Bible verses about "order in the church" | WPNT

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its name, ¹⁶ that He\up6 [F]\up0 may grant you, according to the riches of His glory: \up6 1)\up0 to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man; ¹⁷ \up6 2)\up0 Christ to dwell in your hearts through the faith, having been rooted and established in love ¹⁸ so that you may be fully able to grasp (with all saints) what is the breadth and length and depth and height; ¹⁹ and \up6 3)\up0 to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge—so that you may be fulfilled into all the fullness of God.

²² In short, He\up6 [F]\up0 placed everything under His\up6 [S]\up0 feet and appointed Him to be Head over everything in the Church, ²³ which is His body, the complement of Him who fills everything in every way.

¹ Now concerning the spiritual things, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. ² You know that when you were pagans you were always led toward the mute idols, being carried away. ³ Therefore I inform you that no one speaking by God’s Spirit calls Jesus accursed, and no one can declare Jesus to be Lord except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴ Now there are allotments of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ And there are allotments of ministries, and the same Lord. ⁶ And there are allotments of activities, but the same God is He who works them all, in all. ⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the common good. ⁸ So to one a word of wisdom is given, by the Spirit; to another a word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; ⁹ to a different one faith, by the same Spirit; to another presents of healings, by the same Spirit; ¹⁰ to another workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discernings of spirits; to a different one kinds of languages, to another interpretation of languages. ¹¹ However, the one and the same Spirit produces all of these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. ¹² Now just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, though being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. ¹³ For we also were all baptized into one body by one Spirit—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and were all given to drink into one Spirit. ¹⁴ For in fact the body is not one part but many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” it would not therefore cease to be of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” it would not therefore cease to be of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? ¹⁸ But God has really placed the members in the body, each one of them, just as He pleased. ¹⁹ (If the whole were just one member, where would the body be? ²⁰ But in fact the parts are many but the body one.) ²¹ Further, the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you;” nor again the head to the feet, “I don’t need you.” ²² Much to the contrary, those members of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ And the parts of the body that we consider to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentables have special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentables don’t need it. Yes, God has blended the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacks it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another; ²⁶ and if one member suffers, all the members should suffer along, or if one member is honored, all the members should rejoice along. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. ²⁸ And those whom God has appointed in the Church are: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; after that miracles, then presents of healings, helps, administrations, kinds of languages. ²⁹ All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not miracle workers, are they? ³⁰ All do not have presents of healings, do they? All do not speak languages, do they? All do not interpret, do they? ³¹ But earnestly desire the best gifts. And now I show you a most excellent way.

¹ Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men ² —on behalf of kings and all who are in authority, that we may live a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. ³ Because this is good and pleasing to our Savior God, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come into a real knowledge of Truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men—a man! —Jesus Christ, ⁶ who gave Himself as a ransom on behalf of all people (to be testified in its own seasons), ⁷ to which ransom I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying—a teacher of nations in faith and truth. ⁸ So I desire that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument. ⁹ Similarly the women also, dressing themselves in appropriate clothing, with modesty and good sense; not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, ¹⁰ but with good works, which is appropriate to women who profess godliness. ¹¹ Let a woman learn in silence, in full subordination. ¹² I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. ¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴ Also, Adam was not deceived; rather, the woman, being deceived, became a transgressor. ¹⁵ However, she will be saved through the Childbirth —if they continue in faith, love and holiness, with self-control.

¹⁵ Make every effort to render yourself approved by God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, handling the Word of the Truth correctly.

¹ Here is a trustworthy word: if a man aspires to the position of overseer, he desires a good work. ² Now then, it is obligatory for the overseer to be above reproach, a one woman man, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, good at teaching, ³ not a drinker, not a bully, not corrupt [financially], but gentle, peaceful, not greedy; ⁴ one who rules his own house well, having children who obey him with due respect ⁵ (for if a man doesn’t know how to rule his own house, how can he take care of God’s congregation?); ⁶ not a recent convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same judgment that the devil did. ⁷ Also, it is necessary for him to have a good reputation with those who are outside the congregation, so as not to fall into reproach and the devil’s snare. ⁸ Similarly, deacons must be respectable, not deceitful, not heavy drinkers, not corrupt [financially]; ⁹ holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. ¹⁰ But let these also first be tested; then, if they are blameless, let them serve as deacons. ¹¹ Similarly, women must be respectable, not slanderers, temperate, trustworthy in everything. ¹² Let deacons be one woman men, ruling their children and their own houses well. ¹³ For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and considerable confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Although I hope to come to you shortly, I am writing these things to you ¹⁵ in case I am delayed, so that you may know how it is necessary to conduct oneself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶ Yes, the mystery of our religion is confessedly great: God was manifested in flesh, was vindicated in spirit, was revealed to angels, was proclaimed among nations, was believed in the world, was received up in glory!

⁵ I left you in Crete for this reason, that you should set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every town as I directed you

⁴ Because just as in one body we have many parts, but all the parts do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. ⁶ Since we have different spiritual gifts according to the grace that was given us, let us use them : if prophecy, according to the analogy of the Faith; ⁷ if serving, in the serving; if teaching, in the teaching; ⁸ if exhorting, in the exhortation; the sharer, with simplicity; the leader, with diligence; the mercy-shower, with cheerfulness.

¹¹ Yes, He Himself gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints into the work of the ministry, so as to build up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain into the unity of the faith and of the real knowledge of the Son of God, into a complete man, into the resulting full stature of Christ; ¹⁴ so that we no longer be ‘infants’, tossed about as by waves and carried off by every doctrinal fad, through the underhanded dealings of the people who collect the fee for the error; ¹⁵ rather, speaking the truth in love, let us in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, Christ; ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, being fitted and knit together by what every joint supplies, as each individual part does its work, promotes its own growth, its own edification, in love.

⁴⁰ Let all things be done properly and in order.

²⁶ So what goes on, brothers? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a ‘language’, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a ‘language’, let it be two—at the most three—and in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church; let him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others evaluate. ³⁰ But if another who is sitting by receives a revelation, the first should stop speaking. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be encouraged. ³² Yes, spirits of prophets are subordinate to prophets. ³³ Further, God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, ³⁴ your wives should keep silent in the assemblies, for they are not permitted to speak, but to be in subordination, as the law also says. ³⁵ If they want to learn about something, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for women to speak in church. ³⁶ Or was it from you that the Word of God went forth? Or was it only to you that it came? ³⁷ If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I write to you are the Lord’s commands. ³⁸ But if anyone is ignorant, let him remain so. ³⁹ So then, brothers, seek to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in ‘languages’. ⁴⁰ Let all things be done properly and in order.