Part 1 is here.
Part 4 is here.
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III. THE CONTROL OF THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
1st Corinthians 14
INTRODUCTION: In Chapter 14 the italicized word "unknown" does not appear in the Greek text, as with all italicized words found in the King James Translation. These were supplied by the translators to help clarify the meaning and, in most cases, it does. Tongues in Corinthians were in one sense "known," and in another sense "unknown."
Now to clarify what we mean. The one speaking in tongues did not know what was said unless God also gave the gift of interpretation. Those listening did not understand until the interpreter told them what was said in their own language. Yet, what is unknown in one place has a meaning somewhere else in the world without being interpreted.
"There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification."
The Church is to be Controlled by Edification (1-6).
(Verse 1). At Corinth, tongues were passionately sought above the rest of the gifts. "Follow after charity" literally means to pursue after love. It is good to desire spiritual gifts, but more important than having all the gifts is the giving forth of the Word of God. The true love of God separates the person who talks of God from the person who walks with God. If a person truly loves the Lord, they would desire to pursue God's priorities. Now we can see why the Lord begins Chapter 14 with "Follow after love" (charity). All of Chapter 14 is God's correction concerning tongues. It all begins with ... are we willing to follow and obey God's Word? First, we should desire to give the Word of God to others; second, have a desire for spiritual gifts; third, accept the gift or gifts God wills for us to have; fourth, covet earnestly, that is ... pursue to the best of our ability with God's grace, those gifts for His excellence. (Hmm. Let's actually quote the verse. 1Co. 14:1:
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.We don't wish to pick nits, but we see only two things listed, not four:
- follow the way of love
- eagerly desire spiritual gifts
- desire to give the Word of God to others
- accept the gift or gifts God wills for us to have
- pursue those gifts for His excellence
(Verses 2-5). In these Verses the Lord gives the contrast, the good versus the bad, the positive versus the negative, the speaker's will versus God's will. Here is the contrast between their error and God's rebuke.
ERROR: They were speaking in tongues without an interpreter. This is clearly an error, as Verse 2 states, "..."no man understandeth..."
REBUKE: If they had one interpreting, every person in the assembly would have understood and been edified. Any tongues spoken in Corinth without an interpreter were counterfeit and not of the Lord. Why? Because God forbade tongues, "...Except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying." (The author again invents a fanciful reading. Let's quote the passage. 1Co. 14:2-5:
For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no-one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. 3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.Does the reader see anywhere here that uninterpreted tongues are counterfeit? Does the reader see anywhere here that uninterpreted tongues are forbidden? No, of course not. It's not there.)
The one referred to here as the interpreter is the speaker himself. If this were not true, "except he interpret" would read "except someone interpret." (It seems the author is suggesting that a tongues speaker must interpret his own tongue. The author errs by thinking interpretation can only happen this way, something the verse does not tell us.
It is rather simple to discover what the Bible teaches on this matter:
1Co. 12:10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
1Co. 12:30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
1Co. 14:13 For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.
1Co. 14:26-27 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.We can clearly see that Paul mentions interpretation as a separate and distinct gift, but also notes the possibility of possessing both the gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation.)
This error led to many more deviations from God's will and Word, as we shall see.
ERROR: "For he that speaketh in an (unknown) tongue speaketh not unto men ... for no man understandeth." (Verse 2a)
REBUKE: This was exactly opposite God's will. The church was to be edified. This condemns any private use of tongues today, the same as it did in Corinth. (The author cannot point to any verse in the Bible that "condemns the private use of tongues." We shall provide one that says the opposite:
1Co. 14:28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.Speak to himself and God. This is a private use of tongues.)
ERROR (Verse 2b). The speaker was speaking in tongues to God.
REBUKE: This was not God's will. (Let's quote the verse. 1Co. 14:2:
For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no-one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.Does the reader see anywhere that "this was not God's will?")
The Lord said in Verse 2b "...howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." That is, he does not understand what he is saying. (No, his hearers are hearing mysteries spoken, and they don't understand them. We can see the text before us, so we shall not allow the author to lie to us: Indeed, no-one understands him...
This does not say the speaker does not understand himself. Such a thing may be true, but this text does not say this.)
God wants his children to communicate to Him with full understanding of what they mean and say. (It seems obvious to us that this is not true, but when someone like the author is locked into preconceptions, any evidence to the contrary is obscured.
