Tag: What Kind of Church?

Silence will Fall: An orderly Church 1 Corinthians 14:26-40

We used to run an After School Club. -excitable kids want to play with the toys, run off steam, tell us all about their days and what was going on in their lives.  Sometimes this was very chaotic and we had to work hard to get some peace and quiet in which they could listen.… Continue reading Silence will Fall: An orderly Church 1 Corinthians 14:26-40

A prophetic church (1 Corinthians 14)

Paul has argued that the proud, divided church in Corinth needs some crucial things to correct those problems.  They need love in all that they do and they need the gifts of the Spirit to be exercised by the whole body.  Here he focuses in on one specific gift, prophecy. Especially Prophecy (v1-5) Paul says… Continue reading A prophetic church (1 Corinthians 14)

An excellent church (1 Corinthians 13)

At the end of 1 Corinthians 12, having talked about many of the problems and troubles in Corinth and having given some time to talking about things like gifts and unity, Paul says: “And yet I will show you the most excellent way.” Excellence is something we all crave.  Schools covert the “outstanding” status whilst… Continue reading An excellent church (1 Corinthians 13)

A Diverse Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-30)

Remember that one of the big problems in Corinth was the rivalry and tribalism among believers.  They were in the habit of identifying themselves with particular leaders and seeing their tribe as better than everyone else. The same habit was at risk of infecting their attitude to gifts so that people would see their particular… Continue reading A Diverse Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-30)

A receiving church (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

Having discerned that it is God’s Holy Spirit at work and not an evil Spirit, we can move to see what the Spirit is doing and saying.  One of the key things that the Holy Spirit does is to give gifts to the Church. Prioritise the giver (v4-6) We can become focused on the gifts… Continue reading A receiving church (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

What kind of Church? A worshipping Church (1 Corinthians 11:1-16)

Why do we come together for worship?  What is a church gathering all about?  The key things can be summed up as: This will help us make sense of the next section of 1 Corinthians because this is where the focus is and these are things the Corinthians haven’t been too good at.  I’m aware… Continue reading What kind of Church? A worshipping Church (1 Corinthians 11:1-16)

A glorifying church (1 Corinthians 10:18-33)

I suspect that many of the questions and concerns from the Corinthian church came from a good place.  We can easily write them off as the bad guys but they weren’t. Paul is not addressing apostates or false teachers but a real, young., alive, messy church that shows signs of having the Holy Spirit’s presence… Continue reading A glorifying church (1 Corinthians 10:18-33)

When the car crash has happened – guilt and shame revisited

In our look at 1 Corinthians 10,  I used the example of someone pushing the boundaries, taking risks with their faith being like a driver taking corners at speed close to the cliff edge. They risk plunging off of the edge into a deep ravine. 1 Corinthians 10 offers a warning against taking risks, falling… Continue reading When the car crash has happened – guilt and shame revisited

What kind of Church? A caring church (1 Corinthians 8)

How does what I do, say, prioritise affect other believers -especially those who are younger/more immature/struggling? The next big question the Corinthians had was about food sacrificed to idols. The issue was that the pagan temples functioned as the slaughter house or butchers, providing meat which was then sold in the market meaning you were… Continue reading What kind of Church? A caring church (1 Corinthians 8)