1st Corinthians Chapter 14
Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse 1.
"Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may
prophesy."
I love it that Paul urges us to PURSUE
that which is unattainable. I came out of chapter 13, embarrassed,
because there no way I could teach such a love, let alone attain it.
It’s like an unprotected man trying to live on the surface of the planet
Mars. He simply could not survive. In the same way, there is no way an
unaided person could survive intact in the presence of the love that is
seen in Chapter 13. Yet Paul (speaking in the power of the Holy
Spirit), says "pursue love." How can this be?
The answer is in 1st John chapter 3,
where it says "we know (verse 14) we have passed from death to life
because we LOVE the brethren. This is in the direct context of 1 John
3:9, were it says we are "born of God." The phrase "born again" is not
our invention: As a concept and as a reality, it is from God.
God moves deep into us and brings His
love with Him.
Incredibly, Paul also says we are to
pursue "spiritual gifts!" Didn’t he just imply, in the last chapter,
that spiritual gifts are somehow BAD because love is so much better? No
he did not. There are no "bad" spiritual gifts, only bad men who
sometimes use them. A classic example is Balaam, the son of Beor (you
can look for him, if you want, in places like Numbers 22, Numbers 31:8,
Jude 11, and 2 Peter 2:15). Balaam spoke prophesies about Israel that
were true, and yet it is revealed he loved money more than he loved God.
The gift was good but he (Balaam)
failed the test.
There are lots of "prophets" around who
claim to speak for God. I heard a man on the radio the other day and
found myself listening intently, with all of my heart, concluding now
THIS IS the gift of prophesy. He did not SAY he had the gift of
prophesy, he just had it. This was one of the "good guys. " Yet there
is danger out there, as well.
There ARE false prophets, and yet Paul
says we should ESPECIALLY pursue the gift of prophesy, for in that gift,
God opens up His heart and shows Himself to us. It is not the MAN (the
prophet) we should see, but instead the GOD who is in the GIFT, who, by
the way is in the man. GOD is Who we must see. The man is like the
drinking glass, filled with the living water of God – We should pour out
the good things of God into the lives of those around us and then we
should praise GOD, not the drinking glass.
Verse 2. "For he who
speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one
understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries."
There is no doubt that this is EXACTLY
what the Gift of Tongues is: speaking to God. In tongues, there is a
giving over of the human will to the leading of the Holy Spirit of God.
There is a great joy in this, not because of speaking words that cannot
be directly understood; the joy is because of the Presence of the Lord.
We should have no doubt, after reading this chapter, that God desires us
to KNOW Him, in our minds as well as in our hearts. The mystery is
good, because it also draws us on, but understanding is much better.
Einstein stared into the universe from a mathematical perspective,
looked deep into the mystery of creation, and breathlessly concluded,
"there is a God" who created this.
Mozart was given great understanding,
wonderful gifts, and he wrote to his father, at age 31: "I never go to
sleep, young as I am, without thinking I may never see the following
day. Yet nobody can call me melancholy… Death is the real aim of life.
How I thank my God for the bliss of knowing Him as the key to true
happiness." In a way, we certainly do "die" to this world, when we
receive Christ, but we also come ALIVE in another sense. In Him there
is indeed true JOY in the mysteries of life.
Verse 3. "But he who
prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men."
This is exactly the way the pastor on
the radio came across the other day. His name was, I believe, Adrian
McBey, and he reached deep into our hearts with the loving, corrective
touch of God. This is not only future-telling, as many think of
prophesy, this was edification and exhortation and comfort to men. The
Greek word for "edification" is "oikodome" from the words "oikos" which
means a "home" and a word which translates "to build." This means you
and the rest of us are like a house or houses which need to be built up.
Real spiritual growth is promoted in us by the gift of prophesy.
"Exhortation" or "encouragement" is
actually "paraklesin, "to call alongside, and to encourage others to
pursue a certain course of conduct." Consolation is from a closely
related word to "calling to one’s side" and so we have prophesy: a
consolation, words of comfort containing a great degree of tenderness,
as God literally stands beside us opening His heart to us.
The gift of prophesy is neither
frightening nor difficult to understand – It is just God the Father,
reaching out to you and expressing Himself in love.
Verse 4. "He who speaks in a tongue
edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church."
Now, we ALL like to be built-up. The
word here again is "oikodome" which we recall is the building up of our
spiritual house, in Christ Jesus. Tongues will contribute to that in
the person, for there certainly is the Presence of the Lord in the true
gift of tongues (it is His Presence that builds us up in ALL the gifts).
But in the one, I am built up, and in the other we ALL are built up.
All we have to do is look back to 1st Corinthians 13, to see that we
never have quite understood God’s purpose for our lives, until we reach
out and help the other person – Not out of duty, though that can be
helpful, but in love, which is much better.
