The Truth comes to Corinth

Paul Defines Order in the Worship Service Part 4

1 Corinthians 14:36-40 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 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. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. KJV

Paul now begins his decent to the end or conclusion of his commands or instructions or his definition of what God Honoring worship in the collective or corporate service should be by being somewhat biting and sarcastic with these next words in order that he might bring them back from the high place of exaltation they had placed themselves upon. If we travel all the way back to the very beginning of this first letter Paul writes to them, we recall that Paul said this regarding these believers in Corinth, “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in everything ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:4-7). A closer examination of these words written by Paul to them and of them bears witness that they had been blessed collectively as a group of believers with an exceeding abundance of grace gifts or charismatic endowments from God the Holy Spirit to such a degree that Paul declares that they “come behind in no gift” and the English phrase “come behind” is translated by the Greek word hustereo which means to be inferior or to fall short or to be deficient.

The fact that Paul recognizes this reality within the collective body of Corinthian believers is a sure testimony that they may have been even blessed as a group with more of the nine (9) gifts of the Spirit than any of the other churches Paul had founded and presided over as an Apostle. Paul even said here at the beginning of his letter that they were in everything ploutizo or furnished with spiritual riches in their logos or speech or speaking and relating in words, their mental faculties or thoughts, their reasoning, and their preaching. These believers in Corinth had so many apparent individual members in their congregation with the gift of tongues that it was being miss-used and even abused to the point that it was constantly causing disorder and disunity in their collective worship services and also the ones without this gift but with a psalm or an interpretation of a tongue or a revelation/prophesy or a teaching wanted to be heard in the worship service and this even made it more chaotic (1 Corinthians 14:26-28). With all of this as the background, Paul then asked them this question “Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only?” (1 Corinthians 14:36). Paul wants them to be shocked from their lunacy or their madness of thinking that they are somehow special or unique or privileged before God the Father above all others in His Church and immune from being called to the carpet for their chaotic behavior as Paul already declared to them when he wrote, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all of the churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Paul declares to them with these words, “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment” (1 Corinthians 14:37) that if they are truly out front or not lacking in their endowment of true spiritual gifts, i.e. utterance and knowledge (1 Corinthians 1:5), then they will acknowledge that everything he has written to them in  regards to their order in their collective or corporate worship service is the “will of God” by way of the command of God. Paul goes on to say that if any of them want to deny his words and not to understand what God’s will or command for true worship to Him is supposed to or should look like, then let them continue on in this mindless, unedifying, chaotic frenzy to their own destruction. The bottom line Paul is trying to convey here to them in love is God the Father is not going to accept depraved, desecrated, or defiled worship offered up to Him without responding in judgment to such worship after He has repeatedly sent rebuke and warning to change or turn around. Therefore, Paul concludes by saying this is the whole of the matter I am proclaiming to you, “Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:39-40). Paul concludes with this English word order that is translated by the Greek word taxis which means regular arrangement that is, (in time) fixed succession (of rank or character); to arrange in an orderly manner, that is, assign or dispose (to a certain position or lot). The whole purpose of all of Paul’s discourse from 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 is that these Corinthian believers are commanded by God the Father to assemble collectively and corporately before Him in order or taxis or He will not accept their worship but instead reject it as profane worship as He did with Nadab and Abihu in the Old Testament (Numbers 26:61).

“The Spirit of Christ can never contradict itself; if it speak in me, and in them, it must speak the same things in both. If their revelations contradict mine, they do not come from the same Spirit; either I or they must be false prophets. By this therefore you may know them. If they say that my directions in this matter are no divine commandments, you may depend upon it they are not divinely inspired. But if any continue after all, through prejudice or obstinacy, uncertain or ignorant whether they or I speak by the Spirit of God, they must be left under the power of this ignorance. If their pretenses to inspiration can stand in competition with the apostolical character and powers which I have, I have lost all my authority and influence; and the persons who allow of this competition against me are out of the reach of conviction, and must be left to themselves. Note, It is just with God to leave those to the blindness of their own minds who wilfully shut out the light. Those who would be ignorant in so plain a case were justly left under the power of their mistake.” Matthew Henry

“The One True God is The God of Order and He accepts nothing from His Creatures that is brought before Him knowingly or ignorantly in defiance to His Commands found in His Word. Example, although He is Love, He will reject every soul that has not been washed from their sins in the Blood of Christ (Revelation 1:5) because that is the order in which He can receive a sinner to Himself, and they will still be loved by Him, even while they suffer in hell.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…