God specifically says that anyone who blasphems the Holy Ghost will never be forgiven.

In 1 Corinthians 14, the Apostle Paul corrects the carnal Corinthians on the basis of their misuse and perversion of the gift of tongues (or languages). In the New Testament era, the true gift of tongues was the ability to speak a language which was unknown to the speaker but known to someone present. Now, God had a very definite purpose for this gift, which we'll see later on in this lesson, but the Corinthian assembly had taken the true gift and had twisted it for an untrue use. They also had added a counterfeit gift to the true gift.

It was common, in the pagan mystery religions of that day, for the people to believe that they could enter into a state of frenzy or ecstasy, slip out of their body, and commune on another level with a deity. And when they did that, they would speak to that deity in an unknown language--the language of that god. They believed that this ecstatic, supernatural phenomenon was a great act of devotion toward that god. Consequently, it was very self-edifying. Well, as with other practices of the world's system, this pagan practice of speaking in ecstatic languages infiltrated the Corinthian church.

The Corinthian Christians actually believed that the gift of tongues was speaking an ecstatic babble or gibberish and communing with God in a private prayer language. So, the Apostle Paul had to write this chapter to dispell the idea that the true gift is that kind of ecstatic gibberish. He also wrote this chapter to make sure that when the true gift was exercised, it was exercised properly in the right context to accomplish the right purpose.

First Corinthians 14 is a very urgent chapter for us today because Charismatics are constantly telling us that speaking in tongues is necessary in order to realize the full manifestation of the Holy Spirit--the full expression of His power in our lives. They're loudly crying out to us to have this experience, so we need to understand exactly what Paul is saying here.

This chapter can be divided, basically, into three major points. In our last two lessons, we talked about the position of the gift of tongues and saw that it was secondary. The second point, which we are going to look at in this lesson, is the purpose of the gift of tongues. And the third point, which we'll consider in the next lesson, is the procedure for the gift of tongues.

I. THE POSITION OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES: SECONDARY (vv. 1-19)

II. THE PURPOSE OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES: A SIGN (vv. 20-25)

This is an extremely vital area of study, because if we can determine the purpose of the gift of tongues, then we will be able to evaluate what's going on today, or at any time in history, relative to this gift. It either fits the biblical purpose or it does not. Consequently, we can determine whether it's legitimate or not.

A. The Purpose Suggested

1. PERSONAL EDIFICATION AND DEVOTION

a. Described

Now let me begin by reiterating what is often offered as the purpose of tongues--particularly today among our brothers and sisters in Pentecostal and Charismatic fellowships. They tell us that the purpose of tongues is primarily for personal edification and devotion. In other words, they say that it is to be used as a private prayer language because it builds you up and allows you to have devotions with God in a supernatural way.

Donald Gee, a well-known Pentecostal scholar, said, "...the revealed purposes of the gift of tongues are chiefly devotional, and we do well to emphasize the fact" (Concerning Spiritual Gifts [Springfield: Gospel Publishing House, 1937], p. 42). Larry Christenson, who is a more modern Charismatic, says, "One speaks in tongues, for the most part, in his private devotions. This is by far its most important use and value" (Speaking in Tongues and its Significance for the Church [Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1968], p. 28).

They are saying, then, that speaking in tongues is a new way to have your devotions, a new way to edify yourself, a new way to build yourself up, a new way for you to have communion with God and experience something deeper and more meaningful than you could experience any other way.

b. Disputed

In the first 19 verses of 1 Corinthians 14, Paul basically chides the Corinthians for their selfish use of tongues. When we studied verse 2, I showed you that Paul was telling the Corinthians, "When you speak in ecstatic gibberish, you are doing what is done in the mystery religions by people who are speaking to their gods. This is not the design of any spiritual gift, because all spiritual gifts are designed to speak to men or to serve others." In 1 Corinthians 12:7 Paul says that the gifts were given to profit all. So, they had misused this gift.

All the gifts are to be used to edify one another. The idea of self-edification is a perversion. In verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 14 Paul says, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue [lit. `gibberish'] edifieth himself...." Now, he is not telling them to speak in tongues to edify themselves; he's merely recognizing that this is what they are doing. You say, "What's wrong with edifying oneself?" Well, that's selfish; and no gift is ever to be used selfishly! So Paul says, "You are actually speaking in this gibberish for the purpose of building yourselves up. But the truth of the matter is that your understanding is unfruitful (v. 14), and nobody who hears you can even say amen (v. 16). You are totally ignoring the people around you because you are selfish. As for me, I'd rather speak five words that others can understand, than ten thousand words in a foreign language" (v. 19). You see, they were speaking in tongues for self- edification, but that wasn't the point of the gift.

Tongues were never intended for the purpose of edification. In fact, tongues can't edify the church because the members don't understand what's being said. And when they are interpreted, it is the gift of interpretation that edifies-- not the gift of tongues. Further, tongues can't edify an individual because his mind is unfruitful.

It isn't possible, then, that tongues can be defined as a self-edifying prayer language to God. If you study prayer in the New Testament, you will never find a verse that tells you to pray to God in an unknown language. In fact, when Jesus laid out the model for prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, there wasn't any gibberish or ecstatic language involved, was there? I certainly don't think that we can come up with a better model than that of our Lord Himself. People say, "But speaking in tongues is a method of praising God in a marvelous and free way." Well, if it's such a great way to praise God, and praise is the very character of heaven, why does 1 Corinthians 13:8 say that tongues will cease?

So, we can't conclude that the gift of tongues is for self- edification or devotion. A second suggestion that some people give for the purpose of tongues is...

2. EVANGELISM

Some people say that the gift of tongues in the New Testament was to enable somebody to preach the gospel in another language. Now, that sounds like a good idea. And I wouldn't deny that somewhere on a mission field, God may have given somebody the ability to speak a language he didn't know in order to give the gospel to somebody in a very critical situation. However, that doesn't support the idea that the gift of tongues in the New Testament was to preach the gospel to people who didn't understand. Do you know why? Because there are no illustrations of the gift of tongues being used like that in the whole New Testament.

You say, "What about in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost when the disciples spoke in tongues and everybody in the crowd heard them speak in his own language?" Yes, but do you know what the multitude heard? They heard them speaking "the wonderful works of God" (Ac. 2:11). In other words, they went over the great historical events that God had done in the Old Testament. Do you know why? They were drawing the attention of the Jewish crowd so that Peter could stand up and preach the gospel to them in a language that was common to all (Ac. 2:14- 40). So, rather than saying that the purpose of the gift of tongues was evangelism, you might say that it was more useful for pre-evangelism. It gathered the crowd and then the gospel was preached.

So, Charismatics have suggested that the gift of tongues is for edification, while others have suggested that it's for evangelism. But those don't really fit the New Testament pattern. A third suggestion for the purpose of the gift of tongues is that it is a...

