But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. – 1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV

Greek
κεφαλὴ/kephalè: head, source

Why It Matters
The source of the Hudson River is a small 2 acre lake nestled in the shadows of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack mountains. Lake Tear of the Clouds empties into Feldspar Brook where the water eventually becomes part of one of the most important rivers in America. The source of the river is simultaneously similar and vastly different than the river itself. This is the imagery that Paul wants to conjure up when trying to describe the mystery laid out in 1 Corinthians 11:3. He uses the Greek word kephalè, which most often is translated into english as source, or origin. Although it can sometimes be used in reference to the ruler of a community, when Greeks speak of the source of the river they do so using kephalè.

At this point in a typical devotional, we’d further unpack the verse. However, this verse is part of a pericope of scripture that is often misinterpreted and requires cultural context to be fully understood. We’d encourage you to listen to the podcast for an explanation that cannot be given in a short devotional. That said, as you head into your Monday, know that if we are willing to give God preeminence, we can walk in humility to those around us. The things that seem unnecessary or unfair in the middle of the complexities of life can be deconstructed by authentic trust in Him.

Declaration of the Week
When life seems unfair, I will anchor my trust in the goodness and hope of the gospel.

Application
How am I exemplifying Christ’s character and humility?

Music Response
This Sunday’s Deconstructed message focused on humility and our aim to represent Christ well and honor those around us. The song None But Jesus served to focus around the truth of Christ crucified and our declaration that there is no one else for me, which is of course is the only source of true humility. Hope you enjoy listening throughout the week! To listen through these songs this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; – 1 Corinthians 11:11 ESV

Greek
ἐν κυρίῳ/ èn kuriō: in the Lord

Why It Matters
Because of its inherent revolutionary nature, the gospel is offensive to every culture at some point. It could be the way the gospel deconstructs social hierarchy, the exclusive claims of Christ as the only way to the Father, or some other aspect entirely. Whatever the reason, there is no culture on earth that submits to the good news of the kingdom of God perfectly. Paul is declaring a truth that was offensive to the Corinthian culture: èn kuriō (in the Lord), men and women are not independent of each other. A fairly chauvinistic and independent culture would hear this and disagree in principle, squirm in discomfort, or even seethe in anger. The playing field is leveled èn kuriō, so we are freed up to see that we need each other. In His humility, Jesus relinquished His role at the right hand of the Father so that a new Kingdom could be established. In this kingdom we humbly recognize our dependence on the unique gifts and roles men and women have. If you find yourself èn kuriō, where (if at all) is the revolutionary nature of the gospel on display?

Declaration of the Week
When life seems unfair, I will anchor my trust in the goodness and hope of the gospel.

Application
How am I exemplifying Christ’s character and humility?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. – 1 Corinthians 11:16 ESV

Greek
φιλόνεικος/philoneikos: fond of quarrels

Why It Matters
Why does life seems so unfair? So often the answer to that lies in the truth that something other than God is the cornerstone of our lives. “It’s not fair!” comes from the lips of toddlers who can’t have a toy as quickly as adults who don’t get that promotion at work. Paul is addressing issues in the church in Corinth, and he reminds his readers that churches should not have the practice of being philoneikos, or contentious. This word carries with it the imagery of arguing for argument’s sake. Philoneikos literally means “loving to fight.” A person can get a sense that life isn’t fair, and in itself this is not something to warn against. The issue becomes that allowing that sense to be our motivation leads to being philoneikos. We can tell when this attitude dominates us because we can’t wait to tell anyone who will listen how we have been wronged. Even though this attitude may seem harmless, Paul says that it has no place in the church. Why? Because being philoneikos is an indicator that something other than the gospel is at the center of our lives. This verse is a great reminder that Jesus has paid the debt of anyone who believes (Romans 1:16), and because Christ’s righteousness is imputed to sinners like us, we come out on the better end of the fairness scale!

Declaration of the Week
When life seems unfair, I will anchor my trust in the goodness and hope of the gospel.

