Upload
larry-combs
View
242
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
An exegetical study of 1 Corinthians 12-14.
Citation preview
“An Exegetical Study of
1 Corinthians 12-14”
By
Dr. Larry A. Combs
2
3
“An Exegetical Study of
1 Corinthians 12-14”
By
Dr. Larry A. Combs
©2005
4
CONTROVERSIAL SPIRITUAL GIFTS
“An Exegetical Outline of 1 Corinthians 12 – 14”
I. INTRODUCTION (12:1-3)
A. Ignorance About Spirituals Depreciated (1)
B. Spiritual Sources Contrasted (2-3)
1. The Deception of Idolatry (2)
2. The Enlightenment of the Spirit (3)
II. THE UNITY OF SPIRITUALS (12:4-11)
A. Their Relation to the Trinity (4-6)
1. Gifts and the Spirit (4)
2. Ministries and the Son (5)
3. Effects and the Father (6)
B. Their Common Purpose (7)
C. Their Distribution (8-10)
1. Message Gifts (8)
2. Miraculous Gifts (9-10a)
3. Glossolalia (Tongues) (10b)
D. Their Sovereign Bestowment (11)
III. THE ANALOGY OF THE BODY (12:12-30)
A. The Principle: Unity in Diversity (12:12-26)
1. The Body Compared to Christ (12)
2. Comparison to Christ Explained (13)
a. Social Diversity
b. Spiritual Unity
3. Comparison of Body Explained (14-26)
a. Statement of Diversity (14)
b. Deduction (15-17)
(1) An Unpossessed Function Does not Disqualify (15-16)
(2) A Body of One Member is Absurd (17)
c. Statement of Divine Placement (18)
d. Absurdity of Equal Parts (19)
e. Statement of Unity (20)
f. Deduction (21-25)
(1) No Part to be Excluded (21)
(2) Every Part Necessary (22)
(3) Every Part Valued (23-24a)
g. Application (24b-25)
(1) To Divine Order (24b)
(2) To Divine Purpose (25)
h. Results of Unity for Parts (26)
B. The Application to Christian Unity (27)
C. The Application to Christian Diversity (28-30)
1. The Divine Order of Gifts (28)
5
2. The Evident Differentiation of Gifts (29-30)
III. A SUPERIOR APPROACH (12:31 – 13:13)
A. The Actual Concerns (12:31)
1. Of the Corinthians
2. Of the Apostle
B. The Dangers of Lovelessness (13:1-3)
1. In Glossolalia (1)
2. In Prophecy, Knowledge and Faith (2)
3. In Giving (3)
C. The Character of Love (4-7)
1. In its Behavior (4-7)
2. In its Extent (7)
D. The Superiority of Love over Gifts (8-13)
1. The Endurance of Love (8a)
2. The Temporality of Gifts (8b-12)
a. Termination Predicted (8b)
(1) Of Prophecies and Knowledge (8b)
(2) Of Glossolalia (8b)
b. Explanation of Partiality (9)
c. A Principle Propounded (10)
d. A Personal Illustration (11)
e. A Further Explanation (12)
3. The Conclusion (13)
V. THE REGULATION OF SPIRITUALS (14:1-36)
A. In General (1-12)
1. A Command to Prefer Prophesying over Glossolalia (1)
2. The Reason (2-3)
a. Their Directions (2-3)
b. Their Objects (4)
c. Their Results (5)
3. An Example (6-12)
a. A Hypothetical Situation (6)
b. A Comparison with Nature (7-9)
(1) Sound in Nature (7-8)
(a) In Music (7)
(b) In War (8)
(2) Glossolalia (9)
c. An Application (10-12)
(1) By Principle (10)
(2) By Obvious Inference (11)
(3) By Command (12)
B. In Particular (13-36)
1. For Tongue Speakers (13-25)
a. The Employment of Glossolalia (13-19)
(1) Command to Seek Interpretation (13)
6
(2) Explanation (14-15)
(a) Example (14)
(b) Conclusion (15)
(3) Reason (16-17)
(a) Example (16)
(b) Explanation (17)
(4) Personal Example (18-19)
(a) Possessing the Gift (18)
(b) Preferring Others (19)
b. The Purpose of Glossolalia (20-25)
(1) Command of Mature Thinking (20)
(2) Old Testament Example (21)
(3) Logical Deduction: Sign to Unfaithful Israel (22)
(4) Application to the Church (23-25)
(a) The Inferiority of Tongues (23)
(b) The Superiority of Prophecy (24-25)
2. For Public Worship (26-32)
a. Diversity of Contributions (26)
b. Limitations of Contributors (27-32)
(1) On Tongue Speakers (27-28)
(a) With an Interpreter (27)
(b) Without an Interpreter (28)
(2) On Prophets (29-32)
(a) The Procedure (29-30)
(b) The Purpose (31-32)
(i) Common Ability (31)
(ii) Self-Control (32)
c. Rationale for Contributors: God’s Character (33a)
3. For Women (33b-36)
a. Prohibition (33b-34)
(1) The Standard (33b)
(2) The Statement (34a)
b. Explanation: An Interdict (34b)
c. Directions for Education (35)
(1) Their Sphere (35a)
(2) The Reason (35b)
VI. CONCLUSION (14:37-39)
A. Authority of Scripture (27)
B. Danger of Ignorance (38)
C. Desirability of Prophesying and of Orderliness (39)
