1 Cor 12:1-14:40 (pt 2)

• Up to this point, Paul has discussed
  
  • Unity (one body) 2. Diversity (many gifts) 3. And now maturity (love)
    

  1 Cor 13:1-3 (NIV) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
  

• From the first few verses, what is the issue that Paul is addressing?
  
  • To me: Corinthians believed that their spiritual gifts (especially tongues) indicated spiritual maturity
    
• Without love, what do the spiritual gifts give you?
  
  • For tongues -- resounding gong or clanging symbol (annoying)
    
    • Very common in pagan cults of the time were the use of gongs and cymbals
      
    • Noise, but gibberish (today, many churches just have gibberish)
      
  • For prophecy, knowledge, faith, giving, etc -- nothing
    
• Why the two gifts as examples?
  
  • Tongues is the one the Corinthians exalted
    
  • Prophecy and faith (miracles) are in Paul's list above tongues
    
• APPLICATION: Spirituals gifts without love are useless and worthless. Possession of the gifts is not a sign of spirituality, but rather the expression of love in the person's life
  
  • So knowledge of the word is not a measure of spirituality. Knowledge of the word ought to lead a person, by way of conviction, to a more loving lifestyle, but not necessarily
    
• Love is not just a concern for a Pentecostal-type church but can be an even greater concern for a non-Pentecostal church, why?
  
  • In a Pentecostal church, emotions are sometimes over emphasized, more likely to express love
    
  • In a non-Pentecostal church, without a lot of emotion, it can seem cold and sterile. The letter of the law, rules, and traditions can trump the spirit of the law, which really revolves around love
    

  1 Cor 13:4-7 (NIV) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
  

• But what is love?
  
  • Is patient
    
    • NT:3114 makrothumeo (mak-roth-oo-meh'-o); from the same as NT:3116; to be long-spirited, i.e. (objectively) forbearing or (subjectively) patient [1]
      
    • Patience is a passive response [2]
      
    • Long-suffering is an attribute of God
      
  • Is kind
    
    • NT:5541 chresteuomai (khraste-yoo'-om-ahee); middle voice from NT:5543; to show oneself useful, i.e. act benevolently [1]
      
    • Kindness is active, and often initiated [2]
      
    • First two are positive, then 7 negative statements (first five are clearly characteristic of the Corinthian church)
      
  • Does not envy
    
    • NT:2206 zeloo (dzay-lo'-o) or zeleuo (dzay-loo'-o); from NT:2205; to have warmth of feeling for or against [1]
      
  • Does not boast
    
  • Is not proud
    
  • Is not rude (me-first or doesn't consider others important -- proud)
    
  • Is not self-seeking (me-first attitude)
    
  • Is not easily angered (overly sensitive or demanding own way)
    
  • Keeps no record of wrongs (bitterness)
    
  • Does not delight in evil
    
    • Even toward my enemies
      
  • Rejoices in truth
    
  • Protects people
    
  • Trusts (God, but probably also people)
    
  • Hopes (Again God, but also in people)
    
  • Perseveres (Whatever the situation, but also does not give up on people)
    
• APPLICATION: You will be burned by people with this love. But, the mature Christian is more concerned about others and serving God than in what can happen to themselves
  

  1 Cor 13:8-13 (NIV) Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
  

  13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
  

• The main point is what?
  
  • Love will continue, even into the next age
    
  • But the gifts will pass away
    
• Some commentators have argued on the basis of the verbs used here that tongues passes away before prophecy or knowledge
  
  • The verb Paul used to describe what will happen to prophecy and knowledge is in the passive voice in Greek and means "shall be terminated" (from katargeo; cf. 2:6). The verb he used to describe what will happen to tongues is in the middle voice and means "automatically cease of themselves" (from pauo). [3] The passive voice points to God terminating prophecy and knowledge when we see Him. The middle voice suggests that tongues will peter out before we see God. [4] Church history testifies that this is what happened to the gift of tongues shortly after the apostolic age. [5] [2]
    
• It is not clear what Paul is referring to here when he discusses perfection, thoughts?
  
  • Some think it is the word of God, or the completion of the New Testament canon
    
    • Also, James suggest that the word is like a mirror
      
  • Others that it is when we are with Jesus (either via the rapture or the second coming)
    
• Either way, the gifts are temporary. Faith, hope, and love endure, but the greatest is love
  

  1 Cor 14:1-5, 12 (NIV) Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. 3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
  

  ...
  

  12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.
  

• Verses 1 and 12 imply that not all gifts are bestowed at conversion
  
  • Also, you can desire a gift
    
• What is the problem with the gift of tongues?
  
  • By itself, it does not edify the hearer, it requires interpreters
    
  • On Pentecost, interpreters were not needed, because people heard the message in their native languages
    
• In this passage, Paul uses tongues and languages interchangeably. This is an important argument that tongues were actually languages and not babbling. Although in 13:1, Paul writes of the "tongues of men and angels," so that would argue that they were not all understood
  
• Tongues do have some positive value, what is it?
  
  • It can edify the individual
    
  • It does not edify the church without an interpreter
    
  • So, Paul's application is what?
    
    • Speak in tongues at home
      
    • Speak in a way that edifies others in the church
      

  1 Cor 14:20-25 (NIV) Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21 In the Law it is written:
  

  "Through men of strange tongues
  

  and through the lips of foreigners
  

  I will speak to this people,
  

  but even then they will not listen to me,"
  

  says the Lord.
  

  22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"
  

• This passage seems to contract itself until you think it through. What is the prophecy in the OT saying?
  
  • That God will use tongues as a sign of his kingdom
    
  • And he did, in Acts on the day of Pentecost
    
  • So, tongues were a sign for unbelievers (the Acts story will continue past the Rapture)
    
• But now, an unbeliever comes to your church, and what does he think when he sees people speaking in all different tongues?
  
  • "These people are out of his mind"
    
• What has more impact on an unbeliever and why?
  
  • Prophecy, the sharing of the word of God and it's impact on a person's life
    
  • BECAUSE IT IS TRUTH
    
  • Truth cannot be hidden unless it is not understood (in a different tongue)
    
• The next few paragraphs discuss order in the church
  
  • One at a time sharing
    
  • Tongues if there is an interpreter (but only two or max three)
    
  • Two or three prophets should speak
    
  • There should be order
    
• The role of women
  
  • Women can speak / share in the church (11:5)
    
  • But in the service, the prophecy or teaching role was the responsibility of men. Why?
    
    • I think it goes back to Adam's failure to lead spiritually
      
    • Men are supposed to be the spiritual head of the family
      
    • When the spiritual head of a church is a women, it basically communicates that the spiritual head of the family can also be a women
      
    • Too many households have that as the issue because the men do not want to assume their role
      
    • In fact, the reasons they discuss it with their husband is so that the husband would assume the role God has given him
      

  [1] Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.
  

  [2] Constable, Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Corinthians, 2010.
  

  [3] Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament, Vol 4:179, 1931.
  

  [4] See Stanley D. Toussaint, "First Corinthians Thirteen and The Tongues Question," Bibliotheca Sacra 120:480 (October-December 1963):311-16.
  

  [5] Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 1:236-37. See also George W. Dollar, "Church History and the Tongues Movement," Bibliotheca Sacra 120:480 (October-December 1963):316-21; and the series of four articles by F. David Farnell, "Is the Gift of Prophecy for Today?" Bibliotheca Sacra 149:595 (July-September 1992):277-303; 596 (October-December 1992):387-410; 150:597 (January-March 1993):62-88; and 598 (April-June 1993):171-202.