THE POWER OF MINISTRY & Gifts of the Spirit with a thematic summary of the Corinthian letters (Appendix and Addendum)

Appendix and Addendum

The topic for Bible study, beginning Thursday, April 15, 2021:

The New Testament Gifts of the Spirit: Are these all the gifts that exist?

Other related questions:

• What lessons can we learn from studying these gifts?
• How can a believer discover their Spiritual gift(s)?
• According to Apostle Paul, which gifts are to be prioritized?
• Does culture and historical time play a part in the relevance of these gifts, i.e. are gifts specific to time and place?
• What have you discovered from your own study of this topic?

Key biblical texts are:

• 1 Corinthians 12-14
• Romans 12:6-8
• Ephesians 4:11-13
• 1 Peter 4:11

Consideration should be given to any other matters arising. For example, the role of women during church services.

NB: This study may continue for several weeks. Come prepared for an engaging and uplifting time of Bible study.

THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT AND GIFTS FROM THE SPIRIT

1.   Romans 12:6-8 ― Common English Bible (CEB)

⁶ We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith. ⁷ If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. ⁸ If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.

2.   1 Corinthians 12:4-12,18,22-25,27-31

⁴ There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; ⁵ and there are different ministries and the same Lord; ⁶ and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. ⁷ A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. ⁸ A word of wisdom is given by the Spirit to one person, a word of knowledge to another according to the same Spirit, ⁹ faith to still another by the same Spirit, gifts of healing to another in the one Spirit, ¹⁰ performance of miracles to another, prophecy to another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another.¹¹ All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person. ¹² Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. ¹⁸ But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted. ²² Instead, the parts of the body that people think are the weakest are the most necessary. ²³ The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we honor the most. The private parts of our body that aren’t presentable are the ones that are given the most dignity. ²⁴ The parts of our body that are presentable don’t need this. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor ²⁵ so that there won’t be division in the body and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other. ²⁷ You are the body of Christ and parts of each other. ²⁸ In the church, God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, the ability to help others, leadership skills, different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ All aren’t apostles, are they? All aren’t prophets, are they? All aren’t teachers, are they? All don’t perform miracles, do they? ³⁰ All don’t have gifts of healing, do they? All don’t speak in different tongues, do they? All don’t interpret, do they? ³¹ Use your ambition to try to get the greater gifts. And I’m going to show you an even better way.

3.   Ephesians 4:11-13

¹¹ He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. ¹² His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ ¹³ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ.

4.   1 Peter 4:11

¹¹ Whoever speaks should do so as those who speak God’s word. Whoever serves should do so from the strength that God furnishes. Do this so that in everything God may be honored through Jesus Christ. To him be honor and power forever and always. Amen.

Ø Question: How can a believer discover their Spiritual gift(s)?

1.    Via direct or personal revelation and inspiration (divine message/s) from the Holy Spirit.

2.    What one is already naturally drawn towards, love doing or personally and professionally equipped to do, i.e. a school- teacher or farmer or building contractor or doctor; each functioning in the body of Christ (church community) according to their respective professional ability.

3.    Through the intervention of church leadership. God has equipped church leaders (through spiritual discernment) to direct and position members towards specific areas of ministry or service within the church.

Five Case Studies:

1.   FROM SAUL TO PAUL (a former persecutor of the church, handpicked and equipped by God for a specific purpose & the strategic ministerial leadership role of disciple Ananias)

a)   Acts 9:1-6

Meanwhile, Saul was still spewing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest, ² seeking letters to the synagogues in Damascus. If he found persons who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, these letters would authorize him to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³ During the journey, as he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven encircled him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice asking him, “Saul, Saul, why are you harassing me?” ⁵ Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, whom you are harassing,” came the reply. ⁶ “Now get up and enter the city. You will be told what you must do.” ¹³ Ananias countered, “Lord, I have heard many reports about this man. People say he has done horrible things to your holy people in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ He’s here with authority from the chief priests to arrest everyone who calls on your name.” ¹⁵ The Lord replied, “Go! This man is the agent I have chosen to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

b)   Galatians 1:11-16

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the gospel I preached isn’t human in origin. ¹² I didn’t receive it or learn it from a human. It came through a revelation from Jesus Christ. ¹³ You heard about my previous life in Judaism, how severely I harassed God’s church and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my peers, because I was much more militant about the traditions of my ancestors. ¹⁵ But God had set me apart from birth and called me through his grace. He was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me, so that I might preach about him to the Gentiles. I didn’t immediately consult with any human being.

c)    Galatians 2:9-10,18-21

⁹ James, Cephas, and John, who are considered to be key leaders, shook hands with me and Barnabas as equals when they recognized the grace that was given to me. So it was agreed that we would go to the Gentiles, while they continue to go to the people who were circumcised. ¹⁰ They asked only that we would remember the poor, which was certainly something I was willing to do. ¹⁸ If I rebuild the very things that I tore down, I show that I myself am breaking the Law. ¹⁹ I died to the Law through the Law, so that I could live for God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in my body, I live by faith, indeed, by the faithfulness of God’s Son, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I don’t ignore the grace of God, because if we become righteous through the Law, then Christ died for no purpose.

