Corinthians 14:26-40 (Part 3)
Outline:
I. \\#1:1-4:21\\ In Answer to Chloe’s Report
II. \\#5:1-6:20\\ In Answer to Common Reports
III. \\#7:1-16:4\\ In Answer to the Church’s Requests
A. \\#7:1-40\\ Counsel Concerning Marriage
B. \\#8:1-10:33\\ Meat Offered to Idols
C. \\#11:2-16\\ God’s Authority
1. \\#2-3\\ God’s Authority over Others
2. \\#4-6\\ God’s Authority Displayed
3. \\#7-16\\ God’s Authority Explained
D. \\#11:17-34\\ Abuse with the Lord’s Supper
E. \\#12:1-14:40\\ Spiritual Gifts
1. \\#12:1-3\\ Marks of the Holy Ghost
2. \\#12:4-11\\ Lessons about the Holy Ghost
3. \\#12:12-26\\ Believers, like gifts, Are Many, Different,
and One
4. \\#12:27-31\\ See Among Yourselves
5. \\#13:1-13\\ The Better Way
(a) \\#1-3\\ The Missing Ingredient
(b) \\#4-8\\ Characteristics of Love
(c) \\#8-13\\ All Gifts Will Cease
6. \\#14:1-40\\ Tongues Is Not the Best Gift
(a) \\#1-25\\ Prophecy Is the Better Gift
(1) \\#1-4\\ Three Commands, Two Reasons
(2) \\#5\\ Paul’s Conclusion
(3) \\#6-25\\ The Problems with Tongues (as the
Corinthians were practicing the gift)
i. \\#6\\ Tongues did not profit the church.
ii. \\#7-20\\ Tongues had no meaning.
iii. \\#21-25\\ Tongues was for the lost.
(b) \\#14:26-40\\ Tongues Should Be Practices Properly
\\#7:1-16:4\\ In Answer to the Church’s Requests
\\#12:1-14:40\\ Spiritual Gifts
I. \\#14:26-40\\ Tongues Should Be Practices Properly
Note: In this section, Paul continued to correct the Corinthians for
misusing their gifts and to command them how to use their gifts to
keep confusion (and sin) from stealing God’s glory. This church had
the following problems:
1. They all wanted the gift of tongues.
2. They used the gift of tongues without an interpreter.
3. Many spake with the gift of tongues at one time.
A. \\#26\\ Rule 1 - The Purpose of All Should Be to Edify
1Cor 14:26 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. Paul was correcting the church at Corinth.
a. While Paul never said they all attempted to talk at
one time, but he did tell them the unsaved would
think them "mad." \\#1Cor 14:23\\
b. Here Paul did say that each one brought their own
"psalm… doctrine …tongue… and revelation, but he
DID NOT PRAISE THEM FOR IT.
2. He was telling them that multiple people with multiple
gifts were speaking multiple messages at the same time
and that DID NOT edify for the church.
3. He was also informing them that it should not be done.
4. Everything that the church does should be to glorify God
FIRST and then to build up the body of Jesus Christ.
B. \\#27-30\\ Rules for keeping out confusion:
1. Rule 2 - Tongues should only be spoken BY small groups.
1Cor 14:27 If any man speak in an unknown
tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by
three, and that by course; and let one
interpret.
a. This was likely to keep so many from using or
attempting to use their gifts in a single service.
b. The group should be no more than two or at the most
three.
c. If one of the three is an interpreter, the group,
regardless of whether they are the speakers of the
whole group, would have to very small.
d. He elaborated on the group more:
1Cor 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three,
and let the other judge.
e. The word "other" can refer to one or more than one.
f. I have at times wondered if Paul might also have meant
that the gift of tongues should not be used among
Christians groups are larger than two or three.
2. Rule 3 - Only one speaking at a time.
1Cor 14:30 If any thing be revealed to another
that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all
may learn, and all may be comforted.
a. This was to correct the problem of many speaking at
same time.
b. Paul’s statement "For ye may all prophesy one by one"
does not mean all that are in the church but all in
the group of "two or three" that he outlines in verse
29.