Application
How am I exemplifying Christ’s character and humility?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, – 1 Corinthians 11:18 ESV

Greek
σχίσματα/schismata: schism, irreparable division

Why It Matters
It’s funny what unites people and what divides people in our culture today. Two strangers can strike up a conversation, only to walk away from each other when they disagree on what news channel is best. Friends refuse to speak to each other after disagreeing on which diet plan is most effective. In writing to the Corinthians, several themes keep coming up that prove very important to Paul. At the top of the list is unity, and at least three times he references his desire that no schismata (irreparable division) be found in the church. Paul prefaces his writing on the Lord’s supper by telling the Corinthians that he has heard that when they come together as a church there are schismata among them. It’s an odd visual – when the church is coming together they are being torn apart! But the specific Greek word Paul uses is perfect for this situation. Schismataalludes to two different pieces of material that have been sown together to form one article of clothing. You cannot separate the two without doing damage to the fabric because they are designed to be one. The church of Jesus is designed to be one body, and in 1 Corinthians 11 Paul argues that the very thing that brings different cultures, genders and social classes together is what Jesus has asked them to remember. It is His death that brings unity, and schismata only serves to take focus away from what should matter the most to the church. Thankfully, Jesus’ work on the cross not only brings us together in unity, it is also powerful enough to heal the schism that comes from focusing on lesser things. Because of the cross, we are united as one regardless of how we vote or how we eat.

Declaration of the Week
I will not let the insignificant take the place of the supreme.

Application
Where do we need to apply a Gospel lens to our lives?

Music Response
This week we sang the song “Build My Life” from Passion Worship. The lyrics emphasize being intentional about building the foundation of our lives on Jesus. In Sunday’s message we learned about the Corinthian church falling subject to division and selfish pursuits and they wound up living in a manner that conformed to society instead of allowing the gospel to inform their lives. As we consider where we need to apply a gospel lens to our own lives, this song can help direct our hearts to have Christ as the center. Hope you enjoy listening throughout the week! To listen through these songs this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. – 1 Corinthians 11:24 ESV

Greek
ἀνάμνησιν/anamensin: remembrance, recollection, reminder

Why It Matters
It’s a universal issue: you pick up your phone to look up someone’s contact info, and ten minutes of checking Instagram, downloading a podcast and two YouTube videos later you can’t remember the original purpose for checking your phone. There are so many things that demand our attention, and if we’re not vigilant those things will leave us distracted and disengaged.

The Corinthians were people who had forgotten the original purpose for celebrating the Lord’s Supper. They were using the meal to create factions among themselves and as a cheap way to get a decent meal. The original intention of the Lord’s supper was to eat and drink in anamensin, remembrance of Jesus’ broken body and shed blood. This is a compound word comprised of two other Greek words: ana (again) and mimnesko (to remember). So we are asked to literally remember again and again. Paul was hearkening back to what Jesus had said on the night He was betrayed – that it is important to continually prioritize in our memories the death He would suffer on the cross. But why have something in anamensin as awful as death? Because Jesus Himself said that His death would accomplish what He came to do (Luke 9:22). Somehow this sacrament causes our hearts to be reoriented to the gospel in a way that joy and celebration never could. So rather than be distracted by lesser issues, we remember by keeping the truth of Jesus’ death from being carried away in the endless sea of distractions.

Declaration of the Week
I will not let the insignificant take the place of the supreme.

Application
Where do we need to apply a Gospel lens to our lives?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. – 1 Corinthians 11:28 ESV

Greek
δοκιμαζέτω/dokimadzètō: examine; test; prove

Why It Matters
Dr. George Wood tells the story of Catherine Deveaux, a French Huguenot who in 1663 had an opportunity to examine herself. The Minnisink Indians swept down from the Catskill Mountains and besieged the village of Paltz, capturing Catherine and her infant daughter Sarah. They were held ten weeks in the mountains while search parties tried to find them. The Minnisink chose to celebrate their victory by burning Catherine and Sarah to death, so they made a pile of logs and bound the two on top of it. How did Catherine decide to spend her apparent last moments on earth? Not by cursing her captors or even pleading for her life, but by singing the words of Psalm 137, “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’…  Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!” The Minnisink were so captivated by her singing that they had her sing another song, then another, keeping her alive long enough for her husband Louis and his search party to find and rescue his wife and daughter.

In 1 Corinthians 11:28 Paul tells the Corinthians that before they partake of the Lord’s supper, they should dokimadzètō, or examine themselves. Beyond just looking at something closely, this verb means to put something to the test by acting on it. In Paul’s case, he is challenging the Corinthians to put what is in their hearts to the test before eating and drinking communion. We are instructed to not just think about our righteousness, but to put it to the test in the way we live and the way we approach the Lord’s supper. In the context of the entire passage we will examine whether we are living in love and unity among our neighbors, but in preparation of remembering properly, we should also be careful to dokimadzètō where the source of our love and unity come from. Catherine Deveaux was put to the test and “sang the songs of Zion.” When we are put to the test in our love for others, will we allow the cross to lead us to serve and minister wholeheartedly?

