Skipping past what
appears to be an interpolation that does not seem to fit at all with the ethos
of Paul’s letters (verses 33b-35, which is sometimes found in manuscripts at
the conclusion of verse forty, with this fluid placement indicative of its
potentially extraneous nature, not unlike the story of the woman taken in
adultery of John chapter eight, which is not found in many early manuscripts
and sometimes shows up after Luke 21:38), this study picks up with Paul asking
the question “Did the word of God begin with you, or did it come to you alone?”
(1 Corinthians 14:36) This is a rather pointed question, and seems to
flow quite naturally from the statement concerning disorder and peace. It
is clear that the question is directed to the wider church, but one is forced
to wonder why.
Though dogma-level
assertions are probably not possible, considering the regular competitions for
honor that took place amidst the meal associations of the day, it is possible
that here Paul speaks to the possibility of multiple church bodies within the
same community entering into some type of similar honor competition that pitted
body against body in their attempts to honor their object of worship (namely
Jesus). As it is quite easy to see churches effectively competing against
each other for members, for recognition, and for the types of public honors
that are available in our own time, this possibility does not seem overtly
remote.
Closer to home, an
individual member of the body that was the primary recipient of this message
(leaving open the possibility that this letter was directed to multiple
assemblies of Christ-worshipers) could hear these words in a more personal
manner, as they follow hard upon Paul’s insistence that participation within
the church should be widespread, with all exercises attributed to the influence
of the Spirit accorded equal value.
This equal valuation
of the Spirit’s presence and the person through whom the Spirit is active (with
whether or not Jesus’ Lordship, which can be declared in any number of ways,
and especially in ways that are derived from the understanding of the Jesus
tradition that was then in circulation prior to the formation of the Gospels as
we have them, is affirmed as the sole determiner of the activity of the Spirit
of the Creator God), along with the insistence upon mutual subjection
(preferring one another in humility) in the exercise of the gift that Paul most
highly encouraged, provides a helpful framework in which a hearer could understand
the words of verse thirty-six, making it possible to understand it as Paul’s
continued encouragement for individuals to continually disavow the personal
accumulation of honor.
Hearing these words
in this way could lead to seeking opportunities for community affirming mutual
subjection that is based upon the desire to emulate the one to whom they look
as Lord (who consistently sought out the lowest place rather than the highest
place while instructing His disciples to do the same, who performed the role of
a slave, and who set Himself amidst those considered to be possessive of shame
or who stood completely outside the system of honor and shame, such as
children) and who is deserving of all honor.
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