7
CONTROVERSIAL SPIRITUAL GIFTS
1 Corinthians 12-14
There is probably no more ultimate question that we can discuss than that of a
person’s final authority for belief and action. It is basic to how he lives today and to
what his destiny is for eternity. Now there are only four possibilities for final authority
that people have chosen, and do choose, by which to run their life. Allow me to put
them before you in summary form. Two of them are external and two are internal.
The external sources of final authority are either an institution, i.e. the church, or a
book, i.e. the Bible. The internal sources of authority are either reason or experience.
Those that are external are by their very nature objective. Those that are internal are
by their very nature subjective.
Now let’s illustrate these methods. One says, “I can’t accept the doctrine of hell. I
don’t understand how a loving God could have a hell. I don’t know what the Bible
may say about it, but I am just convinced that if God loves people He won’t destroy
people in hell eternally. That doesn’t fit my particular feeling.” So regardless of what
the Bible says, they go by experience, by feelings, and deny a specific statement of
Scripture in favor of this feeling. In that process, then, experience becomes final
authority; feeling rather than Scripture becomes authoritative. Again, what about
reason as final authority? Here is a man who says, “I don’t believe in the Biblical
account of Creation. I do not believe that God spoke, and the world came into
existence. But, I believe rather that things started with a sun spot, or something else,
and gradually evolved into what we have today.” Therefore, he denies the Biblical
account of creation because he says, “I have looked at the facts of science and they
don’t fit with the Biblical account.” Consequently, he makes his reason the final
authority. His rationalization is his final authority.
On the other hand, there are those who look to an authority outside them, i.e.
external authority. In the Roman Catholic faith, the church is final authority. When
the Pope speaks “ex cathedra”, i.e. when he speaks from the papal chair that which he
says is infallible, according to dogma. Therefore, in that particular group, the church is
the final authority. Finally, in typical evangelical Protestantism, the Bible is set forth
as final authority for faith and for practice. So that whenever a discussion of any
subject occurs, we want to discipline ourselves to remember that it is not a subjective
authority (feeling or reason) that is final authority. That does not mean that there is no
validity in experience or that reason is entirely unreliable. But neither of these can be
final authority because both of them are subjective and indeterminate. Final authority
is external of oneself; it is the infallible and inerrant Word of God.
8
Now, having said that, let’s cite a case in point. Several years ago we had the
beginning of what is called Neo-Pentecostalism on the West Coast. Father Dennis
Bennett, who was at that time a rector from Van Nuys, catapulted it into existence.
Now he is the rector of the Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Seattle, Washington. He
was speaking to the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship in Portland, Oregon, and
he began his message by reading Ezekiel 37. It is the chapter having to do with the
vision of the valley of dry bones, and it prophecies the restoration of Israel to he land.
Most of us are aware of it from the song “Dem bones, dem bones, gonna rise again.”
Some believe that the bones are coming together today. Now Dennis Bennett read
Ezekiel 37, and then he said to the people, “There is a vision of the rise of the gift of
tongues in our day. But because the interpretation of Ezekiel 37 is so diversified
between so many people, there is not agreement as to what Ezekiel 37 means.” He
said, “I will, therefore, give you my experience, and then we will have something
solid to base our thinking on.” Now, those were his words. “Because Ezekiel 37 is
indeterminate, because of different interpretations of it, I will give you my
EXPERIENCE, and then we will have something solid to base our thinking on.”