Most people have biceps, but less
people have strong ones that can carry another person down a flight of
stairs and out of a burning building. Most have functional brains but
some can think around corners that others can not. So it is with
prophesy. ALL of the true Church has prophesy and all can speak the
heart of God in certain circumstances. Some, however, have this gift in
great abundance. Whether we are great or little, however, in
comprehending our Lord, we always should be prayerfully open that God
may want to use us to share something of Himself with those around us.
"But I am not gifted," you say. And I respond that if the Spirit of God
is in you, "yes, you are."
Verse 5. "I wish you
all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied, for he who
prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he
interprets, that the church may receive edification."
Montanus said "each human spirit is
like a harp, which the Holy Spirit strikes, and which yields itself to
the mighty hand by which the chords are swept. We have seen all along,
and history has in various ages confirmed the impression, on every
occasion when these phenomena have been reproduced in seasons of great
spiritual revival, that the external symptoms may be imitated with most
dangerous and objectionable results both to the speaker and to others.
But when the expression is GENUINE, the fact that the tides of the
Spirit can thus sweep through the narrow channels of individuality is in
itself a sign that the spirit of the man is alive and not dead, and thus
he is an evidence of God’s power both to himself and to others." Some
with tongues and some with prophesy. He went on, "When we see the
stuffed and stopped-up hearts and lives of thousands of frivolous and
worldly money-worshippers, we might well echo St. Paul’s wish: ‘I wish
you all spoke with tongues…even more that you prophesied.’"
Verse 6. "But now,
brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit
you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by
prophesying, or by teaching?"
This is really good news: God wants us
to be "fed" deep inside (given satisfying understanding). Faith is not
some kind of "blind leap in the dark" – It is trust in God and in His
capabilities in love for you. Tongues is delightful for the recipient
but is essentially (by itself) a "no-brainer" for all who hear. The
presentations listed here (revelation, knowledge, prophesying and
teaching) are all INFORMATIONAL in content. In other words, data is
provided that can be assimilated and processed by the minds, "hearts"
and spirits of people.
God not only gave us brains; He also
expects us to use them.
Verse 7. "Even things
without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they
make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or
played?"
While preparing this, I was listening
to classical music on the radio. Included have been flutes (as in this
verse) but no "harp" as yet. It’s interesting how music is often an
attempt to communicate with the listener, at the level of feeling – Like
PICTURES in music. Peter Tchaikovsky wrote his "1812 Overture" as a
musical picture of the War of 1812 (on the Russian front). Blended are
the French and Russian national anthems. Napolean’s advances are
depicted by the French anthem, and Russian resistance is shown in music
that is strongly Slavic in composition. The Russian victory was
heralded by the ringing of Church bells all over Moscow and the "1812"
includes those bells in the finale. If you listen carefully, it’s very
much like actually being there.
This is what God is doing in His Word,
His gifts, His Holy Spirit, and in His Son – presenting to us the actual
experience of being in His Presence. God wants us to KNOW Him and will
communicate at almost any level to attain that goal. The true gifts of
God show us something of heaven – indeed, it’s often like being there.
Verse 8. "For if the
trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle?"
I’m going to bring this into what is
likely OUR experience: For the "trumpet" we’ll use an "alarm clock" and
the "battle" will be in our place of work. Assuming we work in the
early morning, how will we wake up for work if the alarm doesn’t go
off? The alarm clock is a specific instrument which communicates a
certain idea at a specific moment – It’s time to go to work. If we
don’t hear it, we don’t go – No matter how well-intentioned we may be,
we won’t be there to "fight the battle" at work. We are to be like that
alarm clock in relation to those around us.
Part of what the gifts do; part of what
He so urgently wants to do for us and in us, is to wake us up, to
prepare us for the battle (the unseen battle all around us); for the
work He has in store for each one.
He has a purpose for You and for me,
and He will use revelation, knowledge, prophesy, teaching, or whatever
it takes to reach us. If we are the alarm clock, let’s sound off for
the Lord, as He directs us to so do.
Verse 9. "So likewise
you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will
it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air."
The Lord is intelligent and literate,
able to communicate beyond our wildest dreams. He wants to give
Himself to You; and He has already done that in Christ Jesus. A lot of
times we don’t understand that, because the human MESSENGER is poor in
presenting the message. And we aren’t talking about good English here,
or clever rhetoric – We’re speaking of the Presence of the Holy Spirit
in what is said or done. As God "speaks" to us, so we should speak to
men. In the Power of God! Trust Him; don’t alter His message to make
it more palatable – simply present the VERY good news that God loves
you, just as much as He loves me. He sent His Son to die in your place
and mine. He gives His Holy Spirit, Who comes inside of us and actually
receives the message for us, that we could not previously understand.
He is speaking to us and in us, right now!
Verse 10. "There are,
it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is
without significance."
