Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.
- Titus 3:10-11
Every church, no matter its size, faces challenges in relationships. While the gospel calls us to unity in Christ, human pride, selfishness, and stubbornness often create conflict. Some disagreements are normal and can even be healthy when handled with humility and love. But what happens when conflict hardens into division, and a person refuses to repent?
Paul gave a warning against these in verse 9 just before this: “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” Now, after that warning, Paul gives clear instructions to Titus about handling divisive people in the church. His words remind us that unity in the body of Christ is precious, fragile, and worth protecting.
What does “divisive” mean? The Greek word Paul uses is the root of our English word “heretic.” In this context, it refers not only to false teachers but also to anyone who stubbornly chooses their own path and rejects correction. Such a person creates factions, stirs division, and threatens the unity of the church. This doesn’t describe someone who simply has questions, wrestles with doubt, or disagrees respectfully on secondary matters. A divisive person is someone who refuses correction, promotes their own agenda over the gospel, stirs conflict intentionally, and puts themselves above the unity of the body.
Division is a serious issue because it undermines the witness of the church. Jesus prayed in John 17 that His followers would be one, so that the world may believe. The gospel message is obscured when the church is torn apart by factions and quarrels. Paul repeatedly warns against division, including passages like 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 and Galatians 5:19-21. For him, divisiveness is not a small issue; it’s evidence of sin and rebellion.
Paul instructs Titus to follow a clear process when dealing with divisiveness, outlined in verse 10. The first step is confrontation. A divisive person must be warned, lovingly but firmly, that their behavior is damaging the body. This warning should be clear, specific, and grounded in Scripture. The goal is repentance and restoration, not punishment.
Then, if the person refuses to listen, Paul says to warn them again. This second warning reinforces the seriousness of the matter and provides another opportunity for repentance. It reflects God’s patience and mercy; He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
If, after two warnings, the person remains unrepentant, Paul says to “have nothing to do with them.” This echoes Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18:15-17 about church discipline: if someone refuses to listen even to the church, “treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” The purpose is not cruelty but protection, guarding the church from further harm, and a last effort to bring the person to repentance by showing the seriousness of their sin.
The church is one body, and division is like a disease. Just as a doctor removes an infection to save the body, leaders sometimes must separate a divisive person to preserve the health of the church. When unbelievers see a church consumed by quarrels, they are repelled from Christ. But when they see a church that values truth, love, and unity, they are drawn to Him. Protecting against division is not just about internal harmony; it’s about the church’s mission.
Paul then gives a strong assessment in verse 11: “You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.” The word “warped” conveys being twisted, turned from what is straight and true. A divisive person is no longer aligned with God’s truth but has distorted it for their own ends. Paul names the root issue: sinfulness. Division is not just a personality quirk; it is rebellion against God’s design for His church. But perhaps the most sobering phrase is that Paul says they condemn themselves. By persisting in sin and refusing correction, they bring judgment on their own head. The church doesn’t condemn them; their own actions do in light of God’s standards.
As believers today, we need to recognize the danger of division. In an age where individualism is celebrated, it’s easy to downplay division as a difference of opinion. But Paul calls it a serious sin. Churches today must recognize that unity is not optional; it is a gospel issue.
Paul outlines a clear process for dealing with this issue: warn, warn again, and separate if unrepentant. Churches should not skip steps, even when we are tempted to avoid confrontation out of fear or rush to separate without patience. Discipline must be carried out with love, prayer, and humility.
It is also important to remember that not everyone who disagrees is divisive. Healthy discussion, even disagreement, can build the Church. The issue is those who display stubborn, unrepentant behavior that undermines unity. Leaders must exercise discernment and avoid labeling sincere questions as divisive.
It’s easy to point fingers at others, but we must also examine ourselves. Do we contribute to unity or division? Do we promote Christ or our own agenda? Paul’s words remind us that division often begins in prideful hearts.
The Church is called to unity in Christ, but division threatens that unity. Paul instructs Titus (and us) to deal with divisive people firmly but patiently: warn once, warn again, and if unrepentant, separate. Protecting the unity of the church is not optional; it is essential for the health of the body and the witness of the gospel. By following Paul’s guidance, we can guard that unity, preserve our witness, and reflect the heart of Christ, the one who gave His life to make us one.
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This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth.
- Titus 1:13-14
In our culture of tolerance, soft-spoken disagreement, and discomfort with confrontation, Paul’s words to Titus may strike a nerve. They are firm, unapologetic, and directive. Paul has just described the false teachers troubling the Cretan churches (those who are “rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception as in Titus 1:10), and now he gives Titus explicit instructions: “Rebuke them sharply.”
Why is Paul so direct? Because souls are at stake. Sound doctrine is essential to the health of the church, and spiritual disease cannot be ignored. Just as a surgeon must cut to remove cancer, so a pastor or church leader must sometimes rebuke falsehood to preserve the faith community.
Paul left Titus in Crete with the task of setting the churches in order and appointing elders (Titus 1:5). The church there was young, vulnerable, and facing infiltration by false teachers, particularly from the circumcision group, who were likely promoting a blend of Jewish legalism and speculative myths.
Crete had a reputation for moral laxity. Just before this in verse 12, Paul quoted a Cretan poet: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” Paul affirms this assessment, not to stereotype the Cretan people, but to point out the moral and cultural backdrop in which the church is being planted. It is in this context that strong leadership and doctrinal integrity are desperately needed.
Paul is not advocating unnecessary harshness. His intent is restoration, not humiliation. The Greek word for “rebuke” means to expose, convict, or bring to light. The word “sharply” intensifies the command, calling for decisive and firm correction. This raises an important question: What does godly correction look like?
When correction is necessary, it must be bold. The health of the body of Christ depends on courageous leaders who are willing to speak truth even when it’s unpopular. This rebuke is not for minor disagreements but for teaching that undermines the gospel. Correction must also be purposeful. The goal of rebuke is not punishment, but spiritual healing. Paul wants these individuals to become “sound in the faith.” Though correction can be sharp, it is an act of love. The church must learn to see confrontation through a redemptive lens—it is a gift when done with humility, patience, and love.
Paul identifies two elements of the false teaching that need to be called out: Jewish myths and human commands.
The Jewish myths were likely legends or speculative stories rooted in Jewish traditions but not grounded in Scripture. They may have included elaborations on genealogies or allegorical interpretations of the law (see 1 Timothy 1:4 and 4:7). These myths created distractions from the gospel, offering complex teachings that appeared “deep” but were empty of life-changing truth. In today’s church, the equivalent might be the obsession with speculative end-times timelines, fringe theological theories, or overemphasis on minor doctrines that distract from the centrality of Christ.
