EDIFICATION BEFORE EXALTATION
1 Corinthians 14
14:1-12
It’s better to minister in understandable words that strengthen the church,
than in unintelligible sounds that no one understands.
The church that had everything --EXCEPT LOVE
LACK OF LOVE EVIDENT IN ATTITUDE ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS 12-14
The problem at Corinth
Some think this is the gift to have–it’s the ultimate proof that we have the Spirit.
Paul insists that all who trust Christ have the Spirit.
Various distinct gifts are evident in the body-no one has them all-all are important.
God gives them to each one as He sees fit.
However, tongues comes last in importance.
If you want to seek something go for a more important gift than that.
If you want to seek something go for spiritual fruit before spiritual gifts.
LOVE COMES FIRST!
DIVERSITY OF GIFTS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST 12
Bodies are made up of many different, but essential, parts! So is the body of Christ.
SUPERIORITY OF LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER 13
SPIRITUAL FRUIT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Love comes first!
Spiritual fruit receives more emphasis than all the gifts put together.
Don't get hung up on the secondary!
Any spiritual gift used without love is just noise!
Gifts used with an attitude of superiority are noisy, but useless!
When we emphasize spiritual gifts, we emphasize what is temporary.
When we emphasize love, we emphasize what will never pass away!
EXERCISE OF GIFTS IN PUBLIC WORSHIP 14:1-40
Paul concludes this discussion with specific application of principles concerning the practice of tongues in public worship–in the church.
While he deals with specific instruction concerning tongues, he never drifts very far from their basic problem: their lack of love and concern for one another.
True worship is NOT about my preferences.
True worship is NOT about my experience.
True worship is NOT about what I want.
What’s important in public worship is building up one another!
It’s about strengthening the church!
Paul’s discussion of tongues in worship concludes with a description of the proper use of tongues in the church.
10 X he refers to the church in dealing with the issue in this chapter.
Paul isn’t dealing with their use in private, neither pro nor con.
He isn’t talking about what you do in your own home.
If that’s true, how good a biblical case can you make for their use in private?!!
Actually, every passage people apply to private worship
either refers back to public worship in the context (vv. 14-15 -> vv.16-17),
or at least potentially applies to that scene (v. 28; v. 18 -> Acts 2, 10-11, 19).
SUPERIORITY OF PROPHECY TO TONGUES 14:1-19
To place tongues in proper perspective among the gifts,
Paul demonstrates the superiority of prophecy to tongues.
Three imperatives-apparently in order of priority- 14:1
Priority # 1 Pursue love.
Priority # 2 Earnestly desire spiritual gifts.
Priority # 3 Desire that you may prophesy.
Paul places all three of these pursuits above tongues.
They have turned the process upside down and are doing just the opposite.
It’s better to minister in words that are understandable
than in unintelligible sounds.
THE GOAL IS EDIFICATION-to build up one another!
10 X Paul emphasizes the importance of edification in this chapter.
Eph. 4 tells us God has given gifted people to the church to equip people for ministry –for the edification–the building up and strengthening of the body of Christ.
=> until we all become like the Son.
=> until we all become all that God wants us to be.
It ISN’T so that we’ll feel important or feel good about ourselves.
It ISN’T so that we’ll attract people’s attention.
It’s so that we’ll build up and strengthen one another!
It’s to help each other become all that God wants us to be.
Our love for one another will be evident when we care more about building up one another than we do about drawing attention to ourselves, to our abilities, and to what WE want! –That’s the Corinthian’s problem!
This is true whether the communication is with God or about God.
The goal is to build up one another and strengthen the body of Christ!
What about Paul’s use of tongues outside the church? 14:18-19
The use outside the church isn't private tongues
That’s never mentioned here or anywhere else!
Scriptural reference to tongues outside the church is to their public use, among unconverted people, as a sign to authenticate a message from God.
In Acts, it’s used three times-a known language,
used to convince the witnesses that "God is behind this."
What about Paul’s reference to "praying with his spirit?" 14:14-17
The idea is that our prayer should not be in spirit alone,
because no one can understand what you’re saying.
Paul is clearly talking about public prayer, not private prayer.
Otherwise it makes no sense.
He wants us to pray under the control of the Spirit,
but in an understood tongue, so others can join in (16-17)
There’s NO justification here for any form of praying in tongues
that the speaker doesn't understand.
It is, in fact, an appeal for the opposite–that our minds be involved also.
The subject is still public worship.
How does Rom. 8:26 relate to the issue of private prayer in tongues?
This description could fit the expression used by charismatics today.
However, what the text says is that we don't always know how to pray correctly concerning our needs.
Therefore, the Spirit communicates directly with the Father
in our behalf, in a way that is too deep for words.
It doesn't say He speaks a different language.
The way He expresses Himself to the Father is so profound that words of any language would never be adequate to communicate it.
God understands; He knows what the Spirit has on His mind; they’re One.
14:18-19 "I speak in tongues more than you all"
If it's true that understandable words are better than unintelligible words,
then why bother to speak in tongues at all Paul?
[ He goes on to explain the true . . . ]
PURPOSE OF TONGUES 14:20-25
The purpose of tongues:
NOT for use in the worship of the church,
NOT for believers
A sign for unbelievers. 14:21-22-Acts 2:8, 12, 16, 32-33, 36-43.
Three major periods of signs in biblical times:
Moses/Joshua; Elijah/Elisha; Jesus/apostles
(apart from these you find little evidence of signs!)
They demonstrate the authenticity of God's messenger and of his message.
Later they confirm that God has accepted a new group of believers (Acts 11:17).
Heb. 2:3-4
Common misuse of 1 Cor. 13 to prove tongues has ceased.