There are many languages in the world,
and all of them are like strings on the harp of God. Even when we think
we share the same language, we often don’t communicate with one another,
but God speaks to the heart. I remember when I did not understand the
Bible at all. The language was there, the words were clear. I just did
not see how they applied to me and to what I thought I needed. In
response to my REAL needs, He reached deep inside and changed me so I
could both "hear" and understand. He longs to do that with each one of
us, and is working to that end, right now. Do you "hear" Him? Do you
understand? He loves you and wants you to know that fact. Each of us
actually has our own language, our own way of looking at things, and we
cannot truly share with anyone. Yet God hears, really hears, and
knows and understands you. Like David said; The Lord knows our words,
even before we utter them, and He knows our very thoughts (Psalm
139:1-4). And He loves you.
Verse 11. "Therefore,
if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to
him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me."
God wants to COMMUNICATE His love - to
You.
In the years when I was in Japan, I
often would speak with someone who did not understand a word I said, and
it was mutual, for I did not understand them, either. Some minimal
communication was there, through gestures, and "pidgin" words on both
sides. Yet the communication was very doubtful and there was certainly
no understanding at the level of the heart. So it is with tongues: If
two or three are jabbering away at the same time in a variety of words
no one can understand, how can each benefit from what’s happening to the
other?
You may be experiencing the Presence of
the Lord in a remarkable way – But how do I share your experience and
benefit from it? God will COMMUNICATE with You – He wants to and He
will. He will reach you with words, in writing, in music, in poetry, in
the wind, the rain, the birds in the air, sunshine, and by those
beautiful mountains over there. What is the message? He loves you and
wants to share that love with you. Yes, right inside of your very
being.
Verse 12. "Even so
you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the
edification of the church that you seek to excel."
Now, the Corinthians were a ZEALOUS
bunch (So were the Ephesians - Rev. 2:1-7). They WANTED whatever they
could get from God. BELIEVING in God did not seem to be a problem as it
has been for many of us; so they actually had something absolutely
correct that was vitally important.
To love God is one of the two commands
that Jesus gave us, further indicating these commands are the basis of
everything else (Matthew 22:34-40). If you truly give yourself to God
and his love in Christ Jesus, you open yourself up to a surprising love.
But the Corinthians had forgotten the OTHER command: To love our
neighbor as ourselves.
What are the spiritual gifts all
about? Why are they given? If you have prophesy, or revelation, or the
word of knowledge, or teaching? Are these given to you for yourself
alone? If we have something special from God, precious as it might be,
it is not for ourselves alone, it is for our brother. Jesus said "freely
ye have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8). That IS our
reasonable service and that IS the Body of Christ.
Verse 13. "Therefore,
let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret."
Let’s assume for a minute that the gift
of tongues is real and is for today. I believe that it is, but you may
not. So let’s just ASSUME together for a moment, that all of this is
real and alive with the Presence and Power of God. In that context, we
are like tools in the Mighty Hand of our Great Workman. First we must
be willing to come out of His toolbox and be used BY Him. Then we must
decide we are WILLING to be useful, in the sight of God and for the
benefit of those around us.
Tongues (we’re still believing in them
for today, right now) are, in my estimation, just like the ink is for
the pen (a pen is MY kind of tool). If the pen were sentient, it must
then be WILLING to WRITE that which will help other pens. Mere
scribbles will never do. If there are tongues, pray earnestly that you
may also share this great message (of the prayer the Holy Spirit has
placed within you) clearly with us all. If you are a "pen" then write
with all your heart. If you have a gift from God, then share it
clearly and understandably with us, with every ounce of your very being.
Let us fully understand, as led by Him,
and let us openly share with all.
Verse 14. "For if I
pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful."
If you’re going to have a fruit tree,
it might as well be fruitful. I remember my grape vine, which did not
bear grapes. Then, there’s my mother’s avacado true, which doesn’t seem
to want to produce avocados.
There’s a lesson in that avocado tree,
because my mother could never bear to have it pruned. The process of
pruning will produce fruit, whether in the tree, or in the human life.
When trouble comes, you may do well to escape it, or it may also be the
pruning shears of God, come into your life to bless you. Your first
response to trouble should always be prayer.
God wants us to be fruitful in
understanding. I was always so curious – I wanted to know EVERYTHING!
What has been God’s response to my curiosity? He has SATISFIED that
curiosity, over and over again, just like He will do (and is doing) –
for you.
Verse 15. "What is the
result then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the
understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with
the understanding."
The bottom line for tongues is JOY!
Why do we sing with the Spirit? - For JOY. Does the Lord tell you to
NOT have tongues? To NOT have joy? No – quite the reverse, God wants
us to have JOY unspeakable, filled with glory. Many reject tongues and
therefore miss a great blessing. But He (the Lord) has primarily
created us (and re-created us in Christ) that we might be of genuine
USE, one to another.
In that, He wants you to not only have
joy (a good thing), but He also wants you to share that joy with the
person next to you (so they may have joy also). Do you sing in the
spirit? Wonderful. But don’t forget to share that song with others, in
a language THEY can understand. What is the song? – That God loves them
and wants THEM to have that love as well. Sorry to be redundant, but
God is in the business of love, and love is the bottom line with all
these spiritual gifts.