3. PROOF OF SPIRIT BAPTISM

In our study of 1 Corinthians 12 (see the study notes entitled Spiritual Gifts), we discussed this erroneous view that the gift of tongues is the proof of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at great length. There are several problems with this view, as seen in the following passages:

a. 1 Corinthians 12:13, 30--Paul writes, "For by one Spirit were we all baptized...." How many were baptized? All! Look at verse 30: "Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?" Well, the Greek construction of this verse implies a negative answer. In other words, all are baptized, but all do not speak in tongues. You cannot equate those two.

b. Acts 2:38--After Peter preached in Acts 2, he said, "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for [lit. `because of'] the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Three thousand people responded to Peter's sermon that day (v. 41). Do you know how many of them spoke in tongues after they received the gift of the Holy Spirit? The Bible doesn't say that any of them did!

c. Acts 4:31--Referring to the early church, Luke writes, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit...." At that point, do you think they all spoke in tongues? No! "...they spoke the word of God with boldness."

In 1 Corinthians 12, all are baptized by the Spirit; in Acts 2, people receive the Spirit; and in Acts 4, people are filled with the Spirit. But in each of those cases, an accompanying phenomenon of tongues is not mentioned. Therefore, you can't equate the baptism of the Spirit, the receiving of the Spirit, or the filling of the Spirit with speaking in tongues.

You say, "John, if speaking in tongues isn't a sign of Spirit baptism, and if it isn't for the purpose of actually proclaiming the gospel, and if it isn't for the purpose of building myself up in a private way, what is the gift of tongues for?" Well, let's look at the text and find out.

B. The Purpose Stated (vv. 20-22)

1. THE PROBLEM OF THE CORINTHIANS DETECTED (v. 20)

"Brethren, be not children [lit. `stop being children'] in understanding; however, in malice [Gk. kakia=evil] be ye children [lit. `infants'], but in understanding be men."

Now this is a rather strong indictment, so Paul starts by calling them "brethren" to conciliate them a little bit before he hammers them. The admonition, here, suggests that because of their misuse of tongues they were practicing evil. Let me show you what I mean.

a. Their Lack of Understanding

Paul says that the Corinthians were "children in understanding." In other words, they hadn't really grown up spiritually to the point where they understood solid doctrine. They were "children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine..." (Eph. 4:14). They didn't use their minds. In fact, 1 Corinthians 14:14 implies that their minds were unfruitful. They were not thinking through the right things--the biblical things-- that they had received. Consequently, the Corinthians were "children in understanding" rather than mature men with minds that grasped the truth.

b. Their Love of Evil

The Corinthians should have been infants in malice and evil...but they weren't. You say, "What do you mean by that?" Well, a little infant has no evil thoughts or malice toward anybody. A little infant is full of love, gentleness, kindness, tenderness, care, and sensitivity. So Paul is saying, "Why don't you treat each other like that? Why don't you be little infants when it comes to the way you act with each other and be mature in your thinking, instead of being infants in your thinking and mature in your evil?"

You see, because of their selfish exercise of spiritual gifts for the purpose of self-edification, they were ignoring the rest of the family of God. There was no room for any real teaching of the Word of God because of the total confusion that characterized their worship. In fact, not only couldn't the members of the church get anything out of the services, people who visited their congregation thought that they were insane because of the absolute chaos that occurred as everybody in the church just did his own thing.

The problem in the Corinthian church really boiled down to a preference of anti-intellectualism over existential experience--which is basically what we see happening today. A pervasive kind of anti-intellectualism has allowed the Charismatic movement to sweep into the church and accommodate that kind of thinking.

Paul says, "Stop being children and treating people unkindly, and start thinking like adults." After having said that and calling them to attention, Paul gives the purpose of tongues:

2. THE PURPOSE OF TONGUES DELINEATED (vv. 21-22a)

"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..."

Now if you never learn anything else about tongues, you can be sure about one thing: "...tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not...." That statement alone is the heart of this chapter. In fact, if anyone today thinks he has the gift of tongues, all he needs to do is to deal with the reality of that statement, and he will be forced to reconsider just what he does have. It couldn't be any simpler. Tongues are for a sign to those who don't believe!

Now basically, the purpose of tongues as a sign is threefold. They are a sign of cursing, a sign of blessing, and a sign of authority. Let's look at each one separately:

a. A Sign of Cursing

This is the primary purpose of the gift of tongues, according to these verses. Let's look at verse 21 again: "In the law [which can refer to the Pentateuch or the entire Old Testament] it is written [freely quoting Isaiah 28:11-12], With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people [referring to Israel]; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord." Then, having stated that Old Testament proclamation of Isaiah to Israel, Paul applies it to the time of the Corinthians in verse 22, and tells them that if tongues were a sign in the time of Isaiah, they were still a sign: "Wherefore, tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not...." So, Paul draws a conclusion from the Old Testament text. What's his conclusion? Tongues are not for believing people, they are for unbelieving people. What unbelieving people? Well, the phrase "this people" in verse 21 is referring to Israel, so tongues are specifically a sign to unbelieving Israel.

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Now, let me give you a little bit of background:

1) Old Testament Warnings of Judgment

a) Isaiah 28:7-12

In Isaiah 28, we find ourselves in the southern kingdom of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah. The year is approximately 705 B.C. In 722 B.C., seventeen years earlier, the northern kingdom of Israel had been taken and destroyed by the Assyrians as a judgment of God on Israel's unbelief and apostasy. Now, in 705 B.C., the southern kingdom of Judah was also behaving in a terrible, disobedient manner. So God spoke to them through the prophet Isaiah to warn them of their impending judgment. That is the message of the first 15 verses of Isaiah 28. It is a warning from the prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah, that they are going to receive the same kind of judgment that the kingdom in the north received.

Now, let's see how Isaiah approaches the problem. In verse 7, he finds the leaders of Israel, the prophets, and the priests, in a drunken stupor: "But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way...." They had failed to fulfill their function as leaders because they were drunk. Verse 7 continues: "...The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink, they err in vision, they stumble in judgment."

Look at the ugliness of verse 8: "For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean." Isaiah finds them at some party in a drunken stupor, having vomited all over the tables. So he unloads his message of rebuke and of coming judgment.

Do you know what their reaction is? They mock him, scorn him, chide him, and deride him. Look at what they say in verse 9: "Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts." In other words, "Who could he ever teach? Babies!" Why? "Because he always goes `precept...upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little' (v. 10). He must think we're babies. He keeps repeating the same simple stuff over and over again."

So, they mock him. They don't appreciate his attitude, so they begin to sneer at the prophet and call his teaching simple and childish. He tried to teach them over and over again, but they never heard him. So, in verses 11-12, Isaiah speaks for God, and says, "For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people. To whom He said, This is the rest by which ye may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing; yet they would not hear." In other words, God says, "You wouldn't hear the simple, repeated, childlike message of Isaiah, so I'm going to talk to you in a language you'll never understand." He was referring to the babbling Babylonians who had already encompassed their city, who would take them out of their land, destroy them, slaughter them, and burn them. And when they began to hear that unintelligible language of Babylonia, they would know that the judgment of God had fallen. By the way, the Babylonian invaders did come in 588 B.C. Because of Judah's unbelief and apostasy, God brought a terrible judgment.

b) Deuteronomy 28:49

The people of Israel had been warned before the warning we just saw in Isaiah. Back in the fifteenth century before Christ, Moses gave the following warning in Deuteronomy 28 "The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand." I believe that this warning could have reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

So, in the fifteenth century, God warned them that when they heard a strange language it would mean judgment. And in the eighth century, God warned them through the prophet Isaiah that when they heard a strange language it would mean judgment. There was also a similar warning in the sixth century by the prophet Jeremiah:

c) Jeremiah 5:15

That great weeping prophet said, "Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD; it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say."

