Poor Chapter 14

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #124a Written 22MAR08 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw

Chapter 14: Part One—Poor Chapter 14

by dave c

Poor Chapter 14. How would you like to be sandwiched between Chapter 13 of First Corinthians (“The Love Chapter”) on the one side, and on the other by Chapter 15 (“The Resurrection Chapter”)? To make matters worse, what if your subject is the theological/doctrinal hot potatoes of ‘speaking in tongues’ and prophecy? “Quick, Martha, flip the pages...there may be cooties. Whooh, that was close!” For some reason a lot of the Church has turned its back on a number of gifts of, from, and through the Holy Spirit as described (and prescribed) in the New Testament. If the argument isn’t, “Those things aren’t for us in the 21st Century”—it’s “Well, maybe they’re for some people, but if we permit those over-zealous whackos to do that stuff here, it’ll tear up our congregation”.

From the pulpit, over the air waves, and in the pages of their books Evangelical, Protestant, and Reformed commentators and preachers frequently tell us to exegete Scripture using the simplest, most direct, method possible. “What do the words actually say?” Before (and often, instead of) running off with devotional, or theological, or doctrinal interpretations we are to take a common sense look at what the author intended within the context of his own writing—unless (it would seem) it regards the matter of “speaking in tongues”. Oh, me. I hear teaching after teaching from men whom I respect and enjoy until it comes to the matter of glossolalia. All of a sudden the gloves come off and it’s a no-holds-barred assault where the rules of accurately dividing the Word (not to mention courteous consideration for brothers and sisters in the Lord) go right out the window. With their tones ranging from that of a patient parent with a slow child to an impassioned neighbor working to stomp out a brush fire that threatens his house, the speakers emphatically state that the so called “fireworks gifts” of the Holy Spirit were for the first generation of the early Church and that those who practice them today are at best misguided, and at worst they are agents of apostasy.

Although speaking in tongues is probably the most obvious common denominator among the thousands and various Full Gospel fellowships around the world, it is not really the foundational difference between Charismatic and Protestant/Evangelical believers. At its best, Pentecostalism strives to be receptive to whatever God offers through Scripture as the written Word, and to be available for whatever the living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ might ask of His Church today through the ministering of the Holy Spirit. At its worst, Protestant Evangelicalism views the Bible as a guide book to be rationally deciphered, and then its principles applied to this life with prayers to a 21st Century Deistic God who has grown silent in His current absence.

While there are, unfortunately, representatives in both camps who have abandoned the acceptance of the historic Canon of Scripture as inerrant, infallible, and immutable—the genuine Christians in each group hold tenaciously to orthodox theology and they practice a religion (individually and/or collectively) that does not contradict, exceed, nor supercede the precepts written in the 66 books of the Bible. The issues that define one denomination from another become a matter of interpretation and application. Like a buffet (and to our shame) we pick and choose what we like and don’t like from Scriptural mandates.

Chapter 14 of First Corinthians begins with this exhortation: Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy (NIV). Please notice that Paul does not say, “Love is superior, so reject/despise/disdain spiritual gifts”. Nor does he say, “Pursue love and avoid spiritual gifts—unless it is the gift of prophecy”. No, in fact we are told to begin with love (for God and for each other) and eagerly, earnestly, desire spiritual gifts (plural and unspecified), particularly the gift of prophecy. For those who say, “Well, Paul is obviously not including the gift of tongues (or miracles, or healing, or…)”, what about prophecy? Are you eagerly asking God to give you the gift of prophecy? Or is that also just a little too edgy? Or is prophecy now only manifested in the Sunday messages of those who are educated, trained, and experienced as pastor-teachers? Paul was writing to the entire church at Corinth, and beyond (which includes you and me).

1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Do you have an active gift of the Spirit? Have you earnestly, eagerly, sought a gift at all—be it a lesser or a greater one? Herein lies the real issue. Not whether you, or I, speak in the tongues of men and angels, but rather do we speak at all? Have we earnestly prayed for a gift of the Spirit so that we might edify the Church? If our gracious Lord has granted some “fireworks” gift or other to those who have asked Him, why should they be greeted with the ridicule and scoffing of their ungifted brothers and sisters in Christ? On the other hand, for those who have received the gift of holding an office within the Body, or who work miracles, or who have the gift of healing in their prayers, or speaking in tongues, or interpretation—do we lord it over those who don’t? Do we harbor pride and arrogance for something that we do not deserve, nor can we earn, but that is given to us freely? My friends, I fear we are all missing the most excellent way. The greatest of these is love. Amen.