It does say they’re temporary.
But so is prophecy and knowledge.
I believe the purpose WAS temporary (though 1 Cor. 13 isn’t a strong proof!)
To establish God's spokesmen and His message for the new age of the church.
Heb. 2 is probably the best text. It looks back to that purpose–already in the past.
Later books that list gifts don't even mention it (Rom. 12; Eph. 4; 1 Pet. 4).
Even in 1 Cor. the emphasis is negative.
It's placed last in order of importance in the list (12:28).
Paul does use tongues! But he uses them according to that purpose.
In that sense Paul speaks in tongues more than they do.
It wasn’t intended for use in corporate worship.
It was intended to verify that God has spoken–a new message:
Christ–the Savior–has come to give life to those who trust Him.
No evidence is given that they were ever used in private worship.
TONGUES WERE GIVEN AS A SIGN FOR UNBELIEVERS
–NOT FOR BELIEVERS. 14:20-22
PRINCIPLES REGULATING TONGUES 14:26-35
When tongues are practiced in corporate worship,
Paul insists that certain regulations should be observed.
Necessity of order and control 14:26-33
To be used by two, or at most, three people.
Each is to take their turn; not all at once.
Someone must interpret, or the rest are to be silent.
There should not be confusion.
Women are to be silent.
They’re to be used in an orderly, controlled way
so they will edify rather than distract from worship.
Necessity of women's silence 14:34-35
Women are to remain silent.
This may indicate that at Corinth they’re actively involved in the use of tongues.
That is certainly true of the modern movement.
Whether that’s true here or not, they were being disruptive in worship.
Therefore Paul insists that they remain silent and stop interrupting worship.
CHURCH WORSHIP SHOULD BE ORDERLY AND EDIFYING!
ATTESTATION OF AUTHORITY 14:36-38
In conclusion, Paul points out that those who claim to speak for God will recognize His authority from God and submit to it in this matter.
CONCLUSION 14:39-40
Paul will not fight over the issue. AND NEITHER WILL I!
He doesn’t prohibit the practice of tongues but appeals for order in the use of the gift.
SEVEN CLEAR PRINCIPLES REGARDING THE GIFT OF TONGUES
1) Seek love before any spiritual gift. 12:31b-14:1
2) Understandable communication is better than
non-understandable communication 1-19 (19)
3) Tongues is never elevated above other gifts,
nor are we ever told to seek tongues.
4) Whatever we do in public worship
should be for the purpose of edifying one another. 12, 26
We “Build up to reach out.”
Tongues is specifically excluded from that category!
5) Tongues is intended to be a sign for unbelievers,
not a ministry to believers. 21-22
6) Public worship should be orderly and controlled. 26-40
Specific biblical guidelines are given
What doesn't conform to those guidelines isn't from God.
Disorder, confusion, or lack of control are evidence that this isn't God's work
The speaker must be able to control it!
7) We should not forbid speaking in tongues. 39
-HOWEVER, Paul certainly does correct the abuse of their use.
WARNINGS ABOUT THE PRIVATE USE OF TONGUES
(Though Paul isn’t addressing that issue here, . . . )
This is the only passage where Paul speaks of tongues this way.
The context is negative, not positive.
Form your opinion from the Word,
before you have to relate it to the experience.
Never come to an issue like this, on the basis of our experience,
trying to justify our experience on the basis of the Word.
A friend: “I don’t care what the Bible says, I know what I’ve experienced!”
Start with the Word–that’s our final authority regarding truth!
1) Spiritual fruit is more important than any spiritual gift.
The fruit includes love, humility and self-control
If this is from God, it won't produce a proud, self-centered attitude.
It won't be accompanied by a "roller coaster" spiritual life.
If you're going to seek something, seek fruit.
Let God take care of the gifts.
2) Satan can counterfeit any spiritual gift.
He comes as an "Angel of light"
He enjoys impressing people with supernatural shows-displays of power.
Anyone who has to have spectacular displays of power as a basis for his faith is on a shaky foundation.
In the end times, many will be deceived and led astray by supernatural displays from Satan's messengers.
Set your foundation on the rock, on God's Word; NOT on human experience!
3) Tongues-speaking, when produced by God’s Spirit,
will conform to God’s Word.
You will never be led to go against the Word of God
when controlled by the Spirit of God.
God won't give His gift of tongues to religious people who follow other religious systems but refuse to trust His Son, as the only way to Him.
God's gift isn't produced by fleshly attempts to "work it up."
If you have to learn how to "get it going", it's not the gift of the Spirit!
God's gift isn't a new form of demonic practices.
If you have come from a family or personal background in the occult, beware of a predisposition to this gift.
New "white" forms of the same old masters
often return to deceive and destroy their former subjects.
4) The contemporary form of speaking in tongues is never commanded, nor described in Scripture.
In Acts tongues were known languages.
In 1 Corinthians they’re used in public worship,
only when an interpreter is present to translate.
AVOID THE TENDENCY TO “THROW OUT THE BABY WITH THE BATH WATER"
There’s a tendency in churches to avoid any reference to the Holy Spirit so that we not be confused with "charismatics". We're afraid of anything emotional.
WE DON’T NEED TO BE AFRAID OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
* Seek genuine spiritual power to live a godly life,
NOT an external, spectacular sign.
* Pursue the control of the Holy Spirit.
* Pursue communion with God above all else.
* God's Word is to guide our experience;
NOT our experience God's Word.
* Our priority should be first, to love one another,
then, to build up and encourage one another.
It’s NOT to enjoy worship.
It’s NOT to have a great worship experience.
It’s NOT to exalt ourselves because of our great experience.