Bennett’s statement is not unusual in contemporary evangelicalism. One has an
experience, and regardless of what you say from the Word of God, their experience is
final, and the truth of God can be judged by the experience rather than judging the
experience by the truth of God.
That is an introduction to the study on gifts because in the discussion of spiritual
gifts, in the only chapter in the epistles where Paul discusses it, or anybody else
discusses it for that matter, he orients his discussion to that which was a major problem
in the church of Corinth regarding spiritual gifts, namely ecstatic utterances, or the
counterfeit of the Biblical gift of tongues. Thus, in I Corinthians 12:1, the first thing
noted is that there was ignorance about spiritual gifts (literally, “spiritual”). The word
“spiritual” or “pneumatika is a word from breath or spirit. In verses 4
and 31 we will find another word translated “gifts”, which is “charismata”
. When the two words are contrasted the former puts the emphasis on the
inner source; whereas, the latter emphasizes the outer dynamic. When referring to a
charismatic person, we allude to his outer dynamic. Thus the gifts referred to in verse
31 are designated charismatic and appropriately rendered “the more showy gifts.” It
may be that when a “charismata” (vs. 4) is used in the energy of the
Spirit, it becomes “pneumatika” (vs. 1), which is a manifestation of the
Spirit (vs. 7).
Paul says to the Corinthians, “I don’t want you to be ignorant about pneumatika
”, that is, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts because they
were practicing them regularly. In I Corinthians 1:7 he says, “You come behind in no
gifs waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The church of Corinth was not
short in any gift. They had all the gifts manifested. “You come behind in no gift.” So
when Paul says, “I don’t want you to be ignorant;” he is not talking about ignorance
of the FACT of gifts, but he is talking about ignorance of the PURPOSE for the gifts.
9
They were well informed that there were spiritual gifts, but they were ignorant about
how they were to be used. This is evidenced by the way they were using them in the
church at Corinth. They were using their God given tools like toys. They didn’t
consult the instruction manual, the Bible, but wrote up their own job description out of
their experience. And, then, Paul chides them in verses 2 and 3, when he says, “You
know, I would remind you, that you were Gentiles carried away unto dumb idols. So
before you talk to me about your spiritual experience, let me remind you of who you
were and how deceived you haven been in the past. You were Gentiles, carried away
unto dumb idols, even as you were led.” It is essential to the understanding of the
Corinthian problem in I Corinthians 12-14 to understand the influence of their heathen
background. Carnal Christians in Corinth were engaging in the heathen form of tongue
speaking which were ecstatic utterances coupled with emotional extravagances. It was
a practice of speaking a language unknown to man that was supposedly taught by a
god or spirit for communicating privately. Its meaning was not known to the
worshipper but was known to the god or spirit. Thus, the worshipper was said to have
spoken “mysteries” (secrets) with his god in words more powerful than any human
language. It gave him a privileged, intimate contact with his god. This is undoubtedly
what Paul has reference to in chapter 14:2. In What is Wrong with the Church,
Alexander Hay says:
“Paul is contrasting the worship of Diana and its personal objective with the
Christians’ worship which sought the edification of the Body of Christ. These
Believers, in their heathen days, had believed that when they spoke in a tongue not
understood by men, not even by the worshipper, they were speaking secrets or
mysteries (musterion) with their god. They believed it was their spirit speaking. The
worshipper alone received the benefit; no one else understood. The Worshipper
profited through the ecstasy of feeling aroused and the sense that he was really
participating with the spirits in the inner circle. He had no thought for the building
up of other worshippers. Paul contrasts this selfish objective with the Christian
objective.” (P.32).
Paul continues, “Wherefore, I give you to understand that no man speaking by the
Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by
the Holy Spirit.” Obviously he is not saying that an unregenerate man cannot say the
word “Lord” (cf, Matthew 8:21-23). Sheer good sense causes us to understand that.
But he is essentially saying that no one can give Christ His proper place as Lord, if he
is not submitting himself to the teaching of the Spirit in accord with the Word of God.
He talks about the spiritual forces contrasting the deception of idolatry and the
enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. So Paul is saying now that the Spirit of God is never
gong to give one, in essence, an experience that will be contrary to the Word of God.
The experience that He gives one, if it is truly from Him, is going to be in accord with
the Word of God. Thus, be careful that you don’t accept as from the Spirit an
experience that is actually the result of being led astray to dumb idols for false spirits.
