FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 14: _ OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY-MARK DUNAGAN_ I. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 14: I. In The Assembly: Prophecy Is Preferable To Tongues: 1 Corinthians 14:1-12 II. The Need For Interpretation In The Assembly: 1 Corinthians 14:13-19 III. Tongues Are. Sign To Unbelievers: 1 Corinthian... [ Continue Reading ]
FOLLOW AFTER LOVE; YET DESIRE EARNESTLY SPIRITUAL GIFTS, BUT RATHER THAT YE MAY PROPHESY. 'Follow after love' -'As if. veritable chase.' (Robertson p. 181) 'Signifies to prosecute to its goal.' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 902) 'Hotly pursue this love' (Mon); 'Make love your great quest' (Ber) 'Lit., pursue, s... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE THAT SPEAKETH IN. TONGUE SPEAKETH NOT UNTO MEN, BUT UNTO GOD; FOR NO MAN UNDERSTANDETH; BUT IN THE SPIRIT HE SPEAKETH MYSTERIES. 'For' -This and the next verse begins to explain why prophecy is particular gift to seek in relation to the assembly of the church. 'UNKNOWN' -(KJV). This word w... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT PROPHESIETH SPEAKETH UNTO MEN EDIFICATION, AND EXHORTATION, AND CONSOLATION. 'But' -in contrast to the tongues. In. congregation where everyone spoke the same language, prophesy, inspired preaching in the common language of the audience was the more useful gift. 'EDIFICATION, AND EXHO... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT SPEAKETH IN. TONGUE EDIFIETH HIMSELF; BUT HE THAT PROPHESIETH EDIFIETH THE CHURCH. 'edifieth himself' -Note: All tongue-speakers didn't necessarily understand what they had just said. (1 Corinthians 14:5) _ Points to Note:_ 1. Some have. problem with the above. But no problem should exis... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW. WOULD HAVE YOU ALL SPEAK WITH TONGUES, BUT RATHER THAT YE SHOULD PROPHESY: AND GREATER IS HE THAT PROPHESIETH THAN HE THAT SPEAKETH WITH TONGUES, EXCEPT HE INTERPRET, THAT THE CHURCH MAY RECEIVE EDIFYING. 'Now. would have you all speak with tongues' -Indicating that Paul isn't against the gif... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW, BRETHREN, IF. COME UNTO YOU SPEAKING WITH TONGUES, WHAT SHALL. PROFIT YOU, UNLESS. SPEAK TO YOU EITHER BY WAY OF REVELATION, OR OF KNOWLEDGE, OR OF PROPHESYING, OR OF TEACHING? 'This verse begins. series of arguments designed to show the uselessness of uninterpreted tongues.' (Willis p. 48... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN THINGS WITHOUT LIFE, GIVING. VOICE, WHETHER PIPE OR HARP, IF THEY GIVE NOT. DISTINCTION IN THE SOUNDS, HOW SHALL IT BE KNOWN WHAT IS PIPED OR HARPED? 'Even things without life' -'This is only common sense. Even in the realm of instruments this makes sense.' (McGuiggan p. 180) 'GIVING. VOICE'... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF THE TRUMPET GIVE AN UNCERTAIN VOICE, WHO SHALL PREPARE HIMSELF FOR WAR? 'uncertain voice' -'an indistinct sound' (NASV) 'There were sound patterns made on the trumpet which called people to arise and fight. What if the trumpeter blew without making any recognizable pattern? Would the people... [ Continue Reading ]
SO ALSO YE, UNLESS YE UTTER BY THE TONGUE SPEECH EASY TO UNDERSTOOD, HOW SHALL IT BE KNOWN WHAT IS SPOKEN? FOR YE WILL BE SPEAKING INTO THE AIR. 'So also ye' -'In the same way' (Beck); 'You too must use. language that men can understand' (Nor). If clarity in communication is necessary in "lifeless... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE ARE, IT MAY BE, SO MANY KINDS OF VOICES IN THE WORLD, AND NO KIND IS WITHOUT SIGNIFICATION. 'voices' -'a great many kinds of languages in the world' (NASV) 'WITHOUT SIGNIFICATION' -'without meaning' (NASV). Every language in the world conveys meaning. 'That is means something to somebody...... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THEN. KNOW NOT THE MEANING OF THE VOICE,. SHALL BE TO HIM THAT SPEAKETH. BARBARIAN, AND HE THAT SPEAKETH WILL BE. BARBARIAN UNTO ME. 'I know not the meaning of the voice' -i.e. the meaning of the language being spoken.. situation identical to what was occuring with the abuse of tongues in the C... [ Continue Reading ]
