Devotions

sovereign grace

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 12:7-9

1Co 12:7 But to each recipient the Holy Spirit reveals himself through the most profitable gifts.
1Co 12:8 For example, the Spirit gives one recipient a wise word, but to another recipient, the same Spirit gives a word exposing some mystery,
1Co 12:9 the same Spirit gives faith to someone else, but the one Spirit gives healing gifts to another.

sovereign grace

Paul’s emphasis on the Spirit’s sovereignty over the gifts brings the whole discussion into proper perspective. The Corinthians had been tempted to treat spiritual gifts as badges of status or as tools to elevate certain individuals. Paul counters this by reminding them that every gift originates in the will of the Spirit, not in human ambition. The Spirit distributes gifts as he chooses, according to divine wisdom and for the good of the whole body. No believer is overlooked, and no gift is given randomly. Each one is intentional, purposeful, and fitted to the ministry God has assigned.

This truth exposes a common struggle among believers: many possess gifts they rarely use. That failure does not reflect any deficiency in the Spirit’s generosity but rather the hesitations, fears, or misplaced expectations that keep people from stepping into the roles God has equipped them to fill. The Spirit’s sovereignty means that no one must manufacture a ministry identity or imitate someone else’s calling. The gifts already given are sufficient for the work God intends.

This awareness also brings freedom. When a person or a congregation insists on assigning a task that clearly lies outside one’s spiritual gifting, there is no obligation to comply. The Spirit, not human pressure, determines each believer’s place in the body. Paul’s metaphor of the church as a body reinforces this: the hand is not required to act like a foot, nor the ear to function as an eye. Each part serves according to the grace given to it. Accepting this truth removes the burden of trying to be everything for everyone.

It also guards against guilt. Declining a role outside one’s gifting is not an act of selfishness but an act of faithfulness. It honors the Spirit’s wisdom in distributing gifts and protects the church from misaligned service. When each believer embraces the position assigned by the Spirit, the whole body functions with greater harmony and effectiveness.

The Spirit’s sovereignty, then, is not a doctrine of limitation but of liberation. It frees believers from comparison, compulsion, and confusion. It invites them to serve confidently within the sphere of grace God has entrusted to them, trusting that the Spirit knows exactly what the church needs and has equipped each member accordingly.

LORD, we surrender to your sovereign grace in our lives and in our ministries.

Posted in contentment, dependence upon God, Holy Spirit, sovereignty of God, spiritual gifts | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12 | Leave a comment

spiritual gift structure

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

1Co 12:4 Now there are different types of gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.
1Co 12:5 That is, there are different regular offices of ministry, but the same Lord we minister for.
1Co 12:6 And there are different occasional manifestations, but the same God who brings about all of them in everyone.

spiritual gift structure

Paul’s turn toward the supernatural dimensions of ministry does not signal a retreat into mystery or an abandonment of clear explanation. What emerges instead is a deliberate, orderly account of how the Spirit works within the church. The Corinthians had experienced dramatic spiritual phenomena, but their understanding of these events was confused. Paul responds not by dismissing their experiences, nor by encouraging unrestrained enthusiasm, but by giving a structured theological framework for interpreting what was happening among them.

He begins by noting that spiritual gifts are not a single, undifferentiated category. In verse four he states that there are “varieties of gifts,” and then immediately distinguishes between two broad patterns of the Spirit’s activity. The first involves what might be called the regular ministries of the church. These are the diakonion—ongoing offices or roles in which certain gifts consistently manifest in the life of a particular person. A missionary, a teacher, a shepherd, or an administrator exercises gifts that become characteristic of that person’s calling. Paul’s own ministry illustrates this: his apostolic and missionary gifts were not occasional flashes of inspiration but steady, recognizable patterns of Spirit‑empowered service.

Alongside these regular ministries, Paul describes occasional manifestations—gifts that appear in specific moments, often during gathered worship. These are not tied to an office or long‑term calling. They may be given to any believer at any time, and they may or may not recur in that person’s life. A prophetic word, a message of wisdom, a tongue, or a healing might be granted for a particular situation, meeting a particular need. These manifestations are genuine works of the Spirit, but they do not define a person’s ongoing ministry identity.

