(Commentary on Pastor Keion’s Public Rebuke)

Them: That Pastor shouldn’t have told her to be quiet!

Also them: He was wrong!

The rest of them: You cant stop her praise! Cut the mic, etc…

Stay with me now (In my Ocho Sinco Voice) and keep reading because biblically pastors have a blueprint on how to deal with disturbances during service.

1 Corinthians 14:30–40 (ESV)

30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.

31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,

32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.

(DONT STOP READING PLEASE KEEP GOING)

35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. (Ill explain this later)

36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?

37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.

38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

First the passage above has been used at times to justify women not being able to preach or teach in church which is wrong and out of context! This is a specific letter to a specific church in Corinth that had an eerily similar issue that you see on social media regarding a pastor who had to silence a woman in his ministry, who from his experience, is a repeat offender of disturbing the service by shouting. During Pauls time the church in Corinth had an internal issue where some women in the church were speaking in tongues randomly AND without interpretation (Sound Familiar!) and was leaving people confused. Imagine being in a service that speaks english and someone with a foreign language just begins to prophesy in an unknown tongue (not heavenly as some would believe)…as in a language you dont know like french, spanish, swahili etc…it would lead to confusion among those that know the scriptures only in greek or hebrew or in our case english ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS NO INTERPRETER!

So as a solution to this Paul said to NOT forbid them speaking but to ask their husbands at home who may be bilingual to not disturb others. See the context? its a specific situation that one church had not the whole church…then he finishes with doing things in decency and in order which will make the service flow well for all who attend.

Now how does this relate to the current event where the pastor had to silence a parishioner who has interrupted the service (i.e., sowing discord among bretheren)?

Well, a good pastor can always tell between a cry out in the spirit and a cry out in the flesh. Most pastors allow both scenarios to happen in a service. Some people call it ” a baptist fit” others call it a Praise break…either way grace should be given…BUT if there is one person who repeatedly does it to be “seen” and it ONLY happens when the body is quiet in worship then its out of order. So how does one deal with this biblically?

Matthew 18:15-17 is the churches method of conflict resolution which is not going to be seen in a 30 second video clip. It covers one on one communication privately, then if the person doesnt listen there needs to be a meeting with witnesses or other lay members, then if that doesn’t work take it to the elders (leaders), then if that doesn’t work take it to the church then if that doesnt work avoid the person and tell them to leave the church.

So now that you see the biblical process of decency and order, guess which step biblically calls for open rebuke in public? When its taken to the church and only after the other 3 attempts have been addressed and ignored.

Part of the reason why there is a bit of backlash on Pastor Kieon is due to church folk being told over and over to NOT let anyone or anything stop your praise and that is ok…BUT that should not be at the expense of others who also have the right to worship in peace or not to be scared with a planned attention seeking outburst when things are quiet or are in a moment of reverence.

As a local pastor I have no problem with a sincere praise at any moment, BUT if you shout at the same time each service while the sermon is going on or ONLY when everyone else has finished a time of corporate worship THEN there will need to be a “conversation” Matthew 18:15-17 style.

and yes, I will tell you to hush in Jesus name

Selah

Dr. Andre Martin