SO ALSO YE, SINCE YE ARE ZEALOUS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS, SEEK THAT YE MAY ABOUND UNTO THE EDIFYING OF THE CHURCH. 'So also ye' -This demonstrates that the tongue-speakers were no exception to the rule laid down in the preceding verses. They couldn't claim an "exemption" for their spiritual gift. 'SIN... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE LET HIM THAT SPEAKETH IN. TONGUE PRAY THAT HE MAY INTERPRET. 'Wherefore' -the logical conclusion. The only way in which the church can receive such edification from the tongue-speaker, is if the speaker or another can interpret. (1 Corinthians 14:5) 'PRAY THAT HE MAY INTERPRET' -indicat... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF. PRAY IN. TONGUE, MY SPIRIT PRAYETH, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS UNFRUITFUL. 'For' -'Paul now applies the point..to their..worship by indicating the specific effect unintelligibility has on gathered worshipers.' (Fee p. 668) 'PRAY IN. TONGUE' -This isn't. private prayer tongue. (1 Corinthians... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT IS IT THEN?. WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT, AND. WILL PRAY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO:. WILL SING WITH THE SPIRIT, AND. WILL SING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. 'What is it then?' -'So what shall. do?' (Fee p. 670) 'What then is my conclusion.' (TCNT) 'I WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT, AND. WILL PRAY... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOU VERILY GIVEST THANKS WELL, BUT THE OTHER IS NOT EDIFIED. 'verily givest thanks well' -'you are giving thanks well enough' (NASV) The prayer is excellent. Paul isn't running down the gift of tongues or even using your gift in prayer. Rather he is correcting an abuse. Exercising your gift w... [ Continue Reading ]
1 CORINTHIANS 14:18. THANK GOD,. SPEAK WITH TONGUES MORE THAN YOU ALL: 'I do not underrate the gift of tongues;. myself possess the gift in the highest degree.' (Erdman pp. 145-146) 'I THANK GOD' -far from thinking lightly of this gift, Paul thanks God for it. 'MORE THAN YOU ALL' -Some at Corinth... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT IN THE CHURCH. HAD RATHER SPEAK FIVE WORDS WITH MY UNDERSTANDING, THAT. MIGHT INSTRUCT OTHERS ALSO, THAN TEN THOUSAND WORDS IN. TONGUE. 'howbeit in the church' -'in the assembly' (Alf). Again, 'the public assembly of the congregation for worship' is the context of this chapter. In such. se... [ Continue Reading ]
BRETHREN, BE NOT CHILDREN IN MIND: YET IN MALICE BE YE BABES, BUT IN MIND BE MEN. 'be not children in mind' -'do not be children in your thinking' (NASV); 'Do not be content to think childish thoughts' (Knox) 'IN MALICE BE YE BABES' -'be babes in evil' (RSV); 'Keep the innocence of children.' (Kn... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE LAW IT IS WRITTEN, BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS WILL. SPEAK UNTO THIS PEOPLE; AND NOT EVEN THUS WILL THEY HEAR ME, SAITH THE LORD. 'In the law it is written'. Isaiah 2:11. Yes, the book of Isaiah was God's "law" also. Actually the whole O.T. was called God's law. ... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE TONGUES ARE FOR. SIGN, NOT TO THEM THAT BELIEVE, BUT TO THE UNBELIEVING: BUT PROPHESYING IS FOR. SIGN, NOT TO THE UNBELIEVING, BUT TO THEM THAT BELIEVE. 'Wherefore' -based on the previous O.T. precedent. 'TONGUES ARE FOR. SIGN, NOT TO THEM THAT BELIEVE' -'That means they weren't meant f... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THEREFORE THE WHOLE CHURCH BE ASSEMBLED TOGETHER AND ALL SPEAK WITH TONGUES, AND THERE COME IN MEN UNLEARNED OR UNBELIEVING, WILL THEY NOT SAY THAT YE ARE MAD? 'whole church...all speak with tongues' -after all, this is what the Corintians seemed to desire. 'It is because all of the Corinthians... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF ALL PROPHESY, AND THERE COME IN ONE UNBELIEVING OR UNLEARNED, HE IS REPROVED BY ALL, HE IS JUDGED BY ALL; 'if all prophesy' -The visitor is convicted by the preaching of the prophet(s), because the prophet spoke in the language of the assembly, which would of also been the language of the c... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SECRETS OF HIS HEART ARE MADE MANIFEST; AND SO HE WILL FALL DOWN ON HIS FACE AND WORSHIP GOD, DECLARING THAT GOD IS AMONG YOU INDEED. 'secrets of his heart are made manifest' -The inspired word of God digs deep into this man's life. (Hebrews 4:12) Lesson after lesson, speech after speech, insp... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT IS IT THEN, BRETHREN? WHEN YE COME TOGETHER, EACH ONE HATH. PSALM, HATH. TEACHING, HATH. REVELATION, HATH. TONGUE, HATH AN INTERPRETATION. LET ALL THINGS BE DONE UNTO EDIFYING. 'What is it then' -'What is the outcome then' (NASV); 'Then what is our conclusion' (Wms); 'Then what is the right c... [ Continue Reading ]