Human commands refer to legalistic rules imposed by religious teachers that had no basis in God’s Word. Jesus warned of such traditions in Mark 7:7-8: “They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” These teachers were adding burdens to people’s lives, likely telling them that faith in Christ was not enough—that circumcision or dietary laws were also necessary. This form of legalism is not just a first-century problem. Modern equivalents include teachings that reduce Christianity to behavior management, performance-based religion, or rigid systems of control not found in the New Testament.
Just as Titus had to confront error, church leaders today must be vigilant in guarding the pulpit and teaching ministries. Elders, pastors, and teachers are accountable to God for what is taught under their leadership. Churches must be discerning when selecting curriculum, inviting guest speakers, or endorsing books. Theological error often creeps in subtly, not always with overt heresy, but through messages that dilute the gospel or promote man-centered spirituality.
When correction is necessary, it must be done with the goal of restoration, not alienation. Paul offers similar wisdom in Galatians 6:1: “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” But gentleness does not mean weakness. A church unwilling to correct error is a church compromising the truth. Leaders must be willing to speak directly when the gospel is at stake. In an age where calling something “false” is seen as offensive, the church must remember that eternal souls are far more valuable than public opinion.
Paul’s goal was that people be “sound in the faith.” This implies an ongoing process of spiritual formation. Churches must prioritize teaching theology, not just inspirational messages. Sound doctrine grounds believers in truth, protects them from deception, and fuels godly living. Every believer should be equipped to recognize false teaching and cling to biblical truth. The best defense against deception is saturation in Scripture.
While this passage speaks to leaders, it also applies to every believer. Sound doctrine is not just the pastor’s job; it’s the foundation of every Christian life. Are we open to correction? Or do we resist it, thinking we are above it? When we read Scripture, do we allow it to expose us? Do we welcome godly counsel and correction from others? Are we growing deeper in the truths of the gospel, or drifting into myths, fads, or human philosophies?
A healthy church is not one without conflict; it’s one that handles conflict biblically. May we be the kind of people, leaders, and communities who love truth, correct error, and build one another up until we all reach maturity in Christ.
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I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?
- 2 Corinthians 12:11-18
The apostle Paul is finally done with his boasting, which has been going on since 2 Corinthians 11:16. As he is nearing the end of this letter, he shares a heartfelt message with the church in Corinth, including some plans for his next visit to see them.
Paul begins in verse 11 by acknowledging that he feels foolish for defending himself, yet he believes it was necessary. He was reluctant to boast about his credentials and accomplishments because humility is one of the core values of the Christian faith. However, the criticisms against him forced him to respond so the Corinthians wouldn’t be led astray. When he mentions the “super-apostles,” he may be referring sarcastically to those in Corinth who boasted in their eloquence or earthly credentials. Paul, however, remains rooted in the reality that he is nothing without Christ. He challenges the Corinthians to recognize that his authority comes from his calling as an apostle, not from human commendations.
In verse 12, Paul reminds the Corinthians that he performed “signs, wonders, and miracles” among them, which are evidence of his genuine apostleship. These miraculous works were not meant to glorify him but to validate his message and glorify God. Paul’s authority was confirmed by God, as seen through the miracles he performed. The Corinthians should have recognized this divine endorsement instead of comparing him to others who might have impressed them with rhetoric or worldly qualifications.
Paul’s tone in verse 13 is a blend of irony and sincerity. He points out that the only difference in his treatment of the Corinthians was that he refused their financial support, choosing to work as a tentmaker rather than depend on their resources. He intended to avoid burdening them, but his sarcasm (“Forgive me this wrong!”) suggests that the Corinthians misunderstood or resented this gesture. They may have seen his refusal as a slight, but Paul’s purpose was to emphasize that the gospel was a free gift, not a commodity.
Paul’s heart for the Corinthians is clear in verse 14. He is about to visit them for the third time and reassures them he won’t require any financial support. He uses the metaphor of a parent-child relationship, illustrating that his role as their spiritual father is to nurture and care for them, not to take from them. His desire is not for their possessions but for them to grow in faith and love for Christ. Just as parents provide for their children, Paul sees it as his role to pour into their lives without expecting material support in return.
Paul expresses his willingness to “spend” everything, even his life, for the Corinthians in verse 15. His words echo Jesus’ sacrificial love for the church. Yet, he wonders if his selflessness will result in them loving him less, perhaps because they may view his sacrificial love as a weakness. Paul knows that true love isn’t contingent on reciprocity; he loves them unconditionally. This question is Paul’s gentle but poignant reminder to the Corinthians that love requires a response—it is something to be valued, not taken for granted.
Paul’s words in verse 16 are likely ironic. Some critics may have accused him of being deceitful or manipulative, perhaps insinuating that by not accepting money, he had ulterior motives. Paul is sarcastically responding to this accusation by playing into their criticism, essentially saying, “Yes, crafty fellow that I am, I tricked you—by giving you the gospel for free!” Paul’s rhetorical tone exposes the absurdity of such accusations; his actions were rooted in love and transparency, not deceit.
To further prove his integrity, Paul asks in verse 17 if any of his colleagues or representatives exploited them in any way. He knows they cannot accuse him of taking advantage, as both he and his companions acted consistently in serving without expecting anything in return. Paul’s transparency underscores his commitment to a ministry of integrity, contrasting with those who might have come to Corinth seeking personal gain or admiration.
Paul sent Titus and another trusted believer to the Corinthians, knowing they would reflect the same values (verse 18). Paul points out that neither he nor his companions exploited them. By asking these questions, Paul challenges the Corinthians to look back on the consistency and integrity of his ministry team. Paul emphasized how he and his team were united by the Holy Spirit in purpose and conduct. They walked in transparency, humility, and love—a standard he wishes the Corinthians to remember and emulate.
Paul’s message here speaks to a timeless principle in Christian leadership: a life of service rooted in integrity, love, and humility. Despite facing misunderstandings, criticism, and ingratitude, Paul’s heart remained fixed on his mission to build up the church. He did not need their validation, nor was he after their resources. Rather, he poured himself out for them as Christ had done for him.
This gives us a model for selfless ministry. We learn that true love for others often involves sacrifice and persistence, even when there is little or no reciprocation. Paul’s defense of his apostleship was not rooted in a need for approval but rather in a desire to keep the church grounded in the truth.
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As I closed with last week’s post, the Church has quit fighting the spiritual battle on many fronts quite some time ago, and that is why we are so weak, so pathetic, and so easily manipulated. There is an arising, however, it is primarily confronting the politics and not actually addressing the real battles that we need to engage in. Like cleaning a house, you can do the ongoing repetitive light cleaning, or you can wait for it to build up, and then you have a heavier-duty cleaning job that is much harder to do than had you kept on top of it before.
