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Good evening and welcome to Sunday Night Bible Study with Pastor Josiah Shipley of Witton Baptist Church. We've been out for a couple weeks, but we're back. Today we're going to continue our study of the Holy Spirit and specifically on spiritual gifts.
This will probably be our last one on spiritual gifts. We're not going to cover every topic. But we're going to talk today primarily from 1 Corinthians 14. It is incredible how many people argue back and forth on the subject of speaking in tongues when every question that could possibly be asked about tongues is answered in 1 Corinthians 14.
If the entire Christian Church just read and studied and obeyed 1 Corinthians 14, we wouldn't really have a need to argue about it. So, cessationists, continuists, have the gifts cease, have they continue?
What are the signs of the Apostle? If we all obey 1 Corinthians 14, we'll be in better shape. Now, the question I'm going to leave unanswered on purpose is 2 Corinthians 12. The signs of an Apostle were done among you.
Signs, wonders, and mighty works. Signs that were only dedicated to the Apostles. What were those? I'll leave that unanswered for now. But I want to reiterate one thing before we dive in. Well, in a sense, we're all Apostles and that we're all messengers.
That's what the word Apostle means, one who has sent. The Apostolic Authority of the Twelve, the Apostles of Jesus, the ones Jesus picked out, that office has ceased. How do I know that? Well, Ephesians says the church was built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets.
How many foundations does a building need? One. Notice the past tense, was built on the foundation. The Bible says that New Jerusalem will have twelve foundations, okay? And on each one is inscribed the name of one of the Apostles of the Lamb.
So, you know, if by Apostle we just mean messenger, well then of course Apostles are continuing today because every Christian is an Apostle. But if we mean by that an actual Apostle, as in someone who thinks they have the authority of Peter or Paul or John, I ask them if there's twelve foundations and inscribed on them in New Jerusalem are the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb, are you on one of those?
And who did you kick off? Does, you know, does does John get scratched off to write your name? So again, I am not eager to invite anyone to think that that type of office of Apostleship has continued to this day.
I think that's boo bad. I don't think that's a good thing. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, last of all he appeared to me. Talking about the risen Jesus. Well, since seeing the risen Jesus is one of the qualifications for an Apostle, that would make me also believe that's ceased.
So there's no apostolic authority in that sense, that they had apostolic authority to write the New Testament and the foundation of the church is built. Now, we are living stones, part of that building, but we're not the foundation.
Jesus is the chief cornerstone, the Apostles and Prophets are the foundation, the New Testament, if you want to think of it that way. Today we're messengers, but we're not Apostles in that sense. Absolutely not.
So in 2 Corinthians 12, 12, when it sends the signs and miracles and wonders of an Apostle were performed among you, that means there are certain things the Apostles did that are different than what we do.
What those exactly are, I'll leave up to you for now. But for now, we're going to read 1 Corinthians 14. We left off with the question, are these tongues, the spiritual gift, are these angelic languages or these human languages?
In other words, is the gift of tongues God giving someone the ability to speak a human language they don't know? So in other words, I go on a mission trip to India and God gives me the ability to speak a language I don't know to share the gospel.
Or is it I am not speaking any human language. I'm speaking some angelic ecstasy, some some foreign unknown utterance, and then that gets interpreted into a human language. I think or a combination of both.
Or is it human languages when it's public, but privately it's a prayer language only to God. I think those questions get answered in 1 Corinthians 14. So we're gonna walk through 1 Corinthians 14. I'll try to be quick because we got a long chapter here.
So let's get to it. We're walking through 1 Corinthians 14, and we're gonna obey whatever it says about the gift of tongues, right? Okay, here we go. Pursue love and earnestly desire for spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
For the one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God. For no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
The one who speaks in tongues builds himself up. The one who prophesies builds up the church. Now, I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues unless someone interprets so that the church may be built up.
Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless instruments such as the flute or the harp do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what's being played?
So in other words, if the instruments are just making noise, but not distinct notes, no one's gonna know what's being played. If the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for war? So if instead of If a bugle doesn't make a distinct sound, no one's gonna get ready for battle.
Do you see the connection Paul's making here? So with yourselves, so that connection, so with yourselves, verse 9, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said?
For you will be speaking into the air. Hmm. Now, if what I just read offended you, that's not my intention, but remember that I haven't even given a commentary on this verse yet. All I've done is read what God had to say.
So let me read that verse again. I want you to obey God, not me. So with yourselves, if you're with your tongue, you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what's being said? For you will be speaking to the air.
Verse 10, there are doubtless many different languages in the world and none is without meaning. But if I do not know the meaning of a language, I'll be a foreigner to a speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.