Verse 16. "Otherwise,
if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the
uninformed say ‘Amen’ at your giving of thanks, since he does not
understand what you say?"
"Amen" means "so be it" or "it is so"
and is therefore an affirmation of FAITH in the God who caused the other
person to utter the words he just spoke. But how can he say in response
"it is so" (amen) when he has no idea of what you just said? He is much
more likely to be TROUBLED by your words, than blessed by them. The
words you just spoke may actually be your prayer for GREAT blessing on
the life of the other person, but how will they understand that? The
unfortunate answer is that they will not understand, and walk away just
as sad as they were when they came in. We have specific NEEDS for
understanding in a lot of specific areas, and God wants to give that
understanding to us.
God wants to communicate His love
through you, to all you meet, whether you know it is happening or not.
Verse 17. "For you
indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified."
"Tongues" is simply prayer, but not
prayer like the dry, halting words we are likely to hear over the
Thanksgiving dinner table. This is prayer from the heart. The problem
remains, though, that the person you are with just sits there and has no
idea what you are talking about! If your companion has not received the
Lord, it would be far better to tell him about his need of the Lord than
to talk with words he does not understand. If he knows the Lord, then
he would be most increased, the most blessed, to hear a word of comfort
he actually can understand. You’ll recall the word that is used here
for "edified." It is "to build up the house" and that is what we all
need – We need to be built up right into the house and heart of our
Lord.
Verse 18. "I thank my
God I speak with tongues more than you all;"
Paul may still hold the record in this
area, for he was/is a man, a great man, of the Spirit of God. He had a
HEART for God, and thought that pleasing God was more important than
pleasing himself. And since true speaking in tongues is speaking to
God, then Paul continually had the joy of constant communion with the
One he truly loved.
To be honestly in love is the greatest
joy of all. And it is exactly that kind of love (an INFINITE love) that
is offered by our Savior. Somehow, this great joy, this certain
conviction of being in the literal Presence of our Holy Savior, is
precisely what is given to the one who prays in this manner. No wonder
Paul was thankful – He had a great deal to be thankful about.
Verse 19. "yet in the
church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may
teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue."
Remember Paul’s heart and recall that
it was (still is, actually) a heart of love. This man loved the people
he was called to serve. That is the true basis for this verse. You may
recall Paul’s words in Romans about his love. There were two people in
the Bible who stated they actually would give up their own salvation, if
it made it somehow possible for their people could be saved. One of
them was Moses (Exodus 32:32), and the other was Paul (Romans 9:3).
This man was willing to give everything, and he was willing to give up
his own place with God, if that is what it took. That is the concern he
had here, about the "five words in my understanding…" for those five
words might lead us to Christ, whereas the tongues, from our
perspective, would be merely talk that we did not understand. He loved
others, more than he loved his personal pleasure.
Verse 20. "Brethren,
do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in
understanding be mature."
This is perhaps one of the key portions
in Scripture, as to understanding what the Lord means, when He said we
are to "convert and become as little children" (Matthew 18:3). Paul
instructs us that in MALICE we are to be as babes. INNOCENT of all
malice toward others. Now, this "malice" has to do with "bitterness"
and things like "hatred" implying an on-going GRUDGE against the other
person. A "babe" will get angry (see Ephesians 4:26 for an interesting
verse on this point) but not hold a grudge. The child will be upset
with you now, and then love you without limit in ten minutes. We are to
be as babes in our anger. In our UNDERSTANDING, on the other hand, we
are to be "mature", to grow-up.
"Understanding" is more than just
intellectual awareness or knowledge; it is comprehension at the level of
the heart. I can never understand you if I do not love you. It is at
precisely that level of unqualified love, that GOD cares for you, right
this minute, and with a fervor you probably have yet to comprehend.
Verse 21. "In the law
it is written: ‘With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak
to this people; and yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,’ says the
Lord."
This is Paul’s direct quote from Isaiah
28:11-12, and is a classic example of how a Scripture may have a deeper
meaning than it seems at first glance. Chapter 28 refers to "Ephraim"
and by using that name. God was referring to the 10-northern tribes,
the nation which was called "Israel." In Isaiah 28, He called them a
nation of "drunkards," people who had come to prefer wine to the Holy
Spirit of God. Isaiah 28 is within the context of chapter 27, where is
it foretold that the people would perish in the land of Assyria (which
they did) and those who escaped would die in Egypt ( which also
happened). "Another tongue" directly referred to the languages of the
Assyrians and Egyptians, and now, from this perspective, it also had a
wider application, centuries ahead, to the time of the Church. Isaiah
28 contained verse 16, where the Lord declares He will "lay in Zion a
stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure
foundation." In Matthew 21:42, we learn that the "cornerstone" is a
direct reference to Jesus Christ.
Verse 22. "Therefore
tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but
prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe."
