1Corinthians 14
Sunday Evening Bible Study
March 26, 2000
Introduction
Paul continues his teaching on the subject of spiritual gifts. He began back in chapter 12 with
(1 Cor 12:1 KJV) Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Keep in mind, this was a church that had all the gifts –
(1 Cor 1:7 NASB) so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Though they had all the gifts, they didn’t use them properly. Paul has been encouraging them to learn to use their spiritual gifts with love (ch. 13), now he gives some more specific instruction on the use of gifts within the church.
:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
There are some people who would give you the impression that instead of using spiritual gifts, that they are just going to love.
Paul says that the church needs BOTH.
Paul will explain why prophesy is a good gift as we go on.
:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
mysteries – musterion – hidden thing, secret, mystery
The content of a tongue is addressed to God.
When the gift of tongues is exercised, it is the working of the Holy Spirit with your human spirit, bypassing your brain, and speaking words that you don’t understand. The words aren’t addressed to human ears, they are addressed to God. They are the words of the Holy Spirit praying to the Father for you.
A tongue may be prayer as in interceding for something or someone, or a tongue may be in the form of praise to God, but either way, it is addressed to God.
In some Pentecostal churches, there is a tradition of the "message in tongues", where a person speaks in a tongue, and then the interpretation comes as if it’s addressed to the church and that God was speaking to the church in tongues. This is an incorrect interpretation. It may indeed be a legitimate use of prophecy, but just at the wrong time. There should be an interpretation first.
God has no reason to speak to us in a language that we don’t understand. It is the gift of prophecy where God will use a person to speak to the church, not tongues.
:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
Prophecy addresses or "speaks unto" men.
There are three types of things that prophesy usually may contain:
:4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
The person who speaks in a tongue is built up as the Holy Spirit is working through them.
:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
Paul isn’t saying that we shouldn’t speak in tongues. Tongues are good.
But in church, the gift of prophecy has greater value because it is aimed at building up the church.
:6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
The church isn’t going to be built up by hearing strange, foreign sounds.
revelation – apokalupsis – laying bear, making naked; a disclosure of truth, instruction; concerning things before unknown
I also see "revelation" here as a general category, with knowledge, prophecy, and teaching as being types of revelation.
doctrine – teaching
:7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
When my kids turn on my keyboard and start playing, they’re just making noise. There’s no rhythm, melody, or harmony. It’s just noise.
ie - play all the notes to "Mary had a little lamb" at once. You can’t tell what I’m playing unless I produce a distinction in the notes.
Tongues without the understanding of interpretation is just noise.
:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
Trumpets have been used throughout history as a way of giving instructions to an army to charge, retreat, regroup, etc. But if the trumpeter doesn’t know what he’s playing, the army is confused.
:9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
voices – phone – a sound, a tone; a voice; speech. There’s lots of sounds in the world, and they all mean something.
:11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
Just because every sound means something, if I don’t know what it means, then it’s just noise to me. The person making the sound is just a barbarian.
barbarian – barbaros – one whose speech is rude, rough and harsh; one who speaks a foreign or strange language which is not understood by another. The Greeks called all who didn’t understand their language barbars. Their language sounded to the Greeks as bar-bar-bar.
:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Paul is glad they like spiritual gifts. Now they need to learn to use them properly. The proper use of gifts in church is to use them to build up others.
Lesson
Working to build others up.
Complaining - Many people have it backward. They feel that the church should edify them. They go to the pastor and complain, "How come we aren’t doing this? How come we don’t do that?" I’m afraid it’s not all too common for someone to say, "What can I do to build up the church?"
:13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
This is in the context of being in church. If you are having your personal time with the Lord, and you are speaking in tongues, you are already building yourself up and you don’t have to necessarily pray for there to be an interpretation.
:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
This is how tongues work.
My spirit prays but my mind doesn’t benefit from it.
:15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also:
Note:
tongues = with the spiritHere we have the introduction of a new term for tongues, "praying with the spirit". Can also be translated "praying by the Spirit" or "praying in the Spirit".
Eph.6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.
(Jude 1:20-21 KJV) But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, {21} Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
We don't often look at passages like this as specifically praying in tongues, but I wonder...
Paul has been talking about praying in an unknown tongue (vs.14), and that when I pray with a tongue, my spirit prays.