Declaration of the Week
I will not let the insignificant take the place of the supreme.

Application
Where do we need to apply a Gospel lens to our lives?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. – 1 Corinthians 12:1 ESV

Greek
ἀγνοεῖν/agnoein: be ignorant, not to know

Why It Matters
Many people are aware that the RMS Titanic was dubbed “the unsinkable ship” before it struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic. Perhaps a lesser known fact is that the ship’s captain received six warnings about icebergs during its ill-fated trip. Sometimes we’re unable to heed warning signs because we just feel as if the warnings don’t apply to us. The Corinthians were people who had an extensive background in and exposure to pagan spirituality and Paul is warning them not to be agnoein, or uninformed. This Greek word means “to not be in the know.” What Paul is doing here is sending a warning signal to the Corinthians; he wants them to be aware of the iceberg field ahead that has the potential to have devastating effects on his readers. They are used to their spiritual experiences resulting in idol worship, but Paul tells them that now their spirituality will glorify Jesus as Lord. He knew that the Corinthians as a whole took great pride in their understanding, so he plays to their cultural hubris by telling them there is something they may be agnoein about. It’s as if Paul sees the danger of being led astray by mute idols and tries to warn them in terms they will heed. The Holy Spirit  will often send out warning signals in a frequency we will pay attention to. The question becomes, will we heed His warnings or will we live as though they don’t apply to us?

Declaration of the Week
I commit to spiritual growth without trying to manufacture my own results.

Application
How can I create margin for the Holy Spirit to speak to me?

Music Response
This week we sang “Holy Spirit” by Bryan & Katie Torwalt. The lyrics clearly and intentionally declare a willingness to welcome God’s presence into our lives and recognize the fact that there is nothing worth more than the presence of God and the ultimate hope we find in him. This week, let this song be a personal declaration to become more aware of His presence and spend time creating margin for the Holy Spirit to speak into our lives. Hope you enjoy listening throughout the week! To listen through these songs this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. – 1 Corinthians 12:2 ESV

Greek
ἔθνη/ethné: nation, Gentile heritage

Why It Matters
Jesus’ teachings have often been considered controversial. The mandate to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31) and the directive to take up your cross (Mark 8:34) are two historical examples. Jesus was never satisfied with a person having knowledge of His Lordship without having that truth change his or her allegiance. Paul is reminding the Corinthians that there has been a shift in their allegiance ever since they declared their faith in Christ. He uses the term ethné (Gentile nation) to show what used to control them. They were led astray by idols, unable to escape the grasp of something that didn’t know or care about them. Now that they have turned to Christ, however, they have chosen to submit to His Lordship. This Lordship changes a person’s identity, not by changing what ethné he or she comes from but by changing the structure of a person’s priorities. Jesus asks for all of us, and as we say yes to His call we say yes to His priorities.

Declaration of the Week
I commit to spiritual growth without trying to manufacture my own results.

Application
How can I create margin for the Holy Spirit to speak to me?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV

Greek
γνωρίζω/gnōridzō: confirm, certify, be reminded

Why It Matters
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could tell the outcome of every decision you ever had to make before you made it? You could immediately know if it was better to buy the car or the SUV, whether to hire candidate A or B, and so on. The Corinthians as a whole took pride in their knowledge, and their experience with pagan spirituality led them to believe at one point that if they didn’t know something, the idol they worshipped would. But now they have turned to Jesus and wanted to be assured that this was the right decision.

Paul is beginning a section of his letter that deals with what true spirituality looks like, and he prefaces his comments with his desire for his readers to gnoridzo. This word has a little more depth than our English word “understand” might imply. Paul is confirming, or certifying, the source of the life he is about to unpack in the next verses. It’s like he is calming their fears. So where the Corinthians may be tempted to be afraid of being led astray in their pursuit of Christ (see verse 2), Paul is essentially saying, “you can trust me, I’m confirming (gnoridzo) that the Holy Spirit is guiding you to declare that Jesus is Lord.” Jesus says something similar when He teaches that the Holy Spirit will testify of Himself (John 15:26) and remind people of what He said (John 14:26). The Corinthians didn’t have to be afraid of where the Holy Spirit led them! Neither do we.

