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1 Corinthians 14:26 – Encouragement or Exhortation?

One of the most referenced verses in the New Testament in support of a “Spontaneous Church” or a “Totally Participatory Church,” is 1 Corinthians 14:26. In that verse the Apostle says to the church at Corinth;

“What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” (NASB)

The King James version translates it this way;

“How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

These slightly different translations represent the tension that exists between two approaches to this text.

The first way of looking at this text is that Paul was encouraging the church to continue in like manner. Local congregations should have the liberty and opportunity to participate in gatherings as the Spirit directs with little or no liturgy. Many house/simple/organic churches function in this way. The sense in this view is that it is the true rule to be observed in the use of gifts. It is the natural outcome of what happens when the congregation comes together and lets the Spirit lead. This seems to be most natural understanding when considering previous contextual passages like 1 Corinthians 14:15;

“What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” (NASB)

In other words, “as the result of” certain conditions… these things will naturally happen.

The second way of looking at this text is that Paul was exhorting them to “get things in order.” There are more than a few commentators like Locke, Stanley, and Hodge, that regard Paul here as exposing a state of things which needed to be corrected. The thought is that these eager and passionate believers were being hasty, bringing confusion and dissonance into the local gathering, and detracting from its purpose. To not allow everyone to participate in a local gathering is the trend of most “churches” today. Many institutional churches function in this way.

So, which do you think is the better way to look at this passage, as an encouragement, or an exhortation? Why?

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Comments Paul was exposing the 'church' which had begun to replace the ... by Trevor HartwigI think the answer is quite clearly revealed just a few ... by David WoodsRelated StoriesThe Regulative Principle of Church?The Slow Evangelism Blade Penetrates The Shield The Top 5 God Directed Deviations of 2013

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Published on February 01, 2014 17:20

The Regulative Principle of Church?

Only those elements that are instituted or appointed by command or example or which can be deduced by good and necessary consequence from Scripture are permissible expressions Church, and that whatever is not commanded or cannot be deduced by good and necessary consequence from Scripture is prohibited.

The regulative principle is often contrasted with the “Normative Principle,” which teaches that whatever is not prohibited in Scripture is a permissible expression of church, as long as it is agreeable to the peace and unity of it.

I know, I had to read through those several times myself. Confession, I didn’t come up with these. They are nuanced versions of the “Regulative Principle of Worship” & “Normative Principle of Worship,” which are described here.

One question:

In your opinion, which of these nuanced principles are better? Why?

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Published on January 31, 2014 07:26

14 Aspects of Jesus’ Mission… and yours.

To become fixated on one aspect of mission, might be healthy in a robust community where each one plays his or her part. But, it is more likely that each individual should be flexible enough in the Spirit to know when, where, and how to operate in conjunction with God’s mission in the moment. Jesus’ prayer and desire was to live sent (on mission), in similar fashion, as He was. We see this in the following two verses.

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (John 20:21)

“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18)

Living out that sentness, can be, in some manner expressed by how Jesus lived on mission and what he said about it. He came;

To call people to repentance. ~ “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17)

To search for and save the lost. ~ “To seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

To pay a ransom for kidnapped humanity. ~ “To minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

Bear witness to the truth. ~ “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” (John 18:37)

To do the Father’s will. ~ “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 6:38)

To be a light. ~ “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” (John 14:26)

To demonstrate and offer abundant life. ~ “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

To Judge things and people rightly. ~ “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” (John 9:39)

To preach the good news. ~ “And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.” (Mark 1:38)

To fulfill the law. ~ “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17)

To distinguish his people. ~ “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” (Matthew 10:34, 35)

To be the savior of the world. ~ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

To reveal the Father. ~ “Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27)

To bring fire. ~ “I have come to bring fire to the earth” (Luke 12:49) “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire . . . He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:11-12)

We can not exhaustively and completely live out Jesus’ mission because we are but finite agents. Never the less, He desired for, and prayed that, we would live out that mission in “like manner.” How these 14 aspects will be lived out by you in your community is up to you. Live in such a way as to be disposed to mission in the moment without fixating on what you prefer.

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Published on January 27, 2014 07:36

The Quintessential Gospel Moment

It’s not optional. It’s not a Christian elective. It’s the trans-generational, ultra dimensional, and transformational command of Jesus the Christ to PREACH THE GOSPEL.

“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) This command is inseparable from the command to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19,20)

Within the “Go” of Matthew 28:19 is the Gospel of Mark 16:15. Being a disciple of Jesus necessitates the communication of His Good News. Yet, it is the one thing that every believer wants to avoid. You know that moment. You know that moment when all apparent random occurrences have delivered you into a space and to a person for the purpose of proclaiming His message.