Now he continues with the same idea, calling the act of praying in tongues as "praying with the spirit".
Again, Paul doesn’t want us to choose one over the other. We need to pray with the spirit and the understanding. Pray in tongues and pray with your mind in English.
:15 I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
sing – Paul is saying that you can sing in tongues as well.
(Eph 5:18-19 KJV) And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; {19} Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Could it be possible that "spiritual songs" might include singing in tongues? I think it’s possible.
There is a sense of the human will involved here. Paul chooses to pray and sing both with the spirit and the mind.
The exercise of the gift of tongues involves an exercise of your will. The Holy Spirit does not take away your sense of control, making you roll around on the floor and do things against your will. You have to choose to open your mouth and speak. The Holy Spirit responds to fill your mouth with words.
:16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit
One of the aspects of the gift of tongues is that of "blessing", the idea of praising God.
:16 how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
unlearned – idiotes – a private person as opposed to a magistrate, ruler, king; a common soldier, as opposed to a military officer; a writer of prose as opposed to a poet; in the NT, an unlearned, illiterate, man as opposed to the learned and educated: one who is unskilled in any art
Paul is talking about the person who doesn’t understand your words when you start to speak out in tongues. I don’t think he’s talking here about a person who doesn’t understand the gifts, he’s talking about a person who doesn’t understand the language.
If they don’t understand the message, how can they agree with you and say "Amen"?
Note: Tongues can be a form of thanksgiving.
:17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
When you give thanks with tongues, you will do a good job of giving thanks, but nobody else will get a blessing from it.
:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
For those who want to quench the gift of tongues, note that the Apostle Paul is claiming to exercise the gift quite often.
:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Two lessons here:
Lesson
English is best
Though we want to continue to grow in the exercise of tongues and interpretation in the church, don’t lose sight that God sees a greater value in us speaking in English that we can all understand and grow.
Lesson
Tongues are of value in your personal devotions
Paul speaks in tongues more than everyone, yet he seems to endorse restraint when he’s in church. That means that Paul was used to speaking in tongues when he was alone, praying to the Lord.
:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
There are some things where we ought to be like children.
In understanding the wicked ways of the world, we ought to be naïve little children.
But in understanding the ways of the Lord and how we are to act in church, we ought to grow up.
1Thess.5:19-22 Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.
:21-25 "Signs" of tongues and prophecy
This passage at first glance sounds confusing. First he says that tongues are a sign for the unbeliever, but that when he hears the gift, he thinks you're crazy! Then he says that prophecy is a sign for the believer, but in his example, he shows how an unbeliever can be saved through prophecy!
:21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
Paul is quoting from Isaiah 28, where God is warning the nation of Israel that they are going to be facing judgment because of their disobedience. God even promises to give these unbelieving Jews a sign that He is going to judge them because they will be taken captive by the fierce Assyrians, and they will be hearing people speaking to them in a strange, foreign language.
:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:
Part of the problem is how we understand the word "sign". I think we’ve come to think of it only as a sign to make people believe. Jesus did "signs and wonders" that made people believe in Him. But the word "sign" can also be a sign of something terrible.
sign – semeion – a sign, mark, token; of that which distinguishes a person or thing from others
The idea of "tongues" in Isaiah 28 is not a positive one, but one that is a sign of judgment on unbelieving people.
:22 but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
Prophecy, as we’ll see, is actually beneficial for all, but in different ways.
For the believer, prophecy brings edification, exhortation, and consolation.
For the unbeliever, prophecy brings conviction and examination.
:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
This is the "sign" to the unbeliever, it’s not a sign in the sense that it makes them believe, it’s a sign in the sense that it shows they are unbelievers, just like the Israelites in Isaiah 28.
Lesson:
Uncontrolled tongues are not for mixed crowds.
Paul is saying that the use of the gift of tongues should not be practiced by everyone in a large group where there are unbelievers present.
They'll think you're crazy.
When people visit the hyper-Pentecostal churches, where everyone is speaking in tongues, the general consensus is not "Gosh, God is sure here …", but they usually just think that the people are all nuts.
:24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
convinced – convicted
:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
In a mixed crowd, believers and unbelievers, prophecy is far better because it is understood by the unbelievers.
God reveals secrets and people are convicted.