Declaration of the Week
I commit to spiritual growth without trying to manufacture my own results.

Application
How can I create margin for the Holy Spirit to speak to me?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowersthem all in everyone. – 1 Corinthians 12:6 ESV

Greek
ἐνεργων/energōn: work, energize, empower

Why It Matters
Our 21st century experiences make it so that we expect to have options. We can buy cookies and snow tires at the same store, and the internet has led many of us to be unimpressed with an order arriving from California and Ohio on the same day. In the culture to which Paul wrote, their marketplace and their gods were known as specialists. A bakery wouldn’t sell milk and a butcher wouldn’t offer clothing. In fact, the pantheon of Greek gods were credited with everything from a good harvest to finding your lost animal, but as specialists there were different gods to perform different works. So it wouldn’t be a shock when Paul taught that there were a variety of activities. What would be surprising to the Corinthians is that Paul attributes those activities to the same God. Paul doesn’t just tell us that these various activities are energōn(empowered) by God, He also empowers – energōn – them in everyone! Rather than be limited to a particular kind of activity or region of people, God is the Divine source of all as well as distributor to all. The sentence structure of this verse is unique as well. The root of our english word “activities” and “empowers” in this verse are the same, so it’s like Paul is saying that there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates them all in everyone. A God with that kind of scope of power, coupled with intimately knowing us personally was strange, but appealing to the Corinthians. Understanding that kind of power and intimacy can still inspire awe in our culture today.

Declaration of the Week
I will make my gifts and talents available for that which is greater than myself.

Application
How am I using my gifts for the good of the body?

Music Response
This week we introduced a song we sang during our pre-launch season that’s perfectly suited to a new season in which we find ourselves as a church community. New Wine by Hillsong was a timely response to the message and application… words to sing and pray as we increase our proximity to Christ and commit ourselves to be whatever God wants us to be as individuals and as a church. Take a listen this week as you consider how you’re using your gifts for the good of the body. Hope you enjoy listening throughout the week! To listen through these songs this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. – 1 Corinthians 12:7 ESV

Greek
φανέρωσις/phanerosis: expression, exhibition, bestowment

Why It Matters
One of our Because and Therefore statements at Centerway is “Because he uniquely created us we value collaboration; therefore we enjoy how God has wired and gifted each person and take more ground as a result…” We believe that everyone in relationship with Jesus has been given gifts for the benefit of the church. Paul uses the word phanerosis (manifestation) to indicate that these gifts aren’t just for contemplation or personal enjoyment. The intention of this Greek word is to show expression – the Spirit bestows gifts that get exhibited, or expressed in our lives. None of us can Biblically say that the gifts they’ve received permit them to remain inactive in the mission of the church. They are the phanerosis of the Spirit’s work, the expression of the Spirit for the common good. When we utilize the active gifts of the Spirit, everyone benefits and the church advances. That’s one of the many reasons we enjoy how God has wired and gifted each person!

Declaration of the Week
I will make my gifts and talents available for that which is greater than myself.

Application
How am I using my gifts for the good of the body?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. – 1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV

Greek
διαιρουν/diairoun: to assign; distribute

Why It Matters
One of the universal experiences of elementary school is the feeling that things are unfair. The teacher only seems to call on you when you are daydreaming, and the kid sitting behind you gets away with far more than you do. Even the assignments could feel like they were given out with other people’s strengths in mind. In this verse, Paul wants us understand that the gifts and activities God gives are not designed to create an unfair hierarchy, but rather they are diairoun (assigned, distributed) by God according to His will. This verb has a specificity to it, indicating that God is actually giving us a specific assignment in line with His will. Diairoun implies intimacy, so we don’t have to worry about these assignments being unfair. We can trust that God has a reason to empower you in the unique way He does! Thank God that as difficult as they sometimes seem to be, His assignments are tailored to our unique circumstances and backed by the Holy Spirit’s power.

Declaration of the Week
I will make my gifts and talents available for that which is greater than myself.