By distinguishing these two categories, Paul shows that the Spirit’s work is not chaotic or arbitrary. The Spirit distributes gifts according to divine wisdom, and those gifts operate within discernible patterns. Regular ministries provide stability and continuity for the church, while occasional manifestations provide timely intervention and encouragement. Both serve the common good, and both reflect the Spirit’s intention to build up the body of Christ.

Paul’s explanation underscores that the supernatural is not irrational. The Spirit is a Spirit of order, not confusion. While human understanding has limits, believers are meant to recognize the coherence, purpose, and structure in the Spirit’s work. The Corinthians were not to fear spiritual gifts, nor to exalt them without discernment, but to understand them as ordered expressions of God’s gracious activity among his people.

LORD, thank you for the ministries and manifestations of your Holy Spirit among us.

Posted in church, Holy Spirit, insight, ministry, spiritual gifts | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12 | Leave a comment

being led by the Spirit

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

1Co 12:1 But I do not want you to miss my answers to your questions about spiritual matters.
1Co 12:2 You are aware of the fact that back when you were Gentiles, no matter which way you were led, you were being diverted towards mute idols.
1Co 12:3 This is the reason I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

being led by the Spirit

Paul has been dealing with matters that arise from ordinary church life—practical concerns, relational tensions, and questions about leadership. These were the pragmata, the everyday issues that required pastoral wisdom and steady correction. But at this point in the letter, the tone shifts. Paul begins addressing matters that touch the realm of the Spirit’s activity among believers. These are the pneumatikoi, the spiritual realities that shape the life of the gathered church. The Corinthians had written to him with questions about spiritual manifestations, especially how to discern whether a message spoken in the assembly truly came from the Holy Spirit or was simply the product of human imagination or enthusiasm.

Paul’s response does not begin with techniques or tests of authenticity. Instead, he directs their attention to the trajectory of the message. Before entering the Christian community, the Corinthians had been Gentiles shaped by a religious world filled with idols. They knew firsthand what it meant to be “led astray” by voices that promised spiritual insight but delivered only deception. That memory becomes the backdrop for Paul’s instruction. If they once followed messages that pulled them toward false gods, they should now be alert to where any claimed spiritual message is trying to lead them.

The decisive question is whether the message aligns with the confession that Jesus is Lord. A message that diminishes Christ, contradicts his character, or portrays him as something less than the crucified and risen Lord cannot come from the Spirit who glorifies him. Conversely, a message that draws the community toward deeper allegiance to Christ, toward honoring him, toward trusting his saving work—this bears the mark of the Spirit’s voice. The Spirit’s work is always Christ‑centered, always consistent with the gospel already proclaimed, always moving believers toward obedience to the Lord who redeemed them.

Paul’s principle is simple but searching: the Spirit never leads where Christ is not exalted. The Corinthians were not to be impressed merely by the intensity of a speaker, the novelty of a message, or the emotional atmosphere of a gathering. They were to ask what the message produces. Does it strengthen faith in Christ, deepen love for him, and build up his body? Or does it distract, distort, or divide? In that contrast, Paul gives them a reliable way to discern the true work of the Holy Spirit from the impulses of human imagination.

LORD, give us the capacity to stay on the right road, and not be diverted from your gospel and your glory.

Posted in discernment, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, ministry, spiritual gifts | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12 | 1 Comment

choosing condemnations

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:31-34

1Co 11:31 But if we proved ourself faithful, we would not have experienced this condemnation.
1Co 11:32 Yet in these times of condemnation, we are being taught a lesson by the Lord, so that we do not experience the condemnation that the world will.
1Co 11:33 For this reason, my brothers, when you come together to eat, be considerate of one another.
1Co 11:34 If someone is hungry, he should eat in his own house, so that when you come together, you do not cause condemnation. I will take care of the rest of your questions when I arrive.

choosing condemnations

It’s tough to be a believer nowadays, because the church is on trial all the time. When we are doing something wrong, sometimes we suffer because of it. The Lord is teaching us a lesson in these times of condemnation, just like he taught Corinth a lesson over their abuse of communion. It isn’t cruel for him to do so, because he wants us to learn that lesson, stop sinning, and avoid the ultimate condemnation that the world will experience at Gehenna hell. When the Lord does punish us for something like not being considerate of one another, we can stubbornly defy him and keep doing it our way. If we do, we risk incurring his wrath, and in so doing, we are choosing the ultimate condemnation. Wrong choice!