There is a huge battle before us if we want the Church to be a force with power once again. And I am not talking about politics or to keep our rights and comforts. I am talking about having the Holy Spirit’s power to actually change lives and DO something for the Kingdom of God. The most sound preachers we have today are good, solid preachers who have the truth, but look around them. Is the government asking them what they are allowed to do or telling them what to do? Are schools asking the Church what they have going so they know what to schedule or plan? Do the wicked people plot and plan what they are doing based on what the Church will say about them? I think we all know the answer to that.
We have no power because we have all turned toward the flesh for our power. Even good churches do this. I am not talking about immorality here; I am talking about turning to man’s ideas, man’s methodologies, and especially, man’s intellect. I arrived at my current church about four years ago, in February or March 2021. At the time, we were about sound doctrine, and there is an absolute need for it. I felt there were people there who could actually challenge me and help make me stronger in my faith. And then we had a church split due to an Absalom spirit.
After we recovered, we have been seeking true power and for the Holy Spirit to truly come and let us experience proper evangelism and the seeking of souls once again. We just came back from our church retreat, and this was the second in four years in which the theme was spiritual warfare. The first time was right before that split happened. Two years ago, we spoke about Communion with God, last year was about Holiness, and this year was again about Spiritual Warfare. I summarized the previous three years as this: first year: going into battle, second year: recovering from battle, third year: recharging and building, and this year: a new approach to battle.
We need power. When my church’s teaching elder is on his rotation for preaching, he is going through the book of Acts. A recent sermon of his was on Pentecost. He made some extremely valuable points. First, we cannot explain Christianity in our naturalistic minds. The carnal mind cannot understand our message. Yet we have a wave of apologists who have created an industry of trying to explain Christianity in mundane language, logic, and reasoning. Now, God did not leave us without evidence. Not at all. However, Christianity is not a mere religion, a mere lifestyle, or even a mere relationship. It has the power to do the supernatural: to do things that normal humans cannot do.
While 1 Peter 3:15 is correctly cited to be ready to give an answer for what we believe, it is not correctly cited in that we give an eloquent speech that makes the carnal mind make sense of it. Instead, the actual context is about a suffering church, where people are getting killed for their faith, having joy and hope to the level where James’ executioner chose to be executed with him because he saw so much hope and joy in James that he did not want James to die alone. That’s 1 Peter 3:15. When Paul preached, he did not come with a grand speech that can wow an audience, but with a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. Where is that today? I’m asking myself too.
We are unique in that in no other time of history has a nation actually been trained with Christian thinking as the foundation. However, if we want to see changes happen, it has got to start with us, and it’s not going to change with the White House or Congress. It will start with the Church. We have to get ready for battle, but our battle is not against the politicians but against the spiritual forces that puppeteer them. It’s against the false teachings that they follow. And it has to start in the Church – cleaning out the false teachings IN the Church, even while all the false teachings out there remain prominent.
Before we can fight the battle “out there,” we first have to clean up the battles we are fighting within the Church. Our walls are broken down, the enemy has easy access to us, and we have to fight the enemy WITHIN our walls before we can really start marching outward. That is what my church is seeking to do: continuing healing within, protecting our walls, and strengthening our core, all with the mindset of preparing to go out and do battle and win souls and remind our city and our nation that there still is a God here in El Paso and in the U.S. We may not get that power until persecution hits us full force, but we are tired of playing games. We are tired of playing church. We are tired of religion. We are tired of theory.
And let me tell you, we at Worldview Warriors are saying the same thing. In one of our recent meetings, our president, Jason DeZurik, was sharing his vision about this. It resonated so well with what my church is going after that words cannot describe. Are we going to save the U.S.? No. I don’t believe that even a nationwide genuine revival can do that anymore. The sins of this nation are too great for that, but one thing I can say: I want the Church cleansed and ready for action. I want to see the Church with power again, the power to be seen as a threat by this evil world system that they have to make active moves to try to stop us. I want the Church to be a spiritual force enough that society MUST recognize us once again and that they cannot go about and sin as they please.
The Church is weak and frail right now, but it’s not dead. Every time society thinks it finally put the Church down into the grave, as is being believed in the U.S. right now, we keep coming back. My local congregation is seeking that life and that power to evangelize and to start seeing souls set free once again. It is only with the power that is backed by prayer that this can happen, and when souls are set free, society begins to change because sinners will stop sinning and stop engaging with the businesses that make their money in sin. That’s what happened in Phillipi and Ephesus, and the cities were never the same again. May we unleash a spiritual bomb that so disrupts the status quo that the world will never be able to function the same again and instead be forced to function with a Church to reckon with. Let’s prepare for battle, let’s put on the armor of God, let’s train on how to use it, and let’s go to battle with the King of Kings, our true Commander-in-Chief at our head.
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One of the greatest problems in the church today is the embracing of the cultural practice of “tolerance.” We are not talking about the tolerance of “I disagree with you but will fight to allow you to have and say your opinion,” but a tolerance of “How dare you question me from doing what I do?” And the acceptance of every form of deviancy but completely intolerant of those who actually believe in morality and integrity. When it comes to spiritual warfare, this form of tolerance has allowed two types of people into the church: Diotrephes and Absalom. I am indebted to John MacArthur for pointing out Diotrephes to me, and I am indebted to Eric Ludy regarding Absalom. In both cases, the goal and intention of those who carry this spirit are to divide, conquer, control, and silence any voice that could expose them or rule in their place.
In 2 John, we learn of an “elect lady” who was a dear member of the church of Ephesus that John had been pastoring. This elect lady was known for hospitality and loving those in her church. However, word got to John about her unknowingly hosting a false teacher, and he warned her that there are people we are NOT to entertain or even give a welcome. Yes, the command is that severe. When someone brings in teachings that are contrary to the Gospel, we may have a friendship with them for the purpose of evangelism, but we are to give them no acceptance of any form other than being a lost soul on the way to Hell who needs to be saved. We especially are not to give them a platform through which they can give their teachings.
In this case, John did not identify the culprit, likely for the reason that the principle mattered more than the specific person. However, in 3 John, a letter to a man named Gaius, we do see a false teacher called out by name: Diotrephes. In calling Diotrephes by name, it is clear that Gaius and Diotrephes knew each other, or at least Gaius was very familiar with him. Diotrephes was a man who sought preeminence. He wanted positions of influence and power. He was very likely an elder or at least a deacon and had a big sway in the church. Diotrephes was called out for seeking to subvert the Gospel and prevent good people, including the Apostle John himself, from preaching there, lest they find out about him and expose him.