1Co. 14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
Ro. 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.There is nothing at all in the Bible that tells us that we must always fully understand.)
ERROR: They did not seek to "prophesy," i.e., give forth the Word of God.
REBUKE: This is proof they wanted self-glorification instead of Christ's glorification. (No, "self edification," not "self glorification."
1Co. 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.God had to remind them that they needed to grow up as men and be concerned about others. Verse 3 instructs them that , "...he that prophesieth (speaks the Word of God) (The author will persist in inserting this parenthetical explanation of prophecy throughout his presentation. He does this dishonestly, with the intent to subtly redefine what prophecy is. Prophecy is not simply "speaking the word of God," for a sermon does that as well. A person reading aloud from the Scripture is also that. A person who delivers a word of wisdom speaks the word of God, too.
However, prophecy goes beyond being the mere recitation of Scripture. It is revelatory.)
speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." This is the will of God they were too ignorant to acknowledge.
ERROR: (Verse 4a) They wanted to edify themselves by speaking in tongues. (Well, surprise. He gets it right, sort of. More precisely, they ended up edifying only themselves by speaking in uninterpreted tongues. The author speculates on their motives, but we don't know what they might be.)
"He that speaketh in an (unknown) tongue edifieth himself..." This was their will instead of God's will.
REBUKE: (Verse 4b,13). God's will is that the church receive edifying through the hearing of His Word. "...but he that prophesieth edifieth the church." The best way for the believer to edify himself is to build up others in the faith and help them grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2nd Peter 3:18).
ERROR: (Verse 4b) They did not seek to give forth the Word of God so the assembly could be edified. (Let's quote the verse. 1Co. 14:4:
He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.Yet again we discover that the author is speculating. However, this verse does not say the Corinthian church was not prophesying. In fact, we discover later that they were. 1Co. 14:26:
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.This is yet another reason we cannot trust this man as a teacher of the Bible.)
REBUKE: (Verse 4b)
ERROR: (Verse 5) This verse re-emphasized their desire to physically experience the sensationalism of speaking in tongues. (***Sigh*** We won't even bother to quote the verse. What the author writes bears no resemblance to the contents of the verse. There is no scriptural evidence of this assertion. In fact, we do not find any verse in the Bible that says tongues are sensational. We do not find any verse that says tongues contains a sensational physical experience.)
They had no concern for an interpretation.
(...)
A study of Verse 6 reveals to us much more than may appear at a casual reading. Notice carefully that the counterfeit tongues (Again we will not quote the verse. The reader can look it up. There is no mention anywhere of "counterfeit tongues.")
were void of: (a) the mind of God, (b) any spiritual truth, (c) the counsel of God, and (d) did not contain any teaching whatsoever. This is a demonic spirit's favorite activity...making a person feel religious without an understanding of the Word of God. This is exactly what was taking place in Corinth! (Let's quote the verse:
1Co. 14:6 Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?None of what the author wrote about this verse is contained in the verse. The verse isn't about a a matter of source or content, it's a matter of usefulness.
The author has now completed his review of verses 1 - 6. Astonishingly, he didn't get a single thing right.)
The Church is to be Controlled by Charity (7-19).
(...)
(Verse 10). Every sound is significant and meaningful somewhere. Even though the speaker did not know what he was saying, the sound had a meaning somewhere in someone's language. If the speaker was controlled by a demonic spirit, the demon could actually curse Jesus through the speaker's vocal cords and allow the tongues speaker to feel sensationalism at the same time. The demon could curse Christ and convince the tongues speaker he was speaking by the Holy Spirit, instead of an UNHOLY SPIRIT! This is the Master Plan of Satan ... convincing a person they are doing something by the Holy Spirit, while in reality they are outright going contrary to the Word of God. This is why 1st Corinthians boldly stated "...that no man speaking (in tongues) by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed..." (1st Corinthians 12:3b). (The author repeats his points from Part 1, and is no more convincing now than he was then. This is is horrible exegesis, truly horrible. None of this is found in the texts presented to us.)
(Verses 11-13). In these three Verses we have, in respect to tongues, the meaning (11), the motive (12), and the message (13). In Verses 11, there is no meaning to the voice if there is no interpreter.
"But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church..." (1st Corinthians 14:28a). (The author engages in selective quoting. 1Co. 14:28:
If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.There is meaning without an interpreter. God understands. The speaker is speaking to himself and God.)