Thus, right at the beginning Paul want to contrast the false with the true teaching of the
Holy Spirit, which is given in the Word of God.
10
Now in verses 4-11, Paul enters into the major foundational basis for his discussion,
namely, THE UNITY OF SPIRITUALS. In the next section he is going to talk about
their diversity. But he first wants to speak concerning their unity. And the first thing
under their unity is the RELATIONSHIP TO THE TRINITY (verses 4-6). The whole
Trinity is involved with respect to one’s place of ministry and one’s gift for that place
of ministry. In verses 4-6, there are two words repeated three times. There is the word
DIFFERENT, and you have the word SAME. Under the word different, there are three
things that differ among believers: difference in gifts, difference in administration of
that gift, and difference in operation or energy that is exhibited in the place of
administration through the gift.
On the other side of the picture, there are three things that are the same: the same
Holy Spirit that gives the gift; the same lord of the church, Jesus Christ, that assigns
the place of ministry, and the same God, the Father, who turns the energy on. In each
case, there is a recipient. There is a recipient of God’s energy through them. Paul
wants to get across right in the beginning that the Trinity is vitally involved with the
gifts. He wants you to understand that though there is great DIVERSITY on the one
hand, there is unity on the other hand. Where you have a spiritual manifestation of
spiritual gifts, there will be a growing unity. And one of the evidences of the fallacy of
some of the things that are going on today is the divisiveness and schism. It is an
interesting thing how the use of glossolai today can split church after
church, but no one has seen a case yet where a church would split because someone
exercised the gift of showing mercy, or the gift of giving. People do not get all upset
and leave the church because someone all of a sudden feels that he has the gift of
giving and starts giving heavily; or somebody has the gift of showing mercy and really
starts exercising it, or somebody has the gift of administration, or the gift of teaching,
or the gift of preaching, and the gift of faith, or the gift of the utterance of knowledge,
or the gift of the utterance of wisdom, etc, etc. We have a disproportionate emphasis
today on one particular charismatic, and we have tremendous dissension, schism,
division, that is resulting from it. Perhaps the reason for that is the same as the reason
for the division in the church in Corinth. They know something about the FACT of the
gift, but they did not know about the PURPOSE of the gift; consequently, they are
using God’s gift out of accord with God’s purpose. Hence, they are creating division
and schism in the Church of Jesus Christ.
Thus, Paul talks first about the unity of the gifts because of their relationship of the
Trinity, even in the midst of great diversity. Everyone of us, therefore, has differing
gifts, differing administrations, differing operations or energy, a unique three-part
package for each Christian, and we don’t determine our package by somebody else’s
package. Each one of us has his own. Therefore, we don’t copy anybody else. True,
some of us will have the same gifts; some of us will have similar places of the ministry
of that gift; some of us will have similar operations of the gift; but there will never be
any time, probably, when all three as a package are the same in two persons because
they are an individual before God. God the Holy Spirit is working with you
11
personally. We don’t operate according to some rigid computer program at this point.
We have a personal God working with us.
Now, secondly, under unity, they have common purpose (vs. 7). “But to each one
is given the manifestation of the Spirit of the common good.” (NASV). Notice three
things in that statement, just briefly. First of all, he gives a good definition of a
spiritual gift. A spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Spirit. A spiritual gift is not a
natural talent. It may have nothing to do with natural talent. There are some people,
for example, that God has called to exercise the gift of preaching who have no talent
for speaking. The Apostle Paul was probably such a person. He undoubtedly had the
gift of teaching, but not the talent of speaking. Apollos, on the other hand, probably
had both, for he was “an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24).
So then, you may not have a talent for speaking, but you may be given he gift of
preaching. Sometimes there is a real benefit if you don’t have the talent for speaking.
Some people who have the talent for speaking who receive the gift of preaching find
that they rest in their talent for speaking and, therefore, merely exercise the “gift of
gab” rather than developing their gift of preaching. On the other hand, there will be
times when a person who has a natural talent for speaking that has been developed will
also fin that God has given them a gift of preaching. But one is NOT DEPENDENT
upon the other. Let’s understand clearly, than, then, that the ability to play the piano,
to sing, to paint a picture, is not a spiritual gift. We may say they are a gifted person,
but that is not what we are talking about when we talk about spiritual gifts. Spiritual
gifts are supernatural manifestations according to verse 7, and you do not have them
prior to your coming into Jesus Christ. