The apostle Paul wrote to a church that believed that they were pretty smart. The Corinthian church had gnostic ideas that they were acting out. They felt superior and yet they were sinful in ways that we would blush at even today. Paul had to correct them and he did so without holding back. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul taught them to rely on the Holy Spirit instead of human wisdom.
The multifaceted gnostic belief impacting the Corinthians involved a “mystery” knowledge, that only a select few could know. Out of this came a hierarchial system of authority. Also, they apparently embraced the gnostic principles of “More spirit, less mind. More mind, less spirit” and “The body is evil anyway, so do whatever you want.”
Thinking they were more “spiritual” through these things, they actually became susceptible to the pragmatic human wisdom that concerns itself with “the bottom line”. This view leads to manipulative forms of activity, in order to affect a desired result. In effect, the very motivations for “worship” were being corrupted.
Jesus made it clear that true worship is an expression of love for God “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind”. (Matthew 22:37) All parts of our being work in tandem as we worship God. One part is no less important than the other. Paul reiterated Jesus’ words when he said “I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also”. (1 Corinthians 14:15)
Words mean something when they come from a mind that understands. A parrot could say “I worship you” but has no understanding. A robot could say “I love you” but does not understand. But a human being, created in God’s image, can know the meaning of the words he speaks – or sings. We are honouring our very Creator when we engage our minds regarding decisions about worship and during our expressions of worship themselves.
The Bible is a great tool for a worshiper. In it we, with our minds, see the God who has no equal, who loves and forgives. For example, Psalm 118 is not only an encouragement to praise the Lord, it tells us why we should do so. Understanding the reason for an action requires our intellect. Any time we are about to express our worship, we are wise to focus our thoughts on the greatness of God and love him with our minds. We appreciate your Comments