Application
How am I using my gifts for the good of the body?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

For just as the bodyis one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. – 1 Corinthians 12:12 ESV

Greek
σωμα/soma: body

Why It Matters
Stories, whether they be fiction or nonfiction, are always more engaging with a good plot twist. There are some verses in scripture that seem to take a different direction than expected, and Paul crafts this passage with just such a twist at the end. He sets up the metaphor of a soma(body) having many parts, but those parts are all members of one and the same soma. We then may expect Paul to declare “So it is with the church,” because the church has many members but are all part of one body. However, he takes a different tack with the end of verse 12. Paul likens our physical somato Christ, comparing the variety and unity of one body to His. The Greek word somahas its root in the word sozo, which means “to save.” In the ultimate plot twist, Christ submitted to His Father’s will, left the glory of Heaven and was born into a soma(body) in order to sozo(save) mankind. After His resurrection up till the present, Christ has a somaof human beings that exist as one body to accomplish His work of salvation for mankind. The church isn’t just a collection of people who sing and pray together; the church is Christ’s somaand God’s plan for humanity.

Declaration of the Week
My contribution matters because it is empowered by God and strengthened by being part of the body of Christ.

Application
What is stopping me from being more connected to this body?
// To investigate ways to serve at Centerway, click here. //

Music Response
Last Monday we highlighted New Wine, but wanted to bring it to the forefront again as we head into this week, considering our role in the body of Christ. There’s a line that says “so I yield to you and to your careful hand…when I trust you I don’t need to understand.” This isn’t advocating for us to lack understanding. Rather, it’s a declaration that there are plans and a big picture we don’t need to fully understand in order to walk in obedience. God is kind and careful with the details of our lives. We encourage you to do the “next right thing” – whether a baby step or a big God-risk – and trust God to bring out the new as you do. Take a listen this week as you consider how you’re using your gifts for the good of the body. Hope you enjoy listening throughout the week! To listen through these songs this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composedthe body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, – 1 Corinthians 12:24 ESV

Greek
συνεκέρασεν/sunekerasen: compose, unite

Why It Matters
If you’ve ever watched an expert painter create a work of art, you may have noticed that their paintings take awhile to take form. Bob Ross’ “happy little trees” look more like nebulous blobs of greens and browns before his technique and color combinations craft them into something beautiful. When Paul talks about how God has sunekerasen (composed) the body, he is using a term that carries with it this kind of imagery. Sunekerasen means to mix different parts together with a specific purpose in mind. As a result, what may have seemed to be insignificant or unimpressive is exactly what God is looking for as He puts the body together. We need each other to produce the beauty God intends the body to have! If you’ve ever wondered why your experiences have colored your life the way they have, rest assured that as you are sunekerasen together with other hues found in Christ’s body. God is masterfully painting a work of art. Even if it takes awhile for the form to develop, only He can combine what seems insignificant and make it remarkable.

Declaration of the Week
My contribution matters because it is empowered by God and strengthened by being part of the body of Christ.

Application
What is stopping me from being more connected to this body?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 1 Corinthians 12:15 ESV

Greek
εἰμὶ/eimì: to belong, exist, to have meaning

Why It Matters
In 2013, Brayan Villarreal threw only 4 pitches for the Boston Red Sox. He entered his only game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded and the score tied. He walked in the winning run on those 4 pitches, the last 4 pitches he would ever toss in the majors. Why does this matter? Because in 2013 the Red Sox won the World Series, and Villarreal received a ring for throwing those 4 pitches. Anyone who entered even one game for the Red Sox that year received the same reward as the World Series MVP. Villarreal had proof that he belonged to a champion!

Being a part of the body is proof itself that you belong. Paul’s use of the word eimì (belong) in verse 15 shows us that our lives have meaning. We can’t say that we don’t eimì just because we don’t contribute what other people may. That meaning doesn’t come from how impressive we are or whether others consider us an MVP. Meaning comes from being connected to Christ; being a part of his body no matter where we fit in. Because of Christ, our identity now comes from His work and the plan God has for Christ’s body. His victory means that you get a ring no matter what role you play, and you eimì regardless of feeling or perceived contribution.

Declaration of the Week
My contribution matters because it is empowered by God and strengthened by being part of the body of Christ.

