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Hi there, and welcome again to the Defender Bible Study. This is Rick Morton, and we are continuing our study in the book of 1st Corinthians. Today, we're gonna be in chapter 14, of 1st Corinthians. And as Herbie, taught last week, the apostle Paul in in chapter 13 talks about love. And he talks about the kind of love that God has for us, that, selfless, self sacrificing, pure love that God has, agape love.

And and that the the the apostle's central message is that he, he is exhorting the church toward exhibiting that sort of love toward one another and toward the world. And the reason is because, that part of the message of the gospel is that in the transformation that Jesus makes in our lives, he also transforms how we love and and transforms the character of our love to be like him. And so he takes the the selfishness and the degrees of love that we have, and, he replaces that ultimately with with a with a love that is, that is a heavenly sort of love that's characteristic of Him. And that's part of how God derives glory from our lives. And so, as we begin chapter 14, remember that chapter divisions are just one of those things that, that we've created in order to be able to, understand and and to dig into the scriptures more effectively.

So Paul begins chapter 14 and and he says, pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. And so, you know, he he reminds them at the beginning of this chapter that the the goal, the the earnest pursuit of every believer that is everyone that's in Christ is for us to pursue love. But then he also gives another pursuit. He says earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. And so back in chapter 12, if you remember, Paul gave, this laundry list of spiritual gifts.

And he he really didn't talk a lot in detail about any of them, but just, merely really kind of, expressed to the church that there there were all of these gifts and things that were given by the Holy Spirit and in the spirit that were given when we're in Christ. And that and that God delivers these gifts to, to the body or to to to us for us to bless the body, for us to build up and to edify and to and to encourage the body of Christ. And that ultimately God has given us these gifts not for our profit, not for our fame, not for our success, not for any of those things, but ultimately, He's given us these gifts that we can glorify Him. And primarily the gifts are given so that we will so that we will build and grow the body of Christ. And so in that, he says, he tells them to earnestly desire the gifts here in verse 1.

And so Paul's telling us, and he's telling the church at Corinth, he wants us to desire to have these gifts and to want to use them for the the the growing up and the betterment of the body of Christ, but ultimately to the to the glory of God. And but then he also he says this very interesting thing that he that he prefers or or really wants them to desire the gift of prophecy. And so he goes on and unpacks that because there's something going on in the church in Corinth. There's a corrective that he's trying to bring to the church here. And so he says, for if one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God, for no one prophesies speaks to people for their up building and encouragement and consolation.

The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 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 tongue unless someone interprets so that the church may be built up. And so what Paul is speaking into is very directly a situation here where people were adding to confusion and worship because they were speaking in tongues that, they were they were having these ecstatic utterances that couldn't be understood by anybody in the church. But they were doing so ultimately to bring attention to themselves.

And people were kind of being elevated into positions of importance that they were thought to be better than or more spiritual than the people who weren't speaking in tongues. And Paul's basically saying here, look, if you're speaking in tongues, that's between you and God. That's communion between you and God. Now I realize that everybody that's listening, there are probably all kinds of theological opinions and theological positions about the gift of tongues. And and and I know that that there are theologies out there, including, from the tradition that I've grown up in and that I've been a part of, that that the gift of tongues has has ceased.

In the interest of full disclosure, I don't know that I believe that anymore. And and I think there's there's good reason to believe that the gift of tongues is is a gift that hasn't ceased, but it also isn't prevalent. And and so I think what Paul goes on to say here and what he goes on to help us to understand is is that that there are people who are blessed with the gift of tongues. But at this point in the history of the church and the life of the church, he's saying, look, this should be this really should be a private matter between you and God if you're speaking in tongues. If you're speaking in a in a in a tongue and you can't be understood and it can't be interpreted.

So that's something privately, that's an experience between you and God and and your spirit communing with the Holy Spirit. And and that's that's that's all well, good, and fine, but it's not something for public worship. He he goes on and says, look, it's more preferred that you would speak forth on God's behalf the words of God that that you would you would prophesy, that you would tell truth and and and and speak the truth of God, and and the words of God to to the people of God, that's more preferred, because that will build up the church. And I think today, we're in a little bit of different day. And and Paul begins to talk about, talk about that in terms of the day that he was in.

He says in verse 6, now brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? Paul is saying basically that you can't you can't know more about who God is. You can't you can't grow more deeply in in understanding who God is, than through the gift of tongues. But you can through the gift of prophecy that if somebody's speaking Revelation and this is Paul directly as as the you know as an apostle and as one who under the authority of the Holy Spirit at the direction of the Holy Spirit, wrote letters that have become part of our New Testament that God was revealing himself through Paul very directly. And so he he brought revelation.

He also he also interpreted that revelation. He taught on it. He he prophesied. He spoke forth as as a result of it and and he also he also taught the church. And he said, look, so unless I do those things, tongues don't really do anything to profit the body.

He says and he he gives the the illustration of of a musical instrument. He says, even if lifeless instruments such as the flute or the harp do not give distinct notes, How will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking to the air.

