I Corinthians 14

I Corinthians 14:1-12:
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?
7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played?
8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.
10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance.
11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.
12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.

Acts 2:17a (ESV) “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy …In the last days, which began at Christ’s resurrection and continue until He returns, the Holy Spirit makes spiritual gifts available to all believers. In order to receive the power to minister in spiritual gifts, Jesus taught that a believer must be baptized in the Holy Spirit, something that did not happen in the Old Testament.

I Corinthians 14:13-21:
Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?
17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;
19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue
20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
21 In the law it is written:
“With men of other tongues and other lips
I will speak to this people;
And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,”
says the Lord.

I Corinthians 14:18-19:
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue

Paul distinguished praying in tongues for private edification from speaking in tongues in the assembly. He prays in tongues himself more than anybody, but in the church he would rather speak five intelligible words than ten thousand words that are unknown to the rest of the people there. As we will see a few verses down, unintelligible speaking in church is a sign of God’s judgment, not of His blessing. And if you fix that problem by translating what is said, you remove the element of judgment, but you have not removed the middle man. Why not just go straight to the interpretation? Why say something in church that nobody understands, then translate it, when you could just go straight to the meaningful talk?
--Doug Wilson

I Corinthians 14:22-33:
22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.
23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.
25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret.
28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.
30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Feb 21, 2023: Beautiful Christian Life: What Is the Spiritual Gift of Discernment?
Discernment is hard work. It’s not a special gift God plunks into some people’s hearts and keeps from others. It takes opening God’s word on a regular basis, immersing ourselves into the grander narrative of Scripture (not just grabbing random verses here and there), and studying it. Let’s not make light of this skill. Rather, let’s encourage one another to grow in it by opening the Bible together.

I recently came across a spiritual gift test that described the gift of discernment as the ability to “sense the true motivations of a person and movements,” “recognize when a person is genuine or honest,” and “sense when a person is acting in accord with God’s will.” This sounds like a strange, eerie sense that God downloads into our brains, yet God’s word describes this ability as the hard work of knowing Scripture and examining the words of others to see if they align with the Bible.
This mysterious definition of feelings and senses is problematic for the church. The definition encourages us to listen to arbitrary feelings that the Bible never instructs us to do. We are never given a guide to knowing how to discern feelings and senses, but rather a clear message of law and gospel for us to use as our measuring stick for truth.
Discernment is hard work. It’s not a special gift God plunks into some people’s hearts and keeps from others. It takes opening God’s word on a regular basis, immersing ourselves into the grander narrative of Scripture (not just grabbing random verses here and there), and studying it. Let’s not make light of this skill. Rather, let’s encourage one another to grow in it by opening the Bible together. --Beautiful Christian Life

I Corinthians 14:34-35:
34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.

I Corinthians 14:36-40:
36 Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? 37 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. 38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

The Greek expects a “no” answer to this question. Human standards are not the norm for church services. The Corinthian church did not possess unique revelation to itself. No church should think of itself as the sole guardian of truth or special privilege over other churches. This question of Paul’s is dripping with sarcasm.

Paul’s commands are God’s commands. Paul’s writings are the result of direct, divine inspiration. Submission to apostolic authority is central to God’s way of doing things because only apostles or their direct associates had the right to write Scripture. The Holy Spirit never works contrary to the written Word of God. [SOURCE: Bible Exposition]