Absalom was King David’s son who had some serious problems. What brought them out was when his older brother Amnon raped Absalom’s sister Tamar. David did nothing that we know of or in the timing that Absalom wanted, and so Absalom set up a party and assassinated Amnon. This made Absalom go into self-exile because he feared David’s retaliation. Then he used Job, David’s general, to get him to come back to the capital. While there, Absalom spent three years at the gates of the palace, interacting with the people and telling them that David could not deal with their problems, but he would if he were king instead. He used this to build up the trust of the people and then prepared for the coup to overthrow David, which nearly succeeded.
Both of these people are in the churches today. An illustration of a Diotrephes is given in Frank Peretti’s Piercing the Darkness. In the book, a church is under attack and the pastor, who is also a principal at a Christian school, is arrested on child abuse charges. During the battle, the church has a prayer chain (because back in the 1980s they didn’t have group chats), and one of the women early in the prayer chain would gossip, all in the name of prayer, and make accusations that kept putting the pastor in a bad light. We don’t get to find out who she is until later.
In the real world, I have seen and heard first-hand stories of dealing with Diotrephes. One of the clearest examples is what happened to a Young Earth evangelist whom I will not mention by name. He told me how he had been sharing what he was doing at his church, had a huge and successful event with people getting saved and so the pastor wanted to have a meeting with him to find out more. Both he and his wife were brought up to sit in a love seat and then for over an hour, the pastor and the elders grilled him over his creation stance. Every time he answered both scientifically and Scripturally, both the pastor and one of the lead elders glared at him with an evil hatred. THAT is Diotrephes. Needless to say, the evangelist left that church. But he has told me directly that the range of 90%+ of churches will not allow him to speak at their events, thus blocking life-saving truth from the youth who are departing at a rate of at least 90%, often over the topic of origins. There is a Diotrephes whom the church leadership knows if you cross that line, you cross that person. This person is often one of the biggest donors to the church and one whom with a word can pull away a large chunk of the congregation away too, even to the point of pulling an Absalom and throwing a coup to drive that pastor out if they dared speak the truth on that particular topic. Yes, they are in there. Diotrephes is the type of a tare that Jesus warned about.
While Diotrephes seeks to have the dominant say in what goes on in the church, Absalom seeks to actually be the ruling voice. Diotrephes may try to pull strings and hide in shadows at the time, but Absalom wants the title and the throne. Absalom shows up in an influential voice who intentionally steals the hearts of the people and seeks to tear down and overthrow the pastor. I have seen this, too. I have seen people who through teaching “studies” seek to undermine the authority and the integrity of the pastor and the leadership and seek to get people to follow them instead. They may seek to get votes from congregants to override the church leadership and eventually remove them and install themselves.
We have to be very careful about always looking “out there” for these people, because sometimes, this spirit can creep up in ourselves. Looking back, I can see times when I had moments where an Absalom spirit started to rise in me at my previous church because some of the things I was seeing did not agree with where I was as a believer in my faith, and some of it was more serious than others. I had to watch myself because I would realize that if I went down that route, it would cause a church fight. Church fights are ugly, and behind them is a Diotrephes or an Absalom.
That spirit can show up with any of us, including those who are active defenders of the faith. This is one of the reasons why Scripture says we must respect those in leadership, especially when we are not. Their job is NOT easy and yes, chances are you have some ideas that could make things run better, but if you are not in charge, you need to honor and respect the authorities who might know more than you do. There is a time for addressing error and there is a way to do that, but Diotrephes and Absalom are not the way to do it. If you reach a point where you will not be able to reconcile where your faith is going and where the church is, then it is better you move on somewhere else in a respectful manner.
What should we do if we see such spirits? Do we uproot them? Jesus said we will always have tares among the wheat until Judgment Day, but at the same time, both Paul and John removed sinful people lest they affect the whole congregation. It’s a case-by-case situation, but in all cases, the Matthew 18 method of discipline should be the primary guideline. Sometimes, church leadership needs to go straight to ex-communication depending on the severity of the crimes, but sometimes you can also nip the Diotrephes and Absalom spirits in the bud and prevent them from blossoming, and hopefully restore such a person quickly. But we must be on guard because it does not matter what church you go to, the enemy is always going to seek to get one of these two spirits in your church. If you are not careful, it might be you. Don’t go looking around for them, but I write this so when you see it, you can recognize it. We must always be on guard.
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When this blog post is published, I will be out of town at a church retreat that has a theme of spiritual warfare. My pastor is planning on having me do a session during the retreat in which I will use my fencing equipment to showcase the Armor of God. Then with a sparring partner, I’ll demonstrate several of the moves and tactics that we use in the sport as a visual aid to help us see the spiritual battles that we engage in. With that in mind, I want to do a short series on spiritual warfare again. It won’t be a big one, but I’m drawn to this topic for my blog posts at this time.
We need to be prepared for battle, and there are only a few of us who are awake and aware of the battle that is going on. I know I have spoken about spiritual warfare a number of times, however, too often I still treat it in the theoretical and do not fully engage in it practically as often as I want. I’ve tasted battle, I’ve fought, I’ve won, and I’ve lost. But what I want to focus on in this series are some of the tactics that have been used against us.
For today’s post, I want to look at one of the fallouts of modern evangelistic methods. Historically, when missionaries were sent out, they were people who were armed, equipped, prepared, and ready to go, and often they went out with those who had been there before. However, back home the veterans remained, who knew the battles and were actively training the newbies and regulars. Today, usually the ones who are most willing are those sent, regardless of preparation (and a reason why so many return home to quit after just a few years), but also they seem to be the best ones we have. Today, there is such mediocrity in the church that when anyone rises out of the “normal,” they are summoned to go, serve, preach, and be a missionary with that “title” so the average church member can still be mediocre. This is an issue Voddie Baucham emphasizes. When I did a study through 1 Timothy and came across the requirements for a church elder/bishop, I realized that Paul was actually teaching that everyone should be aspiring to such qualifications. That is not happening today.
So here is the tactic I want to expose. When we keep sending out our best young men to go be youth pastors, missionaries, preachers, worship leaders, etc. just because they are starting to take their faith more seriously than the average congregant, they are being sent out elsewhere for training (nothing wrong with that by itself), but it is leaving the church defenseless. Those who are left are the mediocre ones, and church leadership has to feed them milk instead of meat.
What does this mean? It opens the door for the enemy to go after the mediocre to keep their level down. When the church is not being protected, because their best soldiers and men are out “preaching the Gospel,” eventually the church will get weaker. The quality of the best soldier gets weaker and weaker.