We’ve already explored that tongues are
a form of prayer, and it is for believers, rather than for those who do
not have faith in God. Now we see another function of this kind of
prayer: It is also a SIGN for those who do not believe. When we come
up to an intersection and there is a prominent red-and-white sign, with
an unusual shape, it catches our attention. We are drawn to it because
it is unusual. Looking closer, we see it has writing on it and a more
careful look shows that the letters are S-T-O-P. Why that’s "Stop" and
because of that warning, we stop the car! We stop due to God’s warning
at an intersection in our life. It is a signpost that, if you are an
unbeliever, is designed to make you thoughtful and wonder, and look more
closely at what is before you in life.
And here is another aspect of prophesy,
as well. We often think of it as "Repent" (the word used by John the
Baptist, the Prophet) and that is part of it. Another part of that gift
is COMFORT expressed to those who are in Christ Jesus. Those who pray
(represented by the gift of tongues), receive an ANSWER by God, and
quite often it is in the form of a prophetic response (when we LISTEN,
we learn that God ANSWERS).
Verse 23. "Therefore
if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with
tongues, and there comes in those who are uninformed or unbelievers,
will they not say that you are out of your mind?"
To understand this, especially in
relation to the preceding verse, one really has to have visited a Church
where they tend to have just about everybody speak in tongues at the
same time. There is an enormous babble of voices, some speaking, others
singing, and the voices will rise and fall, often for a considerable
period. Paul is stating that he deplores this practice and would prefer
that we never do it in that manner, for surely, outsiders will come in
and decide, for good reason, that we are all nuts.
Verse 24. "But if all
prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is
convinced by all, he is judged by all."
Remember the real power in Scripture,
in prophesy, in teaching, or in any revealing of God to men, is the
presence of the Holy Spirit. He touches us inside and makes us to
understand that which was closed before. The "Word of God" is called
"living (and it is) and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews
5:12). Many of us can personally testify that the written Word of the
Lord is perfect in every way, just as God intended it, and also that
understanding of it comes from God, who reveals from within. Do you
understand? Then it is Him, revealing all to you.
Paul speaks of prophesy here, an
excellent vehicle for the Holy Spirit of God. When the Holy Spirit is
in prophesy, the hearer is convicted, his thoughts and intentions are
illuminated within him, and he is brought to the doorway of repentance.
This is because the Holy Spirit is not only in the words of the
speaker but also is touching the heart of the hearer, leading him to
God.
Verse 25. "And thus
the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face,
he will worship God and report that God is truly among you."
I can personally report that God is
very good at this bringing the "unbeliever" or "uninformed" to
repentance. I was such a man, and the Holy Spirit certainly revealed
the secrets of my heart (and what was in His heart) to me. The song
"Amazing Grace" has been special to many of us, partly because of the
haunting beauty of the music, also because of the incredible words, and
partly because the writer was a former slave trader, who came
dramatically to Christ. He found the grace of God. "Amazing Grace"
meant that even HE could be saved. The Protestant Bible contains
66-books, and every book has been a prophet that has brought me down to
my knees before Him. I could be an atheist no longer, and I must
report, with Paul, that I worship God, and God is truly among us.
Verse 26. "How is it
then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm,
has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation.
Let all things be done for edification."
I’ve been in services like this, where
the Holy Spirit will come to a congregation like waves to a beach.
There may be no central human leader, but one has a Psalm (or other
Scripture), another a brief teaching, someone does speak in a tongue
(another interprets) and someone has a revelation. The latter is
interesting because it often takes the form of an anecdote from the
person’s life, where they have been blessed by a touch from God. All
was done decently, in good taste, no one interrupted anyone else, and we
were EDIFIED. We learned about God, about life, and about people who
turn to God. I don’t attend a Church like this now, but the services
were certainly beautiful and followed this pattern exactly as Paul
related it.
Verse 27. "If anyone
speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn,
and let one interpret."
This speaks so perfectly to those
services where all pray at once, in a babble of sound no one can
understand. Paul couldn’t be more clear: When we pray, it is for a
much larger purpose than our own gratification. If tongues is one of
the methods of prayer (the Holy Spirit has a vast storehouse of prayer
for us, of which tongues are just a part) in a service, then all must be
done decently and in order. There must be interpretation. God wants
to SPEAK to you, and not merely have you dazzled by something you do not
understand. Note that as to tongues, Paul is emphatic: "No more than
two or at the most three, each in turn." God's house is a house of
order and beauty; not chaos or confusion.
Verse 28. "But if
there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him
speak to himself and to God."
Notice this: If there is no legitimate
interpreter, keep quiet! God’s purpose in our gathering together, is to
"feed" us with the good "food" of God. We are all "hungry" for much
more than food, security, and various kinds of fulfillment, though we do
not often recognize our own true need. Jesus spoke to the woman at the
well in John chapter 3. She wanted water and Jesus responded with a
different kind of "water" than she anticipated or had ever even heard
about. The end result was that she rushed into the village and told
everybody to come and see Jesus, for she had learned of true sustenance
infinitely greater than the satisfaction of physical need.