It’s awkward, uncomfortable, offensive, and imposing. It’s scary. You’ll do anything to avoid it. You’ll package it, get others to professionally personify it, and put it behind pulpits. You’ll train for delivering the gospel message, you’ll talk about the gospel message with believers, you’ll try anything to create optimum environments for easing into gospel conversations (being missional), but when it comes right down to it, you won’t initiate the disciple making process where, when, and how Jesus told you to.

And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? (Romans 10:14-15)

The Quintessential Gospel Moment is when you have a sent one and the one to whom that person is sent. You see, the gospel IS the POWER of God unto salvation for those that believe. (Romans 1:16) You have been authorized and enabled to wield that power. Wield it!

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Comments I have to say Miguel that I find far too many brothers and ... by GregRelated StoriesHow Much Does A Person Have To Understand About Baptism Before They Are Baptized?Don’t Waste Your Mission, or Disciple Making Time, On Those Who Are Not Interested?The Top 5 God Directed Deviations of 2013

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Published on January 20, 2014 12:53

Can’t I Just Be The Warrior Prophet That God Wants Me To Be?

I’ll have to admit that I get a little stirred up when others say “how” my prophetic gift should be practiced. Some say that the Old Testament models of Prophets are no longer valid. In part, I agree. Mostly because I would probably have been stoned by now for saying something which didn’t come to pass. Others say that the prophetic gift of the New testament is one that always encourages or edifies. Of course there’s Barnabas, which the Apostles named “Son of Encouragement,” but the name Barnabas can also simply mean “Son of the Prophet.” And yes, the prophetic gift of the NT, according to 1 Corinthians 14, is to encourage, to comfort, to console, and to build up. But those things can often come through rebuke, Spirit tempered criticism, and exhortation. I also believe that there are seasons when those means may dominate. According to APEST descriptions, Prophets are those who:

Know God’s will.

Are particularly attuned to God and his truth for today.

Bring correction and challenge the dominant assumptions we inherit from the culture.

Insist that the community obey what God has commanded.

and

Question the status quo.

The Prophets ultimate motive is mission, God’s mission.

I’ve seen how the rest of the APEST gang, (Apostles, Evangelists, Shepherds/Pastors, and Teachers) get snarky when a Prophet starts doing the prophet thing in their midst. It’s always like, “Hey buddy, calm down. Speak the truth in love. Don’t be so critical. Bla bla bla… It’s like they don’t want me to be the warrior because they’re not. It’s sort of like an unbiblical and twisted pacifism that has bled over into church.

Granted, Prophets need the other APEST’s around because left to themselves, they can “become belligerent activists or, paradoxically, disengage from the imperfection of reality and become other-worldly,” but they also need what the other APEST’s have to offer. What do I mean?

Pastors care and protect the prophet. They watch their back while they’re cutting through the overgrowth.

Apostles direct the prophet. They point them towards the space where there particular giftings will have the most impact.

Evangelists compliment the prophet. They bring the good news of the Kingdom as a salve after the battle.

Teachers equip the prophet. They check, recheck, and check again to confirm or correct what the prophet is saying.

You get my drift. Prophets are not going to mess up your pastoring, evangelizing, teaching, and apostling, but will certainly stir them up. Oh, and Pastors… you’re not the Prophet’s boss.

So, Can’t I Just Be The Warrior Prophet That God Wants Me To Be?

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Published on January 17, 2014 17:30

Are Christians Supposed to ‘Stand Up For What They Believe?’

This one was inspired by my nephew who engaged on a difficult question on my Facebook page. He said, “I am standing up for what I believe I because that is what we are called to do!”

It’s a phrase that I’ve heard hundreds of times in a multitude contexts, but when my nephew typed it yesterday, it struck me as odd. So, are Christians supposed to “Stand up” for what they believe?

What does it mean to “stand up” for what you believe?

What shouldn’t it mean?

What biblical support is there for this line of thinking?

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Comments concurring with Greg & Watchman, and-also to wonder if “stand ... by MarshallGreat question and one I wrestled with in my early walk, trying ... by GregRelated StoriesThe Top 5 God Directed Deviations of 2013 Cooked Rice Stains On My Christmas Pants, And How It Happened…You Shall Know Them by Your Subjective Evaluation of Their Fruit.

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Published on January 15, 2014 07:41

How Much Does A Person Have To Understand About Baptism Before They Are Baptized?

It might seem like an odd question, but how much does a person have to understand about baptism before they are baptized?