If one goes ahead and speaks in tongues without an interpreter, he is like a "barbarian." A barbarian was one who spoke in an unintelligible foreign language. An example of this is found in Acts 28:2,4 where the inhabitants of Melita are called barbarians (They spoke with a Punic dialect). (Let's quote the passage. Ac. 28:2:
The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”"Islanders" is βάρβαρος, ου, ὁ (barbaros), properly, a barbarian; generically, anyone "lacking culture" (an "uncivilized" person, cf. Ro 1:14). 915 (bárbaros) is specifically used for all non-Greeks (non-Hellenists), i.e. anyone not adopting the Greek language (culture); a non-Hellēn.
The word is used in 1Co. 14:23:
So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?This has nothing to do with a tongues-speaker being "like a barbarian." Those who do not speak Greek are people who do not understand. The language they do speak is their own. Yet we read from Paul that they would think the church is out of its mind. It is clear we are not talking about natural manifestations of languages here.)
Without an interpreter, there was no meaning to the sounds and no one profited. (No, this is false. 1Co. 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself...)
Verse 12 reveals the wrong motives of the Corinthians. They proceeded, even though the church was not edified. We are told they were "...zealous of spiritual things..." (The word "gifts" is italicized and does not belong in the original), but they were not concerned about others at all. (Again, the text does not say this.)
Since their motive was not to edify the church, (The text does not say this.)
we must conclude they were only interested in themselves. (The text does not say this.)
Therefore, Paul seeks to correct their motive by instructing them to "...seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church."
Notice in Verse 13 who is instructed to interpret. It is the speaker, himself. Verse 5 says exactly the same thing, the speaker is to interpret. (The author repeats his fallacious point.)
"...for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying."
The Word of God gives us the doctrinal lesson, but there is also a spiritual lesson to be valued. As Christians today, let us speak words easy to be understood (Verse 11). Make sure our motive is pure in God's sight, seek to build others up in the faith, humbling ourselves that others may be exalted (Verse 12). As we walk in the Spirit of God, having an understanding of where we are going, what we are doing, and what we are saying; all three will give peace to our lives, influence others, and give God the glory.
(Verses 14-19). Not only does Chapter 14 cover speaking in tongues, but this section covers praying, singing, and giving thanks in tongues. All of which are prohibited. (No, no, no! Let's actually quote the passage [again]. 1Co. 14:14-19:
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16 If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.Does the reader see any prohibition here for anything?)
Verse 14 has caused confusion to many concerning "...my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful." Is this spirit the human spirit, the Holy Spirit, or is it describing something else concerning the individual? (Having read ahead to see if there was a discernible point, we discovered that the author will assert that Paul is not referring to "my spirit," nor is he referring to "The Holy Spirit." He will deny the actual words of the text and insert a completely different meaning.
It is the author who is causing confusion, to deny the plain reading of Scripture and insert his own meanings into words.)
Is this the human spirit that is praying? No! If it were the human spirit, the person would have an understanding of what he said. (Why? The author pulls this idea out of the air without context or documentation.)
This is not the case here for "...my understanding is unfruitful." God made man with a human spirit which gives understanding. (Again the author pulls an idea out of the air without context or documentation.)
"But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." (Job 32:8) (A supposed proof text, but it only shows that that the Holy Spirit gives inspiration [breath] to a man's spirit. It does not say understanding is the default position. The man has a spirit, but the inspiration is subsequent.)
Read 1st Corinthians 2:9-12 where the human spirit and the Holy Spirit are described as giving a person understanding. (We shall quote the text. 1Co. 2:9:
However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” — [Isaiah 64:4] 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no-one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.(Notice the fact of understanding is subsequent to the action of the Holy Spirit. The unenlivened spirit [the spirit of the world) must receive life from the Holy Spirit.)
With our human spirit we understand the things of the world; as contrasted with the Holy Spirit, Who enables us to understand the spiritual things of God. (We don't know what the human spirit knows. The carnal man leans towards the carnal things, but that doesn't mean he knows them. Without the Holy Spirit, our spiritual nature is dead [the sinful nature]. We are carnal only and have no understanding of spiritual things. When Christ enters us our spirit becomes quickened. There is no life without the Holy Spirit.)
