Subject To...

Daily Reading: 1 Corinthians 14

Scripture Focus: What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also… The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. (1 Corinthians 14.15, 32)

Devotional Thought: As a pastor, I appreciate Paul's sensitive situation when he dealt with the Corinthians speaking in tongues.  He did not want to crush the spirit of the church, but he really needed to address this potentially harmful practice.  I do not have an argument with my brothers and sisters in the Charistmatic/Pentecostal movement. I have utmost respect for them.  As a matter of fact, one of my dearest friends as a young pastor was a Pentecostal man who was my Tuesday morning prayer partner.  He knew where I stood and respected it.  I knew where he stood and respected that. 

Like Paul, I believe in balance.  Yes, I will pray with my spirit, but I also will pray with my mind.  Yes, I will sing in the Spirit, but I also will sing in the full awareness of what is happening around me. In short, I will worship God in full control of myself.  I will not be carried away in emotional experience, divorced from rational judgment.  After all, my spirit is subject to my control. 

But, Paul is saying something even more than this.  Notice the parallel construction of verse 32.  The NIV words it as, "The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.”  In this sentence, he places the plural spirits in parallel with the singular control.  What that is saying is that the individuals (plural) within the congregation must submit to the overall control (singular) of the prophets, representing congregational authority.  In other words, the worship service doesn’t belong to me, but to God who directs it through his prophets.

Are you subject to the control of the prophets?

Prayer: Lord, it is so easy to have a "me and Jesus mentality", where I try to be independent of the control of the Church.  Help me, Lord, as Paul wrote elsewhere to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 112.6-10

6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.

7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.

10 The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!