d)   Galatians 3:6-7,9,16-19,22-29

⁶ Understand that in the same way that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, ⁷ those who believe are the children of Abraham. ⁹ Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham who believed. ¹⁶ The promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn’t say, “and to the descendants,” as if referring to many rather than just one. It says, “and to your descendant,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ I’m saying this: the Law, which came four hundred thirty years later, doesn’t invalidate the agreement that was previously validated by God so that it cancels the promise. ¹⁸ If the inheritance were based upon the Law, it would no longer be from the promise. But God has given it graciously to Abraham through a promise. ¹⁹ So why was the Law given? It was added because of offenses, until the descendant would come to whom the promise had been made. It was put in place through angels by the hand of a mediator. ²² But scripture locked up all things under sin, so that the promise based on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ might be given to those who have faith. ²³ Before faith came, we were guarded under the Law, locked up until faith that was coming would be revealed, ²⁴ so that the Law became our custodian until Christ so that we might be made righteous by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian. ²⁶ You are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ Now if you belong to Christ, then indeed you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.

e)   Philippians 3:5-9

⁵ I was circumcised on the eighth day. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews. With respect to observing the Law, I’m a Pharisee. ⁶ With respect to devotion to the faith, I harassed the church. With respect to righteousness under the Law, I’m blameless. ⁷ These things were my assets, but I wrote them off as a loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ But even beyond that, I consider everything a loss in comparison with the superior value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for him, but what I lost I think of as sewer trash, so that I might gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him. In Christ I have a righteousness that is not my own and that does not come from the Law but rather from the faithfulness of Christ. It is the righteousness of God that is based on faith.

Ø Question: Why did God choose Saul (a chief persecutor of the Church) for such an important mission?

·       To reveal God’s Master Plan of Salvation for everyone irrespective of ancestry, ethnicity, cultural background, educational attainment, socio-economic status, class or creed.

·       To remind us of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (which preceded the Law), that promise being the inheritance of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

·       His insatiable passion for knowledge, critical thinking skills, and militant defence of the Jewish faith are important attributes that contributed to the cause of the church after Saul’s conversion and valiant Christian apologetics.

Ø Annette’s Comments & Questions Based on the Church at Corinth.  Primary question: Can one church have all the gifts?

In reading the book of 1 Corinthians, I gathered that this church had all the spiritual gifts, even to the point where the purpose of a church receiving spiritual gifts was accomplished (unity and revelation of Jesus Christ) 1 Cor.1:7 & Eph. 4:13.

                        I.            What happened to this church that it became plagued with so many problems and struggles? 

                     II.            Does the immediate environment affect the development of a church's spiritual gifts?

                  III.            How is it that this church, so filled with the gifts, seemed to be still at a “milk-feeding stage” based on 1 Cor.3:2?

                 IV.            Was unity the core problem of this church? Is that why Paul addressed it first? 1 Cor.1:10-11.

                    V.            Is this why Jesus prayed for unity in John 17? 

                 VI.            Is it that Christ prayed for unity because its absence not only negatively affects the efficiency of the church but it also impedes spiritual growth and harbour sin?

              VII.            Is unity the basis for spiritual growth? According to Eph.4:13 the fulfilment of the purpose of spiritual gifts is demonstrated in the church when it obtains, "unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God." According to 1 Cor.1:7, the church at Corinth was waiting to achieve the latter, (they were at the point where they were almost ready to see the mysteries of Jesus Christ, Col. 2:2). 

Ø Paul’s letters & visits to the Corinthian church 

Video 1

What is the Story of Ancient Corinth? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiRM_FEqJmI

Video 2

How long did Paul live in Corinth?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWYeIaNsTPc&t=1s

How many letters did the Apostle Paul write to the Corinthian church?  We have two letters to the church at Corinth in our Bible, but both of these letters mention another letter. Many scholars believe Paul wrote four letters to the Corinthian church but only two of them survived.

1st Visit

As recorded in Acts 18, Paul visited Corinth for the first time on what we call his “second missionary journey” and stayed for 18 months. Paul lived with Priscilla and Aquila, and established the church at Corinth (approximately 51-52 AD).

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.- Acts 18:1

And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. – Acts 18:11

#1 Letter – Lost letter from Paul

What: Often referred to as “The Lost Epistle,” this letter is the correspondence mentioned in 1 Corinthians.  Chronologically, it is the first letter Paul wrote to the church at Corinth.

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people– 1Corinthians 5:9

When: After having returned to Antioch upon the completion of his second missionary journey, Paul establishes Ephesus as a base for the travels that we call his “third missionary journey.”  He probably wrote this initial letter during his time in Ephesus.

Why: Word reached Paul of some troubling matters in the Corinthian church and he wrote to address those problems. Among other things, Paul tells them that they are “not to associate with immoral people.”

Letter from Corinth

What: This is the letter from the church at Corinth to Paul that is mentioned in 1Corinthians 7.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: 1Corinthians 7:1

When: This letter would have reached Paul during his time at Ephesus.

Why: Several issues are creating controversy among the Corinthian believers and they seek Paul’s wisdom on resolving these issues.

#2 Letter – 1 Corinthians

What:  This is the letter we know as 1st Corinthians.  Chronologically, it is the second letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian church.

When: Paul dictated this letter to Sosthenes during his time in Ephesus toward the beginning of his third missionary journey (approximately 54-55 AD).

Why: Paul is responding to the issues raised by the letter he received from Corinth and the report he received from Chloe’s people. [Chloe, also spelled Chloë or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name appears in 1 Corinthians 1:11 in the context of "some from Chloe’s household", a leading early Christian woman in Corinth, Greece].

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: 1Corinthians 7:1

For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. – 1Corinthians 1:11

2nd Visit – Sorrowful visit

What: In a visit not recorded in Acts, Paul makes a brief second trip to Corinth from Ephesus on his way to Macedonia. This visit — predicted in 1 Corinthians 16 and referred back to in 2 Corinthians 13 — is sometimes referred to as “the sorrowful visit.”

