Big Idea: Christian worship gatherings must be conducted in an orderly fashion to avoid confusion and to ensure that the character of Christ is clearly portrayed throughout the service. Individuals desiring to share their gifts must submit to the greater purpose of portraying Christ.

Understanding the Text

Having dealt generally with the matter of tongue speaking (the exercise of private devotion) in a public gathering, Paul now turns to the more specific subject of how several of the questions he addressed in the previous sections relate to a public worship gathering. Since a primary objective of a Christian worship service is to honor Christ, Christ followers must make sure their gathering bears witness to the character and self-giving love of Christ. Pulling together his broader discu…