This emphasis on "interpretation" is of
major importance, because it reveals to us that God wants so much more
for us than WE expect or know. If you do not understand Him or His
Word, then go to Him in the Name of Jesus Christ and open yourself fully
to Him. He WILL give you the same kind of "living water" He guaranteed
to that woman by the well. Note (in John 3) all of the woman’s
"husbands" – He (God) reaches out to us, no matter what our track record
may have been.
Notice the "keep silent" statement of
Paul (and the Holy Spirit). There are times to keep quiet, no matter
how much we want to share. Many of us struggle in that area.
Verse 29. "Let two or
three prophets speak, and let the others judge."
I like this – Limit the activities in a
reasonable manner, and then let the others 1) JUDGE if
the prophesies are true or not. 2) If true, then it
must be determined what they MEAN to and for us, and 3)
then it is to be determined what ACTION we are to take (if any) in
relation to these truths of God.
There is a human habit of passivity,
that should not exist in the Church. We have already learned (verse 28)
there are times to be QUIET, and now we see there are times to speak
out.
How do we know WHAT to do and WHEN to
do it? Why, we look to the Lord. If the Holy Spirit is inside of us,
as Paul has been insisting, through all of these chapters, He’s in us
for a PURPOSE. If we are carefully SELECTED to be His people (and we
are), there’s a REASON! So, how do we know what’s what and when’s
when? The answer is so simple and you simply have to LIVE this
relationship (with Him) to see it: We just know! Oh yes, He will
confirm this in a variety of ways but we simply KNOW, because He reveals
it to us. The relationship between the Holy Spirit within us and our
own spirit is so intimate that it is difficult at times to see where we
leave off and He begins.
There is one way, however: Sometimes,
as we saw in chapter 13, He acts through us with such love that we KNOW
it is NOT of ourselves. We are just people – He is God and God indeed
is love.
In the meantime, step out on faith in
Him. Be quiet if that seems right and speak out when it is
appropriate. Remember, if you are in the Body of Christ, you are here
for a purpose, and that purpose will be for the benefit of us all.
Verse 30. "But if
anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent."
The word here is: "Don’t interrupt
other people." Paul is saying, even if you have some incredible
revelation from the Lord, and think you’ll EXPLODE if you don’t say it –
SHUT UP, if someone else is speaking first. You may NEVER get to
share. It doesn’t matter; the issue here is decorum, but even more the
issue is love. There is a simple excellent motto in the Kairos Prison
Ministry: "Listen, listen, love, love." It is far more important that
we LISTEN, really LISTEN to one another, than it is to share some
amazing "factoid" with them. In the one you share THEM; in the other,
you are only sharing yourself.
Verse 31. "For you can
all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged."
There are important CONCEPTS here:
Patience is one of them (waiting our turn in favor of the other
person). Most of us are very impatient (I know I’m still "under
construction" in that area) and IMPATIENCE is spreading in our culture
like some viral disease! Paul would say, let the other person talk
first! And so WHAT if we’re not heard? What if we run out of time for
me? Just LISTEN to the other person and ENJOY what they say.
It’s much less important that we
express ourselves as it is to (as previously said) to LISTEN and RESPOND
to another’s need. It blows people away! And, it might be the first
time anyone ever really LISTENED to them before.
When I’m heading for a check-out line,
I like to get there first! (That’s IMpatience). The other day at the
laundramat, an elderly man came up to me and said, "you’re a Christian,
aren’t you?" Startled, I nodded, "Yes, I am." He turned to the younger
man next to him and said, "see, I told you." Thinking back on it, I
remembered he was the man who arrived at the place at the same time as I
did – I think he noticed me because I stepped back and held the door for
him, even though we both had armloads of laundry. (He, by the way, is
a fine Christian man named John, and seems to have a lot of pain in his
legs – You might want to pray for him.) Patience opens doors.
Verse 32. "And the
spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets."
Here’s a great verse: The spirits of
the prophets are subject TO the prophets. Every once in awhile we
encounter someone who often interrupts other people. They may reply,
"I couldn’t help myself; it just came over me" or something like that,
as though they could not control themselves because the "spirit" was
upon them. It’s not good to blame God for our bad manners.
The spirit that has been placed inside
of you is subject to you – God has placed this part of you under your
control and direction, for just this reason: Yes, to learn decorum, but
also listening, and patience, and most of all – love. We CAN defer to
one another because God has ENABLED us to do so. Even that GIFT inside
us, burning to express itself, is subject to us, because God wants us to
Listen, Listen, Love, Love - one another.
Verse 33. "For God is
not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the
saints."
