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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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DIFFICULTIES IN CHURCH WORSHIP (CH 11-14): THE USE AND ABUSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS (CH. 12-14) 1Co 14:21-20 (1/25/12) (unedited) Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS WAS
EDIFICATION (1Co 14:1-12) A. Pursue Love and the Forth-telling Gifts
(1) B. Tongues Speak to God not Men (2) C. Prophecy is for Edification (3-4) D. Prophecy is Greater than Tongues (5) E. Tongues is Not Understandable and
Profitless (6-11) F. Seek to Abound in Edification (Tongues do
not Edify) (12) 1. Paul applies his instruction directly to
the Corinthians (“so also you” - lit. “so you yourselves also” - humeis).
Since they were zealots of spiritual gifts, they were to abound in seeking (present
imperative - zęte,ō) edification (14:3, 4, 5, 12, 17, 26). 2. Edification (oikodomę - building up
the body of Christ to spiritual maturity), as Paul clearly emphasized, is
the main purpose for spiritual gifts (as well as the church’s main purpose). II. THE PERSEPCTIVE ON TONGUES THAT IS MATURE
(13-20) A. The Tongues-speaker must Pray for
Interpretation (13) 1. Since there must be edification, the one
who is speaking in tongues must pray that he might be also able to interpret.
2. I do not believe this means that they
were to ask for the gift of interpretation if they did not have it (cf. 1Co
12:30). Rather if they have the gift, then they should pray for
interpretation so that it could be shared with the rest for edification. So
if there is no interpretation from anyone than the tongues-speaker should
remain silent. B. The Human Spirit Prays in Tongues but the
Mind is Unfruitful (14) 1. The reason for asking for interpretation
is that the person praying in tongues is only praying in his human spirit. 2. Without the interpretation even the
tongues-speaker has no idea what is being said in his mind (nous) and
therefore he is not edified and therefore unfruitful spiritually to himself
and others. C. Paul Prays with Spirit and Mind (15) 1. The NASB translates this next phrase as,
“What is the outcome then?” This may be adding too much because the word “outcome”
is not in the Greek. Literally it is, “What then is it?” In other
words he is essentially asking, “What then is it that should be done?” 2. To this question Paul answers that he
practices praying with his spirit and his mind by praying in the common
language and not the gift of tongues. It would be the same principle in
singing in that he should pray and sing with his spirit and mind in
understandable words. It is the words of a hymn that edify and if tongues are
not understandable they do not edify and are a spiritually profitless
pursuit. This is not admonition to pray in tongues. D. The Ungifted will not be Able to
Understand (16) 1. Paul explains that if an “ungifted” (idiōtęs
- one unskilled or ungifted in tongues and interpretation) believer is in
church, he will not be able to say “Amen” (amen - “of a truth” or “truly”,
an expression of those who hear and are in doctrinal and emotional agreement). 2. Though the tongues-speaker may be giving
thanks to God, the ungifted believer will have no clue what is being said. E. No One is Edified by Tongues (17) 1. In reality God may be praised by the
tongues-speaker but the others are not built up spiritually (“edified”). 2. As Paul stated before, even the
tongues-speaker may not be edified if he does not understand what he is
saying. F. Paul speaks in Tongues more than
Corinthians (18) 1. This is an interesting statement by Paul
but it by no means is meant to be vain boasting or a hyper-promotion of the
gift of tongues. 2. Rather, Paul is laying down the basis
that even though the Corinthians are zealous in the use of the gift of
tongues, he speaks in tongues more than they do. Therefore, he is very
qualified authoritatively and experientially to say these things. G. Yet Paul Desires to Speak Plainly (19) 1. With such authority and experience Paul
himself would rather speak with only five words that are understandable than
ten thousand words that are not understandable. 2. Because when speaking in intelligible
words in a language, believers are able to understand and be “instructed” (katęeche,ō - “to bring down a sound,” “make others
understand through communication). Ten thousand words without communication are ten thousand mere
sounds. H. Be Mature in Your Thinking (20) 1. He ends this perspective on tongues with
a searing admonition, though he still calls them “brethren.” 2. They were to act for themselves and were
to stop acting like children (not infants as nępios in 1Co 13:11, but
nonetheless those who are like older children but still immature) in
their mindset and perspective (phręn - mindset) toward spiritual
gifts. 3. They were instead to act and think for
themselves in a complete and mature (teleoi - complete or mature ones)
way spiritually in God’s purposes. However, in regard to evil the Corinthians
were to be as innocent as infants (nępios). III. THE PURPOSE(S) FOR TONGUES (21-26) A. Tongues were First and Foremost a Sign to
Unbelieving Israel (21) 1. Paul links the Corinthians immaturity in
regard to tongues with their lack of knowledge of God’s Word in regard to the
purpose for tongues. 2. Paul quotes Isa 28:11-12 to show the true
purpose for tongues. It was in essence a sign of judgment to unbelieving
Israel. a) Because Israel refused to hearken unto
God’s message proclaimed by Isaiah, God would chastise them by sending
another message, only it would come through by “strange tongues.” These
“strange tongues” in Isaiah’s context were the foreign languages of the
Assyrians who assailed Judah, reminiscent of the promise of judgment through
foreign nations (Deu 28:49-50 cp. Jer 5:15). b) When unbelieving Israel heard the “strange
(foreign) tongues” (through the gift of tongues) at Pentecost, it was a sign
of judgment for rejecting the Messiah. But sadly, they still would not
“listen” to God. c) This is also another strong argument to
show that tongues were a foreign dialect not and angelic or unintelligible
language. d) There are other purposes for the sign of
tongues, but not for the purposes that the Corinthians were using tongues.
Paul reinforced that tongues were not a sign to believers but for specific
unbelievers (Israel) in vs. 22. IV. OBSERVATION AND APPLICATIONS A. Unfortunately there are many churches
today that see tongues as a means to edification. According to Paul they are
virtually worthless for this purpose and that five intelligible words (ex.
“Christ died for us,” Rom 5:8) were better than ten thousand unintelligible
words. So much time is wasted in some churches today in unintelligible
pursuit, when what is needed is intelligible teaching clearly communicated
from the word of God through the Holy Spirit. 1. Communication and understanding are a
part of spiritual and edifying Christian worship (Eph 5:18-19). B. If we were to apply rightly 1 Corinthians
14, much of what is going on in the present day tongues movement stems from
spiritual immaturity. Spiritual immaturity leans on experience or popularity
to dictate its behavior rather than the Scriptural principles. Children
imitate others and they sometimes imitate the wrong people (ex. peers etc.).
Believers are to be mature which means imitating the Scriptures to imitate
Christ. 1. Our purpose then is to edify the church
through the instruction of Scripture so that believers imitate Christ in
character and ministry (Eph 4:11-13). 2. A misunderstanding to the Scriptures and
God’s purposes for tongues allows many today to engage in a pseudo spiritual
demonstration of pseudo tongues. |
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