Epistles of Paul 46

Well, good evening, brethren. The church in Corinth had many spiritual gifts, and some of the brethren had the ability to talk and or understand various languages, but regrettably that became a source of personal pride and division. In chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians, Paul emphasizes that God gives spiritual gifts to everyone, but it is everyone in the church, but it is for the overall benefit of the church, for each one's benefit. So, Paul then also shows that prophecy, which he describes in verse 3 of 1 Corinthians 14 as a way of edification, exhortation, and comfort.

Some Bibles translate that as edification, encouragement, and consolation, but Paul then explains that that is a great or has a greater benefit than just speaking or understanding various languages. So, then Paul goes through a reasoned explanation covering five areas, which corrects the brethren in how they were using the spiritual gift of talking and understanding different languages, which seems to have been a very prominent gift in the area of Corinth, which we believe it was intended to spread the gospel to other nations and other languages in this city, which was a very cosmopolitan city that had many people coming in and out from different nationalities. So, this reasoned explanation that Paul discusses here in chapter 14 covers basically five areas. From verse 1 to 5, Paul wishes that we all should communicate in a way, in a loving manner, to edify, in other words to build a church, to exhort, to comfort. Then in verse 6 through 12, he then gives three practical examples which illustrate that what we say should be understandable. And then in his third area, which is verse 13 through 19, he states that speaking in different languages should benefit all those hearing what he said. Therefore, it is, as he says, there is a need to be an interpreter or a translator. Then in the fourth area, which is verse 20 through 25, he summarizes by clarifying the purpose for gifts, for spiritual gifts, and particularly, he then is talking about speaking in tongues versus prophesying.

He says that speaking in different languages, in tongues, in different languages, is for unbelievers, in other words, to reach the world as a witness, whilst prophesying, in other words, edifying, exhorting or encouraging, and comforting or consoling, is for the church. In other words, for the benefit of the church, but it's also to the benefit of those that are new visitors to the church. And then in verses 26 through 40, to the conclusion of this chapter, he then concludes with basic principles of how God's spiritual gifts can be applied in the church for the benefit of all. Now note, he is not addressing specific application examples, but he is just giving basic principles of application. Now, in the last study, we stopped just before he addressed these basic principles of application of spiritual gifts. In other words, we stopped at verse 25, and as we can see, he was comparing speaking in different languages with prophesying. It is important to understand what prophesying is meant.

Obviously, prophesying is speaking in a way that is inspiring, which is uplifting, which is encouraging, which honors God, and also which has a prophesying approach. In other words, looking at things in the future, such like talking about Christ, specifically in this case, talking about Christ, and his role of saving us through what he's done and what he will do at his second coming, so that he will save this whole world. So that's how, when we talk to brethren, when we talk to other people, we can edify, we can exhort, and we can encourage, we can comfort others.

So prophesying can be inspired messages, can be inspired sermons, of course, but it does not have to be. It can be brethren just talking to one another, referring to a message they heard, and now that was encouraging to them, and therefore encouraging somebody else to go and say, oh, this minister said this in this sermon, let's go and listen to that. And that can be very encouraging and can edify the church. And therefore, let's just touch bases on the last three verses, or the last three verses that we read last time we completed the last study, and that was in verses 23, 24, and 25. So let's just review those verses to Alpers as we move on to verse 26.

So in verse 23, it says, therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with different languages, different tongues, and they come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? So indeed, this is an experience that a few of us have mentioned, have gone to a church where they spoke in, let's call it, gibberish-type languages or tongues, and people said, what's going on in this congregation? And they've reached a similar conclusion. Then in verse 24 we read, that if all prophesy, it was if all are talking or speaking to edify the church, to encourage, to exhort, to comfort, to console, if we all spoke that way, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.

So if we all speak the good news of the Gospel, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and Christ's role in that Gospel, you know, it was the Gospel of Christ, Christ's role in that Gospel, in that which is also good news, then we are doing something which is positively edifying, encouraging, and consoling one another with this message of the good news of God's Kingdom.

And therefore a new visitor is convinced by all. That's why it says he's convinced by all, by everybody, that's the brethren, are talking and encouraging and talking positively about the message or about things that happen in their lives, which points to God intervening in their lives, and all that is encouraging and edifying and points to a hope in the world tomorrow that we all have.

So people are convinced by all, and then he says he is convicted by all. So convinced, in other words, convinced means we are saying something that is convincing and convinces others, but convicted means that the person is really internally convicted. Some Bible versions use the word that he is judged. In other words, he knows that person because he knows he heard this truth and this message and this good news. He stands under the judgment if he does not repent. So he knows, oh, I better repent, I better change, I better make a change in my life. So he's convicted by that witnessing. Let's just call it that. And now verse 25, and thus the secrets of his art are revealed.

