Covenant age has begun. • "Glossa" is a greek word that clearly means human languages. The historic scholarship on this is clear. • Paul repeatedly speaks of the need for interpretation. This is the assumption Paul has in the whole chapter. "5. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up." "13 Therefore the person who speaks in a tongue should pray that he can interpret." Notice that Paul says that if someone is present who can interpret the tongue speaker then it becomes similar to the gift of prophecy - it is God's truth that builds up the church! What about vs 2? "2 For the person who speaks in a tongue is not speaking to people but to God, since no one understands him; he speaks mysteries in the Spirit." Isn't this different from Acts? In Acts, they were speaking in languages and people got saved. It was like a prophetic gift. But here Paul says its just for God, mysteries in the Spirit. But that doesn't mean the gift was different. It just shows the situation was very different. In Acts you have a bunch of people from all different nations - and they heard the truth in their own languages. What is interesting is that in Acts also, some of the people thought the Apostles were drunk because they were speaking in other languages. What about 13:2 - the language of angels? • Paul is speaking in exaggerated terms. The tongue of angels is never again mentioned anywhere. It could likely be an exaggeration. • Even if its not, it still assumes a language with meaning. Linguists have analyzed the experience of people who claim to have the gift of tongues today and can never find any sort of discernible code or meaning. What then do we make of tongue speaking today that is made up of ecstatic utterance? Is this something spiritual or demonic? • Some of what goes on in charismatic churches is likely demonic. There are some very dangerous and twisted aspects of the charismatic movement today which completely goes against Scripture. • It is clearly wrong to say that unless someone has the gift of tongues they don't have the Holy Spirit. • It is clearly wrong to say that tongue speaking is the result of some second blessing or spiritual baptism. • "13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body" - the baptism of the Spirit occurs when a person becomes a christian • It is clearly wrong make tongue speaking the most important spiritual gift - thats Paul's who point here! • But it is likely that not all who experience what is called today the gift of tongues is demonic. • J. I. Packer identifies it as a form of psychological relaxation. This phenomenon has been identified by psychologists outside of christianity who study this behavior and point to the fact that some people have an ability to vocalize non language sounds that bring people a form of relaxation. 3. Are these gifts still present today? • The gift of apostleship is ceased for sure. Apostolic authority is a key in the New Testament. It is a unique office of people chosen by Jesus to take his message to the world and be the foundation of the church. • If by prophesy we mean people who spoke God's Word to the church, then with the passing of the Apostles and the completion of the New Testament canon, it seems clear that the need for prophesy has also passed. Paul repeatedly speaks of "the apostles and the prophets" forming the foundation of the church - Eph. 2, 1 Cor. 12, Eph 4 - these two gifts were uniquely given for a season in the life of the church when the foundation was being set and Scripture was being written. People today who claim to reveal revelations from God that are equal with Scripture make a dangerous claim that questions the sufficiency of Scripture. What about the gifts of tongues, miracles and healing? When we look at the whole story of Scripture, we can see that miracles took place, not evenly though-out. But at certain high points in redemptive history to authenticate God's redeeming work. This happens in the Exodus time with Moses. It happens during the time of Elijah/Elisha. And it happens during Jesus and the early church. Additionally, even by the end of the New Testament era, it seems that the prominence of these gifts is already fading. When you get to the period of the early church in the first three hundred years, you hardly see any mention of supernatural gifts, prophesy and tongues. I just had a conversation with an early church historian about this a few weeks ago. Does this mean God doesn't heal today? No! This does not mean God does not do miracles today or that occasionally God does not give someone the ability to preach the gospel in a language they never learned. This does take place today. However it is far from the norm. This has been the case throughout virtually all of church history. The healings of the NT are not like the healings on charismatic tv - back pain, fatigue. Plus in the NT there is a very diligent process of verification - did this person REALLY get healed? (see John 9) 4. What does this mean for us today? • The goal of the gathered church is edification, not personal exaltation or performance. "Paul isn’t criticizing tongues or any other spiritual gift, but he reminds us that they are not the pinnacle of spiritual experience." Schriener • Christian growth is rooted in understanding his truth. Much of what fills the charismatic world is a movement on experience and emotion. It is a christianity that is rooted in experience. Paul and the rest of the NT show us that it is Scripture that is our root source of life. It is Scripture that the Holy Spirit uses "3 On the other hand, the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation." "19...I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue." So many ppl jump from experience to experience when we have the Spirit inspired Word! • Spiritual experience must be explained and supported by Scripture. Experience does not provide its own interpretation. Just because something felt like something - does not mean we understood it correctly. • We should indeed expect a dynamic daily experience of God's presence and work in our lives. It has to be rooted in Scripture. It has to be for the sake of loving and building others up. And yet we should not merely become brains on a stick christians who do not beleive in anything subjective or dynamic. Answers to prayer must be expected. Impressions and leading from the Holy Spirit must be expected. God will work in ways we don't understand. We don't need put everything in a box of everything we can perfectly logically explain and had deep doubt on people who's experience is different than our own. 24 But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or outsider comes in, he is convicted by all and is called to account by all. 25 The secrets of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is really among you.” Notice here the effect of truth piercing the heart. Prophesy was ONE way that truth was expressed in the church during the NT era. But obviously not the only one. We have something far greater than a prophet today. We have Scripture. What is the effect of a group of people gathered and worshipping in the Word? It should be a place of movement by God. It should be a place where hearts are exposed. Where people are convicted. A place where people proclaim in worship to God and say, "God is really among you!" Do you hunger for this power to work in and through you today? God has drawn near to us in Jesus. God has come to bridge the gap between our sinfulness and his holiness by taking our sin on himself on the cross. He has given us himself that we may have life. Do you have this life? Has his word cut deep into your heart to make you new? Do you life a life in Jesus that is saturated in the power of his Word working in and through you?