1 Corinthians 14
In this passage, we see how the means of expressing together the intentionality of Christ, worked out in our context and culture, is the primary concern of Christians gathered together under the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
1-5 Why is prophecy so important? Contemporary Christian prophecy is built on the basis of prior Biblical revelation: in the Old Testament this is usually revelation through the Mosaic Law, with the prophetic books affording a commentary on this revelation and pointing in anticipation to where it leads to. That is, Old Testament prophecy is a commentary on that which God has already made know.
In the NT, prophetic utterance is based on and tested in the light of Jesus Christ and the apostolic witness to Him. Prophecy is exhortation, encouragement, and sharing of a taste of what is to come; but it is not fortune telling. It is pointing in anticipation to where our Christian discipleship leads to, in the light of the truth of God that has already shared and imparted through Jesus Christ.
This is why any claim to ‘revelation’ from God by an individual must be tested by the congregation in the light of Scriptural testimony. Using the canon, or ‘measuring rod’, of the Bible. Revelation to us from God will always be Christ-centering. Moreover, because the Spirit resides in the body of Christ and not solely in the individual, the prophetic act is incomplete until it has been shared, tested and found to be upbuilding for the congregation as a whole. It is when revelation is delivered, in terms of this complete process of ‘sharing, testing and upbuilding’, that it truly constitutes prophecy. Prophecy is a process rooted in the life of a Christ centring congregation, not simply an individual’s opinion uttered with conviction.
6-19 Intent first, ecstasy second
Ecstasy is lifeblood to Christ adoring spirituality, just as intimate touch and taste is needed in a marriage. There is a vital place for intimacy that lifts us through the sensual into a sense of sublime, spiriitual union with God. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a door to this. Speaking in tongues is a valuable issue of this (v 18). But ecstasy is neither the focus nor the goal of the Christian life. Our focus is Christ centring, intentional Christian living.
This sense of intentionality had become obscured in the thinking of the Corinthian church. The Corinthian disciples were in danger of elevating the ecstatic above the intentional. This reflected their immaturity as Christians. For the serious disciple, it is the call of Christ to followership – and all the personal and ethical challenge of that - that punctuates the path of discipleship. Now certainly, embarking on the path of discipleship will probably be preceded by some meeting with Christ – a meeting where He has touched us with healing, love and salvation from God. But it does not end there. We should not try to go directly from intimacy to ecstasy, bypassing the cost of discipleship. The path of discipleship takes us from the touch of intimacy by way of the Cross; and only then into the taste of resurrection power and the Age to come, when we will live forever with Christ in God’s presence.
v 20–25 Hold on to the ecstatic but keep it in its place! When people come among us, they should not sense that they simply have entered a lecture theatre, music concert or social gathering. There is a way that the ecstatic should be sought after; for this allows people who come among us to experience something of the touch of God’s glory. Our focus, however, must be to encourage each other to walk along the path of reflecting God’s goodness in our life together.
v 26-39 The rule of Paul Our responsibility, as disciples, is to help each other walk the path. When we gather, we should seek to edify and upbuild one another in this way. We should understand that there is a path to follow and priorities to pursue in our lives. We need to gain perspective on what we are about, in terms of Who we are, What we are doing and How we plan to get there. Prophecy has a place in pursuing this. But it is for the congregation as a whole to discern the way of Christ together and affirm it.
Only when we take to ourselves, collectively, the responsibility of following Christ and paying the price of what that costs, can we truly be described as a Christian church.
In this passage, we see how the means of expressing together the intentionality of Christ, worked out in our context and culture, is the primary concern of Christians gathered together under the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
1-5 Why is prophecy so important? Contemporary Christian prophecy is built on the basis of prior Biblical revelation: in the Old Testament this is usually revelation through the Mosaic Law, with the prophetic books affording a commentary on this revelation and pointing in anticipation to where it leads to. That is, Old Testament prophecy is a commentary on that which God has already made know.
In the NT, prophetic utterance is based on and tested in the light of Jesus Christ and the apostolic witness to Him. Prophecy is exhortation, encouragement, and sharing of a taste of what is to come; but it is not fortune telling. It is pointing in anticipation to where our Christian discipleship leads to, in the light of the truth of God that has already shared and imparted through Jesus Christ.
This is why any claim to ‘revelation’ from God by an individual must be tested by the congregation in the light of Scriptural testimony. Using the canon, or ‘measuring rod’, of the Bible. Revelation to us from God will always be Christ-centering. Moreover, because the Spirit resides in the body of Christ and not solely in the individual, the prophetic act is incomplete until it has been shared, tested and found to be upbuilding for the congregation as a whole. It is when revelation is delivered, in terms of this complete process of ‘sharing, testing and upbuilding’, that it truly constitutes prophecy. Prophecy is a process rooted in the life of a Christ centring congregation, not simply an individual’s opinion uttered with conviction.
6-19 Intent first, ecstasy second
Ecstasy is lifeblood to Christ adoring spirituality, just as intimate touch and taste is needed in a marriage. There is a vital place for intimacy that lifts us through the sensual into a sense of sublime, spiriitual union with God. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a door to this. Speaking in tongues is a valuable issue of this (v 18). But ecstasy is neither the focus nor the goal of the Christian life. Our focus is Christ centring, intentional Christian living.
This sense of intentionality had become obscured in the thinking of the Corinthian church. The Corinthian disciples were in danger of elevating the ecstatic above the intentional. This reflected their immaturity as Christians. For the serious disciple, it is the call of Christ to followership – and all the personal and ethical challenge of that - that punctuates the path of discipleship. Now certainly, embarking on the path of discipleship will probably be preceded by some meeting with Christ – a meeting where He has touched us with healing, love and salvation from God. But it does not end there. We should not try to go directly from intimacy to ecstasy, bypassing the cost of discipleship. The path of discipleship takes us from the touch of intimacy by way of the Cross; and only then into the taste of resurrection power and the Age to come, when we will live forever with Christ in God’s presence.
v 20–25 Hold on to the ecstatic but keep it in its place! When people come among us, they should not sense that they simply have entered a lecture theatre, music concert or social gathering. There is a way that the ecstatic should be sought after; for this allows people who come among us to experience something of the touch of God’s glory. Our focus, however, must be to encourage each other to walk along the path of reflecting God’s goodness in our life together.
v 26-39 The rule of Paul Our responsibility, as disciples, is to help each other walk the path. When we gather, we should seek to edify and upbuild one another in this way. We should understand that there is a path to follow and priorities to pursue in our lives. We need to gain perspective on what we are about, in terms of Who we are, What we are doing and How we plan to get there. Prophecy has a place in pursuing this. But it is for the congregation as a whole to discern the way of Christ together and affirm it.
Only when we take to ourselves, collectively, the responsibility of following Christ and paying the price of what that costs, can we truly be described as a Christian church.
