Order in the Church - 1 Co 14.16-40

A few years ago, I watched a documentary about a church that was causing quite a stir.

Their gatherings were very exuberant.
People were dancing, shouting and jumping about.
Some people fell to the floor. Others burst into tears.
There was a great deal of emotional intensity.
I was struck by one participant’s comment: ‘That’s what happens when the Holy Spirit is there!’

A friend once invited me to a church of a completely different tradition.
According to that church, the order of service and liturgy have remained almost unchanged for 1,500 years.
It was very complex; I needed an app just to keep up, and even then I was still lost.
Yet its congregation would maintain that their way of doing things represents the fullness of the Christian faith, and that to do otherwise is to experience something inferior.

Two very different experiences, but the same question: what is a truly spiritual gathering?

Perhaps you’re visiting us today. Welcome! We’re delighted you’re here!

Perhaps you’re wondering: what should I prioritise when looking for a church?

The music? The fervour of the worshippers? A traditional atmosphere?

This week I discovered a website that lists churches and rates them according to a list of questions:
What was the atmosphere like?
What instruments do they use?
Are the seats comfortable?
Is the coffee any good?

I wonder what you’re looking for?

For regulars, the question is the same: what should we do when we get together?

At Connexion, it’s brilliant to have such a diverse range of backgrounds. Some have grown up in churches that are very different from one another. Others didn’t grow up in a church at all. We might have plenty of preconceptions about how things should be done.

What is a truly spiritual Christian gathering?

***

For several weeks now, we’ve been seeing the confusion that reigned on this subject in the church at Corinth.

Last Sunday, I compared their gatherings to ‘France’s Got Talent’, where everyone shows off their gifts.

But, actually, at least in that programme, everyone takes it in turns!

In Corinth, it was more like those radio programmes where everyone talks at once. The loudmouths on RMC. Chaos! Very entertaining, but chaos.

An open bar at every service for anyone who wanted to speak.

Let’s not be too quick to cast stones at them! They’d realised that a church isn’t a group where a few play on the pitch whilst the majority stay in the stands. We’re all on the pitch, teammates in Jesus’s team.

But as in any team, there has to be order. That’s the message today: a truly spiritual gathering is characterised by… order.

Order?!!?

If someone had told you this morning that we were going to talk about order in worship, you might well have gone back to bed!

Order! It doesn’t seem like the most exciting of topics!

But when the stakes are high, we need order.

My parents lived for several years in a country where it was never clear whether you were supposed to drive on the right or the left. Many people tended to drive in the middle! We prefer a bit more order!

Or imagine you’re having a house built. One day, you visit the building site. You ask the foreman how they’re getting on with the architect’s plans.

‘We haven’t really stuck to the plans. Every morning, the workers turn up; everyone just does their own thing. One lays a few bricks, another runs electrical cables. We’ll see if anyone gets round to the foundations.’

I wouldn’t feel very comfortable living in that house!

When the stakes are high, order is essential. That is what the apostle Paul says about church gatherings.

A truly spiritual gathering is characterised by order …

… for edification, in communication and in submission to the Word of God.

1. Order for edification through the Word of God (verse 26)

Let’s read verse 26. Use your finger to cover the last word of this verse.

“What, then, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one of you may bring a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Let everything be done for…”

… how would we finish this verse if we were the ones writing it?

“Let everything be done for… worship? For the glory of God?”

Of course we want God to be worshipped! But that is not what Paul wrote.

‘Let everything be done for the edification’

We gather to strengthen one another by getting to know Christ better.

Verse 26 might bring to mind an open-mic evening: everyone offers a song or a message.

Those of us who come from Brethren assemblies are familiar with this highly participatory approach. I admire it: it conveys the sense that we’re all in this together.

But the word ‘may’ is not in the original. Paul simply says: when you come together, each of you has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.

He observes how the Corinthians operate without objecting to it. You are free to do it that way. Simply, ‘let all things be done for the edification of the church’. That is the essential point.

His list is not exhaustive: not a word about prayer, for example, which he emphasises elsewhere. He does not say that worship must consist of these things and nothing else. He simply wants everything to edify.

Insofar as a certain order is required, it is not because the Apostle Paul is psychologically rigid, but because the edification of all is his guiding principle.

Paul sees the church gathering as a rest stop for walkers on their way to their destination. Some of you may have walked part of the Camino de Santiago: you stop to rest with other walkers, you eat together; it gives you the motivation to carry on.

My family and I read The Pilgrim’s Progress in the evenings. This 17th-century classic presents the Christian life as a perilous journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City.

The hero, ‘Christian’, faces difficulties and discouragement. But along the way, people stop to encourage him, strengthen him and help him.

That’s what we’re doing here: a rest stop for travellers on their way to the new creation.

One might wonder whether the word ‘service’, commonly used in evangelical churches, is the most appropriate term for these gatherings.

The Oberkampf Church calls them “celebrations”.

The primary purpose of these gatherings is not to worship God: we do that every day, on Mondays just as on Sundays. The Bible tells us that our worship encompasses our whole life. Here, the primary purpose is edification.

Of course, we worship God together. But when the New Testament speaks of singing together, the emphasis is on the benefit we derive from reminding ourselves just how wonderful God is.

Sunday morning must be centred on God, but oriented towards people. The aim: to help us continue on our journey.

So order is essential.

First of all, simply being present is important!

If the primary purpose is worship, we might think: I’ll do that at home, on Spotify.

If it’s for edification, I need to be there. Otherwise, I’m depriving others.

However, serving sometimes means not doing things we’d have liked to do, and doing things we wouldn’t have liked to do.

I played music as a teenager. I won’t tell you which instrument, otherwise I’ll be asked to get it out. It’s been gathering dust in a cupboard for years. I used to play in the worship band.

Then, as a student, I moved to the city of the national conservatoires, where the church had some excellent musicians.

I was frustrated: ‘But I want to play!’

Sorry, no need. However, they were looking for people to serve meals… and do the washing-up.

If God has given us gifts, so much the better if we can use them. There are needs everywhere. But the essential thing isn’t the gifts. It’s service.

Jesus thought that way.

He didn’t come to show off his abilities. Equal with God, he had nothing to prove. Rather, he came to get his hands dirty – not by washing up, but by dying on the cross to make possible for us this journey towards the new creation.

So if you’ve just joined Connexion Church, an excellent question to ask would be: how can I serve?

Perhaps some of you are wondering: what if I don’t find our services encouraging?

Superficial conversations. The sermon didn’t speak to you. Someone has hurt you.

Three things.

Tell someone. We can’t fix what we don’t know about.

Tell God about it in prayer.

And encourage someone else. That’s often how we find encouragement ourselves.

A truly spiritual gathering is characterised by its focus on edification through the Word of God.

But it is also characterised by …

2. Order in the communication of God’s Word (verses 27–33)

A clear and orderly delivery of the Word.
  

Verse 27

If anyone speaks in tongues, let no more than two or three speak, each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, let them remain silent in the church and speak to themselves and to God. 29 As for the prophets, let two or three speak, and let the others evaluate their message. 30 And if another member of the congregation receives a revelation, let the first one be silent.

Last Sunday I said there were 150 preachers in this room! God has made us all his spokespeople.

So who wants to speak?

***

In verses 27 to 33, Paul calls for order when speaking.

Just because we should all aspire to prophesy does not mean that the service should turn into a free-for-all where everyone has an automatic right to speak.

If some speak in tongues (a gift of speaking human languages we do not normally speak, as we saw last Sunday), let there be no more than three, each in turn, and only if it is interpreted.

Paul lays down rules. The important thing is not that everyone speaks, but that everyone can hear God’s message.

He then speaks of prophecy.

Last Sunday, we saw that prophesying today does not mean receiving new words. We have everything in the Bible. To prophesy is to draw from it to build others up.

Our preachers seek to do this. This is what we do in our community groups.

Paul gives greater prominence to prophecy: two or three prophets, without the ‘at most’ qualification applied to tongues. He gives it priority, whilst also setting out guidelines.

Verse 31

Indeed, you can all prophesy one after the other, so that everyone may be taught and everyone may be encouraged.

Each in turn, so that all may be encouraged!

Have you noticed what others should be doing whilst someone is prophesying?

Verse 29: ‘let the others evaluate their message’

Not how many stars I’d give them, or whether their jokes were funny, or what they were wearing.

No. Is that what the Bible teaches?

That’s why it’s so important to keep our minds alert and the Bible open before our eyes.

In a truly spiritual gathering, we do not simply believe the preacher … without checking the text for ourselves!

Let’s be humble! They’ve usually spent quite a few hours preparing. But with the text open.

The purpose of this arrangement: an unobstructed view of Jesus!

At the Louvre, in front of the Mona Lisa, there’s always a crowd. Nobody wants to leave without having seen it.

The stewards are there to keep the crowd moving, so that everyone can see and no one gets trampled underfoot.

To contemplate this marvel, order is essential!

We gather to contemplate the infinitely more marvellous beauty of Jesus!

To listen to him speak to us for our edification.

