So that's from 1 Corinthians chapter 14, beginning at verse 26, and that's page 1155 of the Red
Church Bible.
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.
If anyone speaks in a tongue, two, or at the most three, should speak, one at a time, and
someone must interpret.
If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself
and God.
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop.
For you can all prophecy in turn, so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.
The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.
For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.
As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches.
They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.
If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it
is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
Did the word of God originate with you, or are you the only people it has reached?
If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am
writing to you is the Lord's command.
If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored.
Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues, but everything
should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Thank you, Christine.
Well, should Christine have read or not?
That's the question.
We'll get to that a little bit later on.
Keep your Bibles open.
1 Corinthians 14.
And there's some pens and sheets.
If you'd like to be able to take notes, then you can do that, or you simply use the back
of the new sheet.
There's spaces there if you'd like to be able to take notes as we work along.
So, just a reminder, we did have a little break from 1 Corinthians last week, but we've been
looking at a series which we're entitling The Gathering, which takes us from 1 Corinthians
11 through to the end of 14, which is asking the big, big question, what should we do when
we gather together, just as we're doing now?
What should our meeting, our gathering be like?
And we come to the very end of that.
It's almost like a conclusion to all that's been spoken about.
Thanks, Alex.
We're going to pray and ask for God's help to us.
Our Father God, we thank you for your word, and we thank you that you have spoken clearly
to us.
We ask that in the midst of the chaos of this world and the confusion that we face, that
you would speak truth to us, your people today, so that you bring order out of disorder.
You bring hope in times of darkness, that you bring peace where there is turmoil.
So, Father, by your Holy Spirit, speak through your word, through your servant today.
We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So, what did you say to the person you're sitting next to this morning?
Or what was your conversation like over tea and coffee?
Well, the writer of Proverbs reminds us about our words.
He says this, reckless words can pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise or the words
of the wise brings healing.
You see, our words have great power.
They can either build up or they can tear down.
They can hurt or they can heal.
And I'm sure we've all experienced both.
That sharp word that crushes us and breaks us or the gentle word that restores and renews.
Our words have great power.
Well, in the church at Corinth, they were well known for their, what we might term, their word
gifts.
So, look at verse 26.
Chapter 14, verse 26.
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?
When you come together, so just as we're gathered together like this in this meeting place.
So, he's saying when you come together, everyone has a hymn or a song or a word of instruction
or a revelation, that is a prophecy, a word from God, a tongue, that is another language,
or an interpretation of that language.
You see, they've got these wonderful word gifts.
But the problem is, as we've seen, their words are causing division and disorder.
And in particular, throughout chapter 14, we've seen that if you had the gift of tongues,
speaking in an unknown language, the assumption was that your words were more powerful, perhaps
you were more spiritual, and therefore you should have more speaking rights.
The church was like question time in Dolaran.
Everyone wanting to have their say, and no one quite understanding what was being said.
It was chaotic.
There was complete disorder.
Well, as we gather together as church, we've come here today with all of our word gifts.
Everyone might have something to say, but how we use our words with each other is of crucial importance.
So, look at verse 33.
For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.
You see, when God speaks, he doesn't bring disorder.
God brings peace.
God's word doesn't bring confusion and chaos.
God's word brings clarity.
Think about the creation story, that passage at the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1.
In the beginning, we're told, there was, what, there was like chaos and disorder, and then God spoke.
And his word brought order.
And his word brought harmony.
He had everything in its place.
Everything as it should be.
Now, the point is, as we gather together, our gathering here should reflect something of the character of the God we worship.
So, as we come this morning, our words to one another should bring clarity, not confusion.
The words that we speak to one another should bring peace and harmony into each other's lives.
It brings peace to the brokenness and the disorder that our world and our lives face.
So, in conclusion, he will say in verse 40.
But everything, that is, as we meet together, everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Because God is a God of order.
And God brings clarity, not confusion.
Well, as we gather together, there are two big things that we need to keep in mind.
Here's the first one.
All our words should build up the church.
Go back to verse 26.
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?
When you come together, everyone has a hymn or a song, a word of instruction, a revelation, that is, a prophecy, a tongue, or an interpretation.
All of these, and not just those, but indeed all word gifts, must be done for the strengthening of the church.
So, what's that going to look like for us here in Carragallion?
Well, three things.
First, we should come ready to participate.
