CHAPTER
XIV
ORDER IN
PUBLIC WORSHIP
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Summary—Of the Spiritual Gifts Prophecy Gives the First Place.
Speaking With Tongues Secondary. Both Must Be Used so as to Edify. In the
Church Assemblies What is Spoken in a Tongue Must be Interpreted. One Only Must
Speak at Once. The Women Must Keep Silent.
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1–5. Desire earnestly spiritual gifts. Though love is to be a supreme pursuit, yet this is not
intended to disparage spiritual gifts. Let them be sought, but in seeking,
desire above all the gift of prophecy. 2. For he that speaketh in a tongue.
Hath the gift of tongues. The tenor of Paul’s remarks shows that the
Corinthians placed too high a comparative estimate on this gift. Speaketh
mysteries. Things that are unknown and mysterious to his hearers. Men do
not understand him. 3. He that prophesieth. To prophesy means more than
to foretell. It is to declare the will of God under a divine impulse. When
Peter spoke on Pentecost, he did the work of a New Testament prophet. In this
formative period of the church, before the New Testament was written, it was
needful that there be these inspired guides in the churches. Unto men
edification. Instruction, and strengthening. 4. He that speaketh in a
tongue edifieth himself. His speech in the unknown tongue tends to
strengthen him, though not instructing others. He is made to feel that he is
moved by God, and so is filled with awe. 5. Greater is he that prophesieth.
Greater, because he serves the church best. Unless the tongues were
interpreted, they were an unmeaning sound to the church, while he who
prophesied, instructed and built it up.
Note.—Concerning
this gift of tongues, there is considerable confusion among commentators. Some
have held that it was a sort of rhapsody under the influence of the Spirit in
no earthly language. Others have held that it was a gift of the knowledge of
foreign languages to the early Christians to enable them to preach the gospel
to all nations. Neither view appears to be correct. 1. Undoubtedly there was a
manifestation of the gift of tongues on the Day of Pentecost (Acts, chapter
2). Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Greeks, Romans, heard in their own language.
2. It was not a gift of the knowledge of a foreign language, for verses
13 and 14 show that the speaker did not understand his own words. 3. It was a
gift, not for exercise in the church, but a “sign to them that believe not”
(verse 22). When they heard the gospel message in a tongue which the speaker
did not understand, but in their own tongue (as on the Day of Pentecost), their
wonder was excited, and many would confess that it was the work of God.
6–11. What shall I profit you, etc. The gift of tongues, exercised to the church, cannot profit
unless it does one of four things named: A revelation. The inspired
utterance of him who prophesies. Knowledge. The gift of teaching
the inspired truths of the Scriptures, or those revealed by the prophets. 7.
Even things without life. Musical instruments that give forth a sound, such
as a pipe or a harp, the chief musical instruments of the Greeks, must give a
distinction of sounds, if one would know what is played. 8. If the trumpet.
The various distinctions of note sounded a charge, a retreat, etc. 9. So
also ye, unless ye utter by the tongue, etc. It is only speech to the air,
unless there is the distinction of intelligible words. 10. There are, it may
be, so many kinds of voices in the world. Articulate language spoken and
understood by some men. 11. If I know not the meaning of the voice. The
language. I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian. A foreigner, not
understanding his language. The Greeks and Romans called all not of their races
barbarians.
12–17. Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. If you seek for spiritual gifts, seek rather those that
will build up the church, such as prophesying and teaching. 13. Wherefore
let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue. Let him pray that he may have
the gift of interpretation also. See 12:10. Let him pray that he may
understand what he utters, so as to explain it. 14. If I pray in an unknown
tongue. He does not understand, and only his spirit prayeth. 15. What is
it then? How then am I to act? He answers that question. He will have both
the spirit and the understanding unite in singing and praying, by using a
tongue that he understands. 16. Else, when thou shalt bless the Spirit, etc.
If an unknown tongue is used, how can one who does not understand it say the Amen
to the blessing at the proper place? Note here, (1) This shows that audible
responses to the praises and thanksgivings were the custom of the church. (2) The
unlearned means a private person, the private members of the church, those
not possessed of the spiritual gifts.
18–22. I had rather speak five words, etc. All must be done to edification. Hence, all must be
understood. There is a lesson here to preachers who are so learned in their
utterances that the people cannot understand them. 20. Be not children in
understanding. Use manly good sense and judgment in the church. To babble
in an unknown tongue is like a child. In malice be ye children. To
vainly choose a course that would merely excite wonder, and not edify, would
seem to partake of malice rather than love. 21. In the law it is written.
See Isaiah 28:11, 12, for the quotation. The Jews were there told that for
their sins they would be carried into the Assyrian captivity, where they would
hear strange languages. This was a judgment. Wherefore, do not force the church
to listen to listen to strange tongues which serve to remind of the judgment of
Israel. 22. Wherefore tongues, etc. They are a sign to unbelievers, who
are moved when they hear the gospel spoken in their tongue by men who have
never learned it and do not understand it.