So his inner thoughts, his inner feelings are exposed to themselves, and then he or she realizes they need to repent, giving glory to God, that indeed this is God's Church because it's really breaking their hearts, you know, it's their inner secret feelings. And it was then, thus the secrets of his art are revealed, and so falling down on his face, you know, of course he will give God's God glory. He will worship God and report that God is truly among you. So you would say, yes, this is God is working, yeah, God is working this congregation. This is God's Church. I'm encouraged.

I am positive, positively moved about it. So now we're going to move on to the fifth subsection or area that Paul reasoned. He had this reasoned explanation, which is more related to the outcome that this correct usage of prophesying or of God's gifts should have for us in the Church.

And that is verses 25 through 36, and as I mentioned, it's basic principles of our God's spiritual gifts can be applied in the Church for the benefit of all. Again, it's not specific application examples. It's not specifically you shall do exactly this way, that way, or the other way, but it's basic principles. So let's read verse 26. How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you as a psalm, as a teaching, as a tongue, as a revelation, as an interpretation, let all things be done for edification. So when we come together, when we come and we're singing a song during hymns, or we are fellowshiping and maybe referring to a message, or a sermon.

So when we have any of that, let all things be done for edification, to build a church.

Now, because these are basic principles, it can even be applied, these principles can even be applied for church services. Although, as I mentioned, it's not specifically giving instructions of how to conduct church services, but it's giving us principles that we can apply to that. So let's continue in verse 27. If a person speaks in a tongue, so if a person speaks, for instance, in a foreign language, let there be two or at most three each in turn, and let one interpret. So let each one have his turn. So let not be just everybody talking different languages. Let be that done in decent in order, and let be an interpreter. Let it be a translator. Or maybe if we apply this to, for instance, to a sermon message where a person reads a scripture, what we do is we explain that scripture. We expound that scripture. That's like expository preaching.

You expound the scripture. So that is an interpreter, an expository explanation of that scripture. So it shows that a principle that let it be interpreted, let it be explained, let it be exposed and clarified so that all can benefit. Let's now read verse 28. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church and let him speak to himself and to God. So if there is, if this person is able to speak a different language and there's no interpreter and nobody will be able to understand him, it is better for that person not to start talking language that nobody understands. So it's better for him to keep quiet and just keep that to himself. So that's basically verse 29. Verse 29. Let two or three prophets speak and let the others judge.

Let two or three men speak. Prophets at that time would imply people that we teach or are explaining from the Bible. That time would have been the apostles or lead men in the church. Today that basic principle would apply to, for instance, two or three people speaking during a church service and the others listen. And so that's very much in principle. Again, it is a basic principle, but it's in principle what we apply in the church that we have a sermonette and a sermon or a split sermon. So basically there's two messages, maybe a third, which may be somebody giving announcements, which might be a third person, may have an offeratory or an extra message there, but we'll keep it to that. That's what it says here in verse 29. Again, we in the church can take this broad brush principle and just develop a model or a way of conducting services that brings a sense of unity. And it brings a sense of unity because when you go to other church areas or to other countries, we all do it the same way. And therefore there is that unifying spirit that this feels how we're all doing it in the same basic model and thus therefore brings unity to the church as a whole. Now obviously we do know there are variations. There are the variations, maybe based on demographics, maybe the size of the church is a very small congregation, and you may vary that. Maybe you don't have a seminet, you just have a message, or maybe there's a special occasion, maybe there's a youth day, or maybe there's, for instance, like a home office, they've got an ABC choir day in which they changed the format, and that is acceptable.

But this is based, generally speaking, on this principle. But as I mentioned, there are variations.

And then it says, and let the others judge, which means let the others then listen to the message.

Then it goes on in verse 30, but if anyone, but if anything is revealed to another who suits by, let the first keep silent. So in those days, you would have, for instance, the apostles that would be there, and then one of the apostles or one of those lead men that had been or had been with Christ and had received further instruction directly from Christ. And this was a time when the church was growing. There was an initial growth and setting up of the church, and therefore there was, occasionally, one of the apostles would say, hey, you know, excuse me, there's something here that I want to add about this. And God, therefore, through this, was teaching the church how to grow, how to do things. Now, this was not the case of somebody have a grandiose idea sitting in church and suddenly interrupting. He says, well, I've got a revelation, because that's not really what it's talking about. Now, in verse 32, and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

So, sorry, I should have read verse 31. I skipped verse 31. So, for all, for you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. So the brethren in the church do have a time where we all can encourage and exhort one another. And that, the way we do it, is after, all before services, after services, we all can encourage, edify, exhort one by one.

