Book of 1 Corinthians - Ch. 14, Vs. 1-40 (03/04/2001) | NOTE: Poor audio quality

All right, it's time to start. I don't know where everyone is, but it's time to begin. Chapter 14, 1 Corinthians. Follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy. David, what is prophecy?

Prophecy as Speaking for God Rather Than Predicting the Future

Prophesying. Prophecy, prophets, reception, and declaration of a word from the Lord through a direct prompting of the Holy Spirit and the human instrument thereof. Hence, for interpretation, prophets intended to evoke faith by proclamation and not merely to predict the future.

The interpreter must remember the limited perspective of the prophet. And prophets were not all-knowing, but all-telling. That is, they told what God had told them. Caution must be exercised when reading predictive prophecies because prophecy often has more than one fulfillment.

You cannot receive something for someone else. You cannot and you must not receive something and tell someone else that God told them to tell you. That never happens. The New Testament authors believe Old Testament events, persons, or things foreshadowed the later Christian story.

The word prophet means to speak before or to speak for. Thus it refers to one who speaks for God or Christ. Verse 2, 1 Corinthians 14. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God.

Tongues, Edification, and the Need for Interpretation

For no man understand him, howbeit in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries unto God, who alone understands all languages. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men through edification and exhortion and comfort.

He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edify himself, but he that prophesieth edifies the church. We are to edify the church. He that prophesieth. To prophesy means more than to foretell. It is to declare the will of God under divine impulse.

When Peter spoke on Pentecost, he did the work of the New Testament prophet. In this formative period of the church, before the New Testament was written, it was needful that there be these inspired guides to the church.

We don't have that today. The church has formed and has been for years and years. 5 I would that ye all speak with tongues, but little that ye prophesy. For greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret what the church may receive edification.

For he is the greatest in the church who is most edifying. And he that prophesieth edifyeth more than he that speaketh all languages. God has said all he's going to say. Now, brethren, I come to you, speaking with tongues.

What shall I prophet you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation or by knowledge or by prophesying or by doctrine? Unless he declares to them truths which they could understand and apply to practice, he would do them no good.

Paul speaks with tongues. Speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues. They give a sound. Except they give a distinct distinction in the sounds. How shall it be known what is piped or harped? If the piano played the voice of all of the instruments, it would be difficult to understand.

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle? So, if persons in the church do not speak intelligibly, they will edify nothing. It is like beating the air, all is vain.

So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood. How shall it be known what is spoken? For you shall speak into... Did you ever hear a preacher use such long words? Stincy, a barbarian may be so many kinds of voices in the world, if none of them is without signification.

Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the word, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. In other words, if we had someone come and speak in German this morning, it wouldn't mean anything.

All the papists hold their sermons, and they, before the unlearned people by this, give themselves away. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

There are many languages in the world. However, there cannot be communication between people who do not speak the same language. How can you edify the people if you speak a language that no one understands?

Does it build up the believers? Of course, the answer is no. They cannot speak. Wherefore, let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. Yes, there must be someone there that speaks the language, or he does not.

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. That is the answer to those who say that they speak in tongues for their private devotions. If the understanding is unfruitful, you don't get spiritual gift out of it.

That is, the Holy Spirit is not ministering to you. If you get a lift, it is merely psychological. Paul says your understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I pray with spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.

I will sing with spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupies the room of the unlearned say amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he will understand not what thou sayest?

He simply states the example of when you pray in a language not known to somebody, how is anybody going to say amen or agree with that? For thou verily givest thanks, well, but the other is not heard.

I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all. You spoke more languages than I. Yet in the church I had rather speak thy words with mine also. Brethren, be not children in understanding, howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men who have grown way beyond the baby stage.

Tongues as a Sign and the Priority of Understandable Preaching

In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people, and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not, for prophesying serveth not to them that believe not, but to them that believe.

He's saying that when I went out to the mission field, they were speaking in a different language. So I spoke to them in their own tongue. And when I presented the gospel to them in their own tongue, they believed.

Now, when I meet with these folk in the land of Israel, I speak the language of the one they know and understand. Therefore I am prophesying. That is, I am teaching the word of God to them. If, therefore, the whole church come together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say they are all men?

Certainly, they're battling away, each one in a different tongue. We do not want a stranger to step into the church and think he's limited to a group of people, a group of all men. If there is one thing we need today, it is a logical, meaningful presentation of the word of God.

People in this world are intelligent. They're scientific. They're sophisticated. They want a logical message which can be understood. The word of God needs to be presented so it can be understood. But if all prophesy, if all prophesy and there come in one that believe it not, or one unlearned, and he is convinced of all, he is judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, so failing, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is in him.

And you are the truth. In other words, if you are preaching the word of God, and an unbeliever comes in, you will come under conviction and you'll be converted. You want to say something? Prophecy. Reception and declaration of a word from the Lord through a direct prompting of the Holy Spirit and the human instrument.

That's right. True today, but due to the fact that we have no prophets, you can take the word to mean that, but we've already read it. God's told us. Thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is in you.

You are the truth. How is it then, brethren, when you come together, every one of you have the song, have the doctrine, have the tongue, have the revelation, have the interpretation, let all things be done to the head of my church.

Let all things be done to him. That is, let all your public offices be in such a manner as they may best conduct to the end for which they were designed, and that's to edify the church. If it is not, then waste it.

Order in Worship and Limits on Tongues and Prophecy

If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and that by course, and let one interpret. If we had a multilingual to speak to the church, the church's edification is this, that such as have the gift of tongue should not speak sensibly one after the other, and that one interpret what was spoken to the benefit of edifying the church.

But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silent and speak to God. Let the prophet speak two or three, and let there be a judge, someone who can interpret.

If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. We don't have the gifts anymore. We don't have the gift of tongues. I don't think anybody has. Even the weatherman doesn't get prophecy very much.

For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, all may be comforted. The spirit of prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace in all churches with the saints.

God gives church services to be very orderly. I like our type. Subject 34, let your women keep silent in church, for it is not permitted unto them to speak. They are commanded to be under obedience, as also said the law.

Now, what's he talking about? Directly to the assembly, he's speaking of our way of teaching.