So with yourselves, since you're eager for manifestation of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also. I will sing praise with my spirit, but I'll sing with my mind also. Mind and spirit. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say amen to your thanksgiving when he doesn't know what you're saying?
For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church, I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others than ten thousand words with the tongue.
Brothers, do not be children in your thinking, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 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. Thus tongues are signed not for believers, but for unbelievers, while prophecies are signed not for unbelievers, but for believers. If therefore the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues and the outsiders or unbelievers enter, they will not say, will they not say you're out of your minds?
But if all prophesy and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all and he is called by account by all. 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.
Verse 26. What then brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at the most three and each in turn and let someone interpret.
Let me read that one again. If someone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three and each in turn. So this is God. Can you hear him saying one at a time? One at a time. That's the one I think we need to obey as well.
Yes. Each in turn. And let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said.
If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. If you can all prophesy one by one, so all men learn to be encouraged. And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in churches. They're not permitted to speak, but should be in submission as the law says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home.
For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Well, was it from you the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks he's a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I'm writing to you are a command of the Lord.
If anyone doesn't recognize this, he's not recognized. So my brothers earnestly desire to prophesy and don't forbid speaking in tongues, but all things should be done decently and in order. Now, maybe some of you are listening to this going, man, I've never heard of this before.
Right. Isn't it amazing that we think we can perform the works of the spirit without the word of the spirit? Isn't that incredible? The arrogance we have. So highlights. I would rather speak five words with my mind than 10 ,000 with the tongue.
If there is no one to interpret, the one with the tongue should keep silent. If someone is speaking unintelligibly, the Bible says he's speaking to the air. So I am convinced that these are human languages and God is giving people the ability to speak languages they have not studied in order to share the gospel or build somebody up.
Now, I know some of you disagree with me, and that's OK. This is not a gospel issue for me. I don't think someone is saved or not saved based on their belief on whether or not these are angelic or human languages.
And some of you are going to say, well, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 says, if I speak with human or angelic ecstasies. Right. But that doesn't mean he actually has the ability. He's saying even if he could. And some of you may say, well, if you're speaking with your spirit and not your mind, what does that mean?
And I think it's exactly that. I think God's given the ability to speak languages you don't know. And the reason I say that is from verse 10. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, but none is without meaning.
So, I am not so simplistic to say the gift of tongues has ceased today. I think that's an overly simplistic way of putting it. I think the purpose of it is for God to give people the ability to communicate the gospel or edification to somebody otherwise they would not be able to.
I think this chapter makes clear this is done in control, not out of control. I think you can't get past that with this book. If there's no one to interpret, or if you yourself can't interpret, the Bible says right here, we are to be silent.
Verse 28. Because if an outsider walked in and we had no interpreter, they would say, you're out of your mind. Wasn't that exactly what we see happen? Isn't that exactly what we see happen? And remember that 1 Corinthians is Paul writing a response to a letter they had already sent.
How do I know that? Chapter 7, verse 1. They sent him a letter and asked him these specific questions about food offered to idols, and marriage, and divorce, and spiritual gifts, and other things. I can't really remember right now.
This is an issue they were having. This is an issue they were having. You can read in chapter 12, it says, now concerning spiritual gifts. Now, let's move on to the next subject, Paul says. So, keep in mind that this is Paul writing a response to them in the letter they sent.
We don't have the letter they sent to him. We just have Paul's response. So, they asked him about this very thing, which means they were having a problem with it. People building themselves up, speaking over each other.
Not an orderly service, but a disorderly service. And Paul rebukes that. But he doesn't say forbid speaking in tongues. He said, let each things be done decently and in order, one at a time. He said that clearly.
It's elementary school, one at a time. So, isn't it amazing that if we all just simply read, listen to, and obeyed 1 Corinthians 14, we would have much less arguments about this topic. Not that we wouldn't still have debate, but certainly less arguments about this, and would not cause division if we all obeyed what God has already said about it.
Okay, so there's Tums. So, that's probably as far as I want to take it, guys. I think we've pretty much settled what needs to be settled with this. If you have any questions about it, feel free to comment or send in a message or whatever.
I think it is finally time for us to move on to blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. So, we're wrapping up our series on the Holy Spirit, and next week we're going to do blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. So, stay tuned for that.
And that's one that confuses and is really misunderstood a lot, and it shouldn't be. It shouldn't be serious, absolutely. It should be very serious. But sometimes people look at it like, oh, well, what is that?
Because what if I've done that? Well, as we'll see, I think most of the time when people are concerned about that, that is not actually what they've done. Excuse me, but we'll cover that next week. I love you guys very much.
Thank you for all you do. Please like and share these videos. Have a great day, and I'll see y 'all next week.