Is this the Holy Spirit that is praying? No! Again we call your attention to the fact that speaking in tongues, or languages, was for the edification of the church (14:2,4) as they received the Word of God. If the person was speaking by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit would also have given the interpretation to the interpreter (14:5,13,27). (This is false. 1Co. 14:28: If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.)
This was not the case here. Since there was no understanding on the speaker's part and no interpretation or interpreter, it could not have been the Holy Spirit.
What does "my spirit prayeth" mean? (Here comes the word games...)
When you look up the word, "spirit," in your concordance, you will find that the Greek word, "pneuma," is translated various ways in the Bible. The word is translated "breath, life, wind, and ghost" in our English Bibles. For example:
Revelation 13:15 (KJT) - "pneuma" translated "life."
John 3:8 (KJT) - "pneuma" translated "wind."
Hebrews 1:7 (KJT) - "pneuma" translated "spirits," referring to the angels as ministering spirits.
Revelation 11:11 (KJT) - "pneuma" translated "spirit"; but, not in the Moffatt, RSV, or the New English Bible. There it is translated "breath."
Acts 20:23 (KJT) - "pneuma" translated "ghost." In the RSV is is translated "spirit."
We have listed just a few examples to show that many times the context will determine what the Greek word, "pneuma," is referring to. As previously shown, "my spirit prayeth" is not the human spirit of understanding or the Holy Spirit of God. It would be better understood as "my desire and emotions prayeth." (The author just pulls this out of the air. He says "spirit" doesn't mean "spirit," it means "emotions." And thus he changes Paul's positive assertion "I will" into a negative thing, "I shouldn't."
And by the way, the emotions and desires come out of the mind. The author is now twisted himself into an unrecognizable pile of theories, speculations, and denials of Scripture.
Let's install his theory into the passage to see if it makes sense. First, what Paul actually wrote. 1Co. 14:14-15:
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
For if I pray in a tongue, my emotion prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my emotion, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my emotion, but I will also sing with my mind.Does this even make sense?
Notice that Paul asks, "What shall I do?" That is, "what shall I do about my mind being unfruitful?" He then explains the solution, he will pray both with spirit and with his mind. But the author rejects this for his own doctrine. He deceives us.)
Here, the person desired to pray, (The author is talking about Paul...)
but was void of adhering to God's will that one interpret so the church would be edified. (Paul did this? Whaaat?)
They ("They?" So the author thinks it is the Corinthian church saying this?)
allowed their emotions to have free will going contrary to God's will. God's will is expressed in Verse 15, "...I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also..." (The author is completely off the wall. We no longer believe he is rational.
Let's look at the literal Greek:
What then is it I will pray with the spirit I will pray however also with the mind. I will sing with the spirit however also with the mind.
"I will pray."
προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai) I pray, pray for, offer prayer... properly, to exchange wishes; pray – literally, to interact with the Lord by switching human wishes (ideas) for His wishes as He imparts faith ("divine persuasion"). to offer prayers, to pray...
"With."
ὁ, ἡ, τό (ho, hé, to) ...the, the definite article... the, this, that, one, he, she, it
"The spirit."
pneuma, wind, breath, spirit... in a peculiar sense πνεῦμα is used of a soul thoroughly roused by the Holy Spirit and wholly intent on divine things, yet destitute of distinct self-consciousness and clear understanding.
"Also with the."
"Mind."
νοῦς, νοός, νοΐ, νοῦν, ὁ (nousa)... the intellective faculty, the understanding...
Paul is making assertions of purpose. "It is my purpose to pray both with my spirit and my mind.")
(Verses 15,16). A person is never to sing in tongues. Why? There is no understanding. (Another assertion, pulled out of thin air. We don't need to comment, since the author now tells us that Scriptures do not say what they plainly say. This is demonic.)
Our will ought to be God's will, "...I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." Verse 16 rebukes them for not giving thanks the same way, with understanding. (There is no rebuke here. We can read the Scriptures for ourselves, and the plain meaning is that Paul intends to both pray and sing in the spirit and pray and sing with understanding.)
(Verse 17). Their desire to give thanks is commended; but, their concern for others was missing, as well as their concern for God's will that the church be edified.We have the same thing today, some concerned only with their spirituality, acting without acknowledging God's Word (2nd Peter 3:18 and 2nd Timothy 2:15).