⁵I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, ⁶and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. ⁸But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost…- 1Corinthians 16:5-8

¹This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them–  2Corinthians 13:1-2

When: Paul made this trip during his long stay in Ephesus when Ephesus was his base for his third missionary journey.

Why: Timothy visited Corinth and brought back some news that Paul believed he needed to deal with swiftly. Though he wrote in 1 Corinthians 16 that he planned to come via the land route through Macedonia, Paul took the direct route across the sea, stayed briefly and traveled on to Macedonia.

¹⁰When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am.  ¹¹So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.  –1Corinthians 16:10-11

#3 Letter – Severe letter from Paul

What: Often referred to as “the severe letter,” this is the letter that causes the sorrow mentioned in 2 Corinthians 7.  Chronologically, it is the third letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian church.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you. – 2Corinthians 2:4

For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it–for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while–                  2Corinthians 7:8

When: Probably written during Paul’s second visit to Macedonia, after his second trip to Corinth and before he returns to Ephesus.

Why: Paul experienced something during his second visit to Corinth while on his way to Macedonia that concerned him and caused him to write this letter.  Paul originally intended to return to Corinth on his way back to Ephesus. But Paul decided it was not a good time for him to visit Corinth and he returned to Ephesus by the land route.

¹⁵Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. ¹⁶I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea…. – 2Corinthians 1:15-16

²³But I call God to witness against me–it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. ²⁴Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. ^2:1For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. –          2Corinthians 1:23-2:1

#4 Letter – 2 Corinthians

What:  This is the letter we know as 2 Corinthians and is the fourth letter from Paul to the Corinthian church.

When: Paul wrote this letter during his third visit to Macedonia (probably from Philippi, approximately 56 AD), after Titus had arrived with encouraging news about the situation in Corinth. Instead of returning to Corinth, Paul sent Titus to Corinth. When Titus rejoined Paul in Macedonia, Paul rejoiced at the news Titus brought from Corinth.

⁵For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. ⁶But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. –            2Corinthians 7:5-7

For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. –      2Corinthians 7:13

Why: Paul wrote this letter to prepare for his coming to see them again (3rd visit), as he gathers a collection for the poor in Jerusalem.

¹For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints;  ²for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. ³But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared;  ⁴otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we–not to speak of you–will be put to shame by this confidence.  ⁵So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness. – 2 Corinthians 9:1-5

Adapted from: https://www.wednesdayintheword.com/corinthianletters/

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A cursory glance at the problem-plagued Corinthian church: using 1^st Corinthians as a reference

Chapter 1: Rival groups in the church

¹¹ My brothers and sisters, Chloe’s people gave me some information about you, that you’re fighting with each other. ¹² What I mean is this: that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” “I belong to Apollos,” “I belong to Cephas,” “I belong to Christ.”

Chapter 3: Lacking spiritual maturity

Brothers and sisters, I couldn’t talk to you like spiritual people but like unspiritual people, like babies in Christ. ² I gave you milk to drink instead of solid food, because you weren’t up to it yet. ³ Now you are still not up to it because you are still unspiritual. When jealousy and fighting exist between you, aren’t you unspiritual and living by human standards?

Chapter 5: Sexual immorality in the church

Everyone has heard that there is sexual immorality among you. This is a type of immorality that isn’t even heard of among the Gentiles—a man is having sex with his father’s wife! ² And you’re proud of yourselves instead of being so upset that the one who did this thing is expelled from your community.

Chapter 6: Lawsuits in the church

When someone in your assembly has a legal case against another member, do they dare to take it to court to be judged by people who aren’t just, instead of by God’s people? ² Or don’t you know that God’s people will judge the world? If the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to judge trivial cases? ³ Don’t you know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary things? 

Chapter 7: Marriage and celibacy/singlehood

Now, about what you wrote: “It’s good for a man not to have sex with a woman.” ² Each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband because of sexual immorality. ⁷ I wish all people were like me, but each has a particular gift from God: one has this gift, and another has that one. ⁸ I’m telling those who are single and widows that it’s good for them to stay single like me. ⁹ But if they can’t control themselves, they should get married, because it’s better to marry than to burn with passion. 

Chapter 8: Meat sacrificed to false gods

Now concerning meat that has been sacrificed to a false god: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds people up. ² If anyone thinks they know something, they don’t yet know as much as they should know. ³ But if someone loves God, then they are known by God. ⁴ So concerning the actual food involved in these sacrifices to false gods, we know that a false god isn’t anything in this world, and that there is no God except for the one God. ⁷ But not everybody knows this. Some are eating this food as though it really is food sacrificed to a real idol, because they were used to idol worship until now. Their conscience is weak because it has been damaged. ¹² You sin against Christ if you sin against your brothers and sisters and hurt their weak consciences this way. ¹³ This is why, if food causes the downfall of my brother or sister, I won’t eat meat ever again, or else I may cause my brother or sister to fall.

Chapter 9: Paul’s defends his apostleship

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord? ² If I’m not an apostle to others, at least I am to you! You are the seal that shows I’m an apostle. ³ This is my defense against those who criticize me. ⁴ Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? ⁵ Don’t we have the right to travel with a wife who believes like the rest of the apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas? ⁶ Or is it only I and Barnabas who don’t have the right to not work for our living? ⁹ In Moses’ Law it’s written: You will not muzzle the ox when it is threshing. Is God worried about oxen, ¹⁰ or did he say this entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake because the one who plows and the one who threshes should each do so with the hope of sharing the produce. ¹¹ If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it so much to ask to harvest some material things from you?