In the pilgrim’s journey, there comes a moment when ‘Christian’, burdened with a heavy load, arrives before the cross. As he gazes upon it, his burden falls away!

That is why we are here.

For an unobstructed view and undistracted listening to Jesus.

This calls for a measure of discipline.

There is a certain type of Christian – I have come close to this tendency myself – who operates on the assumption that spirituality always involves spontaneity.

To structure or organise things is to be spiritually stifled.

Others believe that being spiritual requires meticulously following a tradition, with order almost as an end in itself.

A truly spiritual gathering is one that creates the conditions for contemplating the beauty of Christ through his word.

In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul says that the spiritual person judges all things – the Word of God enables them to see the world as God sees it …

is judged by no one – he knows that God accepts him and so he is secure …

and he has the mind of Christ.

That is what it means to be spiritual! To know Jesus and share his perspective, to see as he sees … through his Word.

Some implications.

Teaching the Word of God must be at the heart of our gatherings.

There are so many other things we might want to focus on: music, the sacraments, the community. Important things!

But not the most important thing!

When we arrive on Sunday morning, we have so many things on our minds, and God cares about them. First of all, he asks us to listen to him without distractions.

What distractions should we avoid?

If you want to take notes, a notebook is better than a mobile phone. A paper Bible is better than a Bible app on your phone, so that a notification doesn’t distract us.

The baby room is there so that we can listen without distractions in that room.

If you’re in the baby room – I’ve had three babies myself, so I know what it’s like – let’s do our best to listen and to allow others to listen too.

We have settings where we can speak more freely, such as community groups. We should all aspire to prophesy.

For those who are quick to speak: using our gift in an orderly way sometimes means speaking less. Don’t monopolise the conversation. Encourage others to join in.

For the more shy amongst you: perhaps you need to speak up more! Your brothers and sisters need to hear what you have to say.

Do you lead a group? To ensure the study proceeds in an orderly manner, thorough preparation in advance is essential.

Order in communicating the word of God.

Finally …
  

3. Order in submission to the Word of God (verses 33–40)

A spiritual gathering is characterised not only by listening but by obedience, so as to reflect the beautiful order created by God

Verse 34

As in all the churches of the saints, let your women keep silent in the assemblies, for they are not permitted to speak there, but must be in submission, as the Law also says. If they wish to learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

These are God’s words, so they are good for us.

Let us not pretend that they are easy to accept!

Some of you will be familiar with the series The Handmaid’s Tale: a dictatorship where women are slaves to men, and some cover their mouths in public.

Does God want that in the church?

No, a few pages earlier, in chapter 11, Paul allows both men and women to prophesy. We see this at Connexion! I am so grateful for how my sisters here encourage me with the Word.

Why does Paul say in chapter 14: ‘Let your women keep silent in the churches’?

Some people think this only applied to women 2,000 years ago: in the Roman Empire, they didn’t have the same freedom of speech, and Paul was reflecting the customs of his time. Today, things are different.

But… Paul grounds his instruction in Scripture, not in culture!

In verse 34, he draws on the Law, the Old Testament.

More likely, Paul is forbidding a way of speaking that would undermine the authority given by God to men to lead the church.

In Genesis, men and women are created equal, both in the image of God, but Adam is given the specific responsibility to lead.

Like the captain of a team: not necessarily the best player, but the one who sets the direction, motivates others and takes responsibility when problems arise. That is why God entrusts the leadership of a church to qualified men. That is why the elders at Connexion are men.

This is not to say that a woman is forbidden to correct a man. In Acts, Priscilla takes a preacher, Apollos, aside and, together with her husband, supplements his teaching.

However, Paul wants this to be done in a way that upholds male leadership rather than undermining it.

How does this work in practice?

At Connexion, women do not preach on Sunday mornings. There are many other settings where our sisters exercise a ministry of the Word. But we believe that Sunday preaching is part of the way in which the elders lead the church.

Deborah, our deacon for women, attends team meetings with the elders so that we may benefit from her wisdom. But she does not seek to have the final say.

My wife Anne-Sophie is just as well-trained in theology as I am … if not more so! If I were to make mistakes in a Bible study or a sermon, she could tear me apart in front of everyone. She waits until we’re in private … and then she tells me everything … gently!

The key is to recognise the very good order that God has created, shaped and displayed within the church.

It’s easy for me, as a man, to say that this order is very good!

So I asked Anne-Sophie: why is male leadership in the church a good thing?

‘Because it’s God’s idea – He who wants what’s best for us, who has proven Himself, and who is trustworthy, even when we don’t understand.’

What does it look like when it works well?

‘It looks like men who don’t run away, who take responsibility, who reflect Jesus, the servant-king.

What does it look like for women to support this leadership?

“It means respecting it and rejoicing in it, even if we think we could do better! It means seeking to be helpers and supporters, drawing on our sensitivity and complementary vision.”

***

The order in the church that God desires involves submission.

That may come as a shock.

But submission is the very essence of a truly spiritual community.

Jesus submitted to the Father even unto death on the cross for us.

All of us, men and women alike, are called to submit to the word of our heavenly Father.

Paul concludes by taking the Corinthians to task: they have invented a spirituality of their own making! We’re familiar with this: ‘I like to believe X, practise Y, experience Z.’

Verse 36

“Did the word of God originate with you? Or did it come to you alone?

If anyone thinks they are a prophet or led by the Spirit, let them recognise in what I am writing to you a command from the Lord.”

Paul says that truly spiritual people, led by the Spirit, submit to the words of this book.

This is the hallmark of these times together.

God’s plan … is to gather a people whom he has loved from all eternity, who will be blessed by him for all eternity, who are redeemed by his blood, over whom he will reign for all eternity.

Today He reigns over us through His word.

So when we gather together, it is not to be entertained, or for the sake of a feeling, or to be applauded for our talents.

We come to listen and then to ask: am I submissive?

In Isaiah, God says that the one He delights in is the one who trembles at His word.

That is the attitude we should seek when we gather on Sunday mornings.

That doesn’t mean we stop thinking or pretend that everything is easy.

We can be honest with God about the teachings we find hard to accept.

But ultimately, we recognise that He has the final say.

And that final word is always good.

It is literally the oldest lie in the world to say that submission to authority is wrong.

The serpent in the garden. “Did God really say?”

When all authority is perceived as evil, chaos ensues. We’ve seen the damage in this neighbourhood.

This is not a judgement on the protests: the grievances are real, and the authorities are fallible.

But in the church, God offers a better model!

In verse 33, we must reflect a God who is not a God of disorder but of peace!

It is striking that it does not say: a God of order.

A God of peace.

Peace in the Bible is much more than the absence of conflict.

It is about restored relationships …

… with God

… with others

… with renewed harmony

When God’s people fall silent before the word of God, this is what we experience.

True peace!

What is a truly spiritual gathering?

At the start, I spoke to you about two churches. One dances, shouts and weeps. The other follows its age-old liturgy. Which is the more spiritual?

The question is not about style. The real question is: does the Word of God reign here?

In a world of disorder, what could be more spiritual than a community organised under the good and benevolent authority of the Creator?

Words of Love - 1 Co 14:1-25

Bore da, cadwch eich Beibl ar agor. Y bore yma, rydym yn astudio 1 Corinthiaid bennod pedwar ar ddeg. Mae’n sôn am roddion tafodiaith a phroffwydoliaeth. Mae hwn yn bwnc lle gall fod gennym farnau gwahanol.

(That was Welsh, which I had to learn at school but can’t speak. Claude, the artificial intelligence, speaks it.)

A sermon in an incomprehensible language would be a bit tedious! We’re discussing the subject of speaking in tongues and prophecy.

What was your reaction whilst listening to the reading? So cool! Finally, we’re getting down to business! Let’s stop being so stuffy at Connexion! Or perhaps: oh dear! My worst fears are coming true. Things are getting out of hand. Let’s calm down! Or rather: what on earth are they on about? I’m completely lost!

We’re in the middle of a series of sermons on the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. The Christians in Corinth approached their church gatherings a bit like France’s Got Talent: everyone turned up to show off and attract as much attention as possible. One person would pull out their guitar for a ten-minute solo without looking at anyone; another would interrupt them for an impromptu – and incomprehensible – theological lecture; a third person would strike up a magnificent hymn … in an unknown language …

Meanwhile, at the back of the hall, a shy believer thought to himself: ‘I’m no use to anyone; I’m not spiritual enough.’ Paul sought to correct this misconception: to be a Christian is to be a member of the body of Christ, where each person receives a gift not to impress others, but to serve. Last Sunday we saw that love must guide every action. But we also heard Paul urging us to strive for ‘the best gifts’. 1 Corinthians 12:31 What are the best gifts? What is the most loving gift to seek?

That is our question this morning. We shall see that it is the gift of communicating God’s word to build others up. Perhaps you are visiting us or discovering the Christian faith. The crux of the matter this morning is that being a Christian is not a solitary journey. It means being part of a loving family where we encourage, support and build each other up. We’re going to look at issues on which Christians do not all see eye to eye. There are Christians whom I greatly admire who hold different views to mine on this subject.

