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NASB | 1 Corinthians 14:26 ¶ 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 14:26 ¶ What then is the right course, believers? When you meet together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation (disclosure of special knowledge), a tongue, or an interpretation. Let everything be constructive and edifying and done for the good of all the church. |
Subject: Order of Worship |
Bible Note: My heart goes out to pastors who have to deal with this on a constant basis. I know many of them who would like to do things differently, to go the Bible way, but they are trapped in the system. In visiting churches, I have had many opportunities to conduct an entire meeting, and I have tried to do it the Bible way. But this is a formal church. The program is all scripted, and the minister is responsible for only a few items, including the sermon. This is not the idea in view in 1 Corinthians 14, but the church seems to know nothing of it, and I am afraid they may have none of it. If one tried to change the format, it may just result in a situation where good is evil spoken of (Romans 14:16). I must adapt (1 Corinthians 9:22). But thank you for your promise to pray. Please keep it, and pray for me. Please do it now, lest you forget. One faces these situations with a sense of excitement, but also with some fear, and sadness. The fact is that many churches have but a weak apprehension of what worship is. They say that giving is worship, but Acts 17:25 seems to put the lie to that. They say that listening to a sermon is worship, but that cannot be, since the Bible describes worship not as a passive activity but as an active response to an awareness of the presence of God. Worship involves bowing down, not sitting down (Genesis 24:26, Nehemiah 8:6). I know that listening can be active. It is also possible to have an interactive sermon; I’ve done it. But scripture calls for two or three prophets to speak while the others judge, etc. Where have you seen that? And this is accepting the idea of a worship service. Some would say that worship is not a kind of service at all, but is rather to be contrasted with service. I agree that the Plymouth Brethren come close to the ideal of worship in their Breaking of Bread meeting, and there may be others as well. But it is apparent some churches think there is no guidance in Scripture and they are free to do whatever they want. They may be surprised to know there are scriptures to govern the meetings of the church, but personal experience indicates believers enjoy such a meeting more, and benefit more from it, when it is done the Bible way. |