In the Old Testament, then, God had clearly pointed out to the people of Israel that when they were going to be judged there would be a sign. That sign was that they would hear a language they couldn't understand.

2) New Testament Warnings of Judgment

When Paul quotes Isaiah 28 in 1 Corinthians 14, he is saying, "Look, just as when Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah said it, those languages are a sign to the unbeliever that God is about to act in judgment." That's what he's saying. "But what did it mean in Paul's generation?" you ask. Well, when they began to speak those languages on the Day of Pentecost, every Jew should have known that the judgment of God was eminent. And it was! In A.D. 70, the Roman Emperor came in and wiped out Jerusalem. And the sacrificial system of Judaism, which ceased when the Temple was destroyed, has never been restored. They should have known the judgment of God was going to fall.

If the judgment of God fell on the unbelief and apostasy of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C., and if the judgment of God fell on the unbelief and apostasy of the Southern Kingdom in 586 B.C., then it seems to me that God's judgment would certainly fall on a nation that turned its back on and crucified its own Messiah in the first century. Well, it did. It also seems to me that once the destruction of Jerusalem came in A.D. 70, the whole purpose for the gift of languages ceased. It did! The gift of tongues was never intended to be something for a Christian. That's not my opinion; it's what 1 Corinthians 14:22 says. The gift of tongues was for a Jew who didn't believe, so that he might know God was going to act in judgment.

a) Proclaimed by Jesus

In Luke 13:35 Jesus said, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate...." And in Luke 21:20, He carried it a step further: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that its desolation is near." Then in verse 24: "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shalt be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles...." In other words, Jesus was saying, "Hey, judgment is coming!"

b) Presented in Acts

This purpose for the gift of tongues can be traced and verified in the book of Acts. In Acts 2, many unbelieving Jewish people were present. And later on in the book of Acts when speaking in tongues occurred (in chapters 8, 10, and 19), even though there were no unbelieving Jews present, the message of judgment was still the same. The recurrence of the same phenomenon that occurred at Pentecost reinforced, in the mind of the believing Jews present, the reality that God was going to judge the nation of Israel. Also, when these believing Jews told their fellow countrymen what had occurred, God's judgment would again be confirmed.

So first of all, and primarily, the gift of tongues is a sign of cursing to unbelieving Israel. A secondary purpose, which is actually a residual effect of the primary purpose, is that the gift of tongues is also...

b. A Sign of Blessing

When tongues occurred at Pentecost, the message to the Jews was this: "God's not going to work exclusively through one nation any longer--speaking only one language. God's not going to favor one people any longer. Instead, God's going to go to the world and through the world to build His church." You see, the very fact that all those languages were spoken at Pentecost was God's way of saying, "It's all over for the uniqueness of Israel. I'm going to speak in the world's languages and build the church that was hidden in the Old Testament."

So primarily, tongues speak as a sign of the curse on Israel. But notice that a residual effect of that curse is the blessing that comes to the whole world. You see, as Christ turned away from a rebellious people, He opened His arms to the world. So the gift of tongues was also a sign of blessing, residually. Paul speaks to this issue in Romans 11:12 when he talks about the fall of the Jews becoming the riches of the world. Jerusalem was destroyed and Israel was temporarily set aside--and we became beneficiaries as God reached out to us.

At Pentecost, the disciples suddenly burst out declaring the wonderful works of God in every language (Ac. 2:11). This was an unmistakable sign that a transition had come--a curse on one hand, but a blessing on the other. And even Jews could still come to God, couldn't they? Three thousand Jews were saved on the Day of Pentecost (Ac. 2:41). So in a sense, while being a judicial sign of a curse, residually it was also a sign of blessing. A third purpose for the gift of tongues is that it is...

c. A Sign of Authority

Who were the great messengers who preached this transition? Who were the men of God who spoke of the curse and the judgment? Who were the men of God who spoke of the blessing to come to all nations? The Apostles and the prophets. And it was to them that God gave the ability to speak these languages as an authenticating, validating sign that what they were saying was indeed the truth. To the Jewish mind, the idea that God would make such a transition, would be so shocking, so shattering, so incomprehensible, so stupendous, that there would have to be some kind of reinforcement that what they were saying was true. So God gave them the ability to speak these languages.

In 1 Corinthians 14:18, Paul said, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all." The gift of tongues authenticated Paul's position as an Apostle, as well as the other sign gifts that he had. He even said, in 2 Corinthians 12:12, that he had "the signs of an apostle...signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds." So, the gift of tongues was a sign of authority to those who preached the message of transition.

A good way to remember this threefold purpose of the gift of tongues is to remember it as the ABC's of the purpose of tongues: A (authority), B (blessing), and C (cursing). The purpose of tongues is not private devotions, evangelism, or a proof of Spirit baptism. The purpose of tongues was very unique. Once the transition was made, the church was born, and Jerusalem was destroyed, the sign was no longer necessary.

When is a sign no longer necessary?

When I take a trip somewhere, I rely on signs to tell me how close I am to my destination. For example, if I'm driving north from L.A. to Sacramento, the first sign I see may indicate that I have 300 miles to go. The next sign may say, "Sacramento--200 miles," then, "Sacramento--150 miles," then, "Sacramento--30 miles." Once I arrived in Sacramento, however, the signs would stop. Why? Because the purpose for the signs, as they pointed ahead to something, ceased once the destination was reached. Well, tongues were a sign. They pointed to something--a curse of God upon Israel. And once the curse came, the sign was no longer necessary.

3. THE PRIORITY OF PROPHECY DEMANDED (v. 22b)

"...but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them who believe."

Prophesying isn't restricted to unbelievers during a limited period of history; it is for believing people through all the years of the church age. Tongues were a sign, pointing to something else; but prophesying is something in and of itself. The New American Standard Version has the phrase, "prophecy is for a sign," in verse 22. They did put it in italics, indicating that it's not in the original, but it's an unfortunate translation. Prophecy is not a sign! Prophesying doesn't point to something, it is something. Prophesying is that which edifies. Verse 3 says, "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." Verse 4 says, "...he that prophesieth edifieth the church." And verse 1 says, "...desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." You say, "What does it mean to prophesy?" It simply means "to proclaim the Word of God."

The Corinthian church was characterized by hysterical, selfish, self-centered, ego-building confusion. So Paul says, "Cut all that stuff out. Tongues have a specific purpose, for a specific time, to accomplish a specific thing. But when you meet together, seek to prophesy and proclaim the truth." It's far more important to preach the Word.

Did you know that there is absolutely no record in the entire Bible of anything ever said by anybody in tongues? Do you know why? Because it was a sign that was meant to pass away. It had no lasting value, even in a revelatory sense. But on the other hand, Peter calls the entire Bible "a more sure word of prophecy" (2 Pet. 1:19). You see, there's just no comparison between something that's a sign and something that's a reality.