Now don’t read what I am not saying. I am not saying that we should send out only newbies. What I am saying is that in our zeal of going out and preaching the Gospel, we need to be building our home base to be stronger so we can build up more saints to go out into the battle and to train them for battle. We still need to be outward-focused, but we need to launch from a position of strength with the whole body focused on the mission, not just a few individuals. Instead, we are sending our soldiers to do the battle “out there” and not actually training the core to be there to protect the sheep, to be in position to take in those rescued from the darkness, so they can heal and then be trained and ready to go out and engage in the battle themselves.
I believe there need to be three primary positions in evangelism: those who go into the pit, those who hold the rope for those going in, and those who take care of and equip and train those who come out of the pit. All three positions are focused on the same mission. But with that, we need our fortresses, the bastions of truth, the pillars of truth that Paul told Timothy we are to be, to be strong, so we have a place to retreat to and rest and recharge, but also a place by which we can build our strength and go out and fight. But instead of being a stronghold anymore, the church has chosen to send its best fighters “out there” almost on their own, while the rest sit back and enjoy a life of comfort and ease. As a result, our good spiritual military leaders eventually get replaced by weak leaders who will not be a threat to the forces of darkness and then all that matters is comfort status quo, and any young voice that says that there must be more is shunned.
I helped get a local “Creation Network” going here in El Paso, with the goal and vision of getting church pastors and leaders connected to arm and equip their congregations on the topic of origins, which has been a front-line battlefield for 200 years. One thing we have noticed is that many pastors will think we are doing a good thing, but they don’t want to get in the fray themselves. They will say “Good luck” and “I’ll be praying for you,” but as long as we are doing the work, they can rest comfortably away from that battlefront. This is what I am talking about here. We are called to contend for the faith, and that includes every believer, but that involves actually getting out into the field and getting your hands dirty.
We are in a war, a war in which our enemy wants one thing: our destruction. He’ll settle with our surrender, but he wants every believer to be removed or neutralized so they are useless on the battlefield. And he’ll gladly allow some losses by individual missionaries if it comes at the cost of leaving the church home undefended. We need strong churches again, and that starts by keeping some of our best men around to guard the walls of the church from the wolves that seek to devour and from enemy plants. There are two particular types of persons that we must be watchful for, identified in 3 John as Diotrephes and in 2 Samuel as Absalom, whom I will address next week. But we need our best men in the church, arming and equipping the saints, but also ready to lead by example and go out to battle as well. One general told another officer, “Never give a soldier a command you are unwilling to do yourself.”
War is upon us. Newsflash: our kids are the primary targets this time around. I’ll deal with Diotrephes and Absalom next week, but then I’ll hit how the enemy fights and he fights dirty.
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I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
- 2 Corinthians 11:5-11
A few verses before this in verse 1, the apostle Paul wrote, “I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me!” Paul’s foolishness was the fact that he had just previously written about boasting in nothing but Jesus, but then he proceeded to boast about the Corinthians and his work with them. He continues that boasting in this passage, though he is only employing this technique to make his point clear to the Corinthians. It is only out of love for them and his desire to spread the gospel that Paul boasts about himself in this way.
In verse 5, Paul addresses a group of individuals in the Corinthian church who were boasting about their status, authority, and eloquence, calling them "super-apostles." These false teachers likely presented themselves as more important or superior to Paul because they had polished rhetoric or perhaps even charged money for their services, which gave them an air of prestige. Paul, however, refuses to accept their claim to superiority. His argument here isn’t based on his abilities or accomplishments but on the authenticity of his calling and his deep, sacrificial love for the Corinthians. This speaks to a common theme in Paul's letters: true apostleship is about service, not status.
Paul openly admits in verse 6 that he may not have the rhetorical skills that the "super-apostles" possess, but he highlights what really matters: knowledge of the gospel. In Greco-Roman culture, public speaking was highly esteemed, and eloquent orators were given significant honor. The "super-apostles" likely used this to their advantage, deriding Paul as a weak or unskilled speaker. However, Paul doesn't allow this criticism to undermine his confidence in his ministry. He knows that the foundation of his authority lies not in his speaking style but in his deep understanding of the gospel and the truth of God's Word. The emphasis here is on content, not form. Paul’s knowledge of the gospel was not lacking; he communicated the truth to the Corinthians fully, plainly, and with transparency, including by living out the gospel.
In verse 7, Paul poses a rhetorical question to the Corinthians, pointing out that he never took money from them for preaching the gospel. This decision was a deliberate one on Paul's part, as he didn’t want anyone to think he was in ministry for financial gain. Unlike the "super-apostles" who likely demanded payment, Paul chose to lower himself by working as a tentmaker to support himself, thereby elevating the Corinthians spiritually. Paul implies that the Corinthians had somehow viewed his refusal to accept payment as a negative thing; it could have been seen as undermining one’s credibility. Yet Paul was countercultural, willingly forgoing financial support in order to ensure that the gospel remained free from any accusations of commercialism.
Paul uses hyperbole to make a point in verse 8. He didn’t literally "rob" other churches, but he received financial support from other congregations so that he could minister to the Corinthians without charging them. This was especially true of the church in Philippi, which supported Paul throughout his ministry (Philippians 4:15-16). Paul was willing to depend on the generosity of other churches so that the Corinthians could hear the gospel without cost. This reveals Paul's deep commitment to them and his desire to remove any potential stumbling block from their faith journey.
Paul continues to explain his decision not to accept financial support from the Corinthians in verse 9. He wanted to ensure that his ministry was never a burden to them. When Paul had financial needs during his time in Corinth, believers from Macedonia (likely from the Philippian church) provided for him. Paul’s attitude demonstrates his deep sensitivity toward the spiritual and practical needs of the Corinthians. He didn’t want anything—money, material needs, or expectations—to get in the way of the gospel message. His approach reflects a heart that prioritizes the spiritual welfare of others over personal comfort.
Paul’s statement in verse 10 underscores his confidence in the truth of his ministry. His "boasting" refers to the fact that he has preached the gospel free of charge and has conducted his ministry with integrity and sincerity. He is adamant that no one will stop him from making this claim. The regions of Achaia, where Corinth was located, had seen the effectiveness and authenticity of Paul’s ministry firsthand. Paul’s boldness is rooted in the truth of Christ within him. His assurance in his identity in Christ gave him the confidence to stand firm, despite opposition and false accusations from the "super-apostles."