So we must be humble, respectful and, above all, keep the Bible open to discover what it really says. Next Sunday we’ll have a question-and-answer session at the end of the service dedicated to the topic of spiritual gifts.

Here is the outline for this morning:

Prophecy is the most loving gift to seek … (1–3)

For edification (4–6) Through understanding (7–19) And for evangelism (20–25)

Firstly …

Prophecy is the most loving gift to seek … (1–3)

1 Corinthians 14:1

Pursue love. Strive also for spiritual gifts, but above all for prophecy. For the one who speaks in tongues does not speak to people but to God, since no one understands him, and he utters mysteries in the Spirit. The one who prophesies, on the other hand, speaks to people, edifying, encouraging and comforting them In the church at Corinth, it would seem that speaking in tongues was regarded as the spiritual gift par excellence. The apostle Paul wishes to set them straight. Prophecy is the gift to be prioritised. Let us clarify what we are talking about!

The gift of tongues is, it seems to me, a supernatural ability given by God to express oneself in a human language that one had not previously learnt. Not everyone shares this view. Some believe it involves speaking in heavenly or angelic tongues. In some churches, including the one where I came to know Jesus, it is common to have a time during the service when people can speak ‘in tongues’. During these times, one hears people uttering sounds that do not correspond to any human language and which, according to these churches, come from a heavenly language. I’m not convinced by this.

In the Bible, there is only one place where we are told precisely which languages were spoken: Acts chapter 2. These are human languages. I do not see why it should be any different in 1 Corinthians. So speaking in tongues, as it is sometimes practised in so-called Pentecostal or charismatic churches, does not seem to correspond to the New Testament gift of tongues. That does not mean it is necessarily wrong. It may simply be a form of psychological release, although we must bear in mind Paul’s advice regarding the need to speak words that others can understand.

Be that as it may, Paul wants to set the record straight. It is not that speaking in tongues is useless. In a large, cosmopolitan city like Corinth, at the heart of the Roman Empire, miraculously speaking foreign languages was certainly very useful. One can well imagine the impact of hearing Christians proclaim Jesus in one’s own language.

But that was not the perspective of the Christians in Corinth. For them, speaking in tongues gave the impression of being super-spiritual, of having an exhilarating experience, regardless of whether anyone else understood. It was as if they were going to church solely for their own personal experience. It is this attitude that Paul wishes to correct. Strive for spiritual gifts! But above all… to prophecy. What is prophecy? When I was 15, I took part in a workshop on ‘learning to prophesy’ at a Christian conference.

Someone came to the front. The others closed their eyes to ask God for a revelation for that person – an image, a word or a song – which they then shared. Then the person at the front said, ‘OK, I think God is telling me X.’ What I admire about that is the expectation that God really does speak to us today. We don’t have a silent God. God speaks. But… I don’t think that’s what Christian prophecy is, according to the Bible. Christians have different views. But here’s what prophecy today cannot be.

It cannot be new revelations that would be added to the Bible and which we would need in order to know how to be saved or how to live for Jesus. The Bible itself says that it is sufficient to explain these things to us. The Letter to the Hebrews says that after God had spoken to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets in days gone by, in these last days he has spoken to us through the Son. If we have Jesus and the testimony of the New Testament, God has given us his final word! Peter says in his second letter that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness in the Scriptures.

We do not need any further words. When I was a teenager, I thought that the Bible provided general information about God, but that to receive a message ‘tailored’ to me, I needed more. So I believe the Bible is sufficient; I also believe that God is sovereign and that he arranges circumstances to tell us what we need to hear, when we need to hear it.

I was walking down the street one day. A stranger stopped me and said, ‘I think God wants to remind you of this Bible verse.’ I did indeed need to be reminded of it. But when Paul says to strive for prophecy, he is not inviting us to seek words beyond the Bible.

I have sometimes heard people speak of receiving things in prayer – direct revelations supplementary to the Bible that one might receive. I do not think this is biblical language. Rather, Paul is inviting us to draw on the Bible – our final and sufficient revelation – to encourage others. He says this in verse 3 V.3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people, building them up, encouraging them and comforting them To build up, encourage and comfort. That is what the good news of Jesus does. For us, prophesying means encouraging others on the basis of the Bible.

We probably prophesy far more often than we realise. When you share a word of encouragement from Scripture with a brother or sister over a cup of coffee. In our small groups, when we study a passage to understand how it applies to our lives, we are prophesying in the manner described in 1 Corinthians 14. It’s even tempting to rename our community groups ‘prophecy groups’! Not ‘co’ groups but ‘pro’ groups! (That might cause some confusion)

We meet to build each other up, encourage one another and comfort one another through the Word of God. Later in the passage, Paul explains why prophesying is the most loving gift to seek. Firstly, because it aims to build everyone up.

For edification … (4–6)

Verse 4

“Anyone who speaks in tongues edifies themselves, but anyone who prophesies edifies the Church.” Mr Bean goes to church. Have you seen that sketch? If not, there’s a big gap in your cultural knowledge. He spends the whole service fighting boredom and disturbing his neighbour. The neighbour isn’t exactly cool either. He’s there for himself and can’t be bothered to think about the person sitting next to him. The Apostle Paul wants us, when we come together, not to think only of ourselves but of the edification of others. To edify is to build up, strengthen and help someone to grow.

That’s what we’re all here for. We’re not just passive recipients, but spiritual builders for one another. That is why, in this internet age when we could simply sit in front of a screen and have a ‘spiritual moment’ on our own at home, we still get together! We have a duty towards our brothers and sisters. That’s just the way it is, because that’s how Jesus thought. Jesus Christ did not think of his own interests. He sacrificed them for our sake when he gave himself up on the cross. He could have stayed in heaven: ‘Do you have problems, needs? Too bad. Sort it out yourselves!’ But he didn’t do that!

He sought our good at the cost of his own life. And as we have seen, when he saves us, it is not so that we might go it alone. He connects us to one another as members of his body. Paul says: have the same attitude as Christ when you gather together. Do not come just for your own sake, but for the sake of others. That doesn’t mean we don’t come to receive. We need to be encouraged and to delight in Jesus and his love for us. But if we truly delight in Jesus, it will be evident in our attitude towards others: seeking to build them up, not just ourselves. So here’s a question. Why do we come to church?

If it’s to edify others, everything changes. Who we talk to. What we talk about. Just football results and our latest holidays, or more edifying things. How we speak. How we listen to sermons. How we listen to others. How we sing! I knew someone in another church who would stand at the back of the hall and sing as loudly as possible … very badly … to encourage others to turn up the volume to drown out his voice! What self-sacrifice!

But it’s not just that we come to edify one another. Paul’s point is that we edify one another best through words that are comprehensible and intelligible to all. This brings us to the next point Prophecy is the most loving gift to seek, for edification

Through understanding … (7–19)

Verse 7

“If inanimate objects that produce sound, such as a flute or a harp, do not produce distinct sounds, how will anyone recognise the melody being played on them? And if the trumpet gives an unclear sound, who will get ready for battle? The same applies to you: if your tongue does not speak intelligibly, how will anyone know what you are saying? Indeed, you will be speaking into the air.” In the Mr Bean sketch, you can hear the pastor’s voice speaking. Blah blah blah blah blah – literally! Corinth wasn’t all that different!

They loved speaking in tongues, but as no one could understand what they were saying, their gathering was nothing more than an incomprehensible hubbub. Paul demands the opposite. Some of you here play in an orchestra. Imagine we were going to a concert. It’s a piece we like. The conductor raises his baton … [] … just a jumble of noise. What a disappointment. We’ve come for nothing. Or worse still …

Soldiers are sleeping in their tents. Suddenly, the enemy army appears on the horizon. They are about to attack. They will all be killed if they do not prepare immediately. A sentry takes his trumpet. He knows the signal to sound so that the others wake up and get ready. He blows into it … but [] no clear sound comes out. Yet this is a matter of life and death! That is what Paul means! Hearing clear words from God is a matter of life and death! In verse 7, when he speaks of ‘inanimate’ objects, literally these are ‘lifeless’ objects. This illustration of instruments has a morbid quality!

A matter of life and death! Paul says at the beginning of 1 Corinthians that the message about Jesus is the power and wisdom of God … which save us! Provided we understand it! So when we come together to delve into God’s Word, the stakes are high! Let’s take a moment to reflect on our privilege. The infinite God who created the universe has spoken. He had his words written down so that they might reach us. People have given their lives so that this book might exist in our language. And here we are, with it on our bedside table. In our pocket. On our phone. These words, which save us from death

What a privilege! Google is investing billions in research to delay death. Some of the world’s richest people will pay astronomical sums to have their bodies cryogenically frozen in the hope that they might one day be revived.

We hold in our hands words that save us from death once and for all. For free.

When Christians gather together, they have the incredible privilege of listening to these words, meditating on them and savouring them together. Failing to do so would be like keeping one’s trumpet silent as the enemy approaches. A few implications.

