Study in 1 Corinthians - Session 18
Study in 1 Corinthians - Session 18 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 18 viewsNotes
Transcript
Rejoin the believers in Corinth
Rejoin the believers in Corinth
These believers are facing troubles in their gathering. It appears that there is a large issue going on with this gift of tongues. Paul wants to properly talk with these folks about these gifts as other things like prophecy are something they are familiar with as well. Remember if someone curses Jesus, then it is not the proper use of a gift. Might that tongue be coming from another spiritual being?
So now Paul is wanting to talk to us about how our services are held in Corinth. We must remember the context. Somehow there was a lot of disruption happening in the gatherings.
20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
Interesting how Paul determines how he wants people to associate and what it means to be mature. Notice the contrast between a child, an infant, and being mature.
21 In the Law it is written, “By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord.
This comes from the OT, specifically IS 28:11
1 Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent; As a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction, Like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.
3 The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden under foot.
4 And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley, Will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer, Which one sees, And as soon as it is in his hand, He swallows it.
5 In that day the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people;
6 A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.
7 And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter when rendering judgment.
8 For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place.
9 “To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?
10 “For He says, ‘Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.’ ”
11 Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue,
It is so important that we understand context here, so let’s talk about what was happening in Israel at this time. The nation had split into two after the reign of Solomon. The northern tribes were called Israel, the southern Judah. The north had already been invaded by the Assyrians, and now the prophet was warning the ruling class of their impending doom because of how they were not following the ways of Yahweh. Notice the worship practices though and how the people acted, and now consider the context that Paul mentions about being mature.
22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.
Interesting that the quote from Isaiah was obviously about people from other nations coming to Samaria, but it is in a tongue (language) they could not yet understand. Notice which gift is for who?
23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?
It will look like fools to the unbeliever.
When someone prophecies though, look how it is viewed.
24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
Why? Because that which is hidden has become known and the unbeliever has no other way for these people to have known the secret things.
26 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
Again Paul implores that all of this should be done in such a way to act as encouragement to others.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; 28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.
This would almost imply that someone either played the role of interpreter or knew they had the gift before even the person speaking in tongues started. So do you know what language you speak before you start?
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.
How could they pass judgement on what was spoken if it had not happened yet? What was Paul expecting by writing this? Were there organized prophetic judges? Based on previous comments, those in attendance would be speaking about someone in the congregation and what was done in secret.
30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.
I can only imagine this is something like being in a gathering and a prophetic utterance is made. Not in a specific tongue, but a language everyone could comprehend. Perhaps it was about something happening in the life of someone in the gathering. This issue would be exposed then by the person it was being spoken of. Perhaps an individual that was a guest and realized that something supernatural was happening.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; 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.
Paul is talk about how the meeting is organized in some detail now. We must also keep in mind that we have to pay attention to the culture of the time. Something was happening in the gathering where people were accustomed to talking over one another like at the temples of the Roman gods.
Arguing its applicability to a current context is useless as we live in two totally different context. So you might say “well where do we draw the line on when context matters and when we can ignore it?”
When it changes the message of the Bible, it seems that we are certainly in a spot that is not suitable to
34 The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.
What was happening with women in the church?
We cannot know with what evidence we have right now, but it had to be unruly.
35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.
Questions were happening among believers. Many scholars have surmised that perhaps the women were being disruptive. Truth is, we really do not know. We know Paul felt he needed to address it. So the real question now is how do we handle this kind of saying in a modern context. Again we are trapped by a question of which parts are universal vs which parts are meant for the people it was specifically written to.
4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. 5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.
Obviously Paul knew women would be prophesying in the church gatherings, so then the question is why silence in chapter 14?
36 Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? 37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.
“From you” is Paul most likely speaking generally to the arrogant people of the gathering. Somehow these people as we have already seen have an elevated place within their mind of who they are compared to other people.
Remember spiritual here means mature.
38 But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.
does not recognize = to disregard
39 Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. 40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.
So what is all this really about? Why did this needed to be included in our Scriptures?
Remember these letters would be shared with typically many churches. Obviously the fellowship of believers was fragile in Paul’s mind. It would be one thing if Paul just went around making sure people were praying a prayer to be “saved.” Paul though cares about the foundation that is being laid. There are so many things though that Paul writes that seem out of place to our world today. How are we to measure these things and not be viewed as someone holding a pair of scissors up to the Scriptures justifying ourselves in removing things that we do not like or cannot draw a correlation to modern times? Scripture is not meant to confuse. Also scripture clearly teaches that men and women are no longer distinguished in the heavenly, but until then how does that impact our learning of the way Yahweh intends for us to treat one another?