Peacocks are often used as a symbol of pride and vanity. The male peafowl are known for their piercing calls and their extravagant plumage. It can be quite the sight to see a peacock preening in full strut.
The preening peacock’s full tail feather display not only attracts the peahens, but it gets the attention of any creature in his vicinity, including humans.
In 1 Corinthians chapters 11-14, the Apostle Paul is cautioning Christians against drawing attention to themselves in public worship. Paul uses several examples to show the Corinthians how their selfish actions are detracting from the worship ordinances, which Paul has delivered to the church.
In his first example, Paul uses a local cultural custom to demonstrate that Christ is the head of the church. In his last example, Paul exhorts them to charity in all things, especially in Christian congregational worship. In between these two examples, Paul uses other illustrations for reproof and rebuke of the Corinthians’ many worship errors.
The key verse to chapters 11 - 14, is 1 Corinthians 11:1. In which Paul uses himself as an example of how to live the Christian life: 1 Corinthians 11:1. “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
If I had to concisely sum up Paul’s very detailed teaching in these chapters it would be as follows: Christ is the head of the church, make sure your actions reflect Christ and not yourself. the Lord’s Supper (Communion) should be done with the same reverence that Jesus demonstrated at “The Last Supper” with his apostles before his crucifixion!
All spiritual gifts are for edification of the “Body of Christ” (the visible church), and these gifts should glorify Christ and not lift up the person demonstrating the gift.
Additionally, Paul gives a litmus test, which is a simple test to determine which side of the line you are on.
That litmus test is charity: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 KJV “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, [5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; [6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; [7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. [8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
Paul concludes his instructions for public worship with very short summary statement: 1 Corinthians 14:40 “Let all things be done decently and in order.”