When You Meet

Reading: 1 Corinthians 14; Psalm 147

Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. (1 Corinthians 14:26 NLT)

The main focus of 1 Corinthians 12-14 is how believers conduct themselves in their regular meetings. There are other important truths here about the many-membered Body of Christ and about the centrality of godly love, but the core issue is public meetings.

Some things I see here:
• Paul had in mind relatively small groups of Christ-followers, meeting somewhat informally, to strengthen, encourage, and grow in relationship with Jesus Christ and each other.
• Paul expected the members of the group to participate according to their giftings, but with orderliness and mutual respect.
• Paul expected some aspect of Holy Spirit-prompted spiritual gifts activity to be common in believers’ meetings.

Some things I can learn from Paul’s instructions to the Corinthian church about meetings:
• These chapters have very little to do with the issue of “seeker-sensitivity” or how mega-churches operate. This is primarily about believers’ meetings.
• One pattern of public meeting the church has pretty much universally adopted is the order of Sing, Teach, Share from 1 Corinthians 14:26.
• Mutual submission for the sake of mutual benefit is best. Meetings be conducted in a “proper and orderly manner, for God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.”

Prayer:

Father, Thank you for the practicality of your Living Word. I want to learn practical Today-Truths from your long-ago words of instruction through the apostle Paul. Guide us in interpretation and application by the same Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of these long-ago but here-and-now truths. Amen.