Chapter 10: Warning against presumptuous sin & idol worship

Brothers and sisters, I want you to be sure of the fact that our ancestors were all under the cloud and they all went through the sea. ² All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ All ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. ⁵ However, God was unhappy with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness. ¹² So those who think they are standing need to watch out or else they may fall. ¹⁹ What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to a false god is anything, or that a false god is anything? ²⁰ No, but this kind of sacrifice is sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don’t want you to be sharing in demons. ²¹ You can’t drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you can’t participate in the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 

Chapter 11: Suitable dress in worship & reverence for the Lord’s Supper

¹¹ However, woman isn’t independent from man, and man isn’t independent from woman in the Lord. ¹² As woman came from man so also man comes from woman. But everything comes from God. ¹³ Judge for yourselves: Is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him; ¹⁵ but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? This is because her long hair is given to her for a covering. ¹⁸ First of all, when you meet together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it. ²⁰ So when you get together in one place, it isn’t to eat the Lord’s meal. ²¹ Each of you goes ahead and eats a private meal. One person goes hungry while another is drunk. ²² Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on God’s churches and humiliate those who have nothing? What can I say to you? Will I praise you? No, I don’t praise you in this.

Chapter 12: Spiritual gifts

Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts.  ² You know that when you were Gentiles you were often misled by false gods that can’t even speak. ⁴ There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; ⁵ and there are different ministries and the same Lord; ⁶ and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 

Chapter 13: Love: the universal spiritual gift

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, ⁵ it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, ⁶ it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. ⁷ Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things. ¹³ Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.

Chapter 14: Spiritual gifts and church order

Pursue love, and use your ambition to try to get spiritual gifts but especially so that you might prophesy. ² This is because those who speak in a tongue don’t speak to people but to God; no one understands it—they speak mysteries by the Spirit. ³ Those who prophesy speak to people, building them up, and giving them encouragement and comfort. ²⁶ What is the outcome of this, brothers and sisters? When you meet together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All these things must be done to build up the church. ³⁹ So then, brothers and sisters, use your ambition to try to get the gift of prophecy, but don’t prevent speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ Everything should be done with dignity and in proper order.

Chapter 15: Unwavering faith in the resurrected Christ

³ I passed on to you as most important what I also received: Christ died for our sins in line with the scriptures, ⁴ he was buried, and he rose on the third day in line with the scriptures. ⁵ He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve, ⁶ and then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once—most of them are still alive to this day, though some have died. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me, as if I were born at the wrong time. ¹⁶ If the dead aren’t raised, then Christ hasn’t been raised either. ¹⁷ If Christ hasn’t been raised, then your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins, ¹⁸ and what’s more, those who have died in Christ are gone forever. ¹⁹ If we have a hope in Christ only in this life, then we deserve to be pitied more than anyone else.

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Ø Rev. Sylvan Payne’s query: Can we abuse our spiritual gifts?

                   i.            Is there evidence of this occurring in the early church?

                ii.            What lessons are learnt from exploring this question?

              iii.            How do we apply those lessons to our personal lives and current corporate church ministry?

Ø A reminder of the 3 categories of spiritual gifts: 1 Corinthians 12 (NIV)

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Ø Authorized (King James) Version:

                   i.            diversities of gifts

                ii.            differences of administrations

              iii.            diversities of operations

Ø Amplified Bible, Classic Edition:

                   i.            distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments (gifts, extraordinary powers distinguishing certain Christians)

                ii.            distinctive varieties of service and ministration

              iii.            distinctive varieties of operation [of working to accomplish things]

Simply put, different believers are empowered (gifted) by the Holy Spirit to perform different functions.

Ø Jesus the Servant-Leader & true leadership: Mat.20:20-21,24-26

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons [James and John] came to Jesus along with her sons. Bowing before him, she asked a favor of him. ²¹ “What do you want?” he asked. She responded, “Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one on your right hand and one on your left, in your kingdom.” ²⁴ Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. ²⁶ But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. ²⁷ Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”

Ø The misuse and abuse of administration/leadership

a.    Paul warns Timothy of false teachers who use religion as a way to get rich: 1 Tim.6:3-5,

³ If anyone teaches anything different and doesn’t agree with sound teaching about our Lord Jesus Christ and teaching that is consistent with godliness, ⁴ that person is conceited. They don’t understand anything but have a sick obsession with debates and arguments. This creates jealousy, conflict, verbal abuse, and evil suspicions. ⁵ There is constant bickering between people whose minds are ruined and who have been robbed of the truth. They think that godliness is a way to make money!

Simply put, they use God’s Word and his church for personal gain.

Contrasting leadership styles & attitudes

b.   John, the elder apostle, congratulates Gaius [a leader of one of the churches in western Asia Minor, possibly Ephesus] for being faithful in his “care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you” (3 John 5 NLT). John explains that Gaius’ friendship and loving deeds towards the travelling teachers pleases God, since “they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers” (vs.6-7). Thus, the importance of supporting and partnering with such ministers “as they teach the truth” (v.8).

c.    This is in stark contrast to another leader of the church, Diotrephes, who John reports “loves to be the leader [and] refuses to have anything to do with us” (v.9). Furthermore, John intends to expose the evil deeds of Diotrephes. For example, “Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church” (v.10). John warns Gaius not to “let this bad example influence” (v.11) him, but “Follow only what is good” (v.11) as this proves “that they are God’s children” (v.11). Conversely, Diotrephes’ attitude proves that he does not know God.

d.   John also commends Demetrius (another church leader) for his good work, of whom “Everyone speaks highly of… even truth itself” (v.12).

e.    In defence of his apostolic authority, Paul informs the Galatian church of his spiritual gift of preaching to the Gentiles: Gal.2:6-10

⁶ And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) ⁷ Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. ⁸ For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles. ⁹ In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. ¹⁰ Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.