LORD, thank you for your faithful lessons. Teach us to recognize those lessons quickly, repent fully, return to you, and thus not risk the ultimate condemnation of destruction in hell.

Posted in consideration of others, destruction in hell, judgment, repentance, wrath of God | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

communion court

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:26-30

1Co 11:26 Because every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he returns,
1Co 11:27 with the result that whoever eats the Lord’s bread or drinks the Lord’s the cup in an unworthy way will be required to give an account for the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 A man should be proving himself faithful, even when eating the bread and drinking the cup.
1Co 11:29 Because the one eating and drinking, eats and drinks himself into condemnation, if he does not recognise the significance of the body.
1Co 11:30 That is the reason many among you are weak and sick, and a considerable number are asleep.

communion court

Paul’s response to the Corinthian situation grows sharper as he explains what their behavior at the Lord’s Table truly meant. Reports had reached him that the congregation was turning the communion meal into a kind of competitive banquet. The wealthy were arriving early and eating heavily, while the poor arrived later and found nothing left. What was intended to be a solemn act of remembrance had become a display of excess. The sacred meal had been swallowed up by social indulgence. Paul’s reaction reflects the seriousness of the offense.

He tells the Corinthians that they are failing to recognize what is actually happening whenever the church gathers for the Lord’s Supper. Each time the bread is broken and the cup is shared, “court is in session,” so to speak. The table is not merely a ritual; it is a proclamation. It is one of the ways God has given the church to preach the gospel of grace. When believers come to the table, they are announcing the Lord’s death. They are publicly declaring the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice and offering another opportunity for those present to respond to that grace. The table is a witness. It is a sermon in symbols.

Because of that, the way believers conduct themselves during the meal matters deeply. When actions at the table distract others from the message of Christ’s death, those actions show contempt for the very gift the table proclaims. The Corinthians were not simply being inconsiderate; they were undermining the gospel message embedded in the ritual. Their behavior contradicted the meaning of the broken body and shed blood.

Paul urges the congregation to “prove themselves” while eating and drinking. The idea is not morbid introspection but faithful participation. Those who approach the table with reverence, gratitude, and unity are honoring the Lord. Those who treat the meal casually or selfishly are offending him. And Paul warns that such offense carries consequences. In Corinth, those consequences had already begun to appear. Some were experiencing weakness. Others were suffering sickness. Some had even “fallen asleep,” a common early Christian expression for death. These were not random misfortunes but signs of divine discipline.

The Lord takes this table seriously. It is a place where grace is proclaimed and where the character of the church is revealed. Paul’s warning is not meant to frighten but to awaken. The table is a gift, a proclamation, and a moment of accountability. It deserves the reverence that Christ intended when he first broke the bread and offered the cup.

LORD, thank you for your grace, demonstrated ultimately by the sacrificial death of Christ to reconcile us to yourself. Show us how to preach that gospel every time we come to your table.

Posted in communion, discernment, evangelism, gospel, grace, reverence, the cross, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

do this too

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:23-25

1Co 11:23 Because this is what I received from the Lord, a truth I also passed on to you: On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread,
1Co 11:24 And after he gave thanks, he broke it up, and said, “This represents mine — the body broken on behalf of you all. Do this so that you will remember of Me.”
1Co 11:25 In the same way, he poured the cup also, after they ate the bread, and this is what he said, “This cup is the new covenant, launched with my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

do this too

Paul’s words about the Lord’s Supper are often lifted out of their original setting and used—rightly—to guide the church in celebrating communion. But in their first context, these words were not spoken as a gentle liturgical reminder. They were part of a rebuke. Paul was confronting a congregation that had taken the sacred meal Christ gave and turned it into something unrecognizable.

