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In Part 6, I concluded that the passage found in 1 Corinthians 11:17 through chapter 14 was in the context of the church meeting. I also noted how many people were involved in the church meeting, and this can be seen by the following:
- "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (12:7)
- "For to one is given...and to another... and to another...and to another...and to another...and to another...and to another...and to another...and to another..." (12:8-10)
- "...but that the members may have the same care one for another" (12:25)
- "...but if all prophesy..." (14:24)
- "...when you assemble, each one has a..." (14:26)
- "For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;..." (14:31)
This isn't, either, a primer for charismatic church services. If the biblical model has everybody doing the task of edification, and the sign gifts of tongues and prophesy (whatever that was in the NT era) have since ceased, then does that necessitate the complete abandonment of the "everybody involved" so that only the preacher and choir do edifying things? Wouldn't we still follow this model (even without tongues of prophesying) that includes everybody edifying everybody?
Yes, we should follow these instructions. Just look at the pathetic spectator orientation and perpetual dependency. We consume 86% of our own "giving" to buy expert driven lectures, and the saints never grow up to be doers of the word.
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