A. Have you ever stepped into an argument where you have an opinion, but you are not overly attached to that opinion? I have. In fact, I would say that our text of 1 Cor. 14 is that for me. I have opinions about the miraculous gifts of speaking in tongues and prophecy, but I am not so attached to those opinions that I cannot see anything but them. I would like to start by sharing with you my personal journey.
B. I grew up in a very conservative home and was taught for the first 22 years of my life that no miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit were going on today. I was taught from logic and scripture that the ability to give a gift from one person to another came only at the hands of the apostles. Therefore, when the last apostle died, the ability to pass on those gifts died with him. The problem I had with that was that the apostle was not the one who gave the gifts, but the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the argument was good, but somewhat flawed. I was taught that the “perfect” in 1 Cor. 13 was the collected Holy Scriptures – cannon – Bible. Therefore, with the completion of the Bible there would be no need for miraculous gifts. The problem I had with that was not every person has access to the Bible for the last 1900 years and even today, there are remote areas where the Bible has no presence. So why could the Holy Spirit not work at least in areas where the Bible was present?
C. I continue to struggle with the miraculous gifts used in some denominations today that I have seen on TV or investigations I have see by reporters about the authenticity of those gifts. For the most part, I would agree that outward miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit to Christians today are not as needed or seen. I have personally be friends with people who claim to speak in tongues. The problem I have is the only tongue in which they speak is that of “angles” when the primary use of the gift of tongues in the Bible was of known languages of the day that the person had not studied.
D. Part of me desires to skip chapter 14 and move into chapter 15 where I much greater passion. But the elders have asked for the whole counsel of God to be taught from this pulpit concerning the book of 1 Corinthians. So we come to this controversial chapter.
I. Context of the Problem
A. Read 1 Cor. 14:1-5. Let’s examine the problem. The church in Corinth worshipped, but the worship did not do the two aspects it was designed by God to accomplish. Those two aspects are: (1) Praise God (2) Edify the Body. Worship was not designed to be evangelist in nature. It accomplishes that when and unsaved person sees the saved in praise to God and building up the body, but evangelism was much more outside the collective worship than within. When the church came together as a body it came together to worship the holy God in reverence and to build up fellow Christians in their spiritual life. Corinth simply did not do either.
B. As we have studied this letter in depth, we have seen Christians hurt one another and even allow sin to be openly practiced with no discipline. When they should be worshipping God, especially through the Lord’s Supper, they made a mockery of it and denied its very purpose. Corinth is a messed up church and this letter helps us to not mess up in the same manner.
C. The challenge for us today is to examine our collective worship and ask if we bring the sacrifice of praise to the house of the Lord and do so in such a way as to edify the body of Christians. If the answer is no, then we need to change the way in which we collectively worship. That is what Paul was telling them to do. Change the way the collectively worship.
D. Two great gifts are discussed in this chapter: Speaking in tongues and Prophecy. Of the two, Paul places prophecy as more edifying because of the help it gives to the whole body, but he did not deny the personal benefit of speaking in tongues.
E. Paul then illustrates the problem: 1 Cor. 14.6-12. I love music. There are some here who have a military background and others who have a historical military understanding. Paul uses both as illustrations about who speaking in tongues in collective worship without interpretation is useless. It is no better than if I simply plucked notes on a piano without any connection between them or if the army bugler blew his horn without a clear sound, or message in the tone that was understood by the rest of the military.
F. There was a time and place for speaking in tongues, but only when those tongues where used for the purpose they were given. The HS gave them for a reason; it was not to show off in worship.
II. Why Prophecy Is Greater Than Tongues
A. Throughout the rest of this chapter, Paul continues to drive home the need for edification within the collective body, both for the members of the body and for the non-Christian who happens to come among them.
B. What does the non-Christian need? Paul answers it. The unbeliever needs to be convicted that he is a sinner. That is what the non-Christian needs. They need to realize the fact, the truth that they are lost without the blood of Jesus and will be condemned for all eternity, separated from God in Hell unless they repent and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and live a life of devotion to Him. Paul openly states that speaking in tongues when the unbeliever does not understand will not accomplish that task; instead, the unbeliever will think you are crazy. But when confronted by God’s word of prophecy, then they will proclaim “God is among you.”
C. Teaching the truth from God in a way that is understood by the believer edifies the believer. If you do not grow spiritually by being a part of this congregation then either you need to be the teacher and share your God-given knowledge or the teachers here need to do a better job of revealing the word of God to you? Simply having an emotional experience in worship does not convict me of sin or encourage me to walk in the path of righteousness. A deeper understanding of God’s will does that. Speaking in tongues that are not interpreted is very emotional to the individual but without benefit to the body or the unbeliever.
III. One Solution
A. We know the problem, so what is the solution? Read with me 1 Cor. 14:26-33. Collective worship has a purpose, and in order to meet that purpose, there needs to be some semblance of order. Paul does not say, men have to walk out from a corner room, then have two songs, a prayer, a song, the Lord Supper and so on. Reverence in worship is not about being quiet or taking away all emotion. That is simply a misuse of the text personal desires in worship style. You can have a high energy worship that fills your heart with both joy and tears, convicting you and motivating you, lifting you up into throne room of God and humbling you in His presence and it be exactly what Paul is teaching.
B. Worship, in fact, should have those elements in it. But those elements are there because each person leading in that worship does so from a God-centered perspective. They should be men who are led by the Spirit and we as congregation should test what happens within our worship by the whole of the Bible.
C. It would be interesting to worship in a manner similar to what was just read. We might have more structure in our white American worship style than was done in the first century, but it is not wrong. What you just had read to you is seen in this church to some degree. You have multiple people who stand before this congregation, the difference is we designate them ahead of time, where in the example Paul give it was probably more spontaneous.
Conclusion:
A. I want to conclude with the closing verses of this chapter: (verses 37-40). This has been a reading of God’s word in your presence with my teaching interfused. May the God of peace be with you and may your spirit be connected to His.
B. I pray that you seek to build up His body, especially this congregation, by sharing of your gifts which the Holy Spirit has given for our common good. If you are called today by God to repent of a sin, then repent. If you called to come and seek our prayers and receive from us a loving welcome, then come. However we may serve you, I invite you come and share that request as we stand and sing.