So, tongues are a sign to unbelieving Jews, attached irretrievably to one point in redemptive history. They served well to show that Christianity was not to be distinctly Jewish, but worldwide. They served to corroborate and authenticate the speakers and the messengers who brought that message. And they served to show Israel that they had again rejected God in unbelief and apostasy. People say, "Well, don't you think that tongues could have a purpose today?" No. If tongues were around today, they would still have to have the same purpose that they always had. And what point would there be in signifying today that God is moving away from Israel to open the gospel to the nations? He did that two thousand years ago. That's fairly clear, isn't it? We don't need more information on that. It's already done.

Now, having stated the purpose of tongues, watch how Paul relates it to the assembling together of the Corinthians:

C. The Purpose Scrutinized (vv. 23-25)

1. THE RESULTS OF TONGUES IN THE ASSEMBLY (v. 23)

"If, therefore, the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?"

Why would someone entering the Corinthian assembly think that they were mad? Well, there are two reasons. Reason number one: If the person was a Gentile, he wouldn't understand the sign of tongues. Reason number two: If the person was a Jewish unbeliever, the true gift of tongues wouldn't mean anything to him because of the chaotic way in which it was exercised. In verse 27, Paul states that when the true gift is used properly, there would only be two or three people in the entire church who would speak in tongues, and each one would do it in order-- not all at the same time.

So, when an unbeliever came into the Corinthian assembly, he said, "These people are mad!" Now, the word "mad" (Gk. mainomai) is a word that means "frenzied." Plato used this word to describe the ecstatic experiences that were involved in pagan worship. In other words, an unbelieving Gentile would enter the Corinthian church and say, "Hey, this is no different than the temple of Diana." And an unbelieving Jew who entered the church would say the same thing. You say, "But tongues were supposed to be a sign to the Jews." Yes, that's true. But if it was exercised in a chaotic fashion, it wouldn't mean anything to them--even if it was the true gift used in the wrong way.

So, the gift of tongues was a specific gift, to be used at a specific time, in a specific way, with a specific person in mind, with a specific intent. Apart from that, its significance is nonexistent. "On the other hand," says Paul, "instead of speaking in tongues in your assembly, prophesy." Look at verses 24-25:

2. THE RESULTS OF PROPHECY IN THE ASSEMBLY (vv. 24-25)

"But if all prophesy [speak the Word of God], and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convicted of all, he is judged of all. And 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 of a truth."

Tongues are useless to edify either the church or an individual, and they're useless to evangelize. They were simply a pre-evangelism sign to a nation that it had been cursed. So Paul says, "Rather than speaking in tongues, make sure that you are proclaiming God's Word to edification, exhortation, and consolation. Then, when an unbeliever comes into your midst, some amazing things are going to happen...

a. "...he is convicted of all..."--In other words, he will feel guilt.

b. "...he is judged of all"--In other words, the verdict will be rendered that he feels guilty, because he is guilty.

c. "...the secrets of his heart [will be] made

manifest..."--In other words, his sin will become apparent--unmasked.

Then in humiliation, with a sense of self-condemnation...

d. "...falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you..."--In other words, he will say, "I have found the true God here in your midst."

Paul's point is this: "You're going to get results if you prophesy." Beloved, don't you want that to be the case in your fellowship? Don't you want the people who come into your fellowship to see God? You don't want confusion. You want to be obedient to God's pattern. This is a thrilling promise to a church that exalts the proclamation of the Word of God. The impact will be tremendous. But a service of speaking in tongues will produce sterility in the congregation and confusion among the visitors.

The gift of tongues was very limited and very regulated, for a day and time that has long since passed. And what we're seeing today, I'm afraid to say, is the Corinthian perversion all over again. Now, I'm not questioning the motives of those who claim to have the gift of tongues. I'm just saying that they have the same approach to an individual, private prayer language that was characteristic of the pagan mystery religions. Beloved, I want to exalt the Word of God and lift it up. It is the "more sure word of prophecy" and contains all the answers to everything. I hope you're devoted to the truth.

Someone who I've been patiently discipling for three years called me recently and said, "John, I just had the greatest spiritual breakthrough I've ever had. Something just happened in my life that has dramatically transformed me. I finally understand what you've been saying to me for three years. I want the Word of God so much, that it's consuming me." Then he said, "I just want you to know that if somebody told me I would have to choose between my Bible and food and water, I would tell them to take the food and water and leave my Bible. That's my sustenance! I have to have it to live." Well, that's great, isn't it? God help all of us to be people of the Book--not seeking the experience but seeking the truth; fruitful in our understanding; and ministering to each other that which edifies and builds up

A. The Emphasis of Edification

As we have noted in our earlier studies of 1 Corinthians 14, the key to this chapter is the word edification. Many times the actual word "edification" is used (or one of its various forms), and in some cases it is alluded to. For example: verse 3 talks about edification; verse 4 talks about edifying the church; verse 5 says, "...that the church may receive edifying"; verse 12 says, "...to the edifying of the church"; in verse 19 Paul says, "...that by my voice I might teach others also"; and verse 26 sums it up by saying, "...Let all things be done unto edifying."

This, then, is the thought that is emphasized throughout this entire fourteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians. When the church comes together in corporate worship, the primary issue is that the people be edified.

B. The Etymology of Edification

Let's look, for a moment, at the word edification. The Greek verb oikodomeo and the Greek noun oikodome both come from the combination of two words: oikos (which means "house") and demo (which means "to build"). So, the word edify/edification literally means "to build a house/a house builder." To be edified, then, is to be built up. That's the term that is used here in 1 Corinthians 14.

The word oikodome is translated "builders" five times in the same phrase in the New Testament: "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner..." (Mt. 21:42; cf. Mk. 12:10; Lk. 20:17; Ac. 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7). This is a metaphorical phrase picturing Christ. The point, though, is that the word used there for builders, in all five cases, is a form of the word that is also translated edification. So in a spiritual sense, edification is like building a house. The church is to have, as its intention and design, the building up of the saints into full completeness. To edify someone, then, means "to promote spiritual growth," "to develop the character of the believer to the place of real maturity."

C. The Equal Responsibility of Edification

The major element of the church is edification. We are to be edified together as a body. Now, even though we're to be edified when the church comes together to worship, it is also the responsibility of every believer to be actively involved in individually edifying one another. This is simply put by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 where he says, "Wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edify one another...." So, it is not just the task of the preacher or leader to edify the church; it is also the task of every believer.

Now, edification is the task of the leader as well. In Ephesians 4:11-12 it says, "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ." So, the leadership and the people are involved together in building one another up to spiritual maturity. This is our calling, our God- given responsibility, our divine mandate--that which God seeks as the expression of His will in the church.

Now, this presupposes that we are never to act selfishly. We are never to be concerned about our own things, about our own successes, about our own glorification, or even about our own edification. Instead, we are to be lost in the edifying of one another. In Romans 15:2 it says: "Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification." Then, as an example, verse 3 continues, "For even Christ pleased not Himself...." Christ came, "...not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mk. 10:45). Christ did not seek that which would be the most beneficial to Him, but that which would be most beneficial to others. And that is exactly what we are enjoined to do. We have a responsibility before God to edify each other.

