1 Corinthians Study

I.       Verse 10

A.    Prophesy here means “ to declare the will of God”

B.    Discerning of Spirits means “the ability to distinguish between the false and the true Spirit

C.    Kinds of tongues means “ known languages”

1.     Divers is not in the Bible

2.     Unknown is not in the Bible

II.     Chapter 13

A.    Verse 1

1.     During this time when Paul writes this to the Cor. Church, they were using their gifts wrong (selfishly) not for the glory of God

2.     This is why he bring in the subject of love

B.    Note: When we see in the Bible “Walking in the Spirit” it generally means “day–to–day obedience to the Word of God and submission to the Lord”

C.     The Corinthian Christians were not walking in the Spirit. They were selfish, self–designing, self–willed, self–motivated, and doing everything possible to promote their own interests and welfare. Everyone was doing his own thing for his own good, with little or no regard for others. The Corinthians did not lack in any gift, but they were terribly deficient in spiritual fruit, because they were not walking in the source and power both of the gifts and of the fruit.[1]

D.    The Corinthians held speaking in tongues as one of the best gifts

E.     Paul’s basic point in 13:1, however, is to convey the idea of being able to speak all sorts of languages with great fluency and eloquence, far above the greatest linguist or orator.[2]

F.     That the apostle is speaking in general and hypothetical terms is clear from the expression tongues … of angels. There is no biblical teaching of a unique or special angelic language or dialect. In the countless records of their speaking to men in Scripture, they always speak in the language of the person being addressed. There is no indication that they have a heavenly language of their own that men could learn. Paul simply is saying that, were he to have the ability to speak with the skill and eloquence of the greatest men, even with angelic eloquence,[3]

G.    The Corinthians considered these tongues to be languages of the angels. Such was the association of tongues—speaking in pagan worship at Corinth. When a priest or devotee spoke in tongues it was considered that he spoke in the language of the gods[4]

H.    Could a man speak all the languages on earth, and that with the greatest propriety, elegance, and fluency, could he talk like an angel, [5]

I.       When angels speak in the Bible, they speak in the languages understood by their human hearers. Paul’s distinction between tongues of humans and angels implied that the angels spoke another language among themselves. In Paul’s day there was speculation about what languages the angels spoke among themselves and in God’s presence. Paul covered the entire range of language, from the languages spoken in heaven to the languages of men, in order to stress that the form of any language without the content of edifying love is worthless.[6]

III.    Chapter 13:8

A.    Paul elsewhere described the purpose of gifts by an illustration employing the imagery of growth and maturity. According to Ephesians 4:11-16, the gifts were to be used to bring the church from a state of infancy to adult hood. The word translated “mature” in that passage (Eph. 4:13) is the word translated “perfection” (teleion) in 1 Corinthians 13:10. In the Ephesians passage, maturity is defined as “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ[7]

B.    What makes more sense? We don’t see prophecy any more, ever sense the Bible came out, we don’t see anything added, the Bible is complete. Why did tongues stop after the early church age?

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[1]MacArthur, J. (1996, c1984). 1 Corinthians. Includes indexes. (328). Chicago: Moody Press.

[2]MacArthur, J. (1996, c1984). 1 Corinthians. Includes indexes. (331). Chicago: Moody Press.

[3]MacArthur, J. (1996, c1984). 1 Corinthians. Includes indexes. (331). Chicago: Moody Press.

[4]KJV Bible commentary. 1997, c1994 (2320). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[5]Henry, M. (1996, c1991). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (1 Co 13:1). Peabody: Hendrickson.

[6]Hughes, R. B., & Laney, J. C. (2001). Tyndale concise Bible commentary. Rev. ed. of: New Bible companion. 1990.; Includes index. The Tyndale reference library (556). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

[7]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (2:536). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.