Ø Preaching for filthy lucre (money obtained dishonestly):

a.    Titus 1:11

¹⁰ For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. ¹¹ They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money. ¹² Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.” ¹³ This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith.

 

Ø Paul’s encouragement and warning to the Ephesian Elders

b.   Acts 20:28-30

²⁸ “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. ²⁹ I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.

Ø The gift of the Blessed Holy Spirit cannot be bought or sold

c.    The bewitching folly of Simon, sorcerer of Samaria:

Acts 8:18-23

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. ¹⁹ “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”

²⁰ But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! ²¹ You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. ²² Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, ²³ for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”

Ø Avoiding the trap of personal praise from others, reserved for God

d.   Acts 14:1,3,8-18

The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. ³ But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.

⁸ While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting ⁹ and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. ¹⁰ So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking. ¹¹ When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!” ¹² They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. ¹³ Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles. ¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, ¹⁵ “Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. ¹⁶ In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, ¹⁷ but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” ¹⁸ But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.

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Ø Annette’s study of Spirit-filled temperaments: Paul & Barnabas

Points to consider:

1) The relationship between Paul and Barnabas

2) Temperaments & gifts of each

3) Your temperament and the Holy Spirit (does your temperament change after conversion?)

4) Your temperament and your gift(s)

5) Does your temperament aid you in fulfilling your gift(s)?

6) How can my temperament be used as an aid in recognising my spiritual gift(s)?

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2.   BARNABAS (the generous giver and encourager)

a)   Acts 4:32,34-37

³² The community of believers was one in heart and mind. None of them would say, “This is mine!” about any of their possessions, but held everything in common. ³⁴ There were no needy persons among them. Those who owned properties or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds from the sales, ³⁵ and place them in the care and under the authority of the apostles. Then it was distributed to anyone who was in need.

³⁶ Joseph, whom the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (that is, “one who encourages”), was a Levite from Cyprus. ³⁷ He owned a field, sold it, brought the money, and placed it in the care and under the authority of the apostles.

b)   Acts 9:26-28 (Barnabas offers a testimonial on behalf of Saul)

²⁶ When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn’t believe he was really a disciple. ²⁷ Then Barnabas brought Saul to the apostles and told them the story about how Saul saw the Lord on the way and that the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them about the confidence with which Saul had preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus. ²⁸ After this, Saul moved freely among the disciples in Jerusalem and was speaking with confidence in the name of the Lord.

c)    Acts 11:22-26 (Barnabas finds Saul a worthy co-worker)  

²² When the church in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw evidence of God’s grace, he was overjoyed and encouraged everyone to remain fully committed to the Lord. ²⁴ Barnabas responded in this way because he was a good man, whom the Holy Spirit had endowed with exceptional faith. A considerable number of people were added to the Lord. ²⁵ Barnabas went to Tarsus in search of Saul. ²⁶ When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They were there for a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching large numbers of people. It was in Antioch where the disciples were first labeled “Christians.”

d)   Acts 15:36-39 (Barnabas intervenes for John Mark)

³⁶ Some time later, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit all the brothers and sisters in every city where we preached the Lord’s word. Let’s see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. ³⁸ Paul insisted that they shouldn’t take him along, since he had deserted them in Pamphylia and hadn’t continued with them in their work. ³⁹ Their argument became so intense that they went their separate ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.

NOTE: Barnabas was a selfless giver and encourager

·       Barnabas was recognized by the leadership of the church (apostles) for his generosity of spirit and inspiration to others.

·       Do not give to be admired; allow God to give the ‘pat on the back.’

·       You should not give to impress other―that is the wrong attitude and the consequences can be deadly (Acts 5: 1-11). Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, in contrast to Barnabas, gave to the church for personal glory. They were influenced by Satan to practise deception.

·       If you have a bad attitude, such as being selfish, greedy, miserly, etc., it is probably better not to give until you have asked God, in sincere prayer, to help you change your attitude and heart condition.

·       Give because you want to and it gives you pleasure to do so: “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

·       Since Barnabas (the elder apostle) did not give up on John Mark (the inexperienced missionary), the latter was later recognized by Paul as “a big help to me in the ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11) and became one of the four famed gospel writers.

3.   THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH (a centre of divine inspiration)

a)   Acts 13:1-3

The church at Antioch included prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (nicknamed Niger), Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen (a childhood friend of Herod the ruler), and Saul. ² As they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul to the work I have called them to undertake.” ³ After they fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on these two and sent them off.

4.   LYDIA (a woman with a receptive heart and hospitable spirit)

a)   Acts 16:13-15

¹³ On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the riverbank, where we thought there might be a place for prayer. We sat down and began to talk with the women who had gathered. ¹⁴ One of those women was Lydia, a Gentile God-worshipper from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple cloth. As she listened, the Lord enabled her to embrace Paul’s message. ¹⁵ Once she and her household were baptized, she urged, “Now that you have decided that I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded us.

NOTE: Lydia’s devotion to God and generous hospitality to Paul and his companions is testimony not only to her willingness to serve the Lord but to demonstrate her love for God’s people in a tangible way.

5.   AQUILA & PRISCILLA (always together as a couple & strategic coworkers with the apostles)

a)   Acts 18:1-3 (partners with Paul in both business and ministry)

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus. He had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul visited with them. ³ Because they practiced the same trade, he stayed and worked with them. They all worked with leather.

b) Acts 18:24-26 (disciplining Apollos & strengthening his ministry)

²⁴ Meanwhile, a certain Jew named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria and was well-educated and effective in his use of the scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and spoke as one stirred up by the Spirit. He taught accurately the things about Jesus, even though he was aware only of the baptism John proclaimed and practiced. ²⁶ He began speaking with confidence in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they received him into their circle of friends and explained to him God’s way more accurately. 

c)    Romans 16:3-5 (caring for the welfare of leaders & church)

³ Say hello to Prisca [Priscilla] and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who risked their own necks for my life. I’m not the only one who thanks God for them, but all the churches of the Gentiles do the same. ⁵ Also say hello to the church that meets in their house….