Now, if confusing, bizarre things are
happening at your Church – people are rolling on the floor, and babbling
all at once, or whatever, remember this: God is "NOT the author of
confusion." You might wonder who IS it’s author if you are in such a
place, but it is not our Lord. People really CAN fall down in an
encounter with the Lord. Paul did, and so did John and Ezekiel, and
many more. The night I received the Lord, I practically did fall to
the altar rail, and I wept uncontrollably. Two things had happened in
the Presence of the Holy Spirit – I had met God, which shook me through
and through (I had not previously even entertained the NOTION there was
a God) and He Touched me, deep inside. He reached the place of great
loneliness in my soul, so deep I did not even know it was there - He
touched me. My emotional response was just that, an emotional response
to a great reality, beyond my ability to comprehend (or even stand up).
"Confusion" is something else, however,
and is from someone other than our Lord. There was no confusion on the
night I met Him, for me or anyone watching me – I had received the
Lord. He has come to take away our confusion and give us peace.
Verse 34. "Let your
women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak
but they are to be submissive, as the law also says."
Plutarch said "a virtuous woman ought
to be modest and guarded about saying anything in the hearing of
outsiders," and that "a woman ought to do her talking either to her
husband or through her husband (quote from Plutarch, "Advice to the
Bride & Groom", pp. 31-32). This was strongly the secular custom of the
time in relation to a virtuous woman. The lesson in this for us is that
we (men and women) should be people of dignity, honor and decorum.
Here’s some watch-words: Dignity, yes; Stuffed-shirt, no. Honor, yes,
false-pride, no. Decorum, yes; false-modesty, no. And all this within
the context of the space-time continuum in which we live, and all in
life as led by the Holy Spirit of God.
This verse is in the direct context of
spiritual gifts, especially "tongues" and the context goes right on,
immediately after these verses. I think this IS the context and that
these women were at the forefront of dominating Church services by
speaking out loud constantly in tongues. I am told the word "speak"
here is actually "chatter" in the Greek and it sounds like these women,
who were supposed to be guarded (in that culture) about saying "ANYTHING
in the hearing of outsiders" were talking in tongues just about ALL the
time.
While we’re here in these two verses,
let’s look at this historical role of women, upon which words like
"chaste" and "submissive" and "obedience" have been placed through the
centuries.
I believe that to honestly and utterly
love God and to recklessly, wonderfully love other people, sums up God’s
intention for us all. This type of "agape" (Greek for selfless love)
becomes POSSIBLE in Christ Jesus. I think women are much better at this
than men are. When I was a boy, on those occasions when I was forced to
go to Church, I noticed the places were full of women and very few men
were in attendance. I also heard about things like "women’s intuition"
and still think possibly this "intuition" came from going to Church and
finding the Holy Spirit, while the men stayed home and only found a
hangover from the previous night.
What does a woman do? She gives
herself – To her husband. To her children, much more than men do. My
daughter and I essentially lost her mother when Jenni was 6-months old
and in the coming years, I got a LOOK at this kind of dedication, this
abandonment to the needs of another.
To give of yourself to such a degree is
a great gift of God. Why, the woman even traditionally gives up her
NAME and takes the name of her husband. We do this in Christ. In Rev.
2:17, it is reported we are given "a new name, which no one knows except
him who receives it. I will tell you mine: It is "Christ’s" – His Name
is mine, just as His Name is yours, when you receive Him.
The woman gives herself utterly for her
children, and few men even remotely understand the importance of that
gift. In our Lord, we, like Paul, are enabled to give such a gift to
the one in need. Just like God gives the woman the capacity of love for
her child, so Paul says in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with
Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave Himself up for me." He gives to us so utterly that we
are ENABLED to love God; and we are ENABLED to really LOVE those around
us. This is the capacity which God brings to His moms in the world and
to His people.
"Self-fulfillment" just doesn’t contain
the potentials that are found in love.
Verse 35. "And if they
want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it
is shameful for women to speak in church."
I have met many women who have much to
say, but also have met those who have more to OFFER than men. Heroines
of mine have included Mother Theresa, Corrie Ten Boom, Ruth (from the
Book of Ruth, in Scripture), Kathryn Kuhlman, Hannah Whitall Smith, Mrs.
Charles E. Cowman, Jane who sat in the row behind me in Church, and my
daughter. I would rather listen to any one of them for 10-minutes, than
anything else I can imagine in this world. Each one has "fed" me
greatly from the good Word of God.
Women are great to listen to, and yet
here is Paul (who had GOOD woman friends) telling them to "be quiet" and
"ask your husbands at home!" What’s happening here? For one thing, you
have to understand a CUSTOM of the early Church, which lasted for many
years – they initially followed the patterns of Jewish worship. This
included the custom that the men sat on one side of the Church and over
there on the other side, separated by an aisle, were the women!
The direct context here is DECORUM in
public: How do we behave? What do we do? What is ORDER in worship?
Etc.
So, what PICTURE is Paul presenting
here? Well, first we find a bedlam of women, chattering away in
tongues! Then we find them calling out to their husbands on the other
side of the Church, things like "What did he mean by that, John?" and
"Matthew, why aren’t YOU interpreting that?" "Simon, get up – you can
explain Genesis better than he can!"
