Empty Boxes That Once Stored Wealth
Posted: July 12th, 2008, 6:44 am
HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #124n Written 12JUL08 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw
Chapter 14: Part Fourteen—Empty Boxes That Once Stored Wealth
by dave c
First Corinthians 14:39 Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. 40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner (NASV).
“14:40 Paul’s final word of admonition is that all things must be done decently and in order. It is significant that this control should be placed in this chapter. Down through the years, those who have professed to have the ability to speak in tongues have not been noted for the orderliness of their meetings. Rather, many of their meetings have been scenes of uncontrolled emotion and general confusion” [Believer’s Bible Commentary; William MacDonald; Edited by Art Farstad; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville-Atlanta-London-Vancouver; 1995; p 1803].
Oh, me. Does the phrase ‘anecdotal opinion’ come to mind when you read the above quote? What if I said to Mr. MacDonald: “Down through the years, those who have rigorously denied the common existence of speaking in tongues in their meetings have not been noted for their willingness to embrace the immediate and active presence of Jesus Christ in their lives through the fruit, the gifts, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Rather, many of their meetings have been scenes of constrained emotion and dry, barren predictability as dictated by tradition”? Whenever we paint our brothers and sisters in the Faith with a broad brush of glittering generalities, we are not serving our Lord and His Church with love. Can we find examples of fellowships that are out of control in their pursuit of the ‘fireworks gifts of the Spirit’? Yes. Are there congregations out there that are more interested in a dignified liturgical organization than in a Scriptural familial organism? You betcha’. These are subjects for prayer, however, not for casting stones from inside our houses of glass. If we who exist within the pale of Biblically orthodox Christianity are to work (not just exist) in our communities as a unity of and in the Spirit, we must stop using stereotypical extremes to characterize those with whom we disagree regarding secondary issues of the Faith as being either anti-intellectual Neanderthals on parade, or as effete bombastic elitists.
That said, I do pray that those who choose to deny the desirability and appropriateness of manifested ‘sign gifts’ of the Holy Spirit in our Christian services would reconsider their inclination to denigrate believers who actively pursue prophesy and speaking in tongues with interpretations as described and prescribed by the New Testament. Let us recap Paul’s statements throughout Chapter 14: “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts (14:1)...One who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries (14:2)...I wish that you all spoke in tongues (14:5)...I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also (14:15)...I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all (14:18)...When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification (14:26)...desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues (14:39) (all verses NASV).” I do not see how anyone can read these verses and believe that the Apostle Paul taught against speaking in tongues. Just as the mistaken teaching that he hated women requires the misconstrued use of his words out of context, to say that Paul held an anti-glossolalia position requires reading Chapter 14 of First Corinthians with a filter of anti-charismata firmly in place.
“Empty Boxes That Once Stored Wealth. CHRYSOSTOM: Truly, the church was more like heaven in Paul’s time, because the Spirit governed everything and moved each one of the members in turn. But now it seems we have only the symbols of those gifts. We also have only two or three speaking in the service, but these are only a pale shadow of what prevailed then. The present church is like a woman who has fallen from her former, prosperous days and who retains only the outward signs of that prosperity, displaying the boxes and caskets in which she kept her wealth, but which are now empty. This is true not only in the matter of gifts but in life and virtue as well. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTELES OF PAUL TO THE CORRINTHIANS 36.7” [Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture, New Testament VII, 1-2 Corinthians; Edited by Gerald Bray; General Editor Thomas C. Oden; InterVarsity Press; Downers Grove, Illinois; 1999; p 145&146].
Following Augustine’s conclusions in the early 5th Century, many contemporary non-Pentecostal theologians believe that manifestations of the sign gifts ended during the 4th Century due to Holy Scripture “being perfected” through the closing of the New Testament Canon. They teach that displays of charismatic gifts are a misguided phenomena of the past 100 years, in spite of evidence that that there have been charismatic movements throughout the history of the Church. The above quotation is from a commentary written by Saint John Chrysostom who became the Archbishop of Constantinople in 398 AD. 1,700 years later are many of our 21st Century fellowships displaying “only the symbols of those gifts”? Is the present church “like a woman who has fallen from her former, prosperous days and who retains only the outward signs of that prosperity, displaying the boxes and caskets in which she kept her wealth, but which are now empty”? Is this “true not only in the matter of gifts but in life and virtue as well”? Pentecostal, or no, I pray the Church becomes less interested in the pretty box of people, property, and programs; and more consumed by the content of our faith as portrayed in the living Word of God—the person of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Chapter 14: Part Fourteen—Empty Boxes That Once Stored Wealth
by dave c
First Corinthians 14:39 Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. 40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner (NASV).
