Thoughts on 1st Corinthians and Restoring the New Testament Church
12/31/2010
For over a week I've been reading, re‐reading and studying portions of 1st Corinthians. Though Ishould be very familiar with this book after years as a Christian, including time training for myBachelor of Ministry degree, I'm finding now that I'm reading it with new eyes. Specifically, I'm not trying to explain it away or make it fit my preconceived ideas. How successful I'm being is hard tomeasure (I'm not very objective where I'm concerned), much is surprising me. Specifically, assomeone who left the Roman Catholic Church in pursuit of a more biblical faith, in addition to theGospel of grace in Christ, it's a little jarring to find passages I'm not running to put into practice.During my time among evangelicals and then within theStone‐Campbell Movement (where I'mnow quite comfortably at home) I found many common traits. Chief among them may be a desire togo from the written page to real‐life practice. It is of course an admirable and correct attitude to aimfor immediate obedience. The moment to obey a command of God is the instant in which it isunderstood. Reading 1st Corinthians, though, I see where this could be complicated and perhapseven unnecessary.Someone searching for the "ancient faith" and the "New Testament church" will be challenged bythe description of the ideal congregational worship experience in Corinth. It included prophetstaking turns speaking, their words then being evaluated by the others for their correctness. Therewas also tongues‐speaking, assuming someone was available to interpret. The Lord's supper wasn't a bit of cracker and a tiny cup of juice, but part of a larger fellowship meal called a "love feast."Many of my sisters and brothers in Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (a cappella,instrumental and International) are likely pretty confident they are in churches practicing all thingsin accordance with the "pattern" found in the New Testament Scriptures, but most of all the acappella folks hold to this conviction. I remember some of my older professors at HardingUniversitysaying confidently that if someone from the first century were to walk into a 21st century church of Christ worship service, or vice versa, there would be cultural variables andlanguage barriers, but that the "pattern of worship" would be recognizable.
Hardly.
I tend to agree with the cessationist view that says the "sign gifts" faded as the apostles died and noone was left who could impart them. With the completion of the "canon" these gifts were no longerneeded. I
tend
to agree, but I'm not 100% sold on it. I do know that what I’ve seen of modernPentecostal doctrine appears quite aberrant, so don't expect me to go
that
direction any time soon.In any event, Pentecostalism doesn't offer orderly worship including a "love feast" on a regularbasis, so it's not any closer in practice to the example of the New Testament than are thePrimitiveBaptists.In all honesty, I have to confess that while I consider myself a "restorationist," I'm not "that kind" of
Leave a Comment