1 Corinthians 14:20-25 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 14:20-25, which read,
v.20 - Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
Paul is continuing his instruction on the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit and especially the spiritual gift of tongues or languages that is tied with the spiritual gift of interpretation. Paul is telling the Christians in the Corinthian church to be mature in their thinking about spiritual gifts, not to be childish in this matter and not let evil abound. "Yet in evil be infants" means to let evil be as an infant that is inexperienced in practicing it. We have seen that they have been experiencing evil even within the area of spiritual gifts because they have allow pride to cause division and factions in the church instead of love guiding the use of those spiritual gifts for the benefit of others.
v.21, 22 - In the Law it is written, "By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me," says the Lord. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.
Paul adds some more important information here about the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy. Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:11. God was going to give some the gift of tongues and interpretation to the Jewish people as a sign to speak to them but even with the sign they did not listen. In the use of that spiritual gift we see it was for the purpose of unbelieving persons to know about God in a supernatural way. It was a sign not for believers who already know Him but unbelieving ones who did not. In contrast, the spiritual gift of prophecy which is the proclaiming of God's word with instruction to follow was for those who believe, to edify the body of Christ.
The spiritual gifts of tongues and interpretations that was prophesied in Isaiah happened on the Day of Pentecost when the disciples and Peter spoke to the people of Jerusalem gathered there after Passover and the death and resurrection of Christ. God gave the gift and used it to reach out to those unbelieving people and even though 3000 believed that day, it was a small number to those who didn't believe that we assembled.
v.23-25 - Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? But if all prophecy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
"...and all speak in tongues,..." means that they were all seeking that gift and "ungifted" means a person who is not a believer, one not gifted with the knowledge of Jesus as the Savior of the world. This is background to what is happening in the church is Corinth. They are all speaking in tongues for the benefit of themselves and not the church and so an unbeliever is not receiving the benefit of interpretation and his or her assessment of the situation is the people are crazy. This is very different then the assessment of the use of the gift on the day of Pentecost. On that day interpretation was given to show that they were not mad or drunk as their first assessment was. Peter went into the spiritual gift of prophecy that led to 3000 "declaring that God is certainly among you." When the spiritual gifts are used properly, they bring people to the Lord and edify them in the Lord.
What a difference if someone enters the house of God and hears nothing but unintelligible words and the one who enters the house of God and hears nothing but everyone speaking so he or she can understand about the love of God through His Son Jesus Christ. The church has gotten off on a tangent and Paul is bringing them back on track by showing them through the Scripture their error. They need to grow up in their thinking about spirituals gifts and not do what everybody else is doing just because everybody else is doing it.
"Lord, may those who enter Your house of worship here this morning hear about You not just from me but from others in the congregation. May the testimonies of Your children reach out to touch the hearts of men and women to declare that You are among us. May they not be confused but may they hear the clear message of the gospel today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.20 - Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
Paul is continuing his instruction on the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit and especially the spiritual gift of tongues or languages that is tied with the spiritual gift of interpretation. Paul is telling the Christians in the Corinthian church to be mature in their thinking about spiritual gifts, not to be childish in this matter and not let evil abound. "Yet in evil be infants" means to let evil be as an infant that is inexperienced in practicing it. We have seen that they have been experiencing evil even within the area of spiritual gifts because they have allow pride to cause division and factions in the church instead of love guiding the use of those spiritual gifts for the benefit of others.
v.21, 22 - In the Law it is written, "By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me," says the Lord. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.
Paul adds some more important information here about the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy. Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:11. God was going to give some the gift of tongues and interpretation to the Jewish people as a sign to speak to them but even with the sign they did not listen. In the use of that spiritual gift we see it was for the purpose of unbelieving persons to know about God in a supernatural way. It was a sign not for believers who already know Him but unbelieving ones who did not. In contrast, the spiritual gift of prophecy which is the proclaiming of God's word with instruction to follow was for those who believe, to edify the body of Christ.
The spiritual gifts of tongues and interpretations that was prophesied in Isaiah happened on the Day of Pentecost when the disciples and Peter spoke to the people of Jerusalem gathered there after Passover and the death and resurrection of Christ. God gave the gift and used it to reach out to those unbelieving people and even though 3000 believed that day, it was a small number to those who didn't believe that we assembled.
v.23-25 - Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? But if all prophecy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
"...and all speak in tongues,..." means that they were all seeking that gift and "ungifted" means a person who is not a believer, one not gifted with the knowledge of Jesus as the Savior of the world. This is background to what is happening in the church is Corinth. They are all speaking in tongues for the benefit of themselves and not the church and so an unbeliever is not receiving the benefit of interpretation and his or her assessment of the situation is the people are crazy. This is very different then the assessment of the use of the gift on the day of Pentecost. On that day interpretation was given to show that they were not mad or drunk as their first assessment was. Peter went into the spiritual gift of prophecy that led to 3000 "declaring that God is certainly among you." When the spiritual gifts are used properly, they bring people to the Lord and edify them in the Lord.
What a difference if someone enters the house of God and hears nothing but unintelligible words and the one who enters the house of God and hears nothing but everyone speaking so he or she can understand about the love of God through His Son Jesus Christ. The church has gotten off on a tangent and Paul is bringing them back on track by showing them through the Scripture their error. They need to grow up in their thinking about spirituals gifts and not do what everybody else is doing just because everybody else is doing it.
"Lord, may those who enter Your house of worship here this morning hear about You not just from me but from others in the congregation. May the testimonies of Your children reach out to touch the hearts of men and women to declare that You are among us. May they not be confused but may they hear the clear message of the gospel today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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