D. The Error of Self-Edification

In 1 Corinthians 14:2, Paul is pointing out an error, rather than emphasizing a truth, when he says to the Corinthians: "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men...." You see, that's what they should have been doing--speaking to men and edifying each other. In verse 4 he said, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself...." Well, that was all wrong! The Bible never calls on us to edify ourselves. We're to edify each other.

E. The Elements of Edification

We are together for the purpose of building each other up. Now, that involves several elements:

1. THE RIGHT ATTITUDE: Selflessness

In order to edify one another, we must have a right attitude. Paul talks about it in Romans 14:19 when he says, "Let us, therefore, follow after the things which make for peace, and things with which one may edify another." In other words, he says, "Look, pursue that which will build up somebody else." Don't exercise your own liberty. Don't say, "Well, I have every right to do thus and so because I'm under grace" or "I don't care what anybody thinks. I'll do what I want" or "I'll seek my own self-glorification" or "I'll preach this sermon so they'll think I'm really something. Then I can make a name for myself" or "I'll do what I do for my own good." You see, those attitudes violate the right attitude--the attitude which seeks to edify one another.

Edification demands the right attitude. It also demands...

2. THE RIGHT TOOL: God's Word

If you're going to edify one another, there's only one tool that's effective--the Word of God. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says that it is the Word of God which is able to build us up and make us perfect, or complete.

We are responsible, then, to have an attitude that seeks the other's good, and to use the Word of God to teach each other. We also have to have...

3. THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE: God's Work

I think we have to have patience with one another and let God do His work in His own time.

F. The Effect of Edification

We are to be committed to edifying one another and to meet together to edify. You say, "But where does evangelism fit into the picture? How can we reach out to others if all we're doing is edifying the saints?" Well, the answer to that is in Acts 9:31. It says this: "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified...." The churches were doing what they should have been doing: They were being edified and built up to maturity. Now, look what happened because they were being edified: "...and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied." You see, growth is a result of edification. As the church is built up it will reach out. Evangelism will be a by-product.

So, we're to meet together to be edified, beloved. We're to meet together to be taught the Word of God and exposed to God's truth in a way that will cause us to grow to maturity. Edification is the priority in the church.

Review

In the Corinthian church, the whole procedure of edification had come to a screeching halt. Edification was non-existent because of the confusion and the disorder with which they were functioning. So, in the fourteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul tries to call a halt to the perversion, the counterfeit, and the confusion, and bring the Corinthians back to a system of order that would grant them edification.

Now, you'll remember that in 14:1-25, Paul laid out some of the principles relative to how tongues and prophesying should function, as well as what they are in terms of their purpose and position. He also gave us some clear theological definitions. Now, beginning in verse 26, he builds on those theological definitions with practical exhortations. In other words, he says, "Since this is true of these gifts, this is the way you should act."

So far in our study of chapter 14, we've seen the following points:

I. THE POSITION OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES: SECONDARY (vv. 1-19)

II. THE PURPOSE OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES: A SIGN (vv. 20-25)

Now, let's look at our third and final point:

III. THE PROCEDURE FOR THE GIFT OF TONGUES: SYSTEMATIC (vv. 26-40)

A. The State Of The Corinthians' Worship (v. 26)

"How is it, then, brethren? When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."

1. THE OVERVIEW

Paul basically says, "How is it, knowing what you know about the foolishness of confusion, that all of you are doing all of these things...all at the same time, in the same place?" Now, Paul is not telling the Corinthians to do what is listed in verse 26, he's simply detailing for them what they are already doing. It's incredible that such chaos could be going on. All of them were vying for the preeminence and the prominence, and using their gifts all at the same time. And those who were using counterfeit or nonexistent gifts were thrown into this mishmash. So, the Corinthian assembly was something like a meeting at the United Nations. The only difference in the Corinthian church was that everybody in the church was standing up and shouting out speeches in an ecstatic language. Nobody could have been edified in their services if they had tried. In fact, unbelievers concluded that the Corinthian Christians were out of their minds.

Now, let's see what they were doing:

2. THE SPECIFICS

a. "...When ye come together..."

This phrase indicates a church in its assemblage when it comes together for its corporate time of worship and fellowship. Verse 23 indicates that this is when the whole church gathers together. In other words, if you attended church in Corinth on any given Sunday, the following is what you'd experience:

b. "...every one of you hath a psalm..."

When we see the word "psalm," we usually think of a psalm from the Old Testament book of Psalms. And it's possible that some of the people in the Corinthian church may have had one of those psalms they wanted to read out loud to the congregation. However, the Greek word used here literally means "a song sung to the accompaniment of an instrument." So, more likely, what was going on in the Corinthian church was everybody singing a solo at the same time.

Can you imagine the absolute chaos of a situation like that? Anybody who wanted to sing a solo just started to sing to the accompaniment of someone plucking along on a stringed instrument or someone blowing a flute. Imagine the cacophony of the Corinthian chaos that would have been produced. One thing is certain--they didn't have a music director.

Now psalms were a common part of Christian worship. Colossians 3:16 mentions "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." In fact, the ministry of music was not something added to the church at a later date. It existed from the very first time the church began to meet in the New Testament. Singing has always been a part of the Christian experience--a wonderful part. But in Corinth, it became a point of pride, where everybody was trying to outsing everybody else. It was quite a mess!

Now if that wasn't bad enough, Paul said that every one of them...

c. "...hath a doctrine..."

This simply means "a teaching" or "a lesson." Everybody who wanted to exercise the gift of teaching, or everybody who thought he was a would-be teacher, just stood up in his own little corner and started giving his lesson. So, over the din of one group of people singing solos, there was another group of people giving lessons--teaching whatever it was they felt the church needed to hear.

Adding to the cacophony of the singing and the teaching, the next item in the list, according to the Greek text, is that every one of them...

d. "...hath a revelation..."

There were people standing up in the congregation and saying, "Thus saith the Lord...," and then proclaiming some great supposed revelation they were having. Of course, they had to do it over the noise of the people who were trying to teach their lesson, and those people who were trying to sing their song.

On top of all that, there were also people who...

e. "...hath a tongue..."

There were people who were standing up and speaking with the gift of languages--legitimately, but out of order and in the wrong place. It was the true gift in a wrong expression. And there were others who didn't have the true gift of tongues who were mumbling gibberish. Add that to the rest of the chaos!

Now, I told you in an earlier lesson that when the word tongue appears earlier in this chapter in the singular form, it has reference to the false gift, because gibberish can't be plural. However, in verses 26 and 27, the singular word "tongue" could have reference to the true gift, because it's simply singling out that one of them has a tongue. In other words, it could be translated, "One of you has a language," referring to the true gift, just as easily as it could be translated, "One of you has gibberish--a counterfeit." The use of the singular word "tongue" is demanded here because the subject of the verse is singular. The same thing is true in verse 27, as we shall see. So that doesn't violate my premise that where the word tongues appears in the plural it is referring to the true gift and the singular word tongue refers to the false, counterfeit gift. So, when the singular word is demanded by a singular subject, it could be referring to either the true or the false gift.