Firstly, God speaks to our minds through his Word to help us grow.

Sometimes Christians turn to experiences, rituals or times of meditative silence as the means that will change us. I have nothing against silence; it can do us good … … There you have it!

But what changes us is understanding and taking in this word. I wonder if we really believe that. These aren’t just words in a book! Taking these words to heart together is the most spiritual experience there is! When we gather together, we’re not there to sleep!

God wants us to come to church with our minds engaged, our Bibles open, and our eyes fixed on them. The most encouraging thing for a preacher to see? This gesture [bowing one’s head to read the text]. People poring over the text. As for those of you taking a nap, I can see you ;-) It means that loving others must include opening the Bible together. Perhaps not in every conversation. But regularly. It would be brilliant if, after the service, when we have lunch together, we seized the opportunity not just to ask ‘how was your week?’, but ‘what is encouraging you in God’s Word at the moment?

Perhaps that would be the most loving question to ask someone today! It also raises a question: are we intentionally seeking out settings where we can listen to God’s Word and discuss it with others? Our community groups and prophecy groups are essential. If you don’t have one yet, please find one! But we cannot give to others what we have not received ourselves. To share God’s Word with someone, it must first dwell within us. My best moments in my community group – my ‘pro’ group – have been precisely those times when others have arrived having already reflected on the text, ready to build others up.

That’s love in action. Perhaps the most loving thing you could do for your group this week would be to take some time to read and reflect on the passage before the evening’s meeting. Perhaps you’re thinking, ‘I don’t have time.’ A new mum, with short nights. Or a job that takes up all your time. Meditate? Prophesy? You’re already out of breath.

Listen carefully. You don’t need an hour. A verse on the fridge. A passage you hear in the car. Repeating one of God’s promises whilst rocking a child to sleep at three in the morning. That’s a start. And a message to a friend saying, ‘I thought of this verse for you just now’, is already brilliant in certain seasons of life. Prophecy is the most loving gift to seek, for edification through understanding …

And finally, for evangelism (20–25)

Verse 23

“So if, whilst the whole church is gathered together, everyone is speaking in tongues and some who are merely listening or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are mad? On the other hand, if everyone is prophesying and an unbeliever or a casual listener comes in, they are convicted of sin by everyone, they are judged by everyone; [thus] the secrets of their heart are laid bare, and they will then fall face down to the ground to worship God, declaring that God is truly amongst you”

I used to live next to a church that held Masses in Latin. I’ve never studied Latin. It was completely incomprehensible to me. Paul wants our gatherings to be filled with understandable words from God, not only for the sake of Christians but also for those who are exploring the Christian faith. Our aim is not to be a monastery cut off from the world, nor a club reserved for a particular culture or educational background. It is to be accessible to everyone through words that everyone can understand. We have a message of life to share!

Especially in times as uncertain as these, when we see the damage – in this neighbourhood – that occurs when people no longer know what truth to hold on to. So a service where all one hears are incomprehensible words serves no purpose. This is the meaning of verse 22: tongues are a sign for non-believers. In other words, untranslated tongues keep people in a state of unbelief. They are a sign of judgement. For as long as we do not understand God’s message, we remain under his judgement.

But when we prophesy, we speak words that enable people to understand their need for Jesus and His forgiveness, and to grasp hold of it. Perhaps you are visiting us here this morning. Our aim is not to make things as obscure as possible! If anything is unclear, ask the person who invited you to explain it to you! For regulars, we’re not here just for ourselves. We’re not even here solely for the other members of the church. Paul expects there to be visitors, whether they’re Christians or not, and he asks us to do everything we can to help them better understand our faith.

Here’s a good test: if a visitor asked you to explain the sermon again – because they hadn’t quite understood it – would you be able to do so? If the answer is no, because the preacher himself wasn’t clear, please let him know!

Prophecy is the most loving gift to seek, for edification … through understanding and for evangelism. Our world is steeped in individualism. Even religions and spiritualities. Individualistic and self-centred forms of spirituality are everywhere. God’s family must be different. Modelled on God’s selfless love. He has made himself understandable to us. He speaks to us for our spiritual good. He wants us to follow his example: to seek the good of others by sharing his words with them. Nowadays, words are sometimes disparaged. People say that actions speak louder than words.

People speak of empty words. It is true that Christians have sometimes been criticised for having only words and no love. But … when it comes to the words of the God who spoke and there was light, there is nothing more powerful or loving than becoming his spokespeople. I wonder who it might be that you could encourage this morning by saying: ‘My sister, my brother, here is a truth you need to hear right now.’ In a church of this size, looking after everyone isn’t easy! Are there 150 of us?

Each with their own circumstances, questions and needs. It’s incredibly reassuring to be able to look around this room and see 150 preachers! 150 prophets!

Perhaps not from the pulpit. But for one another, in small groups, in the practical realities of everyday life, with a coffee in hand or a baby in our arms … … and the powerful word of God on our lips. 1 Corinthians 14:1 – “Pursue love. Strive also for spiritual gifts, but especially for the gift of prophecy.”

Love: the most excellent way - 1 Corinthians 13

For context, this chapter 1 Cor 13 was preached at my wedding. On August 22, 2020, I married Lalatiana, and Jason preached on 1 Cor 13—a wonderful sermon that touched many guests (thanks again to him). Anyway, all this to say that Jason is neither the 1st nor the last to choose this text for a wedding; it is the quintessential wedding passage (one of the favorites among Christians worldwide, I think), and that is understandable.

But today, preaching on this text takes place as part of a sermon series on 1 Corinthians. So, even though this text applies very well to a wedding context, today we will put it back in its initial context: that of the church in Corinth. Before entering into the text, let us review its background together.

Context

As a reminder, Paul writes a letter to the church at Corinth, which he considers in chapter 1 (1 Corinthians 1:5–7) to be enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and all knowledge—God's testimony about Christ having been confirmed among them. He even goes so far as to tell them, “Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.”
So the church at Corinth is a blessed, equipped church, ready to function as a church. And yet the rest of his letter is full of reproaches and dismay from Paul toward them. Paul mentions:

• Divisions, rivalries

• Spiritual immaturity

• Pride

• etc.

And that is only the beginning of the list. So what is the problem? If the church is equipped and lacks no gift, why so many reproaches? What are they missing? That is the global context of chapter 13.

More specifically, chapter 13 also fits into the context of a specific topic being addressed. You know, the letter to the Corinthians seems a lot like an FAQ (frequently asked questions) to me. Paul appears to be answering questions that the Corinthians had (probably) sent him beforehand. Each question forms a section of his letter, a theme addressed (e.g., the topic of marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, among others).

• And so our text fits into a precise theme that Paul starts a chapter earlier:

1 Corinthians 12:1 'Now about spiritual gifts [...]'

• We understand what Paul means by 'spiritual realities/gifts [...]' as we read the rest of chapter 12. He is talking about spiritual gifts, particularly those that impress—the ones manifested visibly by the Spirit. When I talk about gifts in this sermon, I won't specify every time, but those are the kind of gifts I'll be referring to: the ones that impress.

Visibly, the Corinthians tended to rank spiritual gifts within the church. They sought impressive gifts, perhaps considering them more useful or noble than others. In any case, they considered those gifts worthy of pursuit, and members who did not have those gifts felt excluded, left out of the body of Christ. This view of gifts created divisions among church members. So here is a summary of chapter 12 (to refresh our memory): “The Church is one body made up of many members, each having received a different gift from the Spirit, and all these gifts are necessary and must serve the common good.”

That is exactly the context of chapter 13. In fact, Paul ends chapter 12 with a teaser, saying: 1 Corinthians 12:31 'Eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.' In other words: “We remain on the subject of gifts, to be continued in the next episode...”

Let us address this new episode together, following two main points:

• 1st: we will see that a gift is not an end in itself

• 2nd: we will see that we must instead pursue love

A gift is not an end in itself

A gift without love is of no value

When I was a teenager, I used to hang out with young Christians from various denominations, including charismatic backgrounds—meaning those who emphasize gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. By spending time with them, I sometimes thought, “Wow, these are Christians of another level because they speak in tongues!”

Naturally, I started asking myself, “Shouldn't I also be able to speak in tongues? Am I missing something? Am I really the Christian God calls me to be?”

Let me open two parentheses here:

• 1st: I do not mean to denigrate these young Christians; they are wonderful people who had a very positive impact on my life

• 2nd: I do not denigrate speaking in tongues either; in any case, it is a secondary issue that in no way determines our salvation.

However, what can be dangerous is the importance we place on this gift (as with any other gift). Parentheses closed.

Returning to my case, as a teenager questioning speaking in tongues and my own spiritual maturity: if I had read 1 Cor 13 at that time, I would have found a clear answer:

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 'If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.'

The question was not whether I should aspire to speak in tongues, but rather “did I have love?” I hadn't even asked myself what I would do with this gift for the church. Ultimately, I wanted this gift more for myself than to serve others. “Do I have love?” That was the only relevant question to ask back then, and it remains the only relevant question today: “Do I have love?”

