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Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Intelligibility and Order in Worship

1 Corinthians 14

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

We have to remember as we read this chapter, that the Corinthian church was struggling with conflict.  And we need to remember that what we read in the previous chapters, still holds true – the gifts we have been given, are meant to build the Church, not tear it apart.

We should never try to force someone to use a gift they were never given.  Nor should we feel unworthy because we have not been given a more desirable gift.  We are many parts, as Paul reminded us in 12:7-11.  “All of these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”  (1 Cor. 12:11, emphasis mine).

We also need to remember that we are unified and diversified members of the body of Christ. 

1 Corinthians 14:13-17New International Version (NIV)
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 inquirer,[a] say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.

Paul has spent a great deal of time teaching about speaking in tongues in this chapter and the best way I can explain it after doing some digging, is like this; you cannot go into a small or large group of people and begin using Morse Code and expect the people there to understand it.  Speaking in tongues is a one-way language between you and God.  It’s a supernatural communication between you and God.

 Image result for 1 corinthians 14:12


Paul then addresses the order of worship.  It’s really comes down to being respectful.  Just like verse 33 says, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace – as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.”

In the Corinthian culture, women were not allowed to confront men in public.  Apparently some of the women who had become Christians thought that their Christian freedom gave them the right to question the men in public worship.  This was causing division in the church.  We may be offended to read verses 34-35, but as I studied this chapter, Paul was using the ancient Greek verb laleo, which means, “to talk, question, argue, profess or chatter.”  Alan Redpath puts it this way, “It has nothing to do with prophecy or prayer; it’s not public speaking as such.”

In Jewish synagogues, men and women sat separately, so imagine how disruptive it would be if a woman called out from across the room to address her husband.  Paul is reminding women to discuss the matter alone at home with their husbands. 

God is a God of order and peace, and He wants order when the Church comes together.  When the gifts of the Spirit are given an unscriptural focus, it discredits the true work of the Holy Spirit, and often leads people to deny the gifts because they see unbiblical excess.  However, the order should always be the order of the living, not the dead!  Some have cultivated an atmosphere of gloom and depression; “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” (v. 40)


“Why, brethren, true praise sets the heart ringing its bells, and hanging out its streamers.  Never hang your flag at half-mast when you praise God; no, run up every color, let every banner wave in the breeze, and let all the powers and passions of your spirit exult and rejoice in God your Savior.  They rejoiced.  We are most horribly afraid of being too happy.  Some Christians think cheerfulness a very dangerous folly, if not a ruinous vice.”  (Charles Spurgeon)