Besides all the singing, the teaching, the revelations, and the tongues, there were all kinds of people who...

f. "...hath an interpretation."

These people were attempting to interpret whatever was going on--and probably fighting and arguing about which interpretation was right.

All of this was the order of worship in the Corinthian church. Now you can understand why unbelievers who came in and saw all of this going on said, "These people are out of their minds! What kind of craziness is this?" Well, at the end of verse 26, Paul calls a halt to all of this chaos and says, "...Let all things be done unto edifying." This is a key statement. He's saying, "Look, the way to resolve all of this confusion is to edify--to build one another up. Then, as he proceeds to tell them how to edify, in verses 27-35, four things come to his mind to establish...

B. The Structure For The Corinthians' Edification (vv. 27-35)

1. THE PROCEDURE FOR TONGUES (vv. 27-28)

Verse 27 begins, "If any man speak in an unknown tongue...." Notice that the subject is singular, as it was in verse 26. Unfortunately, the King James translators added the word "unknown" here. I think that this is the one time they added it when they shouldn't have, because I believe he's talking about the true gift. I believe this is the case for two reasons: First of all, the singular subject demands a singular verb and a singular object. The second reason I believe that Paul is referring to the true gift here is that Paul would never regulate gibberish. Gibberish was to be totally eliminated--not regulated! Only the true gift could be regulated.

If any man used the true gift of tongues and spoke a language, it was to be regulated. So, Paul gives four principles to regulate this gift:

a. Principle #1 (v. 27b)

"...let it be by two, or at the most by three..."

Every gift that has ever been given by God is subject to the control of the possessor. The Holy Spirit never does anything through somebody who is out of control--somebody who is flipped out, slain in the Spirit, bowled over, or rolling on the floor. The Spirit of God ministers the gifts through people who are characterized by controlled behavior, not out-of-control behavior like the pagans. Spiritual gifts were not like the pagan ecstasies, which were totally out of the control of the individual. The gifts of the Spirit were ministered when people were in control. Consequently, principles of use could be applied that the people could respond to.

Now, how were the people with the real gift of languages regulated? Well, somebody in the congregation would let a person with the gift know when there was an unbelieving Jew in their midst that spoke a certain foreign language. Then the person with the gift would look around to make sure that someone with the gift of interpretation was also present. So, in the right place at the right time, the one with the gift of languages would speak that language--a language unknown to him, but known to that Jewish unbeliever. The message, then, would reach that Jewish person, the interpreter would interpret it for the edification of the congregation, and it would be used in its proper way.

The gift of tongues was always to be used under control. And the first limiting factor was that there were never to be more than two, or at the very most, three people using this gift. It was a gift reserved for those special times when both an unbelieving Jew and an interpreter were there. Those special times and those alone. And never should it occur more than three at any one given time. That was the limit.

Now, beloved, this is not what is done today in the Charismatic movement. They do not have such limitations. They do not limit their tongues speaking on the basis of an unbelieving Jew being present, they do not limit it on the basis of a legitimate language being spoken, and they do not limit it to two or three at a time. There may be some isolated cases where these guidelines are followed, but in most cases they are not. So, what we have today is the Corinthian problem all over again--the problem that ignores these basic features.

b. Principle #2 (v. 27c)

"...and that by course..."

The Greek means "in turn," or "in order," or "in sequence." The Corinthians were involved in simultaneously expressing their gifts, as I've pointed out. Well, that is forbidden. But that is precisely what goes on so frequently in Charismatic tongues meetings today where everybody is speaking in tongues all at the same time. Have you ever noticed, on Charismatic television programs, that when the people begin to pray in tongues, they all do it at the same time? It's just normal procedure in almost all Charismatic churches for everyone to pray in tongues at the same time-- all in direct violation of 1 Corinthians 14:27! But that's exactly what the Corinthians were doing.

c. Principle #3 (v. 27d)

"...and let one interpret."

Now, I want to show you something that everybody misses. The Greek emphasizes the word "one" (Gk. heis) in this verse by putting it in the emphatic form. The verse is saying, "Let one interpret--not two, five, seven, or fourteen--just one." Why? Because the problem in the Corinthian church was that everybody wanted to gain the preeminence by giving the interpretation. Consequently, there was always a fight about whose interpretation was right.

So Paul says, "I'll settle the problem you're having with tongues. Only two, or three at the most, are to speak in tongues...and always in sequence. Furthermore, only one person with the gift of interpretation is to interpret." Now, that takes care of the problem, doesn't it? You say, "But what if there isn't an interpreter around to give the interpretation?" Well, that's answered by...

d. Principle #4 (v. 28)

"But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God."

In other words, if you had the true gift of tongues, and an unbelieving Jew came into the assembly, but there wasn't anybody around with the gift of interpretation, you were to just sit there and meditate. "Why?" you say. "It could be a great evangelistic tool!" Yes, but if there wasn't anybody there who could translate, it wouldn't have any capacity to edify the church. And the purpose for the church meeting together is edification. So, in a case like that where no one could translate, you would just have to drop it.

Now, do you know what this verse also tells me? It tells me that the Corinthians were supposed to know who in their congregation had the true gift of interpretation. So, if none of them were there, the only alternative for those with the gift of tongues was to remain silent. There are no legitimate instances of someone speaking in tongues anywhere in the Bible that are not understandable to somebody. And if such a case was to ever present itself in the church, it was to be stopped immediately. If there was no interpreter present, the tongues speaker was to be quiet. He was to just sit there, meditate, and talk to God in prayer. But he were not to say anything out loud.

I'd say these principles regulate tongues pretty well, wouldn't you? In fact, if the true gift of tongues hadn't ceased in the first century, these regulations would probably end ninety-five percent of what goes on in the tongues movement today. What we have today, beloved, is Corinth all over again. Everybody's speaking in tongues, all at the same time, with nobody interpreting. But it doesn't matter...they do it anyway. It's Corinth all over again.

2. THE PROCEDURE FOR PROPHESYING (vv. 29-33a)

One might think that because the gift of prophesying was such a great, grandiose, exalted gift in this chapter, that it never fell into abuse. Well, it did. So Paul had to set down some principles for regulating this gift. In verses 29-33a, he addresses the gift of prophesying, which was so vital to the early church. Apparently, people in the Corinthian church were jumping up all over the place and saying they had a word from the Lord that they wanted to proclaim. They wanted to give a good statement from God and preach a great truth. So, to bring all of this chaos into some kind of order that could edify the people, Paul wrote four principles to regulate the procedure for prophesying in the church:

a. Principle #1 (v. 29a)

"Let the prophets speak two or three..."

This is the same principle that regulated speaking in tongues. There were never to be more than three prophets speaking in one service. One is great, two are okay, but three are maximum.

1) The Prophets' Description

You say, "Who are the prophets that are mentioned here in 1 Corinthians 14? Are these Old Testament prophets?" No, these are New Testament prophets. The word prophet comes from two Greek words, pro and phemi, and literally means "someone who speaks before." The prophets, then, were the men who spoke before the people. They were those who stood up to declare God's message.