Again, look at verse 26.
Do you see in the middle it says, when you come together.
When you come together, everyone.
So, the expectation is, is that we actually do make it a priority, as God's people, to meet together.
And when we come together as church, we come to participate.
That's been encouraged all the way along.
Look at verse 12 of chapter 14.
So it is with you.
Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church or strengthen the church.
What are they?
Well, go down to verse 18.
He says, I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
So it's not wrong or bad to speak in tongues.
Verse 19.
To comfort those who are struggling.
And to instruct those who perhaps are drifting in their relationship with God.
So we don't come waiting to be spoken to by somebody else and sitting in our seats going,
why isn't anybody talking to me?
We come ready to participate.
Second, we come thinking of others.
The gifts that God gives to us are primarily to strengthen other people and not self.
So look at verse 27.
If anyone speaks in a tongue, that is, in an unknown or unlearned language,
two, or at the most three, should speak.
One at a time.
And someone must interpret.
You see, if someone speaks in an unknown or unlearned language,
it's not going to benefit the church at all because
no one understands.
Verse 11.
If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying,
I'm a foreigner to the speaker.
And they're a foreigner to me.
Verse 13.
For this reason,
anyone who speaks in a tongue
should pray
that he may interpret what he says.
So anybody who has the gift of tongue should,
well, they should be praying for that interpretation.
Or somebody else should interpret
so that all the church,
so that everybody benefits.
Verse 28.
If there is no interpreter,
the speaker should keep quiet in the church
and speak to himself and God.
You see, the point I think here is
is that we use our word gifts
to think of ways of building other people up.
It's really not about me.
In contrast then,
he goes on to talk about prophecy,
which is others-centered.
It's about thinking of others.
So again, verse 27.
Let's just read the first part of verse 27.
It says,
if anyone speaks in a tongue.
If.
So it's not essential.
But, look at verse 29.
Two or three prophets
should speak.
And why is the priority
or the emphasis placed on prophecy?
Well, we're told in verse 31.
For you can all prophecy in turn
so that everyone
may be instructed
and encouraged.
You see, prophecy is a priority
within the church
because it is always thinking
of other people.
It is others-centered.
You might remember that
from chapter 14 and verse 4.
He who speaks in the tongue
edifies himself,
but he who prophesies
edifies the church.
It builds up the church.
Now you say,
well, that's all great, isn't it?
All this talk of prophecy.
Well, let me ask this.
When was the last time
someone in this church
brought a prophecy?
Never mind two or three.
Can you remember?
Well,
we need to think about that,
don't we?
Because if we understand
prophecy as this,
and we looked at this
the other week,
as being a revelation
from God,
that is a word
that is tested
against scripture,
that strengthens,
encourages,
comforts,
instructs,
the church body,
and can lead
unbelievers
to Christ.
So what's that
going to look like
for us?
Well, it could be
as we've just done
over tea and coffee.
We don't look at
tea and coffee
as break time,
but as perhaps,
do we say,
prophecy time?
An opportunity
to build
one another up?
to comfort
and instruct
and encourage
each other
with our words?
It could be.
But it seems
as we read
through this,
this is talking
about two or three
speaking to the
whole church.
Not just one-to-one
conversations,
but someone speaking
to all the church.
So what's that
going to look like?
Well, in some sense,
preaching is prophetic,
as we're doing
right now.
As we hear
God's word
explained and applied,
it brings instruction,
it brings encouragement,
it brings comfort.
Those who led
the songs,
in some sense,
were also being
prophetic,
as they spoke
truth.
Even the words
that we sang
today bring us
comfort and
encouragement
in the midst
of chaos and
turmoil and
unknowns of
what's going
to happen.
But again,
as we read
through this
section here,
it seems to be
that this is
not just
planned speech,
but there's
also a
spontaneity.
So look at
verse 30.
So in the
gathering,
we're talking,
verse 30,
and if a
revelation comes
to someone
who is sitting
down,
the first
speaker should
stop.
So it
seems to me
that when
the church
gathers
together,
there should
be times
when there is
opportunity
to bring a
word from God
to build up
the whole
church.
And again,
we could say,
well, we could do
that in home
groups.
Yes, yes,
we could do
that, but it's
not the whole
church gathered,
is it?
Now, I
haven't got my
head completely
around all of
this, still
thinking it
through, but I
think it's
something we do
need to think
about.