Note: The exercising of the gifts can be done very naturally. There are times when I am aware that I am exercising the gift of prophesy while I’m teaching. There are times when I am unaware of it, but it’s still operating (I know because I get comments like, "Have you been following me around all week?"). Don’t think that just because something isn’t prefaced with "Thus saith the Lord", that it’s not prophetic.
:26- Rules for gifts
:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
There are two radically different ways of approaching this verse:
I've heard of people using this verse as a blueprint for worship.
He's saying that there's too much going on, and they need to restructure so that the church is built up, and not confused.
I think by the way that Paul instructs in the following verses, that this is the case, that there was too much confusion, and everybody wanted to say something.
:27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
Rules for tongues:
1. There's a limit.
If tongues are allowed, there should be no more than three people allowed to exercise the gift, and they are to take turns.
In many Pentecostal churches, they have times where everybody is supposed to speak out in tongues at the same time!
2. Public tongues only with interpretation.
Tongues are only to be allowed if there is someone with the gift of interpretation.
3. Uninterpreted tongues should be quiet.
If there is no interpreter, this doesn't mean that the gift of tongues can't be exercised.
The tongues can be spoken quietly, and still build up the speaker as he/she prays to the Lord.
:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
:30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
:32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
Rules for prophesy.
1. There's a limit to prophesy.
Just as with tongues, no more than three.
2. Judge the prophecies.
Here's where I see us getting into trouble.
We can get into our minds the idea that if a person is speaking like a prophet, then they must be a prophet.
NO! We must always be "testing" the prophets.
When the gift of prophesy is being exercised in our church (usually Sunday or Wednesday nights), I will make a point of responding to the prophesy, something like, "Lord may we do just that …", in a way giving a judgment on the prophesy.
There have been a few times (only a few), where I've had to speak up and say, "I don't think this is from the Lord".
How do we judge prophesy?
a. The filter of God's Word.
God isn't going to contradict something He's already spoken in His Word. (Deut.13)
b. The filter of fulfillment.
If it doesn't happen, then it wasn't the Lord. (Deut.18)
c. The filter of discernment.
I think the gift of "discerning of spirits" may play into this as well.
3. Don't hog the time.
Sometimes others have something to share too.
There's a danger with beginning to speak for the Lord where we want to elaborate on what God's spoken. Sometimes it's best to just give the message and shut up.
Others have shared with me how sometimes some people can go on and on and on, and even though they have felt that the Lord had something for them to pray, they didn't say it, because the whole thing was going so long.
I see this being applied to the time when we pray and wait upon the Lord.
Does this mean that we can interrupt Rich?
I don't think so! That would be confusion during a Bible Study.
4. It is possible to control the gifts.
There are two aspects of this:
a) When a person is speaking, they need to realize that they must submit their message to those around them for judgment.
b) When a person is speaking, they need to realize that they have control over themselves.
Some people give the impression that the Spirit makes us lose control, and just about anything can happen because "the Spirit made me do it!" Not so.
:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
This is one of the guiding principles to church worship.
God does not create confusion.
When you go into a church service, and it's out of control, it's not God at work.
:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
It helps to understand the situation of those days, and the context of the passage.
In those days, women were still segregated from the men in the worship service.
This came from the times of the Jewish synagogue, where the women would sit behind a screen in the back of the synagogue.
Also, keep in mind that women for the most part were unlearned and ignorant of spiritual things, after all, they were second class humans.
But when Jesus came along, women were liberated, and allowed to participate, though yet in a limited way.
So here’s these gals sitting off by themselves, and the preacher says, "We must be sanctified …"
And Wilma down in the second row says to herself, "What’s sanctified?"
Deciding to ask the only person she thinks knows the answer, she yells across the church, "Hey Fred, what does he mean by sanctified?"
And so Paul says that the gals should keep their questions until after the service, in fact, they should be asking their husbands these things at home.
It’s a shame for anybody to disrupt the service.
:36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
Paul's saying that if someone is going to try and claim that Paul's not teaching correctly, they ought to know that in fact he's giving God's commands on these issues.
:38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
If you're going to be stupid, be stupid.
:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
Don't be going and throwing out the baby with the bath water.
We need to desire to prophesy, but we shouldn't quench the tongues at the same time.
:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
Here is the over-riding principle in church worship, that things be done decently and in order.