The Lord Jesus had instituted this simple ritual on the night he was betrayed. It was meant to be a moment of remembrance, reflection, and proclamation. The bread represented his body given for humanity. The cup represented the new covenant established through his blood. The meal was intentionally small, intentionally symbolic, intentionally focused on Christ. Every action Jesus took that night was deliberate: he took the bread, he gave thanks, he broke it, he identified it with his own body, and he commanded his followers to remember him. The repetition of the pronouns in Paul’s retelling—he was betrayed… he took… he gave thanks… he broke… this is mine… remember me… my blood… in remembrance of me—drives home the point. The entire ritual centers on Christ.

In Corinth, that center had been lost. The church had merged the Lord’s Supper with their communal meals, and the result was chaos. Wealthier members arrived early and ate lavishly. Poorer members arrived later and found nothing left. The meal that was supposed to proclaim Christ’s self‑giving love had become an occasion for self‑indulgence. Instead of communion, there was competition. Instead of remembrance, there was revelry. Instead of unity, there was humiliation. The sacred had been swallowed up by the social.

Paul’s frustration was justified. The Corinthians were not merely mishandling a ritual; they were contradicting the very meaning of the gospel. The Lord’s Supper was designed to draw attention to Christ’s sacrifice, yet their behavior drew attention to themselves. The table that should have united them had become a place where the divisions within the church were most painfully visible.

In its original context, Paul’s recounting of Jesus’ words was meant to pull the Corinthians back to the heart of the meal. Christ broke the bread so that his followers would remember his broken body. Christ poured the cup so that his followers would remember the new covenant sealed with his own blood. These actions were never meant to be overshadowed by feasting or pride. They were meant to anchor the church in humility, gratitude, and unity.

The words remain appropriate for communion today, but their original force should not be forgotten. They call the church to remember Christ—and to let that remembrance shape behavior, relationships, and the way the body gathers at the table.

LORD, thank you for giving us a tangible way to regularly remember you, and your gift of grace when you gave yourself for our salvation.

Posted in atonement, communion, Jesus Christ | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

beast feast

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:20-22

1Co 11:20 This is such a case: when you all come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Supper.
1Co 11:21 Because at the meal, each one eats his own supper ahead of others. So one person is staying hungry while another is getting drunk!
1Co 11:22 I say this because … Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass the ones who do not have what you have? What should I say to you? Should I show appreciation for you? I do not appreciate this behaviour!

beast feast

Paul had just explained that the various preference‑groups within the Corinthian church could be evaluated by the kinds of behaviors they displayed and tolerated. Some groups would reveal maturity, humility, and love; others would reveal pride, selfishness, and disorder. Now he turns to a concrete example that exposed the difference with painful clarity.

The Lord Jesus had instituted a simple, sacred meal on the night before his crucifixion. After celebrating the Passover with his disciples, he took bread and wine and gave them new significance. This small meal was meant to be repeated often. It was designed as a moment of solemn remembrance, a time to reflect on God’s grace, to proclaim the Lord’s death, and to examine one’s own heart. It was not a feast but a symbol. It was not a banquet but a confession. It was a communal act of worship meant to draw believers together in humility and gratitude.

In Corinth, that holy moment had been twisted into something unrecognizable. Instead of a shared remembrance, it had become a competitive feast. Instead of unity, there was division. Instead of reverence, there was indulgence. Some arrived early and ate greedily. Others were left hungry. The wealthy treated the gathering as an opportunity to display abundance, while the poor were humiliated. The meal that was supposed to proclaim the self‑giving love of Christ had become a stage for selfishness.

Paul’s reaction was sharp because the situation demanded it. The Corinthians had not merely misunderstood a ritual; they had violated the very meaning of the gospel. The Lord’s Supper was intended to embody Christ’s sacrifice, yet their behavior contradicted that sacrifice at every point. The confusion at the table revealed the deeper confusion in their hearts. The disorder of the meal exposed the disorder of their community.

This was Paul’s case in point. The preference‑groups within the church were not neutral. Some were fostering humility and discernment. Others were fostering arrogance and disregard for the body of Christ. The way the Corinthians handled the Lord’s Supper made it obvious which groups were worth following and which were not. The table of the Lord had become a mirror, revealing the true character of the congregation.