But what
would it look
like?
Well, it
might mean,
and this is
what I do
think, instead
of having time
for announcements,
which we did
this morning,
and which
everybody else
can actually
read from
their new
sheet.
We don't
need to do
it if you
just read
carefully.
Maybe we
need to think
about having
time where
church members
have the
opportunity to
speak a word
of encouragement
to the church.
It's not
necessarily all
the time, it
doesn't say that
everybody has
that gift,
but it might
be a word of
encouragement in
line of what
we've been
thinking.
I leave that
for discussion.
we can talk
about it
again.
So come
to participate,
think of
others,
and third,
learn to
be silent.
Verse 33,
for God is
not a God
of disorder,
but of
peace.
As in all
the congregations,
all the
churches of
the saints,
women should
remain silent
in the
churches.
churches,
they are
not allowed
to speak
and must
be in
submission,
as the
law says.
So that's
clear,
isn't it?
Men are
encouraged to
participate,
and all the
women have
to keep
quiet.
Well,
before I get
something thrown
at me,
we need to be
very careful.
I don't think
that's exactly
what it means.
Three things
in response
to that.
First,
Paul is
actually given
instructions to
all the
church about
being silent.
So look back
at verse 28.
If there is
no interpreter,
the speaker
should keep
quiet in the
church.
In other
words,
be silent.
It's the
same in
verse 30.
And if a
revelation or
a prophecy
comes to
someone who
is sitting
down,
well then
the first
speaker should
stop.
That is,
be quiet,
be silent.
So it's
not just
women that
are to be
silent.
We all
need to
learn to
be silent
and quiet.
The second
thing is,
Paul actually
does encourage
women to
speak.
He's very
clear about
that.
We saw
that back
in chapter
11,
verse 5.
You can
flick back
a page.
It's a
different
situation,
a different
context.
If you
want the
whole sermon,
you can
listen to
it online.
But just
the first
part of
verse 5,
chapter 11.
And every
woman who
prays or
prophesies.
So the
implication is
that women
are gifted
just as
much as
men to
pray and
prophesy
within the
gathering of
the church.
There's no
restriction.
So why
then, when we
get to
chapter 14,
verse 34,
are we
reading women
aren't allowed
to speak?
Has he
forgotten what
he's written?
Is he a
little bit
confused?
I don't
think so.
I think the
answer thirdly
comes in
verse 35
of chapter
14.
If they,
who are
they?
Well, in
particular, I
think the
wives.
If they
want to
inquire
about
something,
they should
ask their
own husbands
at home,
for it was
disgraceful for
a woman to
speak in the
church.
Now let me
try and give
a picture of
what I think
and what
certainly some
of the
commentators
point towards.
The scene is
probably something
like this.
A man would
stand up to
give a word of
encouragement,
an instruction,
a prophecy.
And then his
wife would
publicly start
questioning or
disagreeing with
what he had to
say.
So husband and
wife were having
a little bit of
a spat in the
front row.
Not only was
that disrespectful
to the husband
whose role it
was to lead,
verse 35,
we're told it
was disgraceful.
In other words,
the questioning
was bringing a
disorder to the
church,
instead of
building up
the church.
Look at the
middle of verse
34.
They, the
wives, are not
allowed to speak,
but must be in
submission as the
law says.
Well, what does
the law say?
What law is he
referring to?
Well, it's the
law, the
scriptures.
And I think it's
a reference back
to Genesis
chapter 2,
where we learn
that women
and men
are equal in
value and
worth before
God, but
they've been
given different
roles.
The husband
is to give
loving,
sacrificial care
for his
wife, to
protect, to
protect and to
provide.
He is to give
of himself for
his wife, to
serve his
wife.
And the wife
in response is
to live in
submission, that
is to live under
the loving and
sacrificial care of
the husband, which
is to be a good
and orderly care.
So to start
questioning and
disagreeing in
public was in
some way a
rejection of
God's good and
beautiful design
for marriage.
And that's
why I think he
gives this
specific instruction
here.
So I think
what we can
take from all
of this, we're
all encouraged,
women and
men, we are
all encouraged
to pray and
prophesy to
one another for
the building up
of the church.
And there are
times when all
men and
women need
to learn to
be silent.
As we gather
together, it's
not about me and
what I want to
have to say and
what I want to
have to share and
give me the mic and
let me say what I'm
going to say.