Then all may learn and all may be encouraged. For instance, I know when I go to Lauten, the brethren of the church, they sit together at the table and quite often they talk about messages or the Bible or they have questions and therefore they all learn from each other. And one person may say, yeah, and this is a point. And I may say, yeah, that's a good point. Thank you. We all learn from one another. So that's verse 31. Verse 32, and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. Now, yeah, we have an example that those that are speaking are in control of their abilities and their gifts and therefore they're in control. It's not the gifts or these talents that control the speaker. The speaker is in control. You and I, for instance, a minister, is giving a sermon or one of the men that is giving a sermonette or a split sermon or maybe he is in control of what he says. His mind is in control and he controls that talent, that spiritual talent, that spiritual gift. It's not the gift that controls the person.

And this can be understood, for instance, with these people that speak in gibberish languages and they say it's a gift, but quite often it's controlling these people. It's taking over these people. It's possessing these people. God's spirit never possesses. God's spirit guides us, but never possesses us. You and I are in control of what we say, we plan, we structure it, we say it decently and in order. That's how it works in God's church. And therefore, it goes on in verse 33.

For God is not an author of confusion but of peace as in all the churches of the saints. So God is not the author of confusion. Things are not done just haddock. Things are done decently and order in a peaceful way, as in all the other churches of God, in all the other congregations.

Wherever you meet, wherever you are, whether it is in the states or in another country or in a different state of the states or in a different city, we all do things in a uniform, decent manner.

So there is no confusion, but there is peace and unity in the church. That's why it says God is not an author of a state of disorder but of peace. And in this section, he has been basically addressing issues related to talking. Talking in different languages or talking as a way of prophesying and therefore edifying and exhorting and comforting the church. But then, in our talks about also ladies. Let the ladies, the women, keep silent in the churches. It appears that it was also a problem in that congregation that people were talking while services were going on.

And maybe the problem was that the ladies were asking their husbands during services certain things. And he's saying, hey, don't do that during services, but, you know, go home and ask your husbands at home as we see in verse 35. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husband. So really, this was a situation of married ladies talking. So it must have been a very specific problem that he was addressing. And he was saying, you go back home and you want to discuss some topic. Go home and discuss it with your husband. So back to verse 34, we have a situation here that he encourages women, and he's basically giving an instruction to women not to speak during church services. In other words, not to stand up and teach or something like that.

This is very similar to what we read in 1 Timothy chapter 2. 1 Timothy chapter 2.

So let's get to 1 Timothy chapter 2.

1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 11 and 12.

And says, let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. And so again, it's talking about in a formal church service, a woman should not teach the man. It's not talking about a Bible class where women are teaching children. It's talking about teaching adult men during church service.

So based in this scripture of 1 Corinthians 14 verse 34 and 1 Timothy 2 verse 11 and 12. And we basically in the church, we follow a principle which is biblical, which is directly instructing us that of what men should do as speaking in church during services and not for women to do that. This also, if we go back to 1 Corinthians 14 verse 34, it says at the end of verse 34, it says, but they are to be submissive as the law also says. That is an implication from Genesis 3 16, where it says that the husband is to take that responsibility to be over in these matters, having that responsibility. Now, understand this this point of man taking this responsibility needs to be in a way that Jesus Christ rules over us.

As we see in Ephesians 5 verse 21 through 33, that Christ rules over us, the church, but is not in a dictating way, is in a loving kind way. It's a Christian principle.

So that's the approach that men should have towards their spouses, and in the church, as far as speaking during services, should be done by men. And in fact, we see that also that was the case in the early New Testament with the apostles and the lead man were all men. And also we see in the Old Testament that the priesthood was by man. So it's not anything that the woman is by any means inferior, but it's just the responsibilities the way God has done it and the way he has instructed it to be. And then we read verse 35, and if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. So this is an instruction that we have here, very clear. And then in verse 36, or did the word of God come, and then we, it says, or did the word of God come originally from you, or was it you only that it reached? In other words, did God's word, God's gospel, the gospel of the kingdom, did it come from the Corinthian church?

Or did other churches receive the gospel from you Corinthians? Are you Corinthians the mother church? Are you Corinthians the model church to other churches to copy? Because you're doing something which is not done in the churches of God, be it the way they were doing, and we're speaking in tongues, or whatever it is. And that's why Paul is correcting. You don't do it this way.