In verse 11, Paul gets to the heart of the matter: his love for the Corinthians. Some may have questioned Paul’s motives, assuming that because he didn’t take payment from them, he didn’t truly care about them. Paul rejects this notion outright and appeals to God as his witness. Paul’s motivation for everything he did—his refusal to accept money, his hard work to support himself, and his deep concern for the Corinthian church—was rooted in love. His love for them was genuine, selfless, and unwavering, even when the Corinthians misunderstood his actions or were led astray by false teachers.
What does this passage teach us? True ministry is not about status, eloquence, or personal gain, but it is about serving others with humility and love. Paul’s life and ministry point us to Jesus, the ultimate example of selfless love and sacrifice. In a world that often values charisma and success, Paul’s words call us back to the heart of the gospel: love, service, and the truth of Christ.
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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Last week, we looked at the introduction to 2 Corinthians. One of the main themes of this letter from Paul to the first-century church in Corinth is the idea of being comforted in affliction or suffering, and this initial paragraph of the letter’s content embodies that theme.
Paul often follows the greeting in his letters with a statement of praise to God, as we see in verse 3. We know from right after this passage (verses 8-10) that Paul experienced great troubles while in Asia to the point of thinking they would die. That was likely very recently before he wrote this letter, so God’s comforting presence in the face of suffering is fresh on Paul’s mind and near to his heart. God’s compassion and comfort are what allowed Paul and his fellow travelers to get through the situation in Asia, to continue their mission to spread the gospel, and to write this letter.
It’s important to note that Paul does not appreciate God’s comfort solely for his own benefit but so that he can comfort others (verse 4). We as humans generally try to avoid suffering and remain in our comfort zones, but that is often not how God works. Following Jesus Christ is not an easy path, and we often end up in situations where we seek God’s comfort. This happens not only for our own edification and growth in the faith (James 1:2-4) but also so that we can share that comfort with others. When God works in our lives, we are indebted to pay that forward by sharing our stories and helping and encouraging others through the trials they experience in life. That’s what it means to be the family of God – walking together through the easier times and the more difficult times in life (Romans 12:15).
Why does our suffering help us be more aware of God’s presence in our lives? When we experience suffering that often feels beyond our control in this life, we as believers remember that our only hope is in Jesus Christ. We share in the sufferings of Christ, and we share in His comfort (verse 5). We cannot have one without the other. If we never experience suffering, then we won’t recognize God’s comforting presence in our lives. We trust that God’s character will remain true and He will remain faithful through all of the circumstances that come our way in this life, whether good or bad. He is always there to provide comfort to us, no matter what.
The first part of verse 6 may seem counterintuitive to us: “If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation.” How is distress for our comfort and salvation? We need to remember that this is a letter that Paul is writing to a local church. Paul is saying that if he and his fellow ministers are distressed, it is for the comfort and salvation of the people he is writing to. Because of Paul’s suffering, he can testify to the goodness of God in that situation as a witness to the people. He is equipped to encourage them because he has gone through these difficult situations himself. His distress will encourage the people and provide them comfort for when they, too, will go through difficulties.
But it is not only Paul’s distress that will provide comfort to the Corinthians. When he has been comforted by God, that is also a testimony to the goodness of God that Paul can share with them. Either way, the people will be working toward developing patient endurance through Paul’s witness to them. Paul’s testimony of what he has been through will guide and encourage the Corinthian people as they will likely face similar sufferings for the gospel in the future.
Paul affirms this in verse 7: “And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” Paul trusts that as brothers and sisters in Christ, they will share with him both in suffering and in comfort. Paul is confident that their faith will remain strong in the future when they face suffering because of their identity as the Church. Paul shares how he and his traveling companions endured hardship but God brought them through it, which will strengthen their faith so they can endure what is to come.
A form of the root word for comfort in Greek is used 10 times in this passage, so it’s important to talk a bit about that word. The root is parakaleo in Greek, which is the same root word Jesus used to refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” In that translation (NIV), the word is translated as advocate. It has the idea of a counselor, comforter, intercessor, helper, encourager, etc. The same is true for this word we’ve been translating as comfort in today’s passage. The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity who provides this comforting, encouraging, counseling, helping, etc. in our lives.
Where are you joining with fellow believers in their suffering? Where are you joining with fellow believers in comfort? How do you rely on the comfort that only God can bring during the distressing times of your life?
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You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people. I urge you, brothers and sisters, to submit to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it. I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.
The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.
If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
- 1 Corinthians 16:15-24
This passage wraps up the end of 1 Corinthians, the first letter we have from the Apostle Paul to the Church in Corinth. Paul provides his closing greetings here.
In verse 15, Paul references “the household of Stephanas.” Paul is promoting that household as an example for the Corinthians to follow. We do not know much about Stephanas or his household except for this reference. In that culture, it was common for when the head of a household was converted, everyone else in that household followed suit – not just the family members but also any servants associated with the household. Achaia was a province of Greece where the city of Corinth was located, so this household may have been local to the people of the church in Corinth.
Paul points out that the household of Stephanas was devoted to serving God’s people. The word used for serving there is diakonia, which is where we get our English word ‘deacon’ from. The role of deacons in many churches is to serve people, whether that be service during the worship service or service outside of worship gatherings.
Paul brings up this household as an example for the Corinthians to follow (verse 16). The Corinthians were to join in the service of others as the household of Stephanas, and we are urged to do the same in our churches and communities today. The text implies that Stephanas’ whole family joined in service, and our whole families should join in serving others as well.
In verse 17, Paul mentions Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus by name. Scholars believe that these three men were the ones who brought the Corinthians’ letter to Paul that prompted this letter as Paul’s reply. We are not sure what was meant by Paul saying they have “supplied what was lacking.” It may mean that their delivery of the Corinthians’ questions encouraged Paul that they were open to his advice and instruction for their congregation.
Paul wanted to recognize these three men (verse 18) because of their delivery of the letter. Their presence refreshed Paul’s spirit and encouraged him for the sake of the Corinthian church. It is likely that these men also delivered Paul’s reply of 1 Corinthians back to Corinth, so the people there would also be refreshed by the results of this exchange.
Next, Paul starts his actual greetings section to close out this letter. A section like this is typical of Paul in all his letters. Paul brings greetings from other churches to the Corinthians. When Paul mentions the churches in “Asia,” he’s referring to what we now know as western Turkey. There were already multiple churches located there, and Paul was promoting unity among the churches as they were all on the same mission from God to spread the gospel and make disciples of Jesus.
Paul specifically calls out greetings from Aquila and Priscilla in verse 19 because they were influential in founding the church in Corinth (Acts 18:1-3). According to Acts 18:18, Aquila and Priscilla sailed to Syria with Paul after their visit to Corinth, and they were influential in the spread of the early church. They are also mentioned in Romans 16:3-5 where Paul writes that they risked their lives for him.
