Body Ministry – BT10:  Paul doesn’t give a complete list of Church-service activities but has 2 main points

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Paul’s never gives a complete list or description of anything in any of his writings, but only includes items/descriptions to illustrate the points he is making.  In 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 he has listed many “manifestations of the Spirit” (a) in the Church, but in v. 14:26 he is just picking out a few of these – and doesn’t even bother to include connectors, which is a dead give-away that it’s not a complete list:  “When you come together, each individually/separately ongoingly has psalms (instrumental music with optional vocals), ongoingly has teaching, ongoingly has revelation, ongoingly has tongue, ongoingly has interpretation.”  The 1st MAIN point based on sentence position is “each individually/separately” (b) should be bringing something to the church meeting!  That has been Paul’s emphasis all along – it’s absolutely not a “one-man show” where 1-2 people or even a “special group” (b) get to “hog the ball!”  It’s all about Body-of-Christ ministry!  But how?  That’s the 2nd MAIN point – ALL their interactions need to be based on agape unconditional-love toward the benefiting or edification of one another, the Church! <Notes> a) 1 Corinthians 12:7, 14:12, b) hekastos:  each individual unit viewed distinctly rather than severally as a group.

Would you say that modern churches have made either of these their MAIN points “when they come together?”  Have they promoted tongues, interpretations, and prophesy along with ALL the other “manifestations of the Spirit” or grace-gifts?  Or have they selectively “picked the low-hanging fruit” as to what they will allow in a church service?  Have they allowed room in their carefully planned-out services for the Body-of-Christ “saints” to actually be the “ministers” in the room instead of just the “equipping coaches/facilitators” doing this (a)?  Have they made room for the “saints” to interact with the prophets and diakrino “thoroughly discriminately-reason/investigate/examine together” (b) or to be “addressing one another” (c) or “bringing some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching” (d) or a “hymn, teaching, revelation, tongue, or interpretation” (e) so that as “each has received a grace-gift that differs kata down-from/according-to the unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace given to [all of] us, so use them to serve one another” (f)?  <Notes> a) Ephesians 4:12, b) 1 Corinthians 14:29, 31, c) Ephesians 5:19, d) 1 Corinthians 14:6, e) 1 Corinthians 14:26, f) Romans 12:6; 1 Peter 4:10.

Have the Clergy surrendered their control to the Holy Spirit to flow unimpeded throughout the entire Body-of-Christ in order to minister to one another during the church services?  Or do the churches restrict that flow primarily to 1 or 2 paid “professionals” or a “special group” on a stage never indicated in the NT writings?  Is the “ministry” only from the clergy when the NT says it’s from all the saints?  Is the “greet your neighbor, ‘peace be with you’ handshake” or the chat around the coffee and donuts in the foyer the extent of the koinonia fellowship or sharing of one’s another’s Spirit’s grace-gifts?  Is the psalming (a) mostly one-directional:  The “special” band on stage with all the people listening to them and watching them from the audience like at a Christian concert?  I’ve played in 15 church bands to 1000s of people and in most cases it’s not much different than my secular concerts from 22 secular bands also to 1000s of people!  Where in the NT have you seen a stage and audience even hinted at?  Let’s see what else Paul speaks about “when you come together” in the next BLOG. <Notes> a) psallo:  “hit, twang, pluck, or twitch” out a song with/without singing.

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