IF ANY MAN SPEAKETH IN. TONGUE, LET IT BE BY TWO, OR AT THE MOST THREE, AND THAT IN TURN; AND LET ONE INTERPRET: 'by two, or at the most three' -'One cannot be sure whether this means "at any one service" or "before there is an interpretation". In favor of the former is the phrase "at the most", p... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF THERE BE NO INTERPRETER, LET HIM KEEP SILENCE IN THE CHURCH; AND LET HIM SPEAK TO HIMSELF, AND TO GOD. 'if there be no interpreter' -implying that the tongue-speakers were required to know ahead of time if an interpreter was present. This demands that tongue-speaking wasn't. gift that "over... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LET THE PROPHETS SPEAK BY TWO OR THREE, AND LET THE OTHERS DISCERN. 'by two or three' -two or three period (for the whole service). Or two or three in. row? Personally. lean towards the two or three period. Paul didn't consider. longer worship service to be. more spiritual worship service. 'L... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF. REVELATION BE MADE TO ANOTHER SITTING BY, LET THE FIRST KEEP SILENCE. 'let the first keep silence' -'round off his speaking and stop. This he is to do on the assumption that God wouldn't reveal something to the prophet at that point unless it had priority over what was now being said.' (Mc... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YE ALL CAN PROPHESY ONE BY ONE, THAT ALL MAY LEARN, AND ALL MAY BE EXHORTED; 'one by one' -'one after another' (Beck) 'ALL MAY LEARN..ALL MAY BE EXHORTED' -God felt that even inspired men needed to listen to sermons and be exhorted. The instruction in these passages manifest the wisdom of God... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SPIRITS OF THE PROPHETS ARE SUBJECT TO THE PROPHETS; 'subject' -'Remember that. person who has. message from God has the power to stop himself and wait his turn.' (Tay) 'The gift of prophecy does not take from the prophets the control of their own spirits.' (Con) 'Nor can this "keeping si... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR GOD IS NOT. GOD OF CONFUSION, BUT OF PEACE. AS IN ALL THE CHURCHES OF THE SAINTS, 'for' -The reason behind the instruction found in the previous verses. 'GOD IS NOT. GOD OF CONFUSION' -'disorder, unruliness, disruption..a state of confusion, conflict and disorder.' (Willis p. 511) _ Points t... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THE WOMEN KEEP SILENCE IN THE CHURCHES: FOR IT IS NOT PERMITTED UNTO THEM TO SPEAK; BUT LET THEM BE IN SUBJECTION, AS ALSO SAITH THE LAW. 'keep silence' -the same word is also used in 1 Corinthians 14:28. So right away we know that this word doesn't mean "absolute silence" in all things. In th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF THEY WOULD LEARN ANYTHING, LET THEM ASK THEIR OWN HUSBANDS AT HOME: FOR IT IS SHAMEFUL FOR. WOMAN TO SPEAK IN THE CHURCH. This verse may be addressing another problem among the women in Corinth. Some may have been interupting the assembly with. constant string of questions. 'If she really wi... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT? WAS IT FROM YOU THAT THE WORD OF GOD WENT FORTH? OR CAME IT UNTO YOU ALONE? 'Some wouldn't like like that. And some would suggest (maybe argue) that Paul wasn't the only prophet. He had no right to settle the matter. And Paul responds to that kind of attitude in 36.' (McGuiggan p. 185) 'WAS... [ Continue Reading ]
IF ANY MAN THINKETH HIMSELF TO BE. PROPHET, OR SPIRITUAL, LET HIM TAKE KNOWLEDGE OF THE THINGS WHICH. WRITE UNTO YOU, THAT THEY ARE THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD. 'If any man thinketh himself' -'If anyone thinks he speaks for God or has the Spirit.' (Beck) Clearly, this was the attitude of many Cori... [ Continue Reading ]