It was a common practice at that time to greet other believers with a “holy kiss” (verse 20). This custom was also mentioned in Romans 16:15, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. It would show unity in the faith among the believers. This was not just something that the Christians did, but greeting with a kiss of friendship was a common practice in the Ancient Near East. Scholars note that it would have been culturally understood that this kiss of friendship would not cross genders; men would “holy kiss” men and women would “holy kiss” women.
In verse 21, Paul states that he writes this greeting in his own hand. This was a sign of authenticity for the letter. It was customary for letters to be dictated to a secretary of sorts who would do the actual writing.
Paul felt the need to add a stern warning to the end of this letter in verse 22, that anyone who does not love the Lord would be cursed, meaning that they would be under the wrath of God. This is how important it was for Paul that the recipients of this letter be followers of Jesus! Finally, he ends with a shorter benediction than is typical for him in verses 23-24, concluding with sharing his love for the Corinthian believers, even if he did need to give them some harsh words throughout this letter.
The main takeaway we can have from this section as modern believers is that we should regard this entire letter as authoritative Scripture. The people and places that Paul mentions are authenticated by other parts of Scripture. Paul’s indication that he wrote this greeting himself gives it validity as well. These concluding greetings and remarks can give us the confidence to trust Paul’s words throughout this letter as inspired by God and as an authority for our lives.
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After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you —for I will be going through Macedonia. Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
When Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.
Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.
- 1 Corinthians 16:5-14
You know you’re getting close to the end of a letter when you get to the section for personal requests as we see from Paul in today’s passage. Next week, we will finish up the letter of 1 Corinthians with Paul’s final greetings for this letter.
The first section here contains Paul’s travel plans in verses 5-9. The journey that Paull writes about here lines up with the travels we see in Acts 19:21-22 and Acts 20:1-3. Paul did end up staying in Greece for about 3 months, which included his stop in Corinth, which was likely the “spend the winter” he referred to in verse 6.
Rather than explicitly asking them for money, Paul asks them to help him on his journey, which likely included supplies, equipment, etc. that he would need for his travels. Back in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul wrote about how he did not want to burden churches with fully supporting him financially, but he did expect them to help him with his travels to get to the next place to share the gospel.
Especially after addressing the various topics and issues that he brings up in this letter, Paul knew that it would be best for him to spend a fair amount of time with the Corinthian church (verse 7). They needed his guidance and instruction as they learned how to navigate being the church, especially in dealing with the pagan culture around them and the differing worldviews of Jews and Gentiles who had adopted the Christian faith.
However, Paul was writing this letter from Ephesus, and his work there was not quite complete (verse 8). He needed more time there before starting his next journey where he would visit Corinth. We see that by this point, Pentecost (Acts 2) was already a significant church holiday as it commemorated the birth of the Christian church. Paul would stay at Ephesus from the time of the letter writing until Pentecost (late spring), then travel to Macedonia in the summer, and then winter in Corinth.
Paul notes that there is much opportunity for him at Ephesus and that God is working there. The verb tense he uses when writing that “a great door … has opened to me” (verse 9) implies that the opportunity continues to be open to him, not just a one-time thing. Paul does not mention who specifically opposes him there, but we can guess from what historians know about the culture of Ephesus that the opposition was likely those who worshiped the goddess Artemis and built shrines to her (Acts 19:23-27).
In verse 10, Paul talks about sending Timothy there, which we see corroborated in Acts 19:22. Timothy was traveling when Paul wrote this and would likely be arriving in Corinth soon (1 Corinthians 4:17). Paul wanted to make sure they treated Timothy well when he arrived (verse 11). The people of the church in Corinth should trust Timothy just as much as they would trust Paul himself. Timothy had been with Paul for several years at this point, so Paul had trained him up in the faith. When Timothy’s work was completed in Corinth, Paul expected them to supply Timothy’s travel needs just as they would for Paul. While we don’t know who the “brothers” coming with Timothy would be, it is likely that they may have included Erastus (Acts 19:22).
In verse 12 when Paul brings up Apollos, it’s the same phrasing he uses to introduce new topics throughout the letter, implying that the Corinthians had brought up the topic with Paul. It appears from the text that Apollos and Paul were working separately. Paul could not convince him to go at the time, but Apollos would travel later. It is likely that Apollos was with Paul when the Corinthians asked Paul about him, but then he had left before Paul actually wrote this letter in reply.
Verses 13-14 include some brief commands of encouragement as Paul often includes at the end of his letters: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” These are good words to live by, whether applied to the first-century church in Corinth or the 21st-century church today. Watch out for any of the evils of this world that may pull you away from your faith, and stand firm in the gospel. We are all called to be courageous, strong, and loving as believers in Christ.
While Paul’s travel plans may not seem all that important to us today, this is helpful for two reasons. First, we see corroboration between Acts and 1 Corinthians, thus further verifying the truth of the Scriptures. Second, it shows that Paul was not simply remaining where he was. Life was probably relatively comfortable for him in Ephesus, but he knew he could not stay there. Paul’s mission from God was to go and make disciples, and he couldn’t do that by staying in one place. That doesn’t mean that all of us are called to uproot our lives and move around all the time as Paul was, but God does call some of His followers to that lifestyle to further spread the gospel message, even in today’s world. With our modern technology, we have opportunities to spread the gospel without leaving home, but God does call us to go elsewhere at times as well.
We sometimes forget that there were so many people besides Paul who were furthering the mission of the early church, so it is helpful for us to see others mentioned, including Apollos and Timothy. While Paul did great things for God’s Kingdom, he was by no means a one-man show. He needed others to support him and to help him with this monumental task of sharing the gospel throughout the known world. We, too, are not alone in this mission; in fact, we have thousands of believers all over the world to help us! But just as Paul did, we must all do our part and go where God calls us to go with the gospel message, whether near or far.
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Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
- 1 Corinthians 14:34-40
Paul has been talking about worship in the first-century church in Corinth (see last week’s post for more on that), and the passage we are looking at today has caused controversy in the modern Church.
At first glance, verses 34-35 seem like their meaning is very clear – women should remain silent and are not allowed to speak. But it is always important to look at any piece of Scripture in its overall context. In this chapter of 1 Corinthians 14, Paul has discussed prophecy, speaking in tongues, making sure the worship service is understood by all present, and orderly conduct in worship. In the sections on prophecy and speaking in tongues, he has made no distinction between the genders. Paul has not said that these gifts are only for men.