3. Rule 4 - Only with an interpreter.
1Cor 14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let
him keep silence in the church; and let him speak
to himself, and to God.
a. This was to correct the problem Paul had mentioned the
most in this chapter, namely, that the church had no
idea what was being said.
b. If there is no interpreter, he can speak to himself
but not to the church.
C. \\#32\\ Rule 5 - Do not blame the Holy Ghost for the misuse of
this gift.
1. \\#32\\ The possessor of the gift is in control of the
gift.
1Cor 14:32 And the spirits of the prophets are
subject to the prophets.
a. The word "spirits" is used of both the Holy Ghost and
other spiritual beings.
b. By making this statement, Paul made it clear that the
Holy Ghost does NOT force a person to exercise the
spiritual gifts given to that person.
c. The Holy Ghost leaves the decision whether to use His
gifts and how to use His gifts to the possessor of
the gifts.
2. Since the user has control of the gift, he can also misuse
his gift.
D. \\#33\\ Rule 6 - God does not use the gifts to cause confusion
in the church.
1Cor 14:33 For God is not the author of
confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of
the saints.
1. God uses the gifts to bring peace and unity to the church.
2. Any gift being used to cause confusion or strife is not a
gift under God’s control.
a. That is not to say that gift cannot be used
incorrectly, for it was at Corinth.
b. That is why Paul was writing this section in this
book.
c. I take it that any of God’s gift can be used
incorrectly, meaning the even gifts of preaching and
pastoring. (Pastors should be dealing with and
solving problems, not creating them.)
E. Rule 7 - The women are to be silent and NOT speak in tongues.
1Cor 14:34 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.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them
ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for
women to speak in the church.
1. Speaking in tongues IS THE CONTEXT of Paul’s command.
2. There is no doubt Paul was forbidding the women from
exercising the gift of tongues in the church.
a. Paul would go on to forbid a woman from having any
kind of authority over men in the church.
1Ti 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all
subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to
usurp authority over the man, but to be in
silence.
b. But before that Paul gave the command that they were
to speak in the context of speaking in tongues.
c. I do not understand how women can call themselves
spiritual when they speak in tongues, prophesy, and
attempt to pastor a church.
F. \\#36-38\\ Rule 8 - And if you disagree with these rules, you
are spiritually ignorant.
1. Paul challenged these believers with more rhetorical
questions, asking them if they thought they were the only
ones to whom God spoke.
1Cor 14:36 What? came the word of God out from
you? or came it unto you only?
2. He then made it clear that these were not his
commandments but God’s.
1Cor 14:37 If any man think himself to be a
prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge
that the things that I write unto you are the
commandments of the Lord.
3. And he recognized that some would be stubborn and that
we were to let them be stubborn and ignorant.
1Cor 14:38 But if any man be ignorant, let him
be ignorant.
G. \\#40\\ Rule 9 - Do everything in a decent and orderly manner.
1Cor 14:40 Let all things be done decently
and in order.
1. The way the church at Corinth had begun to use their
gifts, this was just not true anymore.
2. How could it be when Paul had already warned them that
some would believe the Christians to be "mad" if they
came inside the worship service the way their gifts were
being used? \\#1Cor 14:23\\
3. No church has to be operated in a manner that the unsaved
would approve of, but neither should it be operated in a
manner that the unsaved would be weary of!
4. Paul implication is that the Holy Ghost of God would never
lead a church to worship in this manner.
H. \\#39\\ Paul’s Conclusions
1Cor 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to
prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
1. If you are going to seek a gift, seek to prophesy.
2. Do not forbid anyone to speak in tongues.
a. That would be the Biblical gift of tongues.
b. There is nothing in the Bible that would cause us to
think what is being practiced today is that gift or
that it should be encouraged or allowed.
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