I Corinthians 12: 1-31

June 25, 2011 I Corinthians 12: 1-31

As I read our assignment for today I remembered the Moody Symphony Band concert Cheryl and I attended a few months ago. It was a wonderful evening and after the concert the evening got even better. We brought three of the musicians home to spend the night with us – after making a visit to Sweetberries for frozen custard. They were delightful young women and each had a different role in the band. One was violinist and soprano and was featured prominently in the band. Another was a percussionist and was located in the back of the band. The other played brass and at sort of in the middle of the Band. All were vitally important to the band’s performance.

We sat around our kitchen table visiting and enjoying our frozen custard and from the way our guests talked and conducted themselves it was very clear that they loved Jesus. If I had not been at the concert there was no way I could discern which woman had what role in the band. That is a bit unusual for members of a band or orchestra. Usually there is most definitely a pecking order relating to which instrument is more important and who sits where. Our guests were different. They weren’t interested in blowing their own horn because they were playing for the glory of God.

The most difficult part of forming the church in Corinth was learning to set aside the class distinctions that were ingrained in their culture. In the previous chapter we learned that the Corinthians struggled with these class distinctions as they celebrated the Lord’s Supper. Today their struggle with self-importance over which of the gifts of God was most important is revealed. Paul is teaching the church that when our purpose is to glorify God and to help each other the class distinctions dissolve.