3 Questions About 1 Corinthians 14:20-25

Date: October 13, 2020.

Text: 1 Corinthians 14:20-25

20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

Summary: Tongues and prophecy are two types of “proclamation” in public worship. Each appeals to a different audience. Tongues are appealing to believers. Prophecy is appealing to unbelievers.

What does this passage say about God (Father, Son, Spirit):

v. 21, God speaks to His people at times by strange tongues of foreigners.

v. 25, God is worshipped and declared to be among us.

What does this passage say about me and my relationships?

v. 20, We are to be mature spiritually.

v. 20, We are to be “babies” toward evil.

v. 21, Sometimes even with special declarations with tongues or foreigners we STILL do do listen to God.

v. 22, What is appealing to us in worship depends in large part to our previous experiences with God and whether or not we are believers already.

v. 23, Our unique worship experiences can seem “crazy” to outsiders.

v. 24, Conviction is a by-product of prophecy in public worship.

v. 25, A supernatuaral aspect of conviction in worship is that unbelivers sense that their secrets are know alrady to God.

v. 25, A sure-fire way to evaluate a worship service is when an outsider declares “God is really among you!”

What should I do about this passage?

When developing worship experiences keep in mind the different “audiences” who might be in attendance.