This reasoning applies to all kinds of gifts. What good would it do me to be able to move mountains if it leads neither to salvation nor to the edification of my brothers and sisters? This is true for impressive gifts, but also for more modest acts. Giving to the poor, acting for noble causes... these acts seem generous. But if I don't have love, these acts remain earthly services, services with no bearing on the eternal life of my neighbor. And so, in the perspective of eternity, these services remain useless for them as well as for me.

A gift is temporary

A spiritual gift is not only worthless without love, but it is also destined to disappear. Prophesying, healing, speaking in unknown tongues, knowing the mysteries of the world... All these things resemble “gifts” today, but one day everyone will have perfect knowledge; one day no illness will affect us. At that moment, these gifts will no longer exist, or at least no one will need them anymore.

1 Corinthians 13:8–10 '[...]. Where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.'

To illustrate this idea, Paul uses the example of childhood: 1 Corinthians 13:11 'When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.'. My son Nathan is 3 years old; he is a child. And because he is a child, as a father I must adapt to his situation. For example, I have to install a booster seat on his chair so he can eat at the table with us; I have to install training wheels on the back of his bicycle so he can pedal without falling. I must give him all kinds of objects that are very useful to him today, but which one day will gather dust in the attic because we simply won't need them anymore.

That is the idea Paul presents here: gifts of prophecy, knowledge, teaching, healing, etc.—all these impressive gifts, as useful as they may be, are destined to gather dust in the attic when we see and know fully, or when sickness exists no more.

A gift is a false indicator of spiritual maturity

Finally, a spiritual gift is not only of no value without love and temporary, but it can also be a false metric of spiritual maturity. I have seen preachers stand before congregations and recount miracles that occurred through them, or share testimonies of miracles in their lives. I am not saying this is a bad thing, provided that:

• The testimony is true

• The testimony directs glory to God alone

That is great. But unfortunately, the effect it had on me for a long time was to consider these people as Christians who had “succeeded”—to compare myself to them and feel tiny beside them. Or even worse, to think that God favors them more than me because he works miracles through them.

If the book of 1 Corinthians shows us anything, it is that one can have impressive gifts and still be spiritually immature. That was the case with the Corinthians: on one hand, Paul says in chapter 1 that they lacked no gift, and in chapter 14 we see Paul providing a framework so these gifts wouldn't create disorder in the assembly; so on one hand, the Corinthians possessed these gifts in abundance—visible, impressive gifts. But on the other hand, Paul reproaches them for divisions, being worldly, being proud... in short, lacking love. Gifts do not imply spiritual maturity.

More generally, any impressive or miraculous act should be decoupled from a person's spiritual maturity. Jesus himself says in Matthew 7:22–23 'Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?”' Some people will come to Jesus reminding him that they did many wonders and miraculous acts IN HIS NAME. And yet, Jesus will tell some openly: ' [...] I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

For some, it won't even be their spiritual maturity in question, but their salvation itself.

So once again, I do not wish to discredit all testimonies you might have heard. I am not suggesting they are fake, because I am convinced God still acts miraculously today. Nor do I want us to foster a culture of extreme skepticism toward spectacular manifestations of the Spirit (always with wisdom and discernment, of course).

What I wish to do, if needed, is to adjust our perspective and estimation of certain gifts. We must put gifts back in their proper place. In love, they are a powerful blessing that God will use to draw people to himself and grow his Church. But that is all—the role of spiritual gifts mentioned in this chapter stops there. These gifts are temporary; without love they have no value, and they are not even a guarantee of spiritual maturity.

So let us not judge a person or even a church by its gifts, but rather by its fruits (described in Galatians 5), and by the love that reigns among its members.

So we have seen that gifts should not be an end in themselves, and that what makes them useful is the love that puts them to work. The logical question that follows is: “What is love, and how do we pursue the love Paul speaks of?”

Let us rather pursue love

V 4–7 'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.'

We are incapable of loving

We were studying 1 Cor 13 with small group leaders when one leader said: “When I read this description of love, I think: that's how I want to be loved.” And I understand that leader; this description of love is beautiful, attractive, and just reading it brings peace.

Unfortunately, what attracts us even more to this love is that we rarely see it. This described love is God's love; this perfect love does not exist naturally in us.

Naturally, as humans, we do not know how to love... Naturally, we engage in all types of relationships in which we love poorly, often ending up seeking our own self-interest somewhere in that relationship. We enter friendships or romantic relationships with expectations... and when the person doesn't fulfill our expectations, impatience begins to grow. We become easily irritated, counting the wrongs suffered.

How many times have we been disappointed by others—not because they wronged us, but because we expected them to do us good?

Even within a family, where love is supposed to be purest and most selfless, we end up showing impatience, becoming irritated, not trusting everything, not enduring everything.

And if we are incapable of loving those dear to us, let us not even talk about our love for others.

That is what our love looks like. We are far from the love described in 1 Cor 13. The Corinthians' love did not resemble this beautiful description either, or Paul would not have reproved them so much in his letter. In fact, Paul gives a description of love that directly echoes the various reproaches he addresses in other chapters of his book:

• 'Love is patient': Chapter 11, the Corinthians lack patience when taking the Lord's Supper to the point that one goes hungry while another gets drunk.

• Love 'is not proud': Chapter 5, Paul says they are puffed up with pride to the point of not grieving over the evil committed among them.

• Love 'does not delight in evil': Chapter 6, Paul highlights that they themselves commit injustice, and against their brothers and sisters in the church.

It is as if Paul were explaining the root of all the evils observed among the Corinthians as ultimately a lack of love. So for the Corinthians, as for us, the ultimate question becomes: how do we love?

Love is given to us

The answer may sound cliché, but it is true: we can love with God's help. Love is not only the framework within which we can desire a gift, but Love is itself a gift from God. Remember, chapter 13 fits into the context of chapter 12, which addresses spiritual gifts God gives for his church. So just as I am incapable of prophesying or healing by myself, I am also incapable of loving properly through my efforts alone.

God's love has been given to us in Jesus Christ. His death on the cross reconciles us with God and allows the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. By dwelling in us, the Holy Spirit enables us to love better, in the most beautiful and true sense—that is, to love as God loves.

Our love grows progressively

God's love is given to us as a model through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is also given to us to enable us to press toward this love of God. Nevertheless, the transformation of our own love remains progressive. Realize this: God brings us from death to life, from sin to holiness, from hatred/pride/indifference to true love. This is a chasm uncrossable by ourselves, but in God it is possible. Yet crossing this chasm happens continuously and progressively—it doesn't happen overnight after baptism. So knowing that our love grows progressively, what does that imply for us? Two things:

• First, the fact that our love grows progressively means we must make efforts. 2 Peter 1:5–7 tells us '[...] make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; [...] and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.'. Now that God enables us to love, let us make the necessary efforts to cultivate this love, because our efforts are no longer in vain.

It is like our holiness: although called saints, we must struggle against our flesh. It is the same with love: God enables us to love, but that does not remove the struggle with our flesh. Let us not lose heart; our efforts may seem insignificant, increasingly heavy, or endless, but God works in us through our efforts. Let us pray regularly that he gives us the desire and the ability to act.

• Second, that our love grows progressively implies that we must be patient with one another. This is the very first description of love Paul gives us: 'Love is patient'. If a brother or sister said or did something that displeased you (lacked love toward you) and it eats away at you from the inside, that is likely a sign that God has work to do not only in their heart, but also in yours—so you can be more patient toward that brother or sister, not be easily angered, not suspect evil, and endure all things.

We have just seen that we are incapable of loving on our own, that love is a gift to us (even though our love grows progressively), but here is one last point Paul raises in v13 'And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'

I will conclude with this last point: Why? Why is love the thing that is greatest?

The most important thing: love

Let us take a step back and go back to the creation of man. As you know, the book of Genesis tells us that God created us in his image and likeness. And to be the image of a God whom the Bible says is love: 1 John 4:8 and v16

'God is love.', knowing how to love becomes not just important for us, but essential. Loving is tied to the very purpose of our existence; otherwise, we are no longer the image of God and miss the purpose for which he created us.

It is to teach us to love that Jesus calls us to be servants to one another, to submit to one another, to wash one another's feet. Ultimately, it is to teach us to love that God gave the law. 

Matthew 22:36–40, a teacher of the law asks Jesus a question to test him: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And look at what Jesus says next: “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” All the Law and the Prophets (meaning all the laws God gave his people through Moses and all the words God gave through prophets) exist to teach us to love God and our neighbor. Do we realize that loving is not just a bonus commandment for us? Love is our goal and our reason for existing: to love God and love our neighbor.

'And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'

Conclusion

To conclude, 

Let us no longer consider a gift as an end in itself because: 

• Without love, a gift is useless

• A gift is temporary

• And as impressive as it may be, a gift is not even proof of spiritual maturity

Instead, let us pursue love. 