23–25. If therefore the whole church be come together. The apostle now treats of the proper order and decorum in
the church assemblies. And all speak with tongues. There would be a
babble of confusion and no edification. To a private member, or an unbeliever,
they would seem to be mad. 24. But if all prophesy. Those speaking would
then speak what would be understood, and, speaking under the divine impulse,
would convict. He is judged. His state and character are laid bare by
the speakers. 25. The secrets of his heart are made manifest. He is made
to feel that he is face to face with God, who knows his life, and he is brought
to confession. It is still often the case that the hearer thinks that the
preacher knows his life, and is laying it bare, when it is his own conscience
that is stirred up.
26–33. What is it then, brethren? What course should be pursued in the public assemblies of
the church? When ye come together, each one hath, etc. When they come
together, one comes purposing to sing a psalm; another to teach
concerning some question; another, a prophet, has a revelation to
present; another proposes to speak in a tongue; another, still, to interpret
what is spoken. Now this must all be done unto edifying. All that will
not tend to this must be left out. 27. If any man speaketh in a tongue.
He must speak two, or at the most three sentences (by two, or at the most
three) in succession (by course), and another, who has the gift of
interpretation (12:10), must interpret. Most commentators refer two
or three to persons speaking. I follow Macknight. 28. But if there be
no interpreter. In that case the rule, “Let all things be done to
edifying,” will force the speaker in tongues to keep silence in the church.
He may speak somewhere else, or in his soul, but not in the assembly of the
saints. 29. Let the prophets speak two or three. Let two or three
prophets speak at a meeting. In the Greek, “two or three” are in the
nominative. In verse 27, in which speaking with tongues is treated, the
numerals are in the accusative case with a preposition. Hence there, with
Macknight, I have referred to them to the sentences spoken. If the persons
speaking were meant the construction would be as in verse 29. Let the
others discern. Let them discern whether they speak by inspiration. 30.
If anything be revealed. If the prophetic impulse comes upon a hearer, let
the first desist. Let only one speak at a time. 31. For ye all may
prophesy. All who have the prophetic gift, but it must be one by one,
not more than one speaking at a time. 32. The spirits of the prophets are
subject to the prophets. A prophet can wait his turn in silence; he is not
compelled to speak at once, for his spirit is subject to him. He can be silent
if he wills it. 33. For God is not the author of confusion. Such
confusion as more than one speaking at a time is not of God. God demands peace
and order “in all the churches of the saints.”
34–36. Let the women keep silence in the churches. This, in view of other portions of the Scriptures, is
confessedly a difficult passage. In 1 Tim. 2:11, 12, We have the same
teaching. On the other hand, Deborah was a judge and a prophetess; Huldah was a
prophetess; Joel predicted that in the Christian dispensation “the sons and daughters
should prophesy” (Joel 2:28), and Peter declared that this was fulfilled on
the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). In addition, the daughters of Philip
prophesied (Acts 21:9), and in 1 Cor. 11:5, Paul gives directions
concerning women prophesying. Probably these apparent discrepancies may be
reconciled as follows: (1) Paul’s prohibition of speaking to the women is, in
the churches; that is, in the church assemblies when “the whole church is
come together into one place” (verse 23). It is an official meeting of the
church. “Church” in the New Testament always means the ecclesia. It
does not apply to such informal meetings as the social or prayer-meetings, but
to formal gatherings of the whole body. (2) It may be that even this
prohibition was due to the circumstances that existed in Ephesus, where Timothy
was, and in Corinth, and would not apply everywhere. If so, it applies wherever
similar circumstances exist, but not elsewhere. Both were Greek churches. Among
the Greeks public women were disreputable. For a woman to speak in public would
cause the remark that she was shameless. Virtuous women were secluded. Hence it
would be a shame for women to speak in the church assembly. It is
noteworthy that there is no hint of such a prohibition to any churches except
Grecian. Wherever it would be shameful, women ought not to speak. 36. What?
Was it from you that the word of God went forth? A rebuke. The Corinthian
church must receive instruction, not give it. It did not send out the word of
God, but the word of God was sent to it.
37–40. If any man think himself to be a prophet, or
spiritual. If any one thinks he is inspired,
or has spiritual gifts, one proof of it is that he recognizes what I write as
the Lord’s commandment. This is always a test. Whoever insists that he has the
spirit, and sets aside the New Testament commands is self-convicted. 38. If
any man be ignorant. If he will be ignorant and obstinate, let him remain
so. 39. Wherefore. The apostle concludes this section of church order by
again commending prophecy as the chief gift, and enjoining order in the church
exercises.
Excerpt from:
The People's New Testament
by Barton
Warren Johnson
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