The word for "submission" (or
"obedience" in some versions) is a military term, denoting differences
in rank. Each of us must look to our hearts in this. Keep in mind that
if men are supposed to be leaders in the marriage, the problem is not
really women and "submission" – the real problem is often men that do
not effectively lead.
Men have to submit also, which is often
what jobs and ministry are all about. In retrospect, one of the great
joys in my life was the quarter century when I was largely shut away
from ministry altogether. It did not seem so good at the time, because
I hungered to express that which was on my heart. In submission to God
through men who WERE in ministry, I found that God was doing something
far deeper for me than what I thought I wanted. If the Lord, through
our role in life, makes us quiet, it is because we are going to greatly
RECEIVE from Him. Psalm 46:10 says "Be still and KNOW that I am God."
To be "less" is often to receive much, for both men and women.
Verse 36. "Or did the
word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it
reached?"
Sometimes we feel utterly alone, as did
Elijah, when he was frightened by Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1 & forward).
Elijah wasn’t really alone (as he feared), and neither are we. There
were "7,000 like him" (1 Kings 19:18) and God knows, when we are with
(and in) Him, we are blessedly never alone. Elijah was afraid if
he was killed, there would be no one left to serve God. Our Lord has
PLENTY of resources and any one of us can do the job He needs, as HE
enables us. None of us, as Elijah feared, is the only one. We don’t
need to strain to make it all happen, for it is GOD that is essential
and not any one of us.
Verse 37. "If anyone
thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that
the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord."
Lest anyone misunderstand, these
concepts written through the ministry of Paul, are not mere ideas or
lofty speculations; they are the very Word, the Commandments of God.
When we read that we are not to bring confusion into worship, it is
God’s Word. When we read that we are not to talk or interrupt during
the presentation of the Christian service, it is His Command. It is
allowed that we have our hand on the faucet to turn it on or off. When
someone else is speaking, our faucet is in the "off" position. If you
are some kind of "prophet" or are "spiritual" in some way, and have a
"leading" counter to Paul’s teaching, remember this, Paul was there
first with THESE words, and his words are the truth.
Verse 38. "But if
anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant."
When someone is not listening (are
willfully ignorant) there’s not much you can do. Prayer for them is
good. Paul said in another place (2 Corinthians 2:15-16) "For we are to
God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among
those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death to death,
and to the other, the aroma of life to life…" We "hear" differently
from one another and sometimes we CHOOSE to not hear at all.
Way deep inside, we all KNOW the truth
about the Lord. The context of Romans 1:18, is speaking to the
scientific/philosophical/theological mindset – Those often very bright
people who think they are different from one another but have much in
common. The words in that Romans verse are fascinating:
"They…suppress the truth in unrighteousness." Underneath, they know!
Paul says, let them stay that way (if they want)..
This verse actually speaks directly to
ignorance in the Church and the context is order in public worship.
Many in the Church choose willful ignorance. Paul says about those
within: If they won’t listen, don’t waste your breath for long; let
them stay that way. Pray for them, but also go on to other pursuits.
Verse 39. "Therefore,
brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with
tongues."
Prophesy and tongues tend to frighten
people. I think the biggest reason is that the true gifts (and indeed
there are false) contain the Holy Spirit of God. ("You are holy, who
inhabits the praises of Israel" – Psalm 22:3). God’s Presence is
strong and mighty, full of glory. We may be able to control whether or
not we use the gift (as we saw in verse 32) but the content within the
expression of the true gift is utterly of God. Where God is, you and I
will be strongly affected by Him. We will change in relation to Him and
His will. He will not change HIS nature in relation to us, for He is
already PERFECT in all of His ways. In that manner, the situation is
not in our control at all, which tends to frighten people. We LIKE to
be in control, and the Holy Spirit is like a great windstorm (both the
Hebrew and Greek words for "wind" and "spirit" are the same) that
will bring down the "house" we have built. But I will share with
you a secret: He will build inside us, a much better "house" not made
with human hands (Christ is our new foundation), and we will be far
better off than we were before.
Verse 40. "Let all
things be done decently and in order."
This verse pretty well sums up the
whole Book of 1st Corinthians. Our worship is to be done decently and
in order. Naturally, we can take good things like "decency" and
"orderliness" and then distort them, by gradually removing God from our
midst. This has been the way with some Churches and many charitable
organizations. Sometimes we get the notion that we can start out with
God, but then somehow go on without Him, continuing as "decent" people.
This is wrong to a dangerous degree,
and is of no ultimate benefit to others. What we forget is God’s love,
His Presence, so utterly needed by the world that no amount of charity
or Church activities could ever replace Him. We need God right now, and
let us calmly, reflectively receive Him:
Father, we receive You right now. When
we have much else in life (thank You for all You have given us, Lord),
we tend to forget You, the source of all that is good. Please come
deeply into our lives, that we might give You praise, all the days of
this life (and for eternity). In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