LORD, we thank you for giving us a means of reflecting on the marvel of your grace, demonstrated by the sacrificial death of our Saviour. May we treat this gift with respect and reverence.

Posted in communion, consideration of others, discernment, divisions, shame | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

helpful heresies

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:17-19

1Co 11:17 But as I give this command, I cannot show appreciation, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.
1Co 11:18 Because first, I hear that there are schisms among you when you come together as a church, and to some extent I believe it,
1Co 11:19 because there must be groups with different preferences among you, so that those of you who are approved may become obvious.

helpful heresies

**1. Hairesis did not mean “heresy” in Paul’s day**

The Greek word hairesis originally meant:

a group
a faction
a school of thought
a party within a larger community

It was used of:

the Pharisees
the Sadducees
the Essenes
the followers of various philosophers

None of these groups were considered “heretics” in the later, technical sense. They were simply identifiable subgroups.

Danker’s lexicon is right:
the later doctrinal meaning of “heresy” does not occur in the New Testament.

When English readers see “heresy,” they imagine false doctrine, damnable error, and theological rebellion. But Paul’s word simply described clusters of like‑minded people within a congregation.

2. Paul’s point: factions happen—but they reveal character

Paul acknowledges that such subgroups appear in many churches. People naturally gravitate toward those who share their preferences, practices, or personalities. That tendency is not automatically sinful. In fact, Paul says it can serve a purpose:

It reveals who is genuine
It exposes who is divisive
It clarifies who is walking in love and who is not

In other words, differences can help the church discern maturity.

But that only works as long as the subgroups remain charitable and humble.

3. When does a subgroup become a destructive “heresy”?

A subgroup becomes dangerous when it stops being a preference and starts becoming a power play.

Paul’s concern is not that believers have different practices. His concern is when one group:

tries to dominate the whole church
demands conformity
excludes or shames others
elevates its own preferences to divine law

That is the point where hairesis becomes what 2 Peter 2:1 calls a destructive heresy—not because of doctrinal nuance, but because of divisive ambition.

The problem is not difference.
The problem is division.

The problem is not variety.
The problem is animosity.

The problem is not clarification of truth.
The problem is tearing the body apart.

4. Paul’s message: truth must be clarified, but unity must be preserved

Paul never feared honest disagreement. He welcomed it when it led to clearer understanding of the gospel. But he opposed any spirit that:

weaponized differences
created hostility
exalted one group over another
fractured the church into rival camps

Clarification is God’s will.
Factionalism is not.

Paul’s concern is always the same:
the church must be able to tell the difference between healthy diversity and destructive division.

And that remains just as necessary today.

LORD, keep us true to your word, and appreciative of our different approaches to it.

Posted in balance, consideration of others, criticism, divisions, heresies, unity | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment

same principle, different application

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:11-16

1Co 11:11 All the same, a wife should not decide on this apart from her husband, nor a husband apart from his wife,
1Co 11:12 because just as the wife is from the husband, the husband is also on account of the wife. And it all comes from God.
1Co 11:13 Decide for yourselves: is it appropriate for a wife to pray to God uncovered?
1Co 11:14 Does not nature itself teach you the answer, by the fact that when her husband has long hair, he is embarassed by it,
1Co 11:15 but if his wife has long hair, she is proud of it, because she was given it instead of a covering?
1Co 11:16 But if anyone still wants to argue about this, we do not actually practice anything else, nor do the churches of God.

same principle, different application

Paul’s argument here becomes beautifully clear once the cultural assumptions are stripped away and the principle beneath the practice is allowed to stand on its own.

1. Paul’s instruction was about dignity, not domination

In Corinth, some Christian husbands—aligned with the “freedom” faction—were insisting that their wives appear in public without their customary head coverings. Their reasoning was simple: “In Christ we are free. Cultural symbols don’t matter anymore.”

Their wives, however, understood the social reality. In that culture, an unveiled married woman was viewed with suspicion or shame. Only prostitutes appeared that way in public. So these wives appealed to Paul for help.