And he's trying to do it in a kind and loving way. So putting it in another way. Are you the model Corinth for other churches to copy? Are you Corinthians the one that's going to give laws, like the orders of services to the churches, or how to conduct church services, or how to handle different gifts? So we can see it is a very strong corrective statement here in verse 36, and saying, hey, you Corinthians, Brethren there, you need to be like the other churches of God, that this is not the practice in the churches of God. Right, so now we move to a summary concluding statement in this chapter, which is verses 37 through 40. So in verse 37 says, if anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. The things that I am writing to you, are God's commandments. So he's basically giving us instructions of how to use God's spiritual gifts, whether it is the gift of speaking different languages, where it is the gift of encouraging or exalting others, whatever it may be. Let it be done in a constructive way, and note that this, these are commandments from God. So if one thinks that he knows better, no, these are commandments from God. So that's what he's saying here. Verse 38, but if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. In other words, if someone is not willing to be taught and submit, let that be at his own peril. We got to go for wars in a way that is right.

So don't allow that individual, because of his or her willful obstinacy, to deviate the church.

This application is an application of the commandments that come from God. And so that's what he's instructing you. And so therefore, verse 39, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in other languages. Yes, go ahead and use the gifts that God has given you, but follow the rules of how to handle them in the right way, in a godly way. In other words, verse 40, let all things be done decently and in order. So Paul addressed the subject of gifts and talents, spiritual gifts that people had. And then now that he has settled a lot of different questions relating to public worship, marriage, fellowship, interfacing with those not in the fife, a whole lot of different things that were affecting the fife of the Corinthians, now he moves on to a very important subject, a subject of prime importance, which is the one of the resurrection of the dead. In other words, that's the prime importance of the gospel, the gospel of the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, the king of kings. So this is very important. So therefore, he now starts in verse one. Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel, which I preached to you, which also you received, and in which you stand. So I'm preaching you the gospel, which you received, and in which you stand. And then in verse two and three says, By which you are saved if you hold fast that word which I preached to you, unless we believed in Thine. So we're going to hold on to that, and then he says, For I delivered to you first of all, then which I received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. It's important to understand that the society, particularly the Jewish society at that time, was expecting the Messiah to come and overcome the Roman government and establish the kingdom of Israel over the Roman government. That was the basic thinking that the Jewish priesthood and community understood the Messiah's responsibility, which is not incorrect. Ultimately, which is the establishment of the kingdom of God over all the nations of the earth, but Christ's first coming was not for that reason. And therefore he says, and he says that Christ died for our sins according to scriptures. One of the things that Paul and the other apostles had to do in the early New Testament church was to prove, it was to explain, that the Messiah had to die and he had to prove that from the scriptures. And he probably used scriptures like Isaiah 53. Let's look at Isaiah 53, verse 1 through 12. In Isaiah 53, he says, who has believed our report and to almost the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he shall grow up before he must attend a plant and as a root out of the dry ground. He has no form of comeliness and when he will see him, there's no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, an acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we did not esteem him. So this is clearly a prophecy about Christ. And then verse 4, surely he has borne our griefs, our sicknesses, and carried our sorrows, our pains, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded, he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. So clearly in Mautia that Christ had to die and he was wounded, he carried our griefs, he was bruised. Look at also in verse 10, yet he pleased the Lord to bruise him, you know, he pleased the Father to bruise Christ. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul, that means his life, his Jesus Christ's life, an offering for sin. So Christ's life became an offering for sin.

That's what it is. Christ's life became an offering for sin. And then he was offered up for our sins. And he shall see he seed the church, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. And look a little bit further in verse 12. Therefore I'll divide him a portion of the great, he shall divide the spoiled with the strong, because he poured out his soul unto death. He poured out his life. His life was poured out, his blood was poured out unto death. And he was numbered with the transgresses, and he bore the sin of many, and he made intercession for the trans-racists. So we can see that Paul probably used scriptures like this one to prove that the Messiah had to die according to the scriptures. Also, just before this chapter, the last two verses of chapter 52 in Isaiah, Isaiah 52 verse 14 and 15, just as many were astonished at you, so his visage was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of man. So he shall sprinkle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths at him, for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider.

So Christ was marred beyond any other human being. Christ had to die. And so, as we read here in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 3, at the end of verse 3, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Right, so, and verse 4, he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. He rose again. He resurrected again according to the scriptures, probably a reference to Psalm 16. So let's just look at Psalm 16 verse 10 and 11. Psalm 16 verse 10 and 11.