(Verses 18,19). Why was Paul able to speak in tongues? If one would trace the four missionary journeys of Paul, there is little doubt that he met many whose language he did not know. God enabled Paul to exercise this gift. Paul did not have time to go to language school ; so, God allowed him to speak in their language "the wonderful works of God." If tongues are for today, why do our missionaries have to spend time learning the various languages, especially those claiming to have the gift of tongues? (Whoa. We have reviewed the first two parts of the author's presentation with meticulous detail, but up to this point we have not observed him to refer to tongues as solely human languages. We know that cessationists generally make this assertion, but the author has not, up until now.
Now that he has, he does so as if it were self-evident. We reject this unbiblical concept. Our examination of tongues is found here.)
The Church is to be Controlled by Maturity (20-26).
(Verse 20). These were "babes" who wanted attention for their superficial spirituality. Let me substitute the meanings given to the word, "malice," and one can begin to see the strength of this Verse as levied against those who had not grown up. "Brethren, be not children in understanding; howbeit in badness, evil, trouble, naughtiness, and wickedness be ye children, but in understanding be men." One should be able to understand why such repercussions occur when you take a stand against the tongues advocates today. This is characteristic of all that I have met, some just surface sooner than others! ("All I have met" is a subset. It's a part of the whole, not even a representative sample. It's simply anecdotal evidence. The author bases his understanding of what charismatics believe from his interactions with a very few tongues speakers, not even necessarily theologians or Bible students!)
(...)
(Verse 23). The word, "all," could be referring to everyone speaking at the same time, since Verse 31 is instructing them to speak one at a time. No wonder the lost would think they were mad (insane). There is no mention of the use of an interpreter, for which they had been rebuked in Verse 15. (Indeed, the author's theory could be true. Maybe they were speaking in tongues all at once, but should we accidentally read the next verse, we quickly discover it is not true. 1Co. 14:24:
We are to influence the lost for Christ with the Word of God (prophesying). (Imprecise language impedes understanding. The author is conflating prophecy with preaching.)
If our motives are right, we will. If not, we will seek out to exalt self with unscriptural practices.
(Verse 24). These next two Verses emphasize the importance of winning the lost to Christ, as opposed to showing others how super "spiritual" we are. There are two types of people here ... the new Christian who is "unlearned" (concerning the Word of God) and the lost who "believeth not." The word, "prophesying," means giving forth the Word of God. When we give out the Word of God, both will be "convinced" (convicted in their conscience) and "judged" (by the Word of God that is preached). (Now we are certain. He thinks preaching is prophesying. But Paul does not teach this, because Paul does not list preaching as a spiritual gift. Preaching is the declaration as a herald the Gospel message.
Preaching proclaims the Gospel. Teaching, a spiritual gift, informs the hearer of the truths of God. The prophetic, a spiritual gift, reveals a person's secrets. )
(Verse 25). "And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest..." He now sees himself as God sees him.
The result is ... he worships God, leaves the assembly and gives a good report to the church. This fulfills what God said concerning His Word in Isaiah 55:11...
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
In Verse 23, we see self exalted. The conclusion is, they will say you are mad. In Verses 24 and 25, we see Christ exalted. (The author switches definitions between the two verses. He views verse 23 as condemnatory, but verse 24 uses the exact same language and is an approval.)
The result is, they will "report that God is in you of a truth."
The Church is to be Controlled by Order (26-40).
(Verses 26-33). From these Verses we see that God instructs the men only concerning order in the church. In Verses 34 and 35, the women are instructed. It is God's will that in every assembly of believers peace should prevail, not confusion. The following is a list of instructions that were to be followed at every assembly:
(Verse 26). Whatever gift we have, our motive for using it should be to edify others and the Lord, not self. When our motives are right, our actions will be in accordance with God's Word.
(Verse 27a). There were never to be more than three to speak in tongues (languages) at any one meeting.
(Verse 27b). "By course" means only one was to speak at a time.
(Verse 27c). "Let one interpret" meant there was always to be an interpreter when tongues were spoken.
(Verse 28a). If no interpreter, "let him keep silence in the church." No language could be any stronger or clearer.
(Verse 28b). Men should be praying silently during the assembly. (Oops. The author continues to insert novel interpretations. What does the verse actually say? 1Co. 14:28:
(Verses 29-31). The prophets were those prophesying (Verse 6), i.e., "speaking forth the mind and counsel of God." They were to follow exactly the same rules that governed tongues (languages). No more than three at a meeting. While one was speaking, the other was to sit silently and "judge" (literally "discern").