Paul’s response was pastoral and practical:

Husbands should not force their wives to abandon a cultural symbol that protected their dignity.
Wives should be allowed to follow their consciences.
Both husbands and wives, if they listened to their own hearts rather than to the “freedom” faction, would agree that keeping the veil was the honorable choice.

Paul’s reasoning had nothing to do with male authority.
It had everything to do with avoiding public embarrassment.

2. The cultural meaning of head coverings has changed

In most parts of the world today, a head covering no longer signals that a woman is married. It signals something entirely different—most commonly, that she is Muslim or part of a specific religious tradition.

To insist that Christian wives wear head coverings today would not preserve dignity. It would create confusion. It would communicate the wrong message. And it would produce the very embarrassment Paul was trying to prevent.

Paul’s principle remains timeless.
The cultural expression does not.

3. The principle stays the same; the application reverses

In Corinth:

Keeping the head covering on preserved dignity and avoided shame.
Removing it would have been socially inappropriate and spiritually unwise.

Today, in most cultures:

Keeping a head covering on would create confusion and embarrassment.
Removing it is the normal, dignified, culturally appropriate choice.

So the faithful application of Paul’s teaching today is the opposite of what the Corinthians did.

They obeyed Paul by keeping their head coverings on.
Modern believers obey Paul by keeping head coverings off.

The principle is unchanged:

Do not use Christian freedom in ways that embarrass, confuse, or dishonor one another.

The cultural expression simply shifts with time.

4. The heart of the passage

This text is not about:

hierarchy
male authority
universal dress codes

It is about:

mutual respect
cultural sensitivity
self‑judgment
the wise use of Christian freedom

Paul’s concern was never fabric on the head.
His concern was the posture of the heart.

angels and authority

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 11:7-10

1Co 11:7 Because, on the one hand, a husband should not have his head covered, since he is supposed to reflect the character and good reputation of God; on the other hand, his wife reflects her husband’s good reputation.
1Co 11:8 Because a husband is not from a wife, but a wife from a husband,
1Co 11:9 because a husband was not created on account of a wife, but a wife on account of the husband.
1Co 11:10 For this reason, the wife ought to have the right to decide about her head — because of the angels.

angels and authority

You will notice from my translation that I approach this text with a different set of assumptions. I am not convinced that Paul is trying to get rebellious women to submit to godly men. I am also pretty sure that Paul is not reflecting some theology of gender hierarchy that all Christians should accept on the same footing as the gospel. I was almost convinced of those two doctrines a few years ago, but now I see them as erroneous. The reason I changed my mind is that I seriously studied this text. I discovered that most translations reflect the assumptions related to those erroneous doctrines.

My assumption is that some husbands in Corinth are insisting that their wives go uncovered during worship, to prove that they are free to do so. The wives are horrified to do such an embarrassing thing, so they appealed to Paul. That is why Paul says something that seems so out of place if you think he is arguing for submission. He says that the wives should have the right to decide (exousia) what to do with their own heads (10).

He gives three reasons for this instruction: First, he says that what wives do reflects back (eikon) to their husbands’ reputation (doxa), so they should not be forced to do something that would shame their husbands (even if it is their husbands who want them to do it).

Secondly, he points back to creation, reminding the husbands that — like Eve — their wives were lovingly created on account of them. When they worship, they reflect that fact by wearing the head covering.

Thirdly, Paul reminds the Corinthians of what he said earlier in this letter about angels. “Do you not know that we are going to decide the fate of angels? So, why not questions of normal life?” (6:3). In that context, Paul was desperately trying to get the Corinthians to stop taking each other to secular court. He said that believers should be able to resolve their own conflicts because someday they will be deciding the fate of angels. He was teaching the principle of personal judgment. He’s doing the same thing in here chapter 11. He’s arguing that the wives of Corinth have the wisdom to decide for themselves whether or not to wear a head-covering when they worship.

LORD, forgive us for how we have abused this text to teach a doctrine of gender supremacy. Help us as husbands and wives to love one another and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Posted in angels, consideration of others, discernment, head coverings, marriage, submission, worship | Tagged 1 Corinthians 11 | Leave a comment