“14:40 Paul’s final word of admonition is that all things must be done decently and in order. It is significant that this control should be placed in this chapter. Down through the years, those who have professed to have the ability to speak in tongues have not been noted for the orderliness of their meetings. Rather, many of their meetings have been scenes of uncontrolled emotion and general confusion” [Believer’s Bible Commentary; William MacDonald; Edited by Art Farstad; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville-Atlanta-London-Vancouver; 1995; p 1803].
Oh, me. Does the phrase ‘anecdotal opinion’ come to mind when you read the above quote? What if I said to Mr. MacDonald: “Down through the years, those who have rigorously denied the common existence of speaking in tongues in their meetings have not been noted for their willingness to embrace the immediate and active presence of Jesus Christ in their lives through the fruit, the gifts, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Rather, many of their meetings have been scenes of constrained emotion and dry, barren predictability as dictated by tradition”? Whenever we paint our brothers and sisters in the Faith with a broad brush of glittering generalities, we are not serving our Lord and His Church with love. Can we find examples of fellowships that are out of control in their pursuit of the ‘fireworks gifts of the Spirit’? Yes. Are there congregations out there that are more interested in a dignified liturgical organization than in a Scriptural familial organism? You betcha’. These are subjects for prayer, however, not for casting stones from inside our houses of glass. If we who exist within the pale of Biblically orthodox Christianity are to work (not just exist) in our communities as a unity of and in the Spirit, we must stop using stereotypical extremes to characterize those with whom we disagree regarding secondary issues of the Faith as being either anti-intellectual Neanderthals on parade, or as effete bombastic elitists.
That said, I do pray that those who choose to deny the desirability and appropriateness of manifested ‘sign gifts’ of the Holy Spirit in our Christian services would reconsider their inclination to denigrate believers who actively pursue prophesy and speaking in tongues with interpretations as described and prescribed by the New Testament. Let us recap Paul’s statements throughout Chapter 14: “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts (14:1)...One who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries (14:2)...I wish that you all spoke in tongues (14:5)...I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also (14:15)...I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all (14:18)...When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification (14:26)...desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues (14:39) (all verses NASV).” I do not see how anyone can read these verses and believe that the Apostle Paul taught against speaking in tongues. Just as the mistaken teaching that he hated women requires the misconstrued use of his words out of context, to say that Paul held an anti-glossolalia position requires reading Chapter 14 of First Corinthians with a filter of anti-charismata firmly in place.
“Empty Boxes That Once Stored Wealth. CHRYSOSTOM: Truly, the church was more like heaven in Paul’s time, because the Spirit governed everything and moved each one of the members in turn. But now it seems we have only the symbols of those gifts. We also have only two or three speaking in the service, but these are only a pale shadow of what prevailed then. The present church is like a woman who has fallen from her former, prosperous days and who retains only the outward signs of that prosperity, displaying the boxes and caskets in which she kept her wealth, but which are now empty. This is true not only in the matter of gifts but in life and virtue as well. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTELES OF PAUL TO THE CORRINTHIANS 36.7” [Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture, New Testament VII, 1-2 Corinthians; Edited by Gerald Bray; General Editor Thomas C. Oden; InterVarsity Press; Downers Grove, Illinois; 1999; p 145&146].
Following Augustine’s conclusions in the early 5th Century, many contemporary non-Pentecostal theologians believe that manifestations of the sign gifts ended during the 4th Century due to Holy Scripture “being perfected” through the closing of the New Testament Canon. They teach that displays of charismatic gifts are a misguided phenomena of the past 100 years, in spite of evidence that that there have been charismatic movements throughout the history of the Church. The above quotation is from a commentary written by Saint John Chrysostom who became the Archbishop of Constantinople in 398 AD. 1,700 years later are many of our 21st Century fellowships displaying “only the symbols of those gifts”? Is the present church “like a woman who has fallen from her former, prosperous days and who retains only the outward signs of that prosperity, displaying the boxes and caskets in which she kept her wealth, but which are now empty”? Is this “true not only in the matter of gifts but in life and virtue as well”? Pentecostal, or no, I pray the Church becomes less interested in the pretty box of people, property, and programs; and more consumed by the content of our faith as portrayed in the living Word of God—the person of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.