• We are incapable of loving on our own

• But God gives us love through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to enable us to love better

• However, the transformation of our love remains progressive, which should push us toward effort and patience with others

• Finally, love is the most important thing we should seek
  

If you hear this message and have not yet accepted God's love for you—if despite the gift of his own Son for you, you do not wish to respond to his love—know that seeking love elsewhere will gain you nothing. The love this world offers is broken, selfish, and often hypocritical. Yet 'Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.'; Jesus said this (in John 15:13), and he is the one who proved he loves us with this love.

If, on the contrary, you have placed your hope in Jesus—to you who have tasted his love and responded through baptism—I encourage you to desire to resemble him more in your love for God and your love for others. I encourage you to maintain your efforts in dependence on God. In the midst of your busy daily routine, at work, with your family, do not lose sight of the fact that all these areas are fertile ground to learn to love. Even in ministry, sometimes we accumulate Bible studies, accumulate efforts on all fronts, only to realize that love is no longer our engine. Let us preserve this framework of love at all costs, even in our service to the church.

And until we are with him, when our love is made complete, let us make every shortcoming in our love an opportunity to repent, break our pride, and implore God's help again and again.

Let us pray.

Spiritual Gifts - 1 Corinthians 12

Last week we heard Ivan preach on the beginning of the Church in Acts 2: a church devoted to loving one another and to the apostles' teaching, a united church.

Now we are back in 1 Corinthians, and the picture is quite different. As a reminder, since it has been a few months: the church in Corinth had some serious problems, and that is part of why this letter exists. The apostle Paul writes to address them.

I won't go through all of Corinth's problems again, but if I had to sum them up, I would say the church suffered from division and arrogance. Division fed by arrogance, and arrogance fuelled by division. Members thought they were better than one another and formed groups around their favourite preachers, their theological views, their social status or their level of knowledge.

The passage we read today is another response to that same pattern of division and arrogance, this time in a different area: spiritual gifts. These are manifestations of the Holy Spirit, like miracles or speaking in tongues. And honestly, this is still a divisive topic in the church today, one that sparks plenty of debate.

It is a relevant topic for us at Connexion too. As far as I know, we have no divisions over it. But among our members and those who attend, there are people who have had different experiences of spiritual gifts, who come from different backgrounds, or who see the subject differently.

So keep your Bibles open, and let's look at three questions this passage raises:

1. Who are the "spiritual Christians"?

2. What are spiritual gifts?

3. How are they distributed?

1. Who are the "spiritual Christians"?

Spiritual gifts in Corinth are the subject of chapters 12, 13 and 14, so they will be the topic of the next few sermons as well. Chapter 12 is Paul's introduction to the subject. He begins by saying that, "concerning spiritual gifts," he does not want the Corinthians to be uninformed.

In other words, at that point they were uninformed! Paul probably opens with the word "spiritual" because it was the Corinthians' own expression. They used the adjective "spiritual" to describe certain people in their community, as if it were a status.

In the context of chapters 12 to 14, we can see the dividing line. On one side were the "spiritual" Christians who displayed visible "spiritual gifts", most likely speaking in tongues (speaking in languages one has never learned). On the other side were the "ordinary" Christians, who did not speak in tongues or did not have that kind of visible, impressive religious experience.

So Paul sets the record straight. First, in verse 2, he undercuts the idea that an impressive religious experience is the necessary and sufficient evidence of a spiritual Christian: "You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led." You had powerful religious experiences before! And yet they were no evidence at all of a relationship with the true God.

So if visible, impressive religious experience is not the mark of a "spiritual Christian", what is? Verse 3: "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit." Whoever publicly confesses Jesus as Lord, in word and in deed, is a Christian. More than that, they are a "spiritual Christian", because the Holy Spirit inspires their witness, their confession of Jesus as Lord. And whoever does not confess Jesus as Lord does not have the Holy Spirit, however many miracles they may perform.

The Corinthians relied on the display of certain gifts and miracles to decide whether a Christian was spiritual. Paul says the opposite: every Christian, by their confession of faith, is spiritual. Later, in verse 13, he goes even further: "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body… and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

So all Christians are spiritual. They all have the same Holy Spirit: the same Spirit who, on the day of Pentecost some 2,000 years ago, caused the apostles and disciples of Jesus to speak miraculously in other languages.

We get it wrong when we judge someone's "level" as a Christian by what is visible and impressive. Someone prays with great intensity, has a spectacular experience to share, or speaks with great confidence, and we think: "Now that person is really filled with the Spirit." And we get it wrong in the same way when we judge the health of a church by the same standard.

Remember verse 2. When they were pagans, the Corinthians were already drawn to what was impressive, to powerful religious experiences. Paul is saying, in effect: what attracted you when you were pagans cannot become your standard now that you are Christians. Let's stop using in the Church the criteria that drove us before we knew Christ. The standard is the confession of Jesus as Lord, with our words and with our lives. A healthy church is a church where Jesus is confessed and served as Lord.

2. What are spiritual gifts?

If you didn't grow up in a Christian setting, or if you are not a Christian, you may feel a little lost at this point. In short: after Jesus' resurrection and ascension, his disciples received the Holy Spirit. As the first evidence of the Spirit, they began to speak in other languages they had never learned, and to prophesy.

This happened again several times in the book of Acts, each time the gospel was welcomed by people from a new region. Above all, it was a powerful sign that the gospel would be preached in every language, to every nation. And other miraculous signs went with it, such as healings.

These are the things Paul has in mind when he speaks of "spiritual gifts", but not only these! The Corinthians seem to have had a fairly narrow definition of spiritual gifts, and Paul deliberately broadens it. He mentions gifts of service, teaching, leadership and encouragement, a particularly resilient faith, and so on. He gives quite a broad list in verses 8 to 11, and again in verse 28.

So we have a list of examples of spiritual gifts. But what is a spiritual gift? Look at verses 4, 5 and 6. Their three-part structure gives us a definition:

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone." (vv. 4–6)

Paul is talking about one and the same thing, but describing it in three different ways. Spiritual gifts are:

• an action that God accomplishes in someone…

• … for a service to the Lord Jesus and his body…

• … through a free gift of his Spirit.

We see the Trinity at work in these three words: action, service, gift. All three speak of the same reality, and each shows us something about it.

It is an action of God. It is not something we can bring about through a ritual or a magic formula, forcing God's hand to make him perform a miracle. No, it is a sovereign act of the sovereign God. God chooses when and how he does it.

It is a service. God chooses to act in order to serve the body of Christ: a service to one and the same Lord. Verse 7 says it too: gifts are given "for the common good". Spiritual gifts are not a way of deepening our personal spirituality or doing ourselves good. They are a means of serving the Church.

It is a gift. Gifts are… gifts! They are a free present from the Spirit. Once again we see God's sovereignty: he gives freely, without anything obliging him to do so. Verse 11 says: "All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."

With this definition, Paul can broaden what really counts as a spiritual gift. If a gift is an action of God in someone, by his Spirit, to serve the Church, then the ability to serve as a deacon is a spiritual gift. Having resilient faith through hard times in the life of a church is a spiritual gift. Leading the church well is a spiritual gift. Knowing how to help brothers and sisters in distress is a spiritual gift.

Our definition of spiritual gifts needs to grow. Not because we doubt that God can still do impressive miracles. I believe he still does things most people would call miracles, at the times and in the places he chooses, according to his wisdom. No, our definition needs to grow because we come to know God better: the God who "empowers them all in everyone", who is constantly at work for his Church and through his Church, and who is generous as he gives a share of his Spirit to his children.

That is why I don't think we should try to pin down each gift in the list in verses 8 to 10. I imagine we would like to know: what exactly is "the utterance of knowledge"? How is it different from "the utterance of wisdom"? Frankly, these expressions appear nowhere else in the Bible. It is even possible that Paul borrows this way of listing gifts from the Corinthian church itself, as if to say: "All these gifts you usually list, and many others you don't, are all actions of God, free gifts of the Spirit, given to each one to serve the Church, for the common good."

3. How are they distributed?

We have already touched on two aspects of how gifts are distributed:

• God's sovereignty: "as he wills" (v. 11)

• Usefulness to the Church: "for the common good" (v. 7)

Let's add a third:

• For the unity and interdependence of all: "that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another" (v. 25).

You might ask: if gifts are for the good of the Church, why not give every gift to everyone? One answer (besides the classic "God does what he wants") is that gifts are distributed in a way that makes us a body: people with different gifts who therefore depend on one another.

Paul spends a good deal of this chapter on the image of the body. Sometimes he wants to encourage those who are discouraged, who don't feel they really belong to the body because they lack a certain gift: "If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body'…" Perhaps that is you today. You have faith, yet you wonder whether you are a "real Christian" because you have never had a miraculous experience, or because you don't have a gift you have seen in a brother or sister. And yet, as your confession of faith confirms, you have the Holy Spirit. Let's guard against that mistake.

At other times, Paul wants to correct those who think they are self-sufficient or superior because of their gifts: "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'" Sadly, I have heard people say: "I don't go to church, because God teaches me by his Spirit through the Bible", "I don't need a church". That is someone who wrongly thought their own gift was enough. Let's all guard against that mistake.

