Spiritual Gifts: Prophesy/Tongues

Context matters, as we look at this section, it is important that we know what Paul is addressing, why Paul is addressing it, and how does this passage fit into the bigger picture.

This chapter, and our passage before us this morning can be a challenge to understand, unless you keep things in context. Some of what Paul is addressing when taken by itself it outside our time, outside our norm so we are looking back at what was going on then. Paul is addressing two spiritual gifts, tongues and prophesy. But wait, we need to keep things in context.

Context: Chapter 11 there is a shift from Paul directing from what he heard (1Cor1:11). He dealt with a variety of things, and in context all surrounded “division.”

1 Corinthians 1:11 NASB95

11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.

He has previously addressed:

Sectarianism (chapters. 1-3)

Followers of people not Christ.

Elevating people due to possessions and position

Not dealing with sin within the body (chapters 5-6)

Sexual sin not being addressed

Looking to the world to settle internal problems

So, not doing what they should be doing and then doing what they should not be doing.

Serving the Lord “as you are” (chapter 7)

Paul addresses M, D, R. in general and in serving God just as you are. Stay as you are as you were called.

Stumbling blocks, matters of conscience (chapters 8-9)

Don’t let food etc be a stumbling block to others

Don’t allow your freedom to bring bondage on others.

Be willing to forsake our liberty for the sake of others.

History as an example (chapter 10)

He uses Israel’s history to show examples of things to learn from and not do as Israel did.

Context: Chapter 11 he now starts to address the things they wrote to him concerning

Context: Chapter 12 regarding spiritual gifts

Context: Chapter 13 love is the most excellent gift, the most excellent way.

Now this brings us to our passage set before us this morning

Prophesy and tongues (false and true worship) (1Cor14:1-19)

Prophesy and tongues (effects of false and true worship) (1Cor14:20-25)

False and true worship

Context matters, maybe you have heard that before. Paul is still addressing spiritual gifts, the body, and the assembly.

This morning as we work our way through the passage I want us to piece meal it. While only in two sections I want to break it down more as we go to glean from the context then will go on about some principles to grasp and grow from.

1 Corinthians 14:1–2 NASB95

1 Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.

1 Corinthians 14:3 NASB95

3 But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.

1 Corinthians 14:4 NASB95

4 One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.

Question: What does Paul say to earnestly desire (v.1)?

Spiritual gifts, especially gift of prophesy.

In no way is Paul saying to dismiss the spiritual gifts, but to desire them, but desire them for God’s intended purpose and use.

Oh desire the gifts desire to reveal the heart of the Lord to the people in the assembly.

Question: Why does Paul escalate prophesy over tongues (v.2-3)?

Speaking in tongues is speaking to God, not men

Speaking in prophesy is to men with a purpose.

Not on the sheet, not on the screen: What is the purpose as you see in (v.3) - edification, exhortation and consolation!

Question: One who speaks in tongues edifies who? And one who prophesies edifies who (v.4)?

Tongues edifies self; Prophesy edifies the church.

Let me pause here for just a couple of minutes. Tongues was a spiritual gift that was common in the early church. It was a very desired gift, even may say a coveted gift. It was not a gift that all possessed and many, even like today “would work themselves into some type of self-hypnotism and deliberately induced hysteria according to commentator William Barclay and the result would be false and synthetic speaking with tongue.

The gift of prophesy can be of foretelling, or forthtelling and here in this context it is forthtelling. Forthtelling the message of God, and is that not what preaching does?

preaching must aim to build up the body

preaching must aim to encourage the body

preaching must aim to comfort the body

In this section Paul is addressing the danger of tongues and the superiority of prophesy, so that all who are there can understand and be edified.

Tongues addresses God not man, prophesy addresses men about God. One profits a man’s soul (tongues) and the other the bodies soul (prophesy). (see v.4)

I am putting in (vv.5-6) now, but will expand on them after the illustrations shown in (vv.7-8) and reasons given (vv.9-19)

1 Corinthians 14:5–6 NASB95

5 Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. 6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?

Paul says tongues, hey wish you all spoke in it, but it is unprofitable unless there is interpretation. I will get more into the prophesy part of these verses shortly.

Paul then goes on to give illustrations

1 Corinthians 14:7–8 NASB95

7 Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? 8 For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?

1 Corinthians 14:9 NASB95

9 So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.

Question: I think from the illustration (vv.7-8) the summation is found in (v.9), what do you conclude from that verse?

