I’ll start with a list of Spiritual Gifts (covered in study 13).
They are taken from 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, 8-11
Apostles
Prophets
Teachers
Helpers
Guidance
Wisdom
Knowledge
Faith
Healing
Miracles
Distinguishing between spirits
Speaking in different kinds of tongues
Interpretation of tongues.
2 Corinthians 12: 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
And I’m sure there are others too!
Before we continue I need to point out that there may be a distinction between the gift of tongues, and what happened at Pentecost.
Read Acts 2:3-8
3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?
Verse 4 speaks of other tongues, and verse 6 says that each one heard their own language being spoken.
Here those outsiders who had come to Jerusalem for the festival were able to hear what the disciples were saying in their own languages. Today, those who speak in tongues do not use a recognisable language. Of course it is possible that the disciples at Pentecost were not speaking a recognisable language, and the hearers heard the interpretation, but that seems to be stretching it a bit!
We must remember that Paul is answering questions. And obviously the whole subject of speaking in tongues had come up.
(Modify the following according to your own experience!)
And before carrying on I also have to say that I have never spoken in tongues. I know that some of you have, so would you be prepared to let us know when and where you use this gift?
I was seventeen in 1960 when the Charismatic renewal began to spread through England. Some of what I experienced during the 60s and 70s was good, some was baffling, some was actually quite worrying. Some caused churches to split.
(If you are interested in what happened then, there is a link HERE.)
So I fully understand the problems that the church in Corinth may have been facing.
Remember, this is a spiritual gift, and it is not given to every Christian.
This may have been one of the problems. I have experienced influential leaders with the gift who have denounced those without, insisting that you can’t be a true Spirit-filled Christian if you don’t have it.
I also remember when my wife and I were once trapped in a crowded meeting where for at least half-an-hour everyone else, at the same time, were either speaking or singing in tongues and obviously encouraging each other as they did it. I have to say it was not a happy experience for us!
We also attended a church where someone would fairly often interrupt the service with a few minutes of speaking in tongues. Again, when they were pressed to give the interpretation it never seemed to be relevant to the church or the service and it was soon forgotten.
These too may well have been the sort of problems Paul was faced with.
From what I understand, speaking in tongues, is prayer, where our spirit is in direct communication with God’s Spirit. Is that correct?
OK then, What is prophecy?
Preaching
Interpreting Scripture
Bringing a word from God
So speaking in tongues is where we personally speak directly to God.
And prophecy is where God speaks directly to the whole church, using a human voice to pass his message on in a language that we can understand.
Read 1 Corinthians 14:1-3
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.
Paul now continues the theme he started in Chapter 12 relating to spiritual gifts, but now he particularly turns his attention to the gift of tongues. Also he makes a point, right at the beginning, to remind the Corinthians that everything should be done from a motive of love (v1).
Now look at verse 4
4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.
There is nothing wrong in edifying ourselves in private – but to do it in a public meeting could seem to be self-edifying!
Prophecies, however are intended to edify the whole church.
Read 1 Corinthians 14:5-6
5 I would like every one of you 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 edified.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?
Paul agrees that tongues, followed by interpretation can be useful; but prophecy is better!
Read 1 Corinthians 14:7-13
7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8 Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.
13 For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an enquirer, say ‘Amen’ to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying?
Why do humans speak?
It is to communicate with someone else. If we want them to understand us we will try to use their language. It therefore follows that if we speak in the Spirit’s language only God will understand (unless the Spirit also acts as interpreter) and therefore it is a prayer to him. Verse 2 says: For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit
Why speak in tongues at all? Who are we speaking to? What is the benefit?
Read Verses 14-19
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
16 If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say Amen to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Speaking in tongues is actually praying directly from our spirit. Our minds do not understand the meaning. No-one else understands either, so how can praying out loud in public in this way be helpful?
Paul says that worship in church should be something that everybody understands, so he suggests that praying and singing ought to be intelligible to the rest of the congregation for the benefit of all.
Now let’s look at verses 20-23
20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children.
In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.
21 In the Law it is written:
Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.
22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
Grow up! Says Paul (v20). Yes, Isaiah prophesied that people will hear the Gospel from people who did not naturally speak their language, and in a sense that happened on the day of Pentecost.
(v23) But what they were doing in Corinth was of no benefit to unbelievers who did not understand and who simply concluded that they must be mad.
So back to verse 1: Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
I said earlier that speaking in tongues is where we personally speak to God,
and prophecy is where God speaks to the whole church, using a human voice to pass his message on in a language that we can understand.
So read verses 24 and 25:
24 But if an unbeliever or an enquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’
Obviously God speaking to us must be more important than us speaking to him!
Now verses 26-33, 36-40 (We’ll look at 34 & 35 in a minute)
26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two— or at the most three— should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.
28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop.
31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.
32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.
33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints,
36 Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?
37 If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.
38 If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored.
39 Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Let’s be reminded: what is the purpose of Spiritual Gifts (v26)?
for the strengthening of the church
What are Paul’s rules for speaking in tongues? (v27-28)
No more than three people should speak.
They should not all speak at once but take their turn.
There must be an interpretation given.
If there is no interpretation the speaker should keep quiet.
What are Paul’s rules for prophesying? (V29-31)
No more than three people should speak.
If someone else has a revelation the current speaker should stop!
Others should weigh carefully what is said.
Why should they do that?
Because false prophets give false prophecy, misleading the church.
It is not acceptable to interrupt simply because you believe you have ‘a word from the Lord’ – ‘thus saith the Lord’ (and yes I’ve heard that said too!)
Verses 32-33 point out that our gifts are under our control – God is not a God of disorder – v40 everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Now before we finish we must look at the verses we skipped earlier – 34 and 35:
34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.
35 If they want to enquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
There have been many explanations about these but before we look at this we must also remember Paul’s earlier instruction in 1 Corinthians 11:5
every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head— it is just as though her head were shaved.
So obviously Paul expects women to pray or prophesy in church! So what other kinds of speaking can he be referring to? Perhaps the suggestion in v35 is that they were asking questions. Others have suggested that they may just have been chatting together.
There also may have been a local problem with one or more women who were assuming a leadership role (perhaps with their heads uncovered like men) more for the purpose of advocating Women’s Rights, rather than exercising a God-given gift.
Some have argued that this passage means that women should not teach (or at least teach men) in church. But when we looked at chapter 12 when we were looking at spiritual gifts, we read that teaching was a spiritual gift, and gifts are given by the Spirit to each one, just as he determines (v11). In fact Paul listed Teachers as third after Apostles and Prophets (v28).
Also it cannot be denied that many women have been called and used by God to be very effective overseas missionaries. Perhaps the clue is in verse 34: but must be in submission. Not specifically to men, but to those (including the Holy Spirit) who are in authority in the church.
Finally verse 40
40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Styles of worship have continually changed over time. Some churches have ordered their services to such an extent that they have eliminated all opportunity for unplanned contributions from members of the congregation.
At the other extreme, there are ‘Charismatic’ churches that would appear to have no structure to their services at all.
How should we choose the way our church conducts worship?