It's about respect
for each other
and letting others
speak and letting
them strengthen and
encourage.
and that
everything we
do, we do
for the
strengthening and
building up of
the church
family.
So, first, all
our words should
build up the
church.
The second, and
it's a little bit
shorter, all our
words should be
submitted to
scripture.
So, as we
come together and
somebody has a
prophecy, does
that mean we
can say whatever
we like?
Well, I don't
think prophecy is
an excuse to
share with the
church anything
that just pops
into our mind and
we can confidently
stand before
everybody and
say, thus says
the Lord, and
out it comes.
Verse 36.
Did the word of
God originate
with you?
Are you the
source of
everything that
God has to
say?
Verse 36.
Or are you the
only people it
has reached?
Are we the
last word on
what God is
and what God
is not?
Like, is it
up to us?
It seems to
me that it's
arrogant for
us to think
that our
thoughts and
our imaginations
have the same
authority as
God's word,
the Bible, and
it's very
dangerous to
speak to other
people as if
your words are
coming directly
from God and
your words should
be obeyed.
Two things, I
think, will
help us here.
First, the
authority of
Scripture.
Verse 37.
If anybody, if
anyone thinks he
is a prophet or
spiritually gifted,
let him
acknowledge that
what I am
writing to you
is the
Lord's
command.
So Paul is
claiming that
his words,
he's written
words to this
church in
Corinth, and
the words that
we are reading
right now, he
says, are the
Lord's commands.
In other words,
what Paul is
saying, God
is saying.
His words are
Scripture, which
is why we have
them preserved and
recorded for us
today, and which
is why we're
reading them and
looking at them.
This is God's
voice to us
today.
God's
writing.
And not
God's
responsibility to
write Scripture.
It was consigned, if
you like, to the Old
Testament prophets and the New
Testament apostles. Their
writing is God's word to
us.
So again, verse 37, if
anyone thinks he's a
prophet or spiritually
gifted, let him
acknowledge that what I am
writing to you is the
Lord's command.
That means none of us
can stand up and say,
God has told me, or
God has said.
No, the only time that
I could ever speak, or
you could ever speak,
with such authority, is
when we're reading from
the Bible, when we can
stand up and say, this
is what God says.
We must be very wary of
people who say things
like this, God told
me to tell you.
Which means, secondly, we
must test everything
against Scripture.
Verse 29.
So he's talking about
prophets. Two or three
prophets should speak, and
the other should weigh
carefully what is said.
So again, let's try and
picture this. If someone
brings a word of
encouragement or
instruction, well, the
whole church has a
responsibility.
We should weigh what
the other should weigh
carefully what is said.
That is, we should
carefully discern if what
they are saying is of
God. And the best way to
do that is to test it
against Scripture.
Is what the person's
saying in agreement with
Scripture? Or does it
contradict what God has
already said?
Are the words that
they're speaking to the
church an application
of Scripture?
A principle that's
taken, that's being
applied to a specific
situation?
So, for example, today
we're facing Brexit.
What's going to happen?
What's the future?
Well, we speak God's
Word.
God's Word says, I am the
Lord and there is no
other.
We can take refuge in
this God.
So is what they're saying
in agreement with
Scripture?
Is it an application of
Scripture?
Regrettably, it's very
common today for so-called
prophets to tell people
things like this.
God has told me to tell
you that you're going to
be healed or that you
will be successful.
Well, the fact is that
God has never, ever
promised anywhere in
His Word that guarantees
that you will be healed
of everything and that
you'll be successful in
everything.
It's a lie.
God can heal.
God gives gifts of
healing.
But we must never, ever
mess with people's lives
by claiming God said.
You see, we are not free
to say whatever we like
and stick a little
spiritual God says at
the beginning.
That is both arrogant
and dangerous.
Verse 38.
If he ignores this, if he
ignores the Lord's
command, that is,
he himself will be
ignored.
We should test and weigh
up everything carefully
with what God has said.
And if it is not in
line, we should ignore
it completely and do
not entertain it.
So, as we gather
together, we come with
all of our gifts that God
has given to us.
And we use our words
to build up the church.
Speaking words of truth,
encouragement, comfort,
and making sure that all
that we have to say
submits to the authority
of Scripture.
For God is not a God of
disorder, but a God of
peace.
let's pray together.
Let's pray together.