1 Corinthians; Chapter 14 Part 1, Say What!?

Following are the sermon notes. Please feel free to study and compare the Bible verses. Is this Bible study objective? Please comment below. 

The Big Picture.
Chapter 12: Holy Spirit, Body of Christ, Unity
Chapter 13: LOVE
Chapter 14: Get Organized

[1Cr 12:1 ESV] Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
Unity & Diversity in the gifts of the Holy Spirit
1 Holy Spirit
1 body of Christ

A Point: The Holy Spirit is working Right Now. Looking for Evidence of the Holy Spirit?
Salvation = Born Again.
Sanctification
The Fruit of the Spirit
The Ability to pray
Answered Prayer

The Hermeneutical Gap. Cultural & linguistic
In a time when multiple cultures and languages where mixed together. A trade language which was common and native languages.
It makes since that the first believers were given “A Gift of multiple Languages” the bilingual or trilingual or even like Paul, “a whole bunch lingual”

All Empowering of Holy Spirit same type of event as that at the Pentecost Event. WHY?
The real goal is to spread the Word! Not spread the gifts.


Sensational-ism. It’s easier to be religious than to obey Jesus.
Tongues is a language for non-believers. The purpose is share Jesus in their own language.
One thing it most defiantly is not, is a prayer language for gathered Christians in a church.
It’s not a build up of Holy Spirit filling that reaches level where tongues spills out.

It’s a gift, so it effortless. No emotion needed. Blam! you are speaking Arabic!

Watch out for “showboating”
It is said don’t put God in a box, but if the only time your demonstrating the “gifts of the spirit” is during church time, that is a box.

If the sign gifts are being manifest, it is in the highways and byways, not on TV & large meetings.
People with the “gift of healing” should be in the hospitals.
People with the “gift of tongues” should know what language they are speaking and go be missionary.

The Greater the Presence of the Holy Spirit, The Greater the Self-Control
[Gal 5:22 ESV] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
[Gal 5:23 ESV] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The presence of the Holy Spirit brings greater self-control to the people, not lack of control.
Empowerment to share truth is not losing control, but boosting you with Power, in something you lack.
“Self-Control” Fruit of the Spirit. A “gift” of Holy Spirit would not negate the Fruit of the Spirit.
The power of the Holy Spirit gives allows us to look at our own sin.
To share Jesus with others, despite our fears.
To be reconciled to our Christian family.

1 Corinthians; Paul is addressing worship issues during times of gatherings.
Disorder in the church.
Show-boating: See my spiritual gift!

Define Spiritual Gifts (Tongues=languages) & It’s Purpose.
An earthly language miraculously given for the purpose of talking about Jesus Christ.
1. The Great commission
2. Pentecost
3. Signs of the First Time Believers.

1. The Great Commission:
[Mat 28:18 ESV] And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
[Mat 28:19 ESV] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
[Mat 28:20 ESV] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

[Act 1:8 ESV] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Point 2. Pentecost:
[Act 2:1 ESV] When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
[Act 2:2 ESV] And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
[Act 2:3 ESV] And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
[Act 2:4 ESV] And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
[Act 2:5 ESV] Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
[Act 2:6 ESV] And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
[Act 2:7 ESV] And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
[Act 2:8 ESV] And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?
[Act 2:9 ESV] Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
[Act 2:10 ESV] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,
[Act 2:11 ESV] both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians--we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."
[Act 2:12 ESV] And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"
[Act 2:13 ESV] But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine."

3 Signs for First Time Christians:

[Act 19:1 ESV] And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.
[Act 19:2 ESV] And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
[Act 19:3 ESV] And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."
[Act 19:4 ESV] And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus."
[Act 19:5 ESV] On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
[Act 19:6 ESV] And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
[Act 19:7 ESV] There were about twelve men in all.

Dive into 1 Corinthians
Prophecy is better than tongues, Compare & Contrast
(Context is key, in the local church. Why, we are talking about worship service.)

The word tongue is glōssa
Means the literal word tongue or
A. the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations
Paul is using a very obvious argument.

[1Cr 14:1 ESV] Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
[1Cr 14:2 ESV] For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
[1Cr 14:3 ESV] On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their up-building and encouragement and consolation.
[1Cr 14:4 ESV] The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.
[1Cr 14:5 ESV] Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

UNLESS SOMEONE INTERPRETS.
Palestinian Baptist Church, we Americans needed an interpreter

Speaking a foreign language is nothing but noise.
[1Cr 14:6 ESV] Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
[1Cr 14:7 ESV] If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played?
[1Cr 14:8 ESV] And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?
[1Cr 14:9 ESV] So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air.
[1Cr 14:10 ESV] There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning,
[1Cr 14:11 ESV] but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.
[1Cr 14:12 ESV] So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

The Gift of Language Is An Effortless Gift. So pray for the ability to interpret what you just said.
[1Cr 14:13 ESV] Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.
[1Cr 14:14 ESV] For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
[1Cr 14:15 ESV] What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
[1Cr 14:16 ESV] Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
[1Cr 14:17 ESV] For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.

Paul was gifted to speak all kinds of Languages. And he will speak your language when he is at your church. Sounds Reasonable.
[1Cr 14:18 ESV] I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
[1Cr 14:19 ESV] Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Tongues = Languages is for non-believers, not for in the Church
[1Cr 14:20 ESV] Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
[1Cr 14:21 ESV] In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."
[1Cr 14:22 ESV] Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

Paul’s example of what should happen when non-believers come to church.
[1Cr 14:23 ESV] If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?
[1Cr 14:24 ESV] But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,
[1Cr 14:25 ESV] the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.




Next Week:
Order in the Church! 

1 Cor. Chapter 14

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