6.   THE FAITH OF CHILDREN IN THE CHURCH (the boy with 5 barley loaves + 2 fish & Rhoda‒a servant girl)

a)   John 6:4-13 (the selfless giving of a boy & the miracle of multiplication)

⁴ It was nearly time for Passover, the Jewish festival. ⁵ Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” ⁶ Jesus said this to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do. ⁷ Philip replied, “More than a half year’s salary worth of food wouldn’t be enough for each person to have even a little bit.” ⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, ⁹ “A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?” ¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass there. They sat down, about five thousand of them. ¹¹ Then Jesus took the bread. When he had given thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, each getting as much as they wanted. ¹² When they had plenty to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing will be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves that had been left over by those who had eaten.

Note:

                  I.            Developing an attitude of giving like our Lord Jesus Christ will prompt us to be always willing to give to those in need, irrespective of how trying the circumstances may appear to us. Jesus not only provided for the spiritual needs of the people, “they had seen the miraculous signs he had done among the sick” (v.2) but he supplied their basic and immediate needs as well. In this case, the need for food: “Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” (v.5).

               II.            The question Jesus asked Philip indicates his willingness and ability to feed the people. Thus, requiring Philip to state the location of the nearest bakery from which they could purchase bread. However, Philip’s response was negative. He could only see the impossibility of satisfying this need to feed so great a crowd: “Philip replied, “More than a half year’s salary worth of food wouldn’t be enough for each person to have even a little bit” (v.7).

            III.            Philip was unaware of the fact that Christ was testing his faith, “Jesus said this to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do” (v.6). Philip’s pessimistic attitude in contrast to Christ’s optimism meant the disciple failed the test.

           IV.            Andrew, like Philip, recognized only their inadequate resources, ““A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?”” (v.9). His despondency is evident. Therefore, he too failed the test.

               V.            In contrast to the disciples’ faithlessness, the innocent optimism (childlike faith) of the young boy cast aspersions on the chosen and more experienced followers of Christ, since he was willing to part with his own lunch, in spite of his own physical need for food.

           VI.            Christ’s supreme example of faith overshadows the disciples’ faithlessness: “When the day was almost over, the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so that they can go to the nearby villages and countryside and find lodging and food, because we are in a deserted place” (Lk.9:12). Christ responded, ““You give them something to eat” (v.13), but the disciples considered the task an impossible one because, “About five thousand men plus women and children” (Mat.14:21) were present.

        VII.            Unlike the disciples, Christ prepared the crowd to dine, ““Seat them in groups of about fifty”” (Lk.9:14). Everyone’s need was met, “Everyone ate until they were full, and the disciples filled twelve baskets with the leftovers” (v.17) and nothing was wasted (Jn.6:12); perhaps another day’s meal. Clearly, the mathematics of God surpasses any human or earthly impossibility or improbability. Consider God’s miraculous formula:

     VIII.            This miracle mirrors a similar miraculous event recorded in Matthew 15:32-38. This time the equation reads,

       IX.            These incidents reflect Christ’s admonition to, “become like this little child” (Mat.18:3) or be refused entry to, “the kingdom of heaven” (v.3). Christ informs his disciples that, “Those who humble themselves like this little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (v.4). Truly, as he demonstrated by welcoming children in their midst (v.2), “the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children” (Mat.19:14).

     X.            This bold demonstration of the boy’s faith to offer his lunch for Christ’s use also echoes Isaiah’s prophetic utterance that, “a little child will lead them” (Isa.11:6). Following this boy’s act of faith, Jesus moves into action: ““Have the people sit down”” (Jn.6:10). Could it be that Jesus was waiting for someone to freely offer or part with the little they had, such as the young boy?

       XI.            The important lesson here is that God wants his followers to trust him at all times, especially when the circumstances seem humanly impossible. Christ assured his disciples that some things might be, “impossible for human beings. But all things are possible for God” (Mat.19:26). He also reminded them of his ability to perform the impossible when they doubted (Mk.8:17-21).

 

b)   Acts 12:1-5,11-16 (the resolute faith of Rhoda at intercessors’ prayer meeting)

About that time King Herod began to harass some who belonged to the church. ² He had James, John’s brother, killed with a sword. ³ When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter as well. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ He put Peter in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers, sixteen in all, who guarded him. He planned to charge him publicly after the Passover. ⁵ While Peter was held in prison, the church offered earnest prayer to God for him. ¹¹ At that, Peter came to his senses and remarked, “Now I’m certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod and from everything the Jewish people expected.” ¹² Realizing this, he made his way to Mary’s house. (Mary was John’s mother; he was also known as Mark.) Many believers had gathered there and were praying. ¹³ When Peter knocked at the outer gate, a female servant named Rhoda went to answer. ¹⁴ She was so overcome with joy when she recognized Peter’s voice that she didn’t open the gate. Instead, she ran back in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. ¹⁵ “You’ve lost your mind!” they responded. She stuck by her story with such determination that they began to say, “It must be his guardian angel.” ¹⁶ Meanwhile, Peter remained outside, knocking at the gate. They finally opened the gate and saw him there, and they were astounded.