The diversity of gifts creates interdependence, and therefore unity. Uniformity would breed division and jealousy.

In verses 22 to 26, Paul adds, still using the image of the body, that we must pay attention to every member, because they suffer together and are honoured together. In a human body, some parts are more exposed and more naturally honoured, while others are less visible and less naturally honoured, yet we take care to honour them all the same. We protect our private parts, which are less visible, and honour them with our care and attention. Paul is saying that every member should be honoured in their role: some receive a more natural honour, others a more intentional one. If we neglect this, the whole body suffers!

There is something to notice in the list in verse 28: "And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then…" First, second, third: Paul does establish an order. Apostles, prophets and teachers are the gifts tied to the Word of God: those that found the Church on the gospel, build it up and teach it. So there is a hierarchy of authority and responsibility, measured by what most builds up the Church. And it is probably no accident that speaking in tongues, the gift the Corinthians were so proud of, comes last in every list.

But be careful: a hierarchy of authority is not a hierarchy of worth. And those who are more exposed are also exposed to the trials that come with their responsibility. Paul himself, the apostle, says in chapter 4 that the apostles have become "like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things" (4:13). Their visibility brings particular hardships. Authority exists to serve the body, not to rank its members. Each kind of honour in the church, according to its authority, comes with the responsibilities and difficulties of a particular service.

So we might think it is all fixed: either I have a gift or I don't. And if I don't, there is no point seeking it, because the Spirit gives sovereignly and I cannot force him. That is not quite what Paul says. In verse 31 he writes:

"But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." (v. 31)

Paul tells us to desire the gifts, to seek them. That does not contradict God's sovereignty. Very often, God works in and through our will: he places a desire in us, and then he answers that desire. Paul says as much to Timothy about elders: "If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task" (1 Timothy 3:1). Wanting to serve the Church as an elder is not necessarily pride. It is often the way God calls someone to that service and begins to equip them with the gift it requires. The church then recognises the gift, and the gift grows through practice and faithfulness. The same goes for other gifts: we can ask God for them, make ourselves available, practise, and serve wherever there is a need.

But we seek gifts in a particular way. First, in submission to God: it is the Spirit who distributes "as he wills". I can desire, ask and make myself available, but I cannot force God's hand, and I must receive with gratitude what he gives me, even if it is not what I imagined. Second, in faithfulness: being faithful with what I have already received, instead of looking enviously at my neighbour's gift. And the "higher" gifts, in the logic of this whole chapter, are not the most impressive ones. They are the ones that serve others most and build up the body.

Above all, Paul does not end with the gifts. He says: "I will show you a still more excellent way." A way: not one more gift, but a path along which all the gifts are to be sought and exercised. We will talk about that path next week.

What is the church? - Acts 2:41-47

Hello, everyone,

Before we begin this passage, I invite you once again to join me in prayer.

“Lord, we desire to entrust ourselves to You once again to guide us as we study Your Word. Teach us, Lord, following the example of the early church. Correct in our thoughts and actions what needs to be corrected, cut away what needs to be cut away, and cause to grow what brings You glory. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.”

The start of the school and academic year is coming to an end. Perhaps you’ve just arrived in Paris to begin your studies, look for work, or start a new job. Maybe you’re visiting churches in Paris to decide where you’d like to attend. In that case, you may be wondering what criteria to use when choosing a church.

For those of you who are regulars at Connexion Church, you may not be wondering about these criteria, but you might be wondering about the health of your community.

If this is your first time visiting an evangelical church, you might have been wondering, “How does a church work?” And in the last 40 minutes, you’ve already had a chance to drink coffee, meet strangers, and listen to or sing songs about Jesus and God. And you’re not sure if it’s like this in every church. So, know that in the next 20 minutes, I’m going to share what I’ve learned from this passage so that we can understand its challenges and draw out what God—through the author of this text—wants to change in us today. And with that, I’m going to talk about how a church works.

We’re coming to the end of our short series on Acts, which, like the start of the school year, is meant to kick off this new church year. Over the past few Sundays, we’ve seen how Jesus, after his death on the cross and his resurrection, took time to complete the training of the apostles and told them to wait until they received the Holy Spirit.

Over the past two Sundays, we’ve looked at Peter’s sermon on Pentecost, when they received the Spirit of God, and we see in verse 41 that 3,000 people were convinced they needed to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, publicly demonstrating that they had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

This brings us to today’s passage, which recounts the early days of the Church and how it functioned. Keep the text in front of you so you can follow along with me.

I’d like us to look at the characteristics of this very young church described in the text. I think it has a lot to teach us about what a church is and what makes it healthy. Here are the four characteristics I’m going to highlight:

1. It is a church committed to loving others

2. It is a church committed to the apostles’ teaching

3. It is a church committed to worship and prayer

4. It is a church that reaches out to others.

I. The early church was committed to loving one’s neighbor.

In Acts 1:15, before Pentecost, there were about 120 of them. In verse 41, we see that following Peter’s sermon, 3,000 people were converted. I’m a math teacher, so I have to do the math: that’s a 2,500% increase! I promise I won’t overdo the math from here on out. There were many of them, but we see that the concept of fellowship is the most prominent theme in this text.

Look at verse 42: fellowship; verse 44: they were together and had everything in common; verse 45: they shared; verse 46: with one accord.

When Peter gave his speech, he was addressing devout Jews, some of whom had come from all over the Mediterranean basin and others from Jerusalem. At that precise moment in history, accepting Jesus as the Messiah, as Lord, meant going against the will of the political and religious leaders of the time. It meant going against the prevailing opinion of the crowd that, just 50 days earlier, had shouted, “Crucify him!” So here we have 3,000 people who have just publicly declared, through baptism, to their communities, their families, and their colleagues: “I am now a disciple of Jesus; I no longer agree with you; I no longer share the same hope as you.”

I grew up in a Christian family, so when I told my parents that I had accepted Jesus into my life, they were overjoyed. But I know friends who, when they made that choice, were rejected by their loved ones because they were Muslim or came from an anti-religious background. In some countries, people who become Christians lose their jobs, their status, and are threatened or even sentenced to death.

So for these 3,000 people, all they have left now is the church and the hope that Jesus will never let them down. The church is therefore their new family, their new community, and Jesus is their Lord. They can rely only on their fellow believers.

For these early believers, there was no question of living out their renewed relationship with God on an individual basis, as our individualistic society has gradually led us to do today. Yes, accepting Jesus into one’s life is a personal matter; a parent cannot decide for their child to do so. But if Jesus becomes our Lord, we then become subjects of His kingdom—citizens who must live in that kingdom alongside our fellow citizens. We also become the enemy— —the target of the powers that oppose Jesus Christ.

This might be frightening, but last week’s sermon reminded us that the good news of the Gospel is, above all, a declaration of power: by raising Jesus from the dead, God declared Jesus to be Lord of Lords, King of Kings. Nothing escapes His authority or His will.

Still on the topic of community, we find in this text the first major question in verses 44–45: 44All who believed were together and had everything in common. 45They sold their property and possessions and shared the proceeds with everyone, according to each person’s need.

Is this something we should do here at Connexion? I used the verb “should”: Is it a biblical command to sell everything we have and give it to the community?

In his commentary on the Book of Acts, John Stott demonstrates that it is not: even though Jesus may call some of his disciples to give up everything they have to follow him, he never forbade Christians from having material possessions.

Similarly, there is no passage in the apostles’ letters that commands us to do this. On the contrary, in Acts 5, in the account of Ananias and Sapphira, we see a couple who decided to sell a field and pretend they were giving everything, when in fact they were keeping a portion for themselves. The apostle Peter said to Ananias: “Why has Satan filled your heart to the point that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept part of the proceeds from the sale of the field? 4 If it had not been sold, would it not have remained yours? And after selling it, did you not have the right to dispose of the proceeds? How could you have conceived such a plan in your heart?”

There was no obligation to sell and give everything to the community. If they desired to do so, they could. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was claiming they were giving everything while keeping a portion for themselves.

This means, then, that the account in Acts 2 is not a matter of obedience to a command from the apostles. It is not like certain sectarian movements— —that manipulate and force people to give everything in exchange for lies.

The account in Acts 2 is not about obedience to an implicit command but rather the story of a natural response on the part of all these newly converted Christians who were filled with the Holy Spirit: they desired, from the depths of their hearts, to help their brothers and sisters in Christ.

I believe there are two reasons for this: first, the isolation from the Jewish community into which their conversion may have placed them, as I mentioned, but also an exemplary putting into practice of Jesus’ commandment to love one another.

Not everyone went so far as to sell their property, however: in verse 46, they gathered in homes. While some sold their homes, others showed great hospitality by welcoming people into their homes almost every day— —to eat and break bread together.

In chapter 3, verses 32–37, Luke speaks again of this Christian solidarity and cites as an example a certain Joseph who sold his field. I think Luke mentions this so often at the beginning of the Book of Acts because he wants to show just how magnificent and exceptional it was to witness such brotherly fellowship.

