Check your Mouth at the Door.

When you think back to people in your life that had a significant, Godly influence on you would any of them be women? In my case the answer is yes. I have had lots of Godly women affect my life. From my mother and grandmother, to preachers and teachers, to my wife and ladies at the Logansport church. Many women have taught me much about Jesus and faith. But, when reading 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 this last week, I was reminded that women were to remain silent in church. What! Women remaining silent in church! What is Paul talking about?

1 Corinthians 14:33-35 says, "As in all the congregations of the saints, 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." Now that you know these things you will be blessed if you do them. LOL! Just kidding. What is Paul saying to the Corinthians and to us? Should women really not speak in church? Do the ushers need to be the mouth police to make sure women stay quiet? I don't think so. Let's examine what Paul is saying. First, this passage could be contextual. It is possible that the custom of the day did not promote women to speak in public. If that is the case, it was a custom that was being followed then that we would not be required to adhere to today. Second, it could have been a problem in the church. Can you see Bertha better than you standing up in church pointing out every flaw. Or Sanctified Sarah telling everyone about her personal holiness every week. Or even Hearing aid Helen saying, "What did he say, Hubert?" every 5 minutes of the message. The main issue for Paul is orderly worship and evidently the women were making it hard to keep the order.

Here is another thought. If Paul is really telling women that they should keep quiet in church, then he is going against something he said earlier. Listen to 1 Corinthians 11:5, "And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head." Where does prophesy take place at? Well, according to 1 Corinthians 14, there are to be 2 or 3 prophets speaking in church. And in Acts 21:8, we see the four daughters of Philip, the evangelist, who prophesied. And what about all the people that we see that were involved in Jesus' ministry that were women. It is almost like Jesus is all about Godly women's liberation movement.

So what is this text all about? I have a professor at Indiana Wesleyan that calls 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 a, "Naughty Verse." Why is it considered naughty? Well, only Paul and the Corinthians really know what Paul is talking about. When we try to bring this text into our context it is really difficult to understand. Maybe this passage of scripture requires us to paint a picture in much broader strokes. The main issue is orderly worship. What makes a worship service worshipful and what keeps a worship service from honoring God? Something was happening with the women in Corinth that caused disunity. Something was keeping worship from being orderly. And that was what Paul wanted to stop. Church is a place where we should be able to focus on God and what He has done for us though Jesus Christ. Whatever keeps that from happening should be addressed. Verse 40 summarizes Paul's whole train of thought, "Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." So ladies, teach the younger women about Jesus, speak of the great things God has done for you, and testify about Christ's goodness; and influence many--just do it in an orderly way.

Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in Charge!

Since Grandpa Greeson went to be with the Lord, we have done a lot of reminiscing. One of my favorite stories happened this past Christmas at the Greesons. My mother and father-in-law had picked up a cake from Dairy Queen for dessert. The cake had been cut and the pieces served. Grandpa Greeson was thoroughly enjoying his piece. At 94, evidently dessert was his favorite part of the meal. Grandpa was mowing on the cake and wearing as much as he was eating. The cake was made with white and chocolate ice cream but had blue icing all over it. Grandpa was covered with white ice cream and blue frosting. He looked like a kid at his first birthday party. Grandma went over to try to help but Grandpa loved the cake and pushed grandma away. My father-in-law saw the mess and tried to get the cake away from him to no avail. Finally Grandma said, "Harrold, I told you to give me the cake!" Grandpa responded, "Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge!" Too funny. I stored that away to write a book about it one day titled, "Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge!"

Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge? That is a great question. There are lots of places where you could ask that question. Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge of your home? Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge at work? Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge of your family? Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge at church? Let me put it another way. If there was a throne like the one to the left involved, who would be sitting on it?

If you were living in Corinth at the time Paul wrote the letter to the Corinthians you may have asked, "Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge of the church at Corinth?" It was an issue. It was so much of an issue that Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:10, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no dividsion among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." And it doesn't end there. Chapter three deals with the issue of who people in the church are following. "I follow Paul, I follow Apollos, I follow Jesus." Whose church is it anyway? In Chaper 5, 6 and 7, there are divisions over the issue of sex and marriage. In Chapter 8, we find a quarrel about food sacrificed to idols. Who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge here anyway?

It is easy to to wonder who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charge. Often, like grandpa, we know the answer to the question. We think that we are the one's in charge. Most of us like being in charge. We like getting our way and doing what we want. It is easy to want to be the head of any and everything we are a part of. But Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12, that we are a member of Christ's body. So, if we are members of Christ's body, who in the Sam Hill do you think is in charege here anyway? Jesus. Well, at least he should be. Christ should be in charge in our home, in charge in our work place, in charge with our families, and in charge with our church. Maybe we ought to put a note on our miror that says, "Jesus is in charge of my life" to remind us every day who should be in control. Maybe we ought to set a place at the head of the dinner table to remind us that Jesus is in charge of our family. Maybe we ought to put Jesus' name on our checking acounts to remind us that He is in charge of our money. Maybe we ought to put an empty chair at our leadership team meetings reminding us who is in charge of the church. And maybe, just maybe, if we allow Jesus to be in control we would all get along better.

In His Love,
Pastor Aaron