Note:

1. The childlike faith of Rhoda is contrasted against the 'faithfulness' of experienced praying intercessors/prayer warriors. Rhoda appears to be the only one who believes in the miraculous deliverance of Peter from prison and certain death, “she recognized Peter’s voice” (v.14). Her steadfast faith is met with mocking skepticism, ““You’ve lost your mind!”” (v.15).
2. The closest the intercessors came to 'accepting' Rhoda’s claim (based solely on what she heard, not on what she saw) is their awkward belief that the person knocking at the gate must be Peter’s “guardian angel” (v.15).
3. If these intercessors were earnestly praying (v.5) for Peter’s deliverance, in accordance with Hebrews 11:6, “It’s impossible to please God without faith because the one who draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards people who try to find him.” Why did they repeatedly reject Rhoda’s claim that Peter was standing outside the door of this church's intercessory prayer meeting?
4. Their only 'act of faith' was when, “They finally opened the gate and saw him there” (v.16) because of Peter’s persistent knocking for entry.
5. Clearly, this church lacked faith in God’s ability to do the seemingly impossible. They were praying for a miracle but did not believe that God would answer their prayer, since “they were astounded” (v.16) to find Peter standing outside the church meeting, ironically assembled on his behalf?
6. Rhoda did not open the door to see that it was Peter knocking, but she believed. The intercessors only believed after they saw. Seeing is not believing. A sobering reminder of Christ’s charge to Thomas, ““Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe” (Jn.20:29).
7. Was the innocent faith of Rhoda the 'key' that God used to unlock Peter’s prison doors and set him free?

Ø Meeting Bro. Wong in 2007: an international missionary in Guyana

According to Bro. Wong, the future nature of international missions, in light of a rapidly changing world, will be led in great measure by the youth. It is his conviction that many more Spirit-filled and educated young people will be chosen and sent by God to the nations of the world to proclaim the Good News of Christ Jesus during these latter times. He asserts that the youth understand, much like the apostle Paul, the knowledge-driven nature of their environment and generation. They speak its language and more readily navigate its technologies. Has Bro. Wong found a connection to Apostle John’s testimony of God’s spiritual investment in youth to serve? “Young people, I write to you because you are strong, the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one” (1 John 2:14).

WOMEN IN CHURCH: A SPECIAL FOCUS

Ø Women In Church Leadership & SILENT in Church?

A.  1 Corinthians 14:34-38

³⁴ Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. ³⁵ If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. ³⁶ Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? ³⁷ If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. ³⁸ But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.

A. Acts 21:8-9

⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

B.   Romans 16:1-7,12-15 (both men and women in partnership)

Paul’s Vote of Thanks

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon [diakonos―one who executes the commands of another, minister, servant] of the church in Cenchreae. ² I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor [prostatis―guardian, caring for the affairs of others] of many people, including me. ³ Greet Priscilla [notice the wife is mentioned first] and Aquila [husband], my coworkers [synergos―companion in labour] in Christ Jesus. ⁴ They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. ⁵ Greet also the church that meets at their house. ⁶ Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus [means “Man of victory”] and Junia [being feminine, was probably his wife] my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles [Paul acknowledges both as apostles], and they were in Christ before I was. ¹² Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.

[Paul wrote the Letter to the Romans about AD 57, a few years after his first letter to the Corinthians].

C. 1 Corinthians 11:5,13-16

⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. ¹³ Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not the very nature of things 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? For long hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

Women "Should Remain Silent" - A Study of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35

If we take this literally, it would mean that the voices of women must never be heard during church services. Thus, women are not allowed to sing in church nor respond when the pastor asks for comments or questions from the congregation. Indeed, women would not be able to voice their perspective in this Zoom forum. Moreover, it would contradict what Paul said in chapter 11, where he said that women could pray and prophesy in church if they had the appropriate head covering.

Common sense, church custom, and good principles of biblical interpretation all say that we should not take these verses literally. Paul is not making a blanket prohibition that says that women can never speak in church. Rather, he was addressing his comments to a certain situation, and his comments are limited in some way. The question is, What are the limits of Paul’s prohibition? To answer this, we must examine the socio-historical context and look at the details of these verses. In other words, these verses must be examined in the larger context of what Paul is addressing, a call to order during church services.

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul begins to instruct the Corinthian church about their somewhat disorganized worship services. He says that women should wear a head covering when they pray and prophesy; then he corrects the Corinthians on the way they had been observing the Lord’s Supper. In chapter 12, he addresses the proper use of spiritual gifts in the worship service. He describes a number of gifts (9 to be exact), and insists that all gifts are important to the Body of Christ; the variety of gifts calls for mutual respect and honour, not vanity or shame.

In chapter 13, he describes love as the best way, and in chapter 14 he makes an extended contrast between the gift of tongues and the gift of prophesying. Apparently, some people in Corinth were extolling the gift of tongues as a mark of superior spirituality. Paul did not tell them to stop speaking in tongues, but he did put some restrictions on how tongues should be used in the worship service:

1.    There should be two or three speakers (14:27).

2.    They should speak one at a time (v. 27).

3.    There should be an interpretation (v. 27). If no one can interpret the tongues, “the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God” (v. 28). 

Paul appealed to church custom, the law, and cultural expectations. Just as he did not allow tongue-speakers or prophets to speak out of turn, he did not want women to speak out of turn, saying things in such a way that they were breaking social customs about what is appropriate.

We know from the Old Testament that women were not prohibited from speaking in public. Scripture provides examples of women who had leadership roles in civil government, in publicly praising God, and in giving authoritative answers about spiritual matters to male civil leaders (e.g., the "seven prophetesses": Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Esther and Huldah). According to 2 Kings 22:14–20, on the order of King Josiah, Hilkiah, the priest, together with Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah approach Huldah to seek the Lord's opinion.