For you will not leave my soul in Sheol. It was in the grave. For you, the Father, will not leave my soul in Sheol. It obviously was David writing, and David was thinking about himself that he will resurrect, but the implication is more because, as you read, nor will you, the Father, allow your Holy One to see corruption. And that's referring to Jesus Christ, that he would die, but he would not see corruption. So, before the body would would corrupt, would see corruption, he would be resurrected. So he would be resurrected according to the scriptures. You will show me the path of life, eternal life, and your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures evermore.

So there will be a resurrection. And so Christ would not be left in the grave. You would resurrect and not see corruption. If he had stayed more days in the grave, the body would have corrupted.

Now, if Jesus' resurrection had occurred, for instance, on the same day or even the next day, it would have been easier for these enemies to argue that he never truly died.

Very similarly, an example is that Jesus waited several days after Lazarus and died before he came to resurrect Lazarus, so that no one could deny the miracle that he was resurrected from the dead, as we see in John 11 verse 38 through 44. So, yeah, we see that Jesus would resurrect according to the Scriptures. There's another Scripture that might have also an implication of that. And that's Hosea chapter 6. Hosea chapter 6.

Hosea chapter 6 verse 1 through 3. Come, let us return to the Lord, for he has torn, but he will heal us. He has stricken, but he will bind us. After two days, he will revive us.

And on the third day, he will raise us up. That could be, I'm not saying it is, but it could be an implication to Christ being resurrected. On the third day, he will raise us up that we may live in his sight. Now, it is clearly a dual meaning, because most probably it is a prophetic meaning for the time of the end. If we look at the time of the end when there is the Great Tribulation, then after two days, that is, after when it's two and a half years into the Great Tribulation, he will revive us.

In other words, there is the sixth, so at the end of the sixth seal of the Tribulation, which is the fifth seal, at the end of that, the sixth seal, then we have the heavenly signs. And that heavenly signs is at the end of those two and a half years.

And then during the third year, which after up to three and a half years, he will raise her up, which means he's the seventh seal, which is the day of the Lord, so that we may live in his sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.

His going forth is established as the morning. So, this scripture, it is more related to the end time, but it could have a subtle implication that Christ would be in the grave for three days. I'm not saying it is, but some people refer to that, so I thought it would be important just to make mention of that. But let's go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. And we read verse 4, that he was buried and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

So he rose again according to the scriptures, and also Christ prophesied that he would be dead for three days, and after three days he would resurrect. So that is also according to the scriptures. Verse 5, and that he was seen. Now, yeah, we see eyewitnesses. So let's focus a point here that is what he's trying to say. I've preached the gospel to you, and I've proved to you that that Christ resurrected.

And now he's saying this was clearly evidenced by many eyewitnesses, because he says he was seen by Peter Cephas, and then by the 12. After that he was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remained still alive to the present when he wrote this. But some have already died, some already fallen asleep. After that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

Then, last of all, he was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. So there were many eyewitnesses. There was Peter, there was the 12, then he says 500, and many others. Some of them have even fallen by James and by all the apostles. So there is a lot of eyewitness evidence. And he was seen also by Paul. Paul! So Christ resurrected as one born out of time.

Now, when we read that, we see that in Galatians chapter 1, Galatians chapter 1 verse 15 through 17, Galatians chapter 1, 15 through 17, it says, but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace to reveal His Son to me, that I might preach Him amongst the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me.

But I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus. So, yeah, we see, and if we tie that to verse 12, that it says, I received, he's talking about this gospel, not from man, in verse 12, Galatians chapter 1, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ Himself. So he's explaining that He, during a certain period that He went to Arabia, He did see the resurrected Christ.

So He says He is a witness, but as He says, He is in 1 Corinthians, as one born out of due time. Also in Acts chapter 2, in Acts chapter 2, verse 29 to 32, Acts chapter 2, verse 29 to 32, that is on the day of Pentecost, when Peter is giving his sermon about what has happened, in verse 29 to 32 says, men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

David is dead. Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with enough to Him that the fruit of His body, according to the flesh, that of the fruit of His body, according to the flesh, He would rise up the Christ to sit on His throne. So God had shown David that Christ would come through His seed.

And verse 31, He foreseen the spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ. David spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, and then we read a while ago in Psalm 16, and he says that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus, God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. So Paul includes himself also, yeah, as a witness. All these are eyewitnesses. So this is where we'll stop today at this verse 8. We'll next week, we'll continue on 1 Corinthians 15 with verse 9. So thank you very much, brethren, and you all have a good evening.