So, why does Paul now suddenly call out women and make it sound like they should not speak in a worship service? If women were not only allowed but even encouraged to prophesy during a service, that would require them to speak. Some of the scholarly debate on this passage revolves around whether the content of verses 34-35 is Paul’s words or if he’s quoting another source. Some believe that Paul is quoting what the Corinthian church first wrote to him before addressing their comments in the next few verses.
Under that line of reasoning, Paul then goes on in verse 36 to counter what they said by bringing up the fact that they did not write the Scriptures. Paul often uses rhetorical questions to make his point, and his point here is that they didn’t write God’s Word and it’s not meant only for them. If verses 34-35 are Paul quoting what they wrote to him, then he’s basically saying that their line of thinking may be incorrect because they were not the ones to write the Scriptures. God is all-knowing, and they are not.
In the NIV as quoted above, verse 36 starts a new paragraph. However, the Greek manuscripts did not include paragraph breaks, nor did they have chapter or verse numbers. Greek also does not use quotation marks, so it would only have been by the context that the Corinthians would have known that Paul was quoting something else in verses 34-35. Translators throughout the centuries have added paragraph breaks where they thought they should go, which may or may not be how the original author intended.
Moving on to verse 37, Paul comes back to the ideas of prophecy and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Paul has given the first-century Corinthian church several commands in this section about how their time worshiping together should look, and he encourages them to verify these commands with the Lord. Don’t just take Paul’s word for it, but use those gifts of prophecy and ask God to reveal whether Paul has commanded them correctly.
Paul sounds a bit harsh in verse 38, basically telling them that if they ignore his commands, then they will be ignored. Scholars are uncertain of the specific meaning of this verse; who will they be ignored by? Paul? Other churches? God? Either way, it is a warning to them that they should heed the commands that Paul has given them.
Verses 39-40 summarize the key points in this chapter: they should engage in prophecy and speaking in tongues, but it is essential that everything is done in an orderly manner. Paul has spent this whole chapter discussing these topics so that the Corinthians can implement these gifts in a way that builds up the church, rather than causing chaos through disorderly worship services.
While much attention has been given to verses 34-35 and their implication on the role of women in ministry in the modern church, that is clearly not Paul’s main point in this passage. That is the only time in this chapter where he singles out the genders. If Paul were going to state important gender-based doctrine for the Church as a whole, then one would expect him to spend a lot more time writing about it and making things very clear to his readers, rather than what almost looks like a side comment here in the midst of the discussion on prophesy and tongues. Paul did elaborate a bit more on gender roles back in chapter 11, but even there, he did not lay his points out clearly as he does with other theological arguments elsewhere in Corinthians and in his other letters.
As with the rest of this chapter, order in worship is the key. If women were causing worship services to be disorderly and chaotic because they were speaking out of turn, then yes, they should refrain from that sort of speaking. Paul is commanding all the believers in the Corinthian church to use the gifts that God has given them to worship God and draw others into a saving faith in Jesus Christ, as that was Paul’s mission in all that he did.
That is our mission in the modern Church as well – use the gifts that God has given us to worship God and draw others to saving faith in Jesus Christ. The time period and geography are different between us and Paul, but that key point remains the same for all believers in all times and in all places.
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What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace —as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
- 1 Corinthians 14:26-33
This passage starts with a connecting phrase to the previous section, so it’s important to know what point Paul made in this letter to the Corinthians just before this. His key idea there was that our focus as a church should not be on the personal preferences of the believers in attendance but rather on what we’re doing to spread the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to more people. Paul builds on that point in this section as he begins to give instructions on what worship services should look like.
One important thing to note for this passage is that Paul is not calling out specific individuals with his comments here but rather the church as a whole. He’s not naming names of those who were acting inappropriately, as that would cause more division and strife in the church, but rather he addresses the group as a whole. The Greek verb tense used indicates that this needs to be a constant action of the church to check themselves in these areas.
In verse 26, we see the elements of a worship service in first-century Corinth: a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, and an interpretation. But even more important than that is the last part of the verse: “Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.” The elements of any particular worship service are much less important than the purpose of doing those things – so that the church may be built up. Why waste time doing things in a worship service that do not help those who are present to grow in their faith? Everything that we do together as believers should be to build one another up in the faith.
Paul addresses the idea of speaking in tongues again in verses 27-28. Paul addressed a similar idea earlier in this chapter, but it’s worth another mention. It is important to provide some regulation for speaking in tongues; not only should people take turns, but there should not be so many people who speak in tongues that it takes over the service. If there is no one to interpret what is said in the tongue, then no one should do it aloud. If a person has that gift and desires to speak to God silently in that way then that’s fine, but it would serve no good purpose for them to speak aloud in a tongue if no one else can understand what is being said.
Next, Paul turns to addressing the gift of prophecy in the worship service. Just like with tongues, in verse 29 he instructs that only two or three prophets should speak. The others should carefully consider the prophecies that are spoken. The Greek word used there means to evaluate by paying careful attention to something, or to pass judgment on it. It’s not enough for the prophecy to simply be spoken, but others present must pay attention to what is said and evaluate it. This is why a good church community is so important, so others around can help evaluate what is being said.
In verse 30, Paul gives further instructions on order by telling them that if someone “sitting down” (i.e. not actively prophesying) receives a prophecy, the one speaking should stop and allow the next person to speak. It was customary for the one speaking to stand while all others would be sitting down to listen.
Paul summarizes these two verses in verse 31 basically saying that they should all take turns prophesying, which will allow for everyone to be both instructed and encouraged. This all has to be accomplished in an orderly fashion to be effective; if there were chaos and everyone speaking whenever they wanted to speak, then no one would be able to follow what was happening and learn from it.
The “spirits of prophets” in verse 32 refers to the internal spirits of those prophesying, not the Holy Spirit. They should all keep control of themselves, as self-control is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Those prophesying are being guided by the Holy Spirit, but they must not lose control of what they are saying and doing.
Following all of these instructions is important in worshiping God, because “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (verse 33). All gatherings of the Lord’s people should also be orderly and peaceful to represent God’s character well. If God’s people are disorderly, then those who do not know God may think He is disorderly as well.
The main point of this section is that worship should be orderly. That doesn’t necessarily mean that a strict and rigid order must be followed every single service, but rather that there should not be chaos in the service. Some congregations take this to the extreme and are not open to any minor changes in the structure of their worship service, even if what they’re doing is not necessarily encouraging and building up the people. It is not necessarily disorderly to change elements of a worship service, as long as that sense of order and peace is maintained.
Worship services were important for the first-century Corinthian church, and they are still important for us today. The elements of the service are less important than the overall purpose – that those present are built up in their faith through orderly conduct in the service.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
