1 Corinthians 14
Speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift where the Holy Spirit prays through a person. When the person goes to pray, it is not the person praying but the Spirit speaking the words. No one can understand what is being said unless someone has the gift of interpretation of tongues. This person can understand what is being prayed and translates that to the others in the room.
The problem in the Corinth Church is individuals thought speaking in tongues was the greatest gift and were doing so in worship without someone to interpret. This did not help the body of Christ because no one could understand what was being said. So Paul writes "I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue."
Later he tells women to be quiet in the service and ask their questions to their husbands when they get home. It it very likely that some women were shouting out questions in the middle of the service and order in the service was being lost. Some have used this passage as justification for telling women not to teach in the church. I think that misses the point.
The of speaking of tongues and women shouting out questions raise the same issue. Both the speaker of tongues and the woman with questions are focusing on themselves and what they want to express in the service. Paul makes it clear when the church is together, what is best for the community is most important. The individual is to put aside his/her desires of the sake of the community. That was contrary to the thinking of the Corinthians and most Americans.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think that many things in the Bible are taken out of context, or too literally. I agree, I don't think Paul is condemning women, he is just wanting the focus of the service to remain on God. I would apply 1 Corinthians 14:40, "But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way," to the idea of women in church.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes think that people's actions during worship services are done more to illicit a response, rather than out of true praise. I know that there are many different ways to worship, and in some cases dancing and shouting are true responses and should be celebrated, but in some instances it is distracting. Overflow, the worship service I attend, is very contemporary-lights out, music loud-therefore I think it is appropriate to dance and shout and worship however you please, in that instance it is "fitting and orderly." I think that a traditional, teaching service, this would not be appropriate. Is it dishonorable in this situation? That I'm torn on.