(Verse 32). Each person is responsible to keep themselves (their own spirit) under control and in order. (1Co. 14:32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. This verse speaks of the governance of the prophetic, and it's not "each person.")
(Verse 33). Whenever there is peace in the church, it is evident that God is in control of the people. When a person causes confusion in the church, it is evident that Satan and / or their old nature is the controlling factor.
(Verses 34,35). Here we find God's instructions to the women of the assembly: (Let's quote it:
The reason, again, is substantiated by Verse 34b, "...for it is not permitted unto them (women) to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience..." Obedient to whom? Notice in 1st Timothy 2:11,12, "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence" (She can have authority over the children). Women are to be in subjection to the Word of God, and their own husbands (as recorded in Verse 35).
(Some tongues advocates have told me this prohibition against women speaking in the church only refers to a business meeting in the church. This is another example of their twisting, turning, and adding to God's Word to make it fit their practices. Paul never discussed anything about a business meeting in Chapters 12 to 14. This is absolute dishonesty with God's Word! The hardest thing I have found is to get tongues advocates to accept God's Word).
(Verse 35). "And if they (women) will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home" (Not everyone in the church!). It would be well advised for some women to ask their husbands concerning spiritual things, even though they feel they are more spiritually mature (and so they may be). If they did this, it would serve as a challenge to their husbands to search the Scriptures for answers. (Ah, this is very context-specific. There was something going on in the Corinthian church that was out of order. Wives [not "women"] were being disruptive. They were asking questions of their husbands.
This has nothing to do with prophesying, tongues, preaching, or anything of the sort. This was a disruption coming from wives asking their husbands to answer questions.)
(...)
νοῦς, νοός, νοΐ, νοῦν, ὁ (nousa)... the intellective faculty, the understanding...
Paul is making assertions of purpose. "It is my purpose to pray both with my spirit and my mind.")
(Verses 15,16). A person is never to sing in tongues. Why? There is no understanding. (Another assertion, pulled out of thin air. We don't need to comment, since the author now tells us that Scriptures do not say what they plainly say. This is demonic.)
Our will ought to be God's will, "...I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." Verse 16 rebukes them for not giving thanks the same way, with understanding. (There is no rebuke here. We can read the Scriptures for ourselves, and the plain meaning is that Paul intends to both pray and sing in the spirit and pray and sing with understanding.)
(Verse 17). Their desire to give thanks is commended; but, their concern for others was missing, as well as their concern for God's will that the church be edified.
(Verses 18,19). Why was Paul able to speak in tongues? If one would trace the four missionary journeys of Paul, there is little doubt that he met many whose language he did not know. God enabled Paul to exercise this gift. Paul did not have time to go to language school ; so, God allowed him to speak in their language "the wonderful works of God." If tongues are for today, why do our missionaries have to spend time learning the various languages, especially those claiming to have the gift of tongues? (Whoa. We have reviewed the first two parts of the author's presentation with meticulous detail, but up to this point we have not observed him to refer to tongues as solely human languages. We know that cessationists generally make this assertion, but the author has not, up until now.
Now that he has, he does so as if it were self-evident. We reject this unbiblical concept. Our examination of tongues is found here.)
The Church is to be Controlled by Maturity (20-26).
(Verse 20). These were "babes" who wanted attention for their superficial spirituality. Let me substitute the meanings given to the word, "malice," and one can begin to see the strength of this Verse as levied against those who had not grown up. "Brethren, be not children in understanding; howbeit in badness, evil, trouble, naughtiness, and wickedness be ye children, but in understanding be men."
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(Verse 23). The word, "all," could be referring to everyone speaking at the same time, since Verse 31 is instructing them to speak one at a time. No wonder the lost would think they were mad (insane). There is no mention of the use of an interpreter, for which they had been rebuked in Verse 15. (Indeed, the author's theory could be true. Maybe they were speaking in tongues all at once, but should we accidentally read the next verse, we quickly discover it is not true. 1Co. 14:24:
But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all...So they were not speaking in tongues all together, since Paul uses the exact same language for their prophesying. Because the author makes no negative mention of the fact that everyone prophesying all at once [but instead speaks approvingly of it], we shall not allow him to change definitions in mid-stream.)
We are to influence the lost for Christ with the Word of God (prophesying). (Imprecise language impedes understanding. The author is conflating prophecy with preaching.)
