Purpose Driven or Scripture Driven? - Way of Life Literature

ecome like a Southern Californian to reach SouthernCalifornians.”Let us take a closer look at this portion of Scripture foundin 1 Corinthians 9. First, the apostle is not defining in thistext the purpose and character of the worship service of thelocal church. Instead, this discourse is the personal testimonyof Paul, the evangelistically-minded missionary, as he tookthe message of Christ to the lost in their respectivecommunities, cultures and circumstances. Second, the“assembling together of the saints” on the first day of theweek, Sunday, was for the purpose of being built up in thefaith, of giving attendance to the “reading [of the Scriptures],to exhortation [the charge to continue in God’s truth], todoctrine [the teaching of ‘all the counsel of God’]”--1Timothy 4:13.The overwhelming volume of instruction in the epistleswas given to the elders of the churches and to ones such asTimothy and Titus who were to “set in order the things whichare wanting” (Titus 1:5). This apostolic instruction had to dowith what the Christian was to believe and how he was to“behave [himself] in the house of God, which is the churchof the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim.3:15). For Warren to suggest that the church’s purpose is toprovide common ground for the “seeker” and present himonly positive Biblical texts that speak to his emotional,psychological and inter-personal “needs” is absolutelyludicrous! The pastor is to preach the Word--all of it--or itceases to be “the pillar and ground of the truth”!The purpose of 1 Corinthians 9 is not to define the church’sworship service, but rather it details the resolute purpose andgodly motivation of the apostle Paul to take the Gospel ofJesus Christ to all, Jew and Gentile, bond or free, regardlessof the ethnic, cultural or social standing the lost might have.121