Speech that is clear is needed (implied).

Stop and grasp along the way:

Paul speaking of prophesy, forthtelling, preaching it comes from:

Direct revelation from God (from the word)

It brings knowledge, it is for learning so to mature, to fully equip the saints for the works of service

It is forthtelling the truth of God’s word. In Paul’s day it was telling facts of the Christian story, to us it is the bible, teaching, reminding of God’s truth from God’s word.

It is teaching, giving knowledge but also giving application

Just as a reminder Paul is addressing worship assembly issues and false and true worship. So grab this before we move on.

Worship is never selfish

it is always for the greater good, the common good, for the sake of all

Worship must be intelligible

it must be understandable if it is going to be applicable and bring comfort to the heart can only be accomplished if grasped in the mind first.

May we glean more from the next section? May we pull, glean from the scripture as we go through it.

1 Corinthians 14:10–11 NASB95

10 There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. 11 If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me.

There is no language in the world that is without meaning (v.10)

1 Corinthians 14:12–13 NASB95

12 So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. 13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.

Question: According to (v.12) what were the Corinthians desire?

They were zealous of spiritual gifts.

Paul’s desire was for them to abound for edification of the church .

1 Corinthians 14:14–15 NASB95

14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.

Paul says to pray with the spirit and mind (v.14)

Paul says to sing with the spirit and with the mind (v.15)

1 Corinthians 14:16–17 NASB95

16 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.

(expand) - spirit only cannot understand

1 Corinthians 14:18–19 NASB95

18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; 19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Question: why does Paul desire to speak five words with his mind (v.19)?

So that it may instruct others.

(Transition) So we have some understanding on the assembly the importance of prophesy over tongues (remember at that time tongues was still relevant and active as well as desired) now Paul moves onto the effect, or impact of false and true worship.

Effects of false and true worship

Paul will draw an illustration from the O.T. (ref. Isa28:9-12) and give some New Testament application for the church at Corinth and for us to learn from for today.

1 Corinthians 14:20–21 NASB95

20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be 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.

1 Corinthians 14:22–23 NASB95

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. 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?

1 Corinthians 14:24–25 NASB95

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.

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

Gleaning from the scripture:

Question: What is Paul telling the church to do (v.20)?

Grow up in their thinking, be mature

Remember they were escalating tongues, they were not using the gifts for the common good, they were being selfish. So they needed to grow up!

I think maybe we should look at the Isaiah passage in context so to better understand (vv.21-22)

Isaiah 28:9–10 NASB95

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.’ ”

Isaiah 28:11–12 NASB95

11 Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, 12 He who said to them, “Here is rest, give rest to the weary,” And, “Here is repose,” but they would not listen.

Through the prophet Isaiah God is warning Israel, I have given you knowledge yet you do not listen. Oh you are going to hear through stammering lips (tongues; foreign language) when they are taken into captivity.

The use by Paul is a strong reminder of Israel history that things need to be intelligible and received that way. And we know that by the next piece of the passage

Question: In (v.23) what is the result if everyone speaks in tongues and an unbeliever enters?

He will say that you are mad.

And then he gets to the crux of the matter regarding true worship (vv.24-25).

(no need to read the passage, but leave it there to glean answers from)

1 Corinthians 14:24–25 NASB95

Question: What is the result of prophesy to unbeliever/ungifted man according to (v.24)?

Convicted by all, called to account by all.

Question: what does conviction look like in (v.25)?

Fall on face and worship God, declaring God.

Paul in his logical argument in trying to resolve the problem, again this is a problem within the assembly lays it out about the results of prophesy (forthtelling)

A man when he hears the prophesy is convicted of his sin.

God’s word brings knowledge of sin, results of sin and conviction of sin

When a man hears the prophesy it brings him under judgment

With knowledge comes responsibility. To know the truth, sin, separation=condemnation if something is not done about the sin problems

A man has his heart convicted from within when the secrets of the heart are revealed through the prophesy.

Knowledge of sin is more than knowledge it is conviction of the heart hence why it says in Act2:37 it says having their hearts pierced.

Prophesy brings a convicted man before a merciful God knowing his need for grace and mercy. Where the man can cry out “be merciful on me a sinner.” (Lk18:13)

True worship is not about making you feel good, it is about bringing you into the presence of God personally and collectively.

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