If our motives are right, we will. If not, we will seek out to exalt self with unscriptural practices.
(Verse 24). These next two Verses emphasize the importance of winning the lost to Christ, as opposed to showing others how super "spiritual" we are. There are two types of people here ... the new Christian who is "unlearned" (concerning the Word of God) and the lost who "believeth not." The word, "prophesying," means giving forth the Word of God. When we give out the Word of God, both will be "convinced" (convicted in their conscience) and "judged" (by the Word of God that is preached). (Now we are certain. He thinks preaching is prophesying. But Paul does not teach this, because Paul does not list preaching as a spiritual gift. Preaching is the declaration as a herald the Gospel message.
Preaching proclaims the Gospel. Teaching, a spiritual gift, informs the hearer of the truths of God. The prophetic, a spiritual gift, reveals a person's secrets. )
(Verse 25). "And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest..." He now sees himself as God sees him.
The result is ... he worships God, leaves the assembly and gives a good report to the church. This fulfills what God said concerning His Word in Isaiah 55:11...
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
In Verse 23, we see self exalted. The conclusion is, they will say you are mad. In Verses 24 and 25, we see Christ exalted. (The author switches definitions between the two verses. He views verse 23 as condemnatory, but verse 24 uses the exact same language and is an approval.)
The result is, they will "report that God is in you of a truth."
The Church is to be Controlled by Order (26-40).
(Verses 26-33). From these Verses we see that God instructs the men only concerning order in the church. In Verses 34 and 35, the women are instructed. It is God's will that in every assembly of believers peace should prevail, not confusion. The following is a list of instructions that were to be followed at every assembly:
(Verse 26). Whatever gift we have, our motive for using it should be to edify others and the Lord, not self. When our motives are right, our actions will be in accordance with God's Word.
(Verse 27a). There were never to be more than three to speak in tongues (languages) at any one meeting.
(Verse 27b). "By course" means only one was to speak at a time.
(Verse 27c). "Let one interpret" meant there was always to be an interpreter when tongues were spoken.
(Verse 28a). If no interpreter, "let him keep silence in the church." No language could be any stronger or clearer.
(Verse 28b). Men should be praying silently during the assembly. (Oops. The author continues to insert novel interpretations. What does the verse actually say? 1Co. 14:28:
If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.There is nothing here regarding an obligation to engage in silent prayer.)
(Verses 29-31). The prophets were those prophesying (Verse 6), i.e., "speaking forth the mind and counsel of God." They were to follow exactly the same rules that governed tongues (languages). No more than three at a meeting. While one was speaking, the other was to sit silently and "judge" (literally "discern").
(Verse 32). Each person is responsible to keep themselves (their own spirit) under control and in order. (1Co. 14:32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. This verse speaks of the governance of the prophetic, and it's not "each person.")
(Verse 33). Whenever there is peace in the church, it is evident that God is in control of the people. When a person causes confusion in the church, it is evident that Satan and / or their old nature is the controlling factor.
(Verses 34,35). Here we find God's instructions to the women of the assembly: (Let's quote it:
1Co. 14:34-35 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to enquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.)(Verse 34). "Let your women keep silence in the churches." Since tongues were given for edification of the church (Verses 5,12) and no women were permitted to speak in the church assembly, it becomes evident that women were never given the gift of tongues (languages), prophecy, or interpretation of tongues to be exercised in the church assembly. (The author again lies. 1Co. 11:4-5:
Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head — it is just as though her head were shaved.Women prophesied in the church. By extension, they also spoke in tongues and interpreted.)
The reason, again, is substantiated by Verse 34b, "...for it is not permitted unto them (women) to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience..." Obedient to whom? Notice in 1st Timothy 2:11,12, "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence" (She can have authority over the children). Women are to be in subjection to the Word of God, and their own husbands (as recorded in Verse 35).
(Verse 35). "And if they (women) will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home" (Not everyone in the church!). It would be well advised for some women to ask their husbands concerning spiritual things, even though they feel they are more spiritually mature (and so they may be). If they did this, it would serve as a challenge to their husbands to search the Scriptures for answers. (Ah, this is very context-specific. There was something going on in the Corinthian church that was out of order. Wives [not "women"] were being disruptive. They were asking questions of their husbands.
This has nothing to do with prophesying, tongues, preaching, or anything of the sort. This was a disruption coming from wives asking their husbands to answer questions.)
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