Burmah Road Gospel HallPRINCIPLES THAT REGULATE PRACTICES IN

PARTICIPATION IN A PUBLIC GATHERING AT A LOCAL CHURCH – PART

I.I COR. CHS. 11-13

I. THE RELEVANCE OF THE PASSAGE TO ORDER IN A CHURCH GATHERING. CHS. 11-14

A. The Assembling of the Local Church – the Context.

1. The Occurrences of church/churches•“when ye come together in the church”

11:17, 18, 20, 33; 14:23, 26 6 occ. in chs. 11-14

a.“in the church”/”in church”/ “in churches” 14:4, 5, 12, 19, 28, 33, 34, 35. 8 occ. in ch.14; cf.11:16

I. The Relevance of the Passage to Order in a Church Gathering. Chs. 11-14A. The Assembling of the Local Church. Consider the Context.1. The Occurrences of church/churches

2. The Occasions referred to: a. The Lord’s Supper. I Cor. 11:18, 20 b. Prayer/Prophesying Service. 11:4, 5; 14:13-16c. Thanksgiving/Teaching/Tongue-Speaking/Worship/Singing... 14:23, 25, 26

A. The Assembling of the Local ChurchB. The Authority of the Passage in the Context.

1. Commended Ordinances that needed further Observance. I Cor. 11:2, 3a, 23; II Thes. 2:15; 3:6

2. Not Paul’s Prejudiced Caution, but the Lord’s Commandments. 14:37, 38

3. Not the Custom of Churches to be Contentious though individuals may not Consent. 11:16

4. The Concluding Order demanded – Propriety and Productivity. 14:40, 26

• If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual,

let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you

are the commandments of the Lord.

But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

I.The Relevance of the Passage to Order in a Church Gathering. Chs. 11-14II. The Regulated Parties in the Context.

A. The Rights, Roles and Responsibilities of God, Christ, Men and Women in the church gathering. 11:3-16

B. The Remembrance of Christ at the Lord’s Supper.11:17-34

C. The Responsibilities of Gifts in the church. 12:1-31

D. The Relationships of Love in the church. 13:1-13

E. The Regulations for Participation in a Public gathering in a church service. 14:1-40

III. THE RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS IN THE CHURCH ORDER.

Chs. 11-14 cover…A.The Acknowledgement of Headship in the Relationships. I Cor. 11:3-16

The Recognition of Rights, Roles and Responsibilities.1. Between God, the Father and God, the Son: 11:3

• Rights: Jn. 10:30; 1:1; Phil. 2:6 • Roles: Phil. 2:7• Responsibilities: Phil. 2:8; Heb. 5:8; I Cor. 15:28

The head of every man [anēr] is Christ; and the head of the woman [gynē]

is the man [anēr]; and the head [kephalē] of Christ is God.

A. The Acknowledgement of Headship in the Relationships. I Cor. 11:3-161. Between God, the Father and God, the Son: 11:3

cf. Phil. 2:6, 72. Between Christ, the Man and the Woman.a.Their Rights Jn. 1:12; Heb. 2:11; Gal. 3:28

b. Their Representation and Roles. Eph. 5:23-25c. Their Responsibilities. Eph. 5:22, 25; I Cor. 11:4, 7

14:33b, 34a; I Tim. 2:8, 12d. The Reasons: I Cor. 11:8, 9; I Tim. 2:13

The husband [anēr] is the head of the wife [gynē], even as Christ is the head of the church.

Eph. 5:23 Husbands [anēr] love your wives [gynē], even as Christ also loved the church. Eph. 5:25Wives [gynē], submit yourselves unto your own

husbands [anēr], as unto the Lord. Eph. 5:22

3. Conclusion: The Custom of the Churches. I Cor. 11:16The Acknowledgement of the Headship of Christ in the Church should lead to…

a. A Bible-Based Church where the Bible is used Profitably… II Tim. 3:16, 17

b.A Christ-Centred Church where He is Present and given the Pre-eminence. Mt. 18:20; Col. 1:18

c. A God-Glorifying Church where all are subject to the Penultimate Christ and He to God. I Cor. 15:28

d. If anyone is disposed to be Contentious--we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God. NRSV

e. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice--nor do the churches of God. NIV

The Call to Unity at the Lord’s Supper…I Cor. 11:18-20, NRSV

For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it.Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine.When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord's supper.

A.THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HEADSHIP IN THE RELATIONSHIPS. I Cor. 11:3-

16B. THE ADMONITION CONCERNING THE LORD’S SUPPER I Cor. 11:17-341.The Abuse: the Lord’s Supper, the Agape Feast. 11:20-22

2.The Admonition in not Distinguishing the Lord’s Feast from their Agape Feast. I Cor. 11: 20-34

3.Their Conduct (20-22)

b. Their need for Correction (27-29, 31, 33, 34)

unworthy? – worthy! guilty? – forgiven! damned? – judged!

c. Their Condemnation (29) – not discerning the Lord’s body

d. Their Chastening – weak, sickly, sleep - (30, 32)

1. The Abuse of the Lord’s Supper. 11:20-222. The Admonition. I Cor. 11: 20-34

3. The Advice re: the Lord’s Supper. I Cor. 11:23-28a. Its Institution. (23)b. Its Innovation. (23, 25)

c. Its Illustration. (25)d. Its Invitation. (24, 25)e. Its Instructions. (26)

f. Its Inspection. (28)But let a man examine himself,

and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

A. THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HEADSHIP IN THE RELATIONSHIPS. I Cor. 11:3-16B. THE ADMONITION CONCERNING THE LORD’S SUPPER. I Cor. 11:17-34C. The Administration of Gifts for Participation

in the Church. I Cor. 121. The Dispersion of the Triune God-Given Gifts

to Build up the Body of Christ. 12:4-62. The Distribution of the Gifts for the Function of the Body Parts

a. Individually (7, 11)b. Independently and sovereignly (8-11, 18)

c. Intrinsically (7)d. Indispensably (15-17)

e. Interdependently (19-21)f. Interlinked (22-24)

1. The Dispersion of God-Given Gifts 12:4-62. The Distribution of the Gifts. 12:7-24

3. The Distinctive element in the use of Gifts is LOVE. I Cor. Ch. 13

The Distinctive Principle that Regulates Participation in the Public Gathering of the

Church is LOVE.

But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS

LOVE.

and the greatest of these is love.

1  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 2  And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3  And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

a. The Domination

of Love: 13:1-3

and the greatest of these is love.

4 Love suffereth long, and is kind;love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5  doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; 6  rejoiceth not in unrighteousness,

but rejoiceth with the truth; 7  beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

b. The Distinctives

of Love. 13:4-7

and the greatest of these is love.

8  Love never faileth:

but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10

 but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. 11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12  For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.

c. The Disappearance of other gifts, but not Love.

13:8-12

I Cor. 13:13

•

13  But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three;

and the greatest of these is love.

Next Week (DV)I. PRINCIPLES THAT REGULATE PRACTICES

IN PARTICIPATION IN A PUBLIC GATHERING AT A LOCAL CHURCH – PART I.

I COR. CHS. 11-13II.PRINCIPLES THAT REGULATE PRACTICES

IN PARTICIPATION IN A PUBLIC GATHERING AT A LOCAL

CHURCH – PART II.

I COR. CH. 14

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