Sunday 7/27/2014 Bible Study Seek the Good of Others Lesson: 1 Cor. 14:13-26 Main Text: “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” (1 Cor. 14:19). Introduction The concept of seeking the good of others is foreign to the unredeemed human nature. The most generous efforts often turn out to be an attempt to gain heaven by good works, offset sins by doing good or simply a means to get a tax write-off. Unfortunately, we sometimes see the same mentality expressed within the Christian community even though we owe our salvation and our existence as the body to Christ’s genuine, self-sacrificial, and self-denying love for us. The challenge for us today is to get outside of our own indulgent self -interests and reflect Christ’s love, especially towards those in the body of Christ. Today, Paul writes to the Corinthians regarding the use of two gifts: speaking in tongues and prophesying. There are some principles to be seen in the practical points Paul provides that will serve us well, both as direct instructions and general directives that can apply to seeking the good of others over self. Tongues and Believers – 1 Cor. 14:13-19 A fruitful understanding – vss. 13-14 - Spiritual gifts are given for the edification of the church (1 Cor. 12). + Edification is “building up.” It is a construction term which speaks of our being “built up” in the Lord. A word of prophecy will build someone up, not tear him or her down. - Paul, using himself as example, says that the person with the gift of tongues should pray for interpretation. Without interpretation and an intellectual understanding, Paul explains that the gift is unfruitful. The word used is meant ‘barren’ in this sense and refers to a fruit tree that yields no fruit. - A person who speaks in tongues does so to God only by the Spirit in a language unknown to man (vs. 2) thus, is he/she is not edifying the body unless there is an interpreter. - Words that are not understood are wasted words. An expressive understanding – vs. 15 - Again using himself as an example, Paul is saying here that in public services he would offer up prayers and songs in the Spirit (i.e. the gift of tongues as directed by the Holy Spirit) in a known language so that others “might be able to join with him, and receive some fruit and advantage thereby; and that their souls might be refreshed, as well as his” (John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible by John Gill, biblehub/commentaries/gill/1_corinthians/14.htm). - As praying and singing are both used in public worship, it is important that there is a grasp of what we say/sing so that the fellowship of worship is an enlightening experience for everyone involved. An edifying understanding – vss. 16-17 - Paul points out that if a person is blessing or giving thanks to the Lord in the Spirit (speaking in tongues) from the heart; yet others cannot understand what is said, those listening are unable to benefit from it. - Even if though the listeners may catch the enthusiasm /exhilaration of the tongues-speaker, they could not join in the thanksgiving and show agreement by uttering “Amen” (the Hebrew term for “So be it”) with clarity of understanding. Thus, they were left without spiritual improvement and became nothing more than observers. - Experience excites the feelings, but understanding challenges the mind and behavior. A teaching understanding – vss. 18-19 - We must not let our verbal ability to be a barrier to the understanding of some in our congregation. It is far more important to say something that is good for all who hear it than to indulge in praising God without regard to what good it will do others. Choose quality of words not quantity when seeking to be understood by others. Tongues and Unbelievers – 1 Cor. 14:20-25 Malice and maturity – vss. 20-21 - Paul tells the Corinthians to be mature and not childish regarding the gift of tongues. They were to be without malice (unkindness) or evil intent. “Mature understanding was especially essential for proper comprehension and use of the gift because the remarkable and fascinating nature of the gift made it so attractive. Paul was asking his readers to put aside emotion, experience, and the desires of the flesh and pride, to think carefully about the purpose of the gift” (John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, Word Publishing). - Paul also quotes from Isaiah 28:11-12, reminding the Corinthians that God’s judgment of Israel came through the chastisement inflicted by “men with other tongues and other lips” (i.e. Assyrians, Chaldeans, Medes, Persians, Greeks and Romans). The foreign tongues were a sign of the prophesied disciplinary action that God was using for Israel’s good; yet they still remained rebellious. Tongues and prophesying – vss. 22-23 - Paul stays that the gift of tongues was given as a sign for the sake of the unbelieving Jews as a way of presenting the gospel. In a community of believers, this gift would serve no purpose because everyone, as a believer, has already accepted the gospel message. - Prophecy (for us expositional teaching) was intended for the believer who is enabled, by their new nature and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to understand spiritual truth. Unbelievers are not prepared for such teaching until the Holy Spirit resides in them. - Without proper application, the gift of tongues ceases to be purposeful and the end result is chaos and confusion. If the unbeliever could not understand what was being said, how could they grow and mature in Christ? Believers do not get built up nor is God exalted or praised. Conviction and worship – vss. 24-25 - Although the unbeliever cannot comprehend the teaching of God’s Word, he/she can witness the effect that it has on believers and be drawn to know more. The unbeliever would soon see their sinfulness exposed in the teaching of God’s Word with “the secrets of his heart made manifest”. Instead of confusion, the end result would be conviction and worship. Conclusion: Edify Others – 1 Cor. 14:26 - Paul concludes that at the heart of exercising all the gifts of the Holy Spirit should be the building up of those in the body of Christ and that doing so is to be carried out in an orderly fashion. - In the verses that follow, Paul gives instruction regarding the structure of the Corinthian church’s exercising of gifts: 1) only 2 or 3 speaking in tongues; 2) each in turn one at a time and 3) w/ one interpreting; if no interpreter present, then the speaker is to keep silent in church and speak to God and himself (vss. 27-28). Summary Everything we do and say in our public services should be a blessing to others. It is sad that many church activities involve that which is entertainment and self-indulgence. While music has its place in in worship, neither the words nor the music itself should be so much like the world that people think they are in a theater or dance hall. Our preaching must be rooted and grounded in God’s Word and not self-glorifying or self-magnifying. Seeking the good of others must be known as the Thank you
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 04:40:21 +0000
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