There are doubtless many different languages in the world and none is without meaning. But if 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. Sow with yourselves, since you are eager to to for manifestations of the spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. In other words, he says, look, this this thing that's going on in the church has gotten out of hand and it's just it's distracting. The church is not being built up by the way tongues are being used in the church.

And he says, therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 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 all but I will sing with my mind also.

Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position thank well enough, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in the church I would rather speak 5 words with my mind in order to instruct others, than 10,000 words in a tongue. And so Paul's stepping into a situation where, where people have started to distinguish themselves in the church by their speaking of tongues and they've been regarded as being more important or more spiritual, in the body. And frankly, I'll I'll just be honest, like that's happening in the church today in some circles.

And and Paul's really kinda saying here that that the gift of tongues without interpretation doesn't have a place in orderly worship. It's something that's supposed to be private. It's supposed to happen in the privacy of just you and God. And if there's not interpretation to be present, it doesn't need to be a part of orderly worship. I think he's also saying here that that the gift of tongues is not is not an evidence of salvation.

He's not saying that everyone has to speak in tongues. He says you should desire it, which may be uncomfortable for some of us, for those of us that have never have never spoken in tongues, and that's that's kinda foreign to us. Then he goes on and he challenges them and he says, brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants and evil but in your thinking be mature. In other words, be be naive and be like a baby when it comes to those things that are evil and contrary to the heart of God.

Don't know anything about that, but in your thinking about spiritual things, be mature. In the law it is written, by people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners, I will speak to this people and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord. Thus, tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers while prophecy is a sign not for unbeliever unbelievers for but for believers. Therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues and outsiders or unbelievers enter, they will not say to you, you they will they not say to you, you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy and an unbeliever, outsider enters, he is he is convicted by all.

He is called by called to account by all. 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. In other words, we're supposed to speak in words of prophecy because that's gonna profit the unbelieving world. But if they walk into a church where people are running around speaking in unknown tongues, they're just gonna think we're crazy. Now, when he talks about speaking prophecy, I think we have a misunderstanding about what prophecy is.

We've in our modern day society, we've been taught and conditioned to think prophecy is about telling the future. But prophecy is not really about telling the future, prophecy is about telling the truth according to God. And so we're speaking forth the truth of God, which may mean the judgment of God. It may it may mean the the right consequences of the judgment of God. But the but the truth is that that we are, that that we are we are responsible to speak forth those things that we know to be true.

But what do we know to be true, today? What we know to be true today is the word of God. And so we need to be people that speak the word of God, that dwell in the word of God, that chew on the word of God, that meditate on the word of God. People that are absorbed into and by the Word of God in ways that we speak truth to one another. And if that truth guide us and that truth be used to build one another up.

So then Paul continues in verse 26. He says that, what then brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation, let all things be done for for building up. If any speak in a tongue, would there only be 1 or 2, at most 3, and in turn let someone interpret? But if there's no one to interpret, let ye let each of them keep silent in the church and speak to himself and to God.

Let 2 or 3 prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let, let the first be silent, for you all for you can all prophesy 1 by 1, so that all may learn and be encouraged and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. So Paul says, look, if if you're gonna exercise the gift of tongues in the church, it needs to be done in an orderly manner. It needs to be done in a in a way that doesn't cause confusion.

There must be interpretation. It's good for there to be prophecy. You can have several people that declare forth the Word of God and preach the word of God, but it needs to be clear and concise. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches for they are not permitted speak, but should be in submission to the law, as the law also says, if there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Now I think that, you know, we agree that that was something that was for that church and for that day.

I think we don't practice in most of our churches women, you know, being silent and not being permitted to speak. I don't think that we that most of us would see the world that way, but it certainly was meaningful for the church in Paul's day. And then he finishes up and he says, or was it from you that the word of God came? Are you the only ones that has reached? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I'm writing to you are a command of the Lord.

If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy and do not do not forbid speaking in tongues, but all things should be done decently and in order. And so I don't really see as, you know, as we look at the scriptures that that that has what Paul said in, in 1 Corinthians 14 has been superseded. And so I think, you know, we have every reason to believe that the gift of tongues is is valid today as it always has been and has place in orderly worship and in the lives of believers who speak with God if blessed with the gift of tongues personally and and in, you know, and in privacy. But in in in public worship, there are very strict guidelines about how the gift of tongues should be applied.

And and the fact is that the thing that's more important is us speaking forth the truth of God, based on what we know is the the certain revealed character and person of God that we see in the scriptures. And so I hope today has been really helpful to you. I hope it's it's helped us to think about the ways that we love the scriptures and absorb the scriptures and live according to the scriptures and teach according to the scriptures and the way that God uses us to tell forth those things that are true from the scriptures for for our good, for the building up of the body, for the for the growth of the church and ultimately, for the perpetuation of the gospel. I hope you have a great day. Thank you for joining us again on the Defender Bible Study.

This is Rick Morton. We'll be back here again next week as we consider chapter 15, of the book of 1st Corinthians. Hope you'll join us.

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We look forward to seeing you again next week for the defender bible study.