Application
What is stopping me from being more connected to this body?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. – 1 Corinthians 12:27 ESV

Greek
μέρους/mérous: individual parts

Why It Matters
There are many things that are unique about Christianity. You could point to the belief that Jesus is fully God and at the same time fully man, or that one God exists in three persons. As the Apostle Paul continues his discussion on the body of Christ, the verse we are looking at today celebrates individuality, not individualism. Individualism is the wrong belief that I am self-sustaining and self-reliant. Paul shows us that we can retain our uniqueness and at the same time require a connection to the body of Christ. This is unique among many of the major religions of the world today. Individuality can be seen as dangerous when trying to ensure orthodoxy – in other words if everyone acts the same way and thinks the same thoughts, it’s much easier to ensure that everyone believes the same thing. But Paul declares to us that we are not soulless cogs in a spiritual machine; we are mérous (individually members) of the body of Christ. When our identity is wrapped up in the work of Christ, we don’t have to give up what makes us unique! Where other religions or ideologies require people to drop their individuality in order to conform to a standard, Christianity says that Jesus became the standard on our behalf. Therefore we are Christians first and foremost, but we are mérous in Christ’s body. We can celebrate being hispanic Christians or extrovert Christians or Christian athletes because we are individually members of His body and His work gives us our main source of identity.

Declaration of the Week
I refuse to keep my gifts, personality and uniqueness to myself.

Application
In what ways do I need to risk connection?

Music Response
To set the tone for this last week of the Deconstructed series, consider the words of Who You Say I Am by Hillsong as you contemplate what your life – if deconstructed – would look like. We are who God says we are, and with Jesus at the center, our deconstructed lives can reveal humility, unity, authenticity, community, identity, diversity. Take a listen this week as you consider how you’re using your gifts for the good of the body. Take a listen this week as you consider how you’re using your gifts for the good of the body. Hope you enjoy listening throughout the week! To listen through these songs this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. – 1 Corinthians 12:28 ESV

Greek
κυβερνήσεις/kuberneseis: piloting a vessel; administering

Why It Matters
In his book Good to Great, author and researcher Jim Collins creates an interesting metaphor comparing a business to a bus. His research indicated that there was a significant need for organizations to get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and placing the right people in the right seats. Both Collins’ metaphor and his concept are incredibly similar to Paul’s use of the word kuberneseis. The literal translation of the word administrating in this verse is “pilotings.” This is the only occurrence of the word in the New Testament, and its reference is to the helmsman of a ship. The pilot needs to be familiar with their vessel, their crew and the conditions of the sea they are sailing, or else the result of their kuberneseis will be devastating. The hope that Paul provides is that this kind of work is empowered in people by the Spirit of God! When rough seas spring up in the life of the body of Christ, people with the kuberneseis gift not only steer it clear of danger, they also direct individuals to where they will be most effective. This concept goes much deeper than we sometimes interpret the gift of administering. People with the gift of kuberneseisare constantly helping to navigate the church through deep water and the storms of life by organizing people in ways that make them come alive.

Declaration of the Week
I refuse to keep my gifts, personality and uniqueness to myself.

Application
In what ways do I need to risk connection?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!

But earnestly desire the higher gifts… – 1 Corinthians 12:31 ESV

Greek
ζηλοῦτε/zealouté: Be zealous for or strive for; be jealous toward

Why It Matters
Most of us grew up with the instruction to never be jealous of what other people have, but instead to be content. In fact, the New Testament teaches in several places to display contentment. But here, Paul advises us to zealouté (be zealous toward or jealous for) the higher gifts. Is this a Biblical contradiction?

The Greek word zealouté has at its root the verb zeō, which literally means to be so hot as to make water boil. When someone is jealous for the wrong things or the wrong reasons, their passion runs so hot that in english they can be said to be boiling. Clearly, misplaced zeal can have devastating effects. But in the right set of circumstances, having a zealouté for God’s higher gifts is certainly admirable! We shouldn’t settle for lesser things to rile us up with boiling fervor, because when we do our eyes are taken off of what matters most. The Corinthians were allowing lower and lesser affections to steal their heart, and Paul uses this concept of passion for the higher gifts to reveal a more excellent way, the way of love. What has “gotten your blood boiling” lately?

Declaration of the Week
I refuse to keep my gifts, personality and uniqueness to myself.

Application
In what ways do I need to risk connection?

Music Response
Music is prayerfully selected to further engage the themes shared in the message. Now you can respond with those songs during the week via the “Deconstructed” series playlist. (New songs will be added throughout the series!) To listen through the songs from this week’s worship set on our Spotify playlist, click here!