1 Corinthians: Part 4

Major Issues

As we approach the end of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, we see him address some very important and detailed issues. These topics range from Spiritual gifts and communion to head coverings for women and what they mean for us today. Again, just as we have pointed out in the past few posts, these issues that Paul is addressing are all for the unity of the church so that Christ may be glorified to the best of our ability. When we are divided, we make the Body of Christ look inconsistent and confused, which are two qualities that don’t represent our savior at all. Therefore, as small as these issues may seem, it is our duty to understand them and apply them to the best of our ability so that we show a lost world what God’s people are really supposed to look like. Just as the Bible Society beautifully puts it, “When there is unity in the church, the focus is solely on God. Instead of focusing on what divides us and becoming more entrenched in our differences as we argue and take sides, we’re to keep our eyes on Jesus and the life we’re called to in him.” Being united isn’t necessarily about making the people of God look flawless, but rather it is about putting all the attention rightfully on God and not on His people. As united as we can be, we are still a sinful and fallen race. Therefore, the best way we can reach a fallen world is by pointing them to the perfect, honorable, and glorified God who is above all and gave us His perfect son so that we may inherit eternal life. With this in mind, let’s see how Paul talks about these certain issues in order to bring unity to the church.

Temptation & Head Coverings

To start, Paul kicks off chapter 10 by discussing how mankind is constantly tempted and yet how God is constantly faithful. Paul uses the example of Israel’s escape from Egypt in the book of Exodus to get this point across. He mentions how while Israel was God’s chosen people, a vast majority of them still fell away into sin and temptation. This is where Paul famously states in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” With this first point, Paul is making it clear that there is no temptation that you are facing that generations before you have not faced. Beyond this, not only are you not alone in the sin that you are fighting against, but God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can resist. There is something very crucial in this passage that we must understand. Who is the one who makes sure we are tempted beyond what we can handle? God. So, if we attempt to handle and fight our way out of a sinful mess without God, how well do you think we’ll do? We don’t stand a chance against sin, but God absolutely does. The power of sin is stronger than any of us can face, and that’s why it is God who does not allow us to be overtaken by it and not our own strength.

Furthermore, Paul goes into the details of a specific topic that has been causing divide amongst the church, and that is the idea of women wearing head coverings. Paul teaches how men are not to cover their heads while praying or speaking in church because they were made from God and woman was made from man. So, does this mean that women who pray and speak out loud in church today should also cover their heads? I would argue that it is not. The reason for this is because of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:6 which says, “For if a woman does not cover her head, have her also cut her hair off; however, if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, have her cover her head.” Notice how Paul says ‘if it is disgraceful’. I believe that back in Paul’s day, it was a disgrace for women to have short hair, but in this day and age, I would argue it's not. Therefore, it would seem that they are allowed to pray and speak without a head covering because of how our culture now views this look for women.

Communion & Spiritual Gifts

Lastly, we have Paul addressing communion at the end of chapter 11 and spiritual gifts in chapter 12. Paul discusses the importance of not taking communion if we have issues with one another in the church or if we are living in sin that we refuse to repent from. He states in 1 Corinthians 11:26-27 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.” This is a momentous statement that cannot be overlooked. If we take the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, we are guilty of crucifying our Lord rather than being reminded of His gracious sacrifice. This is where church discipline comes into play again. We must be willing to repent of our sin but also be willing to call out our brothers and sisters in Christ in a loving way so that they do not drink a curse upon themselves.

This ties in beautifully to how Paul stresses unity through spiritual gifts in chapter 12. Paul going over the spiritual gifts of the church and telling everyone to operate in the gift that God has given them and to not be jealous of a gift someone else has that you don’t have. 1 Corinthians 12:18-19 says, “But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one part, where would the body be?” We are all part of one body, the Body of Christ. Therefore, we shouldn’t complain or be upset about whatever gift God has or hasn’t given us, because all of it is appointed by Him in order to glorify Him anyway, not us. I hope and pray that as you read through these chapters in 1 Corinthians, you would understand the weight behind God’s power over temptation, the vitality of taking communion correctly, and the importance of using our spiritual gifts for His glory. And beyond all this, I also hope you see the importance of being unified over issues that may seem less important, like head coverings, so that we may all be united for Christ’s sake. As we do this, may God truly be honored through our lives as we represent His Church the way it was designed to function.