In verse 46, the relationship among the disciples is characterized by joy and simplicity of heart. There are no ulterior motives or duplicity in their intentions. They did not do this with the aim of receiving something in return or seeking special validation. This is a definition of love for one another.

So, what standard should we hold to? A healthy church is a church built on solidarity, where Christians care for one another and are generous with their time, energy, and money. It is a church where Christians love one another. But that means that if I want to keep my church healthy, I must apply Jesus’ commandment to love my brothers and sisters in Christ by, for example, being generous with my own time, energy, and money.

Last year, in our community group, someone found themselves in financial difficulty and shared this as a prayer request. Several people, without coordinating with one another, organized a collection within the group in the days that followed to help them. I was so happy to see that happen!

Here at Connexion, community life takes shape in many ways: there are “ ” community groups where 5 to 15 of us gather to study the Bible, pray, and eat together. Every Sunday after the service, people have meals together here or at nearby restaurants or parks. People invite one another over or go on outings together to build or deepen their relationships. And there are other opportunities to spend time together. It’s not as spectacular as in Acts 2, but it’s up to each of us to pitch in so that everyone feels they belong to this spiritual family that is the Church.

Let’s be especially attentive to those for whom coming to Christ has meant being cut off from their families or their communities of origin. Let’s be even more loving and thoughtful in including them in our circles of relationships.

II. A Church Committed to the Apostles’ Teaching

Verse 42:

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 43 Fear came upon everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs were being done through the apostles.

We no longer know how these teachings were organized; Luke does not describe them to us. Had some sort of Bible school been established with the apostles as teachers? In any case, they certainly did not limit themselves to one sermon a week. They were eager to learn and to understand how the Scriptures—at that time, the Old Testament—spoke of the promised Messiah and how Jesus was indeed their Savior. They wanted to discover all of Jesus’ teachings throughout his ministry and to understand everything that this entailed. The text tells us that they met every day.

In this church, there was a thirst for learning. They approached their studies with seriousness and humility, listening to the apostles whom God had authorized: this is how verse 43 is to be understood.

Today, what we know of the apostles’ teaching has been recorded in the New Testament through the Gospels, the Book of Acts, and the epistles. They give us the keys to re-read the Old Testament with our focus on Jesus Christ, who became incarnate to save humanity.

The sermons we hear on Sundays provide explanations of certain biblical texts, but that’s not enough!

I said I wouldn’t overdo the math, but I did the math: if we gave one sermon each Sunday on one chapter of the Bible, it would take 5 years to cover the New Testament and nearly 23 years to cover the entire Bible… It is therefore essential to study the Bible more intensively. Whether alone or in a group, with the help of Christian resources to guide you, we must study the Bible. If you don’t know where to start: begin with the New Testament and discuss it with people at church; they’ll surely have good ideas to guide you in your learning. You could find a study partner to read the Bible with and join a small group.

The word “perseverance” appears twice in our text—once in reference to perseverance in the apostles’ teaching and again in verse 46 regarding fellowship. When I discussed this text with a brother, he pointed out to me that commitment to the Word is not merely theoretical knowledge but is evident in the disciples’ actions—in how they put their knowledge into practice. Everything I said in the first part about loving one’s neighbor and fellowship is the practical application of understanding Jesus’ teachings. The new Christians had not been with Jesus during His ministry. They did not know everything Jesus had spent time teaching the 12 apostles. And as they learned it, they put it into practice under the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, a healthy church is one committed to the teaching of the Word and to putting it into practice. If I want to keep my church healthy, I myself must persevere in studying the Bible, putting it into practice, and also in helping others to study it as well.

III. A Church Committed to Praise and Prayer

V42:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

v46:

46 Every day, with perseverance, they continued to meet together in the temple; they broke bread in their homes and ate their meals with joy and sincerity of heart. 47 They praised God and found favor with all the people.

This may seem obvious to us, but in church we praise Jesus Christ; we praise God. This can take the form of songs, readings, declarations of faith, and prayers, just as we did a little while ago.

This praise takes several forms in the text. Luke emphasizes the breaking of bread twice (vv. 42 and 46). The breaking of bread here refers to the Lord’s Supper, also called the Lord’s Meal.

Shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus gave this command to his disciples: to share bread and wine to remember his death on the cross and his resurrection for the forgiveness of sins until he returns.

Nothing in the text indicates that they did this only once a week, as most evangelical churches do today. I even believe that the early Christians did it more often—perhaps even at every meal, as verse 46 suggests. And so, I think this must have regularly steered their meal conversations toward Jesus.

We could consider doing this ourselves—making it a habit, at some point during the meal, to recall in one way or another the work of the cross. We can talk about the sermon or the Bible passage we read that day, or about what God has led us through during the week, to encourage one another to praise God. This could help us—and me first and foremost—to avoid talking only about work or our worries as soon as we leave the service, but rather to refocus on Jesus.

The early Christians were also steadfast in prayer. And I confess that it’s not within my strength to attend prayer meetings. It was in prayer that the first disciples and the apostles sought God’s will regarding the appointment of Judas’s replacement. It was in prayer that they awaited the promise of the Holy Spirit. In the book of Acts, you’ll often find the disciples in prayer, listening to God.

Praying is not about asking God for what we want Him to give us, but about listening to God to ask Him what He wants to give us.

So a healthy church is one that prays, worships, and remembers Jesus’ work on the cross and His daily work in our lives. And if I want to keep my church healthy, I must be actively involved in prayer, worship, and bearing witness to Jesus’ work in my life.

IV. It is a church that reaches out to the world.

Finally, the last characteristic of this early church is that it is outward-focused.

We see this at the end of our passage: they gathered together in the temple with one accord; they broke bread in their homes and ate their meals with joy and simplicity of heart. 47 They praised God and enjoyed the favor of all the people. The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

They did not stay isolated in their homes; they went to the temple. The temple was the Jews’ place of worship; it was a public place, and they did not go there to participate in the animal sacrifices performed there, because they had come to understand that Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Later in the Book of Acts ( ), we see that they went there to preach and proclaim the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.

“They were held in high esteem by all the people.” This may seem to contradict what I said earlier about the fact that they were rejected by the Jewish community for professing their faith in Jesus Christ. Luke’s account does not tell us exactly how long this situation lasted, but it was likely several weeks. The people in Jerusalem had just witnessed a miracle at Pentecost and were surely wondering what would come of it all. As early as chapter 3, we see opposition from the religious leaders, but we also see that the people themselves were not indifferent to this group of joyful individuals who, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke of God’s wonders all around them.

This church is outward-focused because the Holy Spirit was given to them to bear witness in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). And what is wonderful is that it is God who is at work, leading people to believe and to join the church.

So a healthy church is an outward-reaching church that proclaims the Good News. And if I want to keep my church healthy, I need to share the Good News with those around me as often as God gives me opportunities to do so. This can happen in my conversations with friends, coworkers, or neighbors. It can also happen through more specific activities, such as outreach events where we talk about Jesus with people in the neighborhood, or through a mission trip.

You’ll notice that the Christians in this church aren’t focused on performance. They do things out of love for one another and out of love for Jesus, AND it is God who makes them effective in growing the church. It is He who performs the miracles of bringing people back to the church in verse 47.

If I want to keep my church healthy, I need to share the good news with those around me as often as God gives me opportunities to do so

V. Conclusion

We have thus seen, through the example of the early church, that a vibrant church is one where you can find Christians who love their brothers and sisters, who are committed to continually learning and understanding God’s Word and putting it into practice. A church where people worship and pray with joy. And finally, it is a church that reaches out to the world and proclaims the Good News.

When I look at this young church, there is one last thing that strikes me.

The apostles are not the subject of any active verb. The church perseveres in their teaching, and Jesus performs miracles and signs through them. But they are not the epicenter of the action! The members of the church gather of their own accord and take action— —on their own initiative. They do not wait to be told to do this or that.

Over time, the apostles began to appoint elders—that is, leaders—to guide the church, particularly spiritually, and deacons responsible for organizing church life. But the health of the church rests on the collective action of these Spirit-filled Christians.

Last week, Joe and Eduardo announced that Antoine and I were entering a year of observation and training in preparation for the role of church elder. This passage reassures me because the health of the church does not rest on the shoulders of the elders. It rests on the work of the Holy Spirit in each of its members, which leads each of us to take action.

I invite you to pray.

“Lord, thank You for this new life You have given us. Thank You that the Holy Spirit guides us every day. Thank You for the inspiring example of that young church in Acts 2.

Lord, in our society that draws us toward ever-greater distraction, help us to persevere in the study of Your Word, in prayer, and in worship. Fill us with boldness and zeal to share Your gospel. But above all, Lord, help us to renounce our comfort and our selfishness so that we may serve one another, filled with love.

Forgive us, Lord, for our recurring inconsistencies in this area. Help us not to return to our daily lives having forgotten what we have seen about ourselves in Your Word.

We also wish to pray for all those who have accepted the responsibility of leading the church as our elders and deacons. Thank you for them, and grant them joy in their service.

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen.”