Strengthen The Whole Church

Meditations in First Corinthians

June 16, 2022

Strengthen The Whole Church

Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.   

1 Corinthians 14:12b

Read: 1 Corinthians 14:6-12

I remember visiting a church many years ago that had a rather unusual form of church prayer. When it came time for prayer, all the congregation stood and began praying, out loud. All over the sanctuary people were standing with their arms raise intently praying. Because everyone was speaking at the same time it was impossible to distinguish what was being prayed. It was a very disconcerting experience for me.

I suspect the situation in Corinth was even more disconcerting. As we saw yesterday, Paul identifies the main goal of corporate worship, which is to offer a form of worship that is open and inviting to everyone in the congregation. Under the best of circumstances that is a hard assignment. In Corinth, it was made even more difficult because some of the people were exhibiting their own sense of spirituality, and thus directing the attention of the congregation to them rather than to God.

My Takeaway: The verse quoted above caught my attention today. I have served within the Christian church for forty-five years, and I am hard pressed to recall encountering many people who were as Paul described, “so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives.” Paul’s word to me, and to you, is to each and every day ask ourselves what we are doing to strengthen the whole church.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.