2) The Prophets' Declaration

The prophets spoke in two ways. They spoke direct revelation from God that had never been given before for the life of a church. And they spoke reiteration-- repeating a message that had already been given by one of the Apostles, a message that had already been received. So, a prophet could speak a direct revelation or he could simply reiterate something that had already been revealed. And the church service, apparently, was structured so that one, two, or at the most, three prophets could take their time to be the ones who spoke God's message.

3) The Prophets' Disappearance

The prophets were foundational. They're not mentioned later on in the church. For example, when Paul wrote certain epistles to set the churches in order--1 and 2 Timothy and Titus--he never mentions prophets. He simply talks about elders, presbyters, bishops, deacons, and deaconesses. That's all he ever talks about because prophets passed away with the passing of the Apostolic Age. They were a unique group. Ephesians 2:20 says that they were given for the foundation of the church. They belonged to that time.

So, the prophets were to speak God's message. Sometimes they spoke messages that they had prepared, and sometimes they spoke direct revelation from God that they had received. Either way, they were to speak--but never more than two or three. Why? Because anything more than that would be chaotic, and there would be a constant fight to see who would be able to stand up and speak.

b. Principle #2 (v. 29b)

"...and let the others judge."

The "others" refers to the other prophets. The other prophets were to sit in the front beside the one speaking to evaluate the truth of what he was saying. It might well be that these prophets had the gift of discernment (see 1 Cor. 12:10). In other words, they were given the ability to discern whether something was of God or not. They were there to evaluate the truth of the message. People were not to just stand up and speak without someone evaluating it.

This principle presents a problem in the Charismatic situation today. When someone stands up in a church and says, "I have the gift of prophecy and a revelation from God...," and then proceeds to give his revelation, what criteria does the church have to know whether or not what he says is of God? Well, the criteria in that day were men of God who were divinely granted the ability to discern a true from a false revelation. It had to be that way, because they didn't have the written Word that we now have.

We don't need any more revelations today. The complete revelation is here. And when people today have what they claim are new revelations, they're in real trouble. Why? Because they have no way of knowing whether or not their revelation is from God. It's far better to stop with the last part of the book of Revelation and leave it.

Who were the leaders of the Corinthian church?

Did you know that there weren't any elders at the church in Corinth? They didn't even have a pastor-teacher, as far as we know. None are ever indicated. The Corinthian church didn't have any of the people that are designated as leaders in the Pastoral Epistles--elders, bishops, presbyters, or pastor-teachers. They did have prophets, however. But they were only for that foundational time of the church.

c. Principle #3 (v. 30)

"If anything be revealed to another [prophet] that sitteth by, let the first [prophet] hold his peace."

This is most interesting. Let's say a prophet was giving a message that he had prepared, when all of a sudden, God gives a new revelation to one of the other prophets. The prophet with the new revelation was to immediately pull the tunic of the prophet speaking, and say, "Hey, God just gave me a new revelation." At that point, the prophet that was speaking had to sit down. Why? Because a new revelation always took precedence over reiterating something that had already been given. God had special words for His church that had never been given.

Now, beloved, this reinforces a point that I've been trying to make all along that people sometimes argue with me about. Some say that the prophets only spoke new revelation. But I don't think so. I think they spoke either revelation or reiteration. This verse is one of the strongest proofs of that because it describes a prophet who is reiterating, who has to sit down if another prophet gets new revelation. It's very reasonable, then, to see that some prophets received new revelation on occasion, while others were simply reiterating a message that was no less from God, but not a fresh, new revelation for the moment.

Now, at this point, one of the Corinthian prophets was probably saying, "But Paul, I don't know if I can do that. When I get under the power of the Holy Spirit, the words just come out. I can't control it." So, Paul gives another principle in verses 31-32:

d. Principle #4 (vv. 31-32)

"For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets."

Paul's point is this: "If you're a true prophet, you will be able to control the gift." You see, a true gift never functions in some kind of pagan ecstasy...never. True gifts always function under the control of the individual.

Paul gave the prophets some simple principles to follow. Why? The purpose is always the same: "...that all may learn, and all may be comforted." The edification of the church is the issue. Nobody gets edified if there is nothing but disorder and chaos. So Paul says, "Don't give me the excuse that you're out of control." Incidentally, the word "spirits" is the same word translated "spiritual gifts" in verse 12 of this chapter. In other words, he's saying, "Your gift of prophecy is under the control of the other prophets, so you can't operate in an uncontrolled manner."

At the beginning of verse 33, Paul sums up his discussion on the procedure for prophesying with a beautiful truth. He says, "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace...." This is the key to the whole chapter. The worship service of the church should manifest the character of God. "When you come together," says Paul, "all that is a part of your service should be manifesting the God whom we serve. Our God is not a God of confusion, He is a God of peace. So, when somebody comes into your church and sees confusion, and fighting for preeminence, he will conclude that you have a confused, angry, fighting God."

I'm afraid that there are people who see what goes on in some of the Charismatic chaos so prevalent today, and conclude that the God they worship is in the same state of chaos. However, God is a God of order and dignity. He is a God who functions systematically for results, not chaotically for feelings. And that characteristic of God is to be manifest properly in the worship of His church.

After his discussion on tongues and prophesying, Paul turns to one other category of instruction:

3. THE PROCEDURE FOR WOMEN (vv. 33b-35)

"...as in all churches of the saints. Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home; for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."

Now, I believe that the end of verse 33 should be attached to verse 34. There are many reasons for this, which I'm not going to go into now. But let me just say that it doesn't make sense to connect the great, sweeping, theological truth that "God is not the author of confusion but of peace" with the statement, "...as in all churches of the saints." That just doesn't make sense. God is not a God of confusion but of peace...period. Not just in the churches of the saints.

You say, "Why does Paul all of a sudden bring up the subject of women in the church?" Well, it appears that the women in the Corinthian assembly were leading the parade to seek the showy gifts as well as usurping the place of the men in the congregation. The women were not being silent and submissive in the church; they were blurting out and trying to take over the service.

a. The Woman's Silence

1) Is it cultural?

I hear people say, "You know that stuff in 1 Corinthians 14 about women keeping silent in the church? That was just a Corinthian problem--strictly a cultural thing. Paul was just trying to accommodate to the Corinthian culture." Well, in case you think that, look again at verses 33b-34a. Paul says, "...as in all churches of the saints. Let your women keep silence in the churches...." It isn't a Corinthian cultural issue; it's to be the standard in all the churches. In the Corinthian church, women were speaking in tongues, interpreting, singing their songs, prophesying, and usurping the man's authority. So Paul singles them out, and reminds them that women are to take the place of submission and silence in the public service of the church.

Now, I know that God has gifted many women in marvelous ways. Many of them have wonderful gifts of teaching and proclaiming God's Word. But they are not to exercise those gifts in the mixed assembly of the church when it comes together. That belongs to men.

You say, "John, that was just a Corinthian problem. It's only cultural." Well, that's not true. Notice, at the end of verse 34, why women are not permitted to speak in the church:

2) It is commanded!

