"… let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord" (1 Cor. 14:37).
If any church presumes to act on its own accord without any thought to what other churches are rightly doing and without any regard to the Scriptures—the writings of the apostles—then that church is acting in disobedience to God Himself. Paul sarcastically rebukes the Corinthians for their presumption concerning the worship of God. They exalted the gift of tongues, they carried out their worship chaotically, and they allowed their women to exercise authority over men in the public assembly.
Paul, then, challenges the Corinthian church as he challenges the church in every age, that if anyone thinks he is truly spiritual then he must submit to the apostles’ teachings. If anyone claims to be a servant of God, gifted with prophecy, teaching, knowledge, tongues, or any other spiritual gift but does not abide by the directives of Scripture, he is ignorant and a disrupter of the assembly of God’s people. These verses emphasize what God’s people need to be reminded of time and again, that the Word of God is binding on all people in all ages. We cannot do what we want “in the name of the Spirit” if it contradicts the Scripture. The Old and New Testaments are our standards for conduct in our daily lives and in the worship of God. We are not permitted to act of our own will and according to our own ideas of right and wrong. We must always submit to the commandments of Christ as they have been given to us through the writings of the apostles.
If any person continues to be ignorant of those commandments and refuses to conform to Christ’s teaching, Paul says to let him alone, to let him remain in his ignorance. If he is determined to rebel against the authority of Scripture, leave him to his folly, and God’s judgment, and do not engage in unnecessary disputes with him.
To sum up this chapter, we are reminded that prophecy is the better gift because it edifies the people of God, and tongues were permitted as long as there was interpretation. But most importantly, the worship of God is to be done decently and in order according to the Scriptures. We are humbly to submit all things to the authority of Christ and not allow our passions or prejudices rule our conduct in God’s house.
Read 1 Corinthians 14; Deuteronomy 12:29–32; Exodus 20:4–6. List what you learn about how to, and how not to, worship God. Why are there so many warnings against the “traditions of men”? Pray that God will show you ways that you have deviated from proper worship of Him either in your heart or in action.