If baptism is a sign and seal of a relationship already in play, then it would seem that any long explanations regarding what baptism is afterwards, is a retracing of steps that should have already been covered. In the Great Commission, baptism comes after evangelism, but before “teaching others to obey all that Christ commanded.” (Matthew 28:19,20)

Here’s how this question surfaced in my mind:

We’re doing a lot of baptisms here in the Cloud Forest Region of Ecuador. Disciples are being made. One of our strongest leaders expressed a concern about people “falling off” after their baptism. He wants to lay the blame at our supposed inefficiency in teaching others what baptism is before they are baptized. I think he might be right in some regards, but ultimately one’s “falling off” after making any profession or confession of faith is extremely difficult to nail down.

I believe that most unstable conversions are the result of an incomplete and incorrect gospel. This leads us back to our original question; How much does a person have to understand about baptism before they are baptized? In answering this question, many would point to Philip and the Ethiopian. He was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet, when Phillip asked him if he understood what he was reading. After what seemed like an incredibly short time, and Philip told him the good news about Jesus, the Ethiopian spotted some water and said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” (Acts 8:26-40)

Some would say that the Ethiopian had a complete understanding of what baptism was and that it required no further explanation, but I’m not so sure that was the case. So, one more time;

How how much does a person have to understand about baptism before they are baptized?

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Comments I'd love to see the hard data on that Felicity. by MiguelI believe George Patterson did a study of what impact baptizing ... by felicity dale“One of our strongest leaders expressed a concern about ... by JonathanNot much… That Jesus has given them a new life. That Jesus ... by GavinMarshall, it sounds to me as you are speaking of a baptism of ... by ClaudiaIt's been 40 years, though the memory is fresh for my being ... by MarshallRelated StoriesDon’t Waste Your Mission, or Disciple Making Time, On Those Who Are Not Interested?The Top 5 God Directed Deviations of 2013 Cooked Rice Stains On My Christmas Pants, And How It Happened…

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Published on January 14, 2014 08:19

The Slow Evangelism Blade Penetrates The Shield

Pope Francis recently said;

“Going out to others in order to reach the fringes of humanity does not mean rushing out aimlessly into the world. Often it is better simply to slow down, to put aside our eagerness in order to see and listen to others, to stop rushing from one thing to another and to remain with someone who has faltered along the way.”

Perhaps some of you are familiar with Frank Herbert’s Dune novels. They are some of my favorite fictional works ever. There’s a quote in the original Dune novel that goes like this;

“The slow blade penetrates the shield.”

Weapons master Gurney Halleck delivers this amazing line of dialogue when practicing knife combat with Paul Atreides, the book’s main protagonist. In the context of Dune and Herbert’s sci-fi universe, personal energy shields could be housed in a projector and worn on a belt or sash. One only had to hit a button and he was enveloped in a form-fitting corona of energy that would deflect energy weapons, high-speed projectiles, or wild knife slashes. But in close combat, a cunningly wielded blade can pass through the shield energy and strike the home at the person behind it. It is during this knife-fighting exercise that we learn that slow, deliberate attacks will pass through the shield’s protection.

Slow Church, Slow Church Planting, and now Slow evangelism are rapidly (pun intended), becoming the latest ecclesiastical craze. Slow Church is inspired by the language and philosophy of the Slow Food movement to rethink the ways in which we share life together in our church communities. Just as Slow Food offers a pointed critique of industrialized food cultures and agricultures, Slow Church can help us unmask and repent of our industrialized approaches to church. It can also spur our imaginations with a rich vision of the holistic, interconnected, and abundant life together to which God has called us in Christ Jesus.

The urge to slow down from the Pope and others, I think, is wise. But, I fear it’s just another attempt at nuancing methodology to obtain the results faster. Many of the ideas coming from the slow church movement are still operating in the “goods & services” mode of church. I’ll have to admit that we have been purposefully slowing down when it comes to evangelism. We’re taking much more time to communicate the Gospel message than we ever have before. We’re trusting God with the lives that He causes us to intersect with. I’ve personally shared the gospel with a dying woman who received Christ moments before her death and likewise with a man who listened for more than 4 years. I’m weary of “urgent” evangelism, or the idea that because Jesus is coming quickly, we’ve got to get as much gospel to as many people as possible before the end. This notion, in my opinion, has done more damage to authentic discipleship than anything else. I firmly believe that most cults were birthed in the hasty, truncated, and incomplete presentations of the true gospel message.

As a missionary, I would like to see short-term missions teams adopt some slow tactics, but I don’t think that most would. Short-term missions are designed and reliant on “quick turnarounds.” More than that, and with respect to evangelism, I think a slower, persistent, and more patient approach to reaching others with the good news can penetrate the shields that are so quickly risen in today’s culture. I’ll eventually write more on Slow Church, and related issues, but for now, a few questions:

1. What would a slower approach to evangelism look like to you?

2. In your opinion, is it possible for short-term missions to “slow down?”

3. Slower church, evangelism, and discipleship, necessitate MORE of your time. Are you willing to give it?

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