Scripture does not require all women to submit to all men. The problem in Corinth probably involved either a) wives speaking against or dishonouring their husbands, or b) more generally, women acting disorderly and for that reason considered “not in submission.” The “law” that Paul mentions [1 Cor.14:34] may be a civil law, or a New Testament rule.

It seems that worship services in Corinth were chaotic. It is reasonable to suggest that Paul is prohibiting the same kind of speech that he prohibits for tongues-speakers and prophets: out-of-turn speaking. While someone has the podium, the others should be quiet, not making loud comments, not calling out questions (no matter how well intentioned), and not having their own conversations, for any of those would be disgraceful in the eyes of the public, contrary to what God wants, and contrary to the way that other congregations functioned.

Other Bible scholars suggests that these women assumed that Christian prophets or prophetesses functioned much like the Pythia, the name of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi who also served as its oracle, also known as the Oracle of Delphi. This pagan priestess only prophesied in response to questions.  Paul argues that Christian prophecy is different: Prophets and prophetesses speak in response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, without any human priming. Paul then limits such questions to another location, namely home. He may be implying that the husband or man was either a prophet or at least able to answer such questions at a more appropriate time.

[This is a weak premise that assumes all husbands or men possess the gift or ability to understand, interpret, and explain matters of spiritual significance to their wives or female counterparts].Or that women have no means of discovering truth (divine inspiration) on their own apart from men.

Conclusion

Paul appears to be addressing a specific situation in Corinth, rather than making a general prohibition on women speaking in church. His intent was to prohibit disruptive and disrespectful questions and comments that were part of the chaotic Corinthian meetings—and in Corinth, these particular practises were coming from the women. Just as he told the disorderly tongues-speakers and prophets to control themselves because God is not a God of disorder, he also told the women to control themselves because the law teaches self-control. If they want to learn something, they can ask questions somewhere else.

“‘Submission’ and ‘silence’ are two sides of the same coin. To be silent is to be submissive—and to be submissive (in the context of worship) is to be silent. Control over the tongue is most likely what Paul is talking about” (Belleville, 119).

Only one person should speak at a time. Everyone else, whether male or female, should be quiet, for it is disgraceful for people in the audience to be talking while someone else is speaking to the group. Just as Paul’s call for tongues-speakers or prophets to be silent should not be turned into a demand that they never say anything at all, so also his call for women to be quiet should not be turned into a demand that they never give messages of spiritual value in church. That is something that Paul specifically allows in chapter 11.

Adapted from Women in Church Leadership - a Series of Study Papers. For full review visit: https://learn.gcs.edu/mod/book/view.php?id=4261&chapterid=12

IN SUMMARY:

*The gifts of the Spirit listed below are not meant to be exhaustive.

*There are different spiritual gifts (by the same Spirit), different ministries (by the same Lord) and different activities (by the same God). The triune God makes all of this possible (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

*The Holy Spirit determines who gets which particular gifts: “All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person” (v.11).

*The expressed purpose for these gifts is “¹²…to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ ¹³ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).

*The greatest gift of all (the universal gift) is LOVE: “Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

*Believers are continually encouraged to “Pursue love” (1 Corinthians 14:1) and ensure that their ambition for spiritual gifts is directed towards “building up the church” (vs.12 & 26).

*God can use anyone to fulfil his purpose, even a homicidal zealot like Saul of Tarsus, the famed apostle Paul (Acts7:54-60; 8:1,3; 9:1-31).

*The church at Corinth stood out among the New Testament churches for its extensive theological exposure to and spiritual manifestation of spiritual gifts, particularly through the administrative leadership and pastoral care of Apostle Paul.

*Our Spirit-filled temperaments can be used as an aid in recognising our spiritual gift(s). Consider Paul (the aggressive and theologically astute missionary) and Barnabas (the generous giver and encourager).

*Men, women and children from all walks of life have a place in God’s Kingdom. Thus, God takes pleasure in using people from all levels of society to fulfill his purpose, especially the social outcasts and marginalised:

1.    The demoniac of Gadara: who becomes an instant evangelist after his deliverance (Matthew 8:28-24 & Mark 5:1-20).

2.    Tabitha (also called Dorcas): a widow renowned for her good works and compassionate acts on behalf of those in need (Acts 9:36-43).

3.    Lydia: an entrepreneur and possibly a single mother; a woman with a receptive heart and hospitable spirit (Acts 16:13-15).

4.    Aquila & Priscilla: exiles of Rome; husband and wife team; always together as a couple & strategic coworkers with the apostles; partners with Paul in both business and ministry (Acts 18:1-3,24-26; Romans 16:3-5).

5.    The remarkable faith of children:

a.    The selfless giving of an unnamed boy with 5 barley loaves + 2 fish (John 6:4-13).

b.   The resolute faith of Rhoda, the servant girl at intercessors’ prayer meeting (Acts 12:1-5,11-16).

Women in leadership as vocal coworkers in both Jewish antiquity as well as in the church:

References:

1.    https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+14&version=CEB

2.    https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/1co/12/1/ss1/s_1074001

3.    https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Ten-Women-Leaders-in-the-Bible

4.    https://thinkaboutsuchthings.com/women-leaders-of-the-bible/#the-women-at-the-tomb-the-first-evangelist

5.    https://margmowczko.com/new-testament-women-church-leaders/

*Paul’s response to the Corinthians’ uninformed views about spiritual gifts falls into a larger framework surrounding his strenuous attempts at addressing problems in the church and answering questions from the church. Paul wrote to resolve disagreements, restore unity to the congregation and reestablish his role as apostolic leader. The following chart shows a summation of this Corinthian framework using chapter themes.

OOW

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