Verse 34 says, "...for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." What law? The law of God--the Pentateuch. In Genesis 3:16 it says that the man will rule over the woman. From the very beginning, the man was given the authority over the woman.

In 1 Timothy 2:11-12 Paul said, "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." Why? Well, not because of the culture of Ephesus, or because of a problem in Timothy's town. Verses 13-14 give us the reasons: "For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression." In other words, this is a divine design from the beginning. You can't just slide it out the door and get rid of it on the basis of culture. It is in the law of God.

b. The Woman's Shame

In verse 35 Paul says, "...for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." The Greek word translated "shame" (aischros) literally means "ugly" or "deformed." In other words, for a woman to speak in the church is a deformity of God's intention--a perversion of beauty into ugliness.

Many women are excellent teachers, and they should be busy teaching other women--in the right place at the right time. But the right place and the right time is not the assembly of the church. I thank God for the gifted women who teach other women, and for the older women who teach the younger women to be godly, as Paul told Titus to instruct them to do (2:3-5). But we must obey God's standards.

You see, God has a plan. Husbands are to love and lead, and wives are to submit and respond. God wants that order made visible because it is His order out of His nature, and He wants His nature to be manifest in His church. When that doesn't exist in His church, the revealing of His order and His nature is violated. For example, God cannot be on display in a church where a woman is preaching. Why? Simply because His nature, His plan, and His purpose are violated...even though the woman may say good things.

c. The Woman's Source

According to verse 35, if a woman has questions, she's supposed to go home and ask her husband. Now, that puts the responsibility on the husbands to get some answers, doesn't it? But that's the way God has designed it. Husbands, don't be content to give a standard answer of, "I don't know." Get some answers and be the spiritual leader in your home.

d. The Woman's Speaking Out

Notice the phrase "if they will learn anything" in verse 35. I believe this is saying that some of the women were asking questions in the service under false pretenses. They were blurting out their questions to confront the prophet who was speaking. They were interrupting the prophet (and the service) on the pretense of having a legitimate question. When, in actuality, they just wanted to be heard. Apparently, according to verses 29-30, the only ones who had the right to ask questions in the service were the prophets. So, these women were usurping the place of the prophets, who had the responsibility of discerning what was being said.

Now, I don't believe Paul is saying that women are never to ask spiritual questions of anyone other than their husbands. There's nothing wrong when questions are asked in the sharing together of Bible study and fellowship. In fact, I believe it's proper, when we have a question and answer time in our church, for anyone to ask a question--because that's the order of the time. But during the duly constituted worship service of the church, when there is structure and order for the edification of the whole body, we are to follow these patterns. A public worship service is never to be interrupted and usurped by a woman asking a question. Can you imagine those poor prophets in the Corinthian church trying to get through their messages with everyone trying to argue with them?

C. The Sarcasm To Cause The Corinthians' Acceptance (v. 36)

Paul is really strong about these procedures for the regulation of women, tongues, and prophecy in the church. So strong, that he responds, in verse 36, to their possible resistance to accept his words. He says, "What? Came the word of God out from you? Or came it unto you only?" In other words he says, "Do you want to argue about this? Did you write the Word of God? Or did it just come to you? Are you some kind of a law unto yourselves?" I believe that Paul is being very sarcastic with them in order to get them to respond to and accept what he had to say. He is saying, "Did you write the Bible? Either you are the ones who wrote it or you are required to submit to it. Those are the only options! Now if you're not going to obey it, maybe you think you wrote it. Or maybe you just think it doesn't apply to you, just everybody else. Well, since the same Scripture applies to you that applies to everybody else, and since it's all authored by God, you only have one response--to obey." In a strong, sarcastic way, Paul calls a halt to all their selfish activity, and says, "Do only that which edifies!"

D. The Summary Of The Corinthians' Exhortation (vv. 37-40)

1. ACKNOWLEDGE IT AS A COMMANDMENT OF GOD (v. 37)

"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual [which I believe refers to the gift of tongues because it's the sum of what Paul is saying], let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord."

This is a great closing statement. It gets closure on the whole argument. He says, "Those people who have legitimate gifts will acknowledge that I speak the Word of God. And if they acknowledge that I speak the Word of God, they will bring their gifts under submission to the principles I've just spoken. Now, if they don't, they don't have the true gift. What they're doing is not a legitimate manifestation of the Holy Spirit." Paul was trying to force the Corinthians to see that if the gifts of tongues and prophecy weren't used according to the regulations that he had just laid down in verses 27-33, those people who violated those principles were not legitimate. So Paul really lays down the rules.

One of the greatest claims that Paul ever made to being inspired by God is the statement that he makes here in verse 37: "...the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." I'll never forget the man who believed only the red letters of his red-letter Bible. I've never liked red-letter Bibles since. He believed that the words in red, which indicate the statements of Jesus in the Gospels, were the only important words. Well, I told him that the words of Paul are just as important as the words of Jesus. Then I showed him this passage: "...the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord."

Don't ever try to pass off Paul's teaching as cultural or only opinion. I hear people say, "Women don't have to be silent in the church. Women can preach if they want to. Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 14 are only cultural." I also hear them say, "We don't have to follow all these different regulations about tongues and prophesying today, because those regulations were only for Corinth." No, no, no! These are God's commandments.

2. REJECT THOSE WHO IGNORE IT (v. 38)

In verse 38, Paul recognizes that there are going to be some people who are going to ignore his commandments: "But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant." Now, the literal meaning of the verse is this: "If anybody ignores these things, you ignore him." In other words, if a person didn't recognize that Paul's words of regulation were the Word of God, then that person can't be recognized as having the true gift. Therefore, that person was to be ostracized and shut up because he was a phony. If he didn't obey these principles and acknowledge them as the commandments of God, then he was to be rejected.

3. DESIRE PROPHECY IN THE CHURCH (v. 39)

In verse 39 Paul summarizes everything and says, "Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues." In other words he says, "On the basis of all that I've said, zealously desire to prophesy." Why? Well, do you remember what he said in verse 3? "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort."

Then Paul says, "...and forbid not to speak with tongues." For that time and that age there was a true gift of languages. And even though the gift of prophecy was to be emphasized in the church, Paul was not forbidding the use of a true gift in its true expression at its true time. Now this cannot be applied to today, because the true gift of tongues has ceased (see pp. xx-xx). But for that time, Paul says, "I recognize the true gift of tongues, and I'm not forbidding you to use it. It has its place. But when you come together in the church, seek to prophesy."

4. LET THE CHURCH SERVICE MANIFEST GOD'S CHARACTER (v. 40)

Summing it up, Paul says, "Let all things be done

decently and in order." The word "decently" refers to harmony and beauty, and the word "order" refers to things being done in sequence. Well, since God is a God of harmony, beauty, and order, Paul says, "Let your assembling together manifest those characteristics of God." And as the church manifests God and is edified, it will also be multiplied. That's God's promise.

but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

if I don't interpret that anyone actually spoke in tongues the way that many people here interpret it, and I state my opinion that the bible is only a story and not more than historical fiction, then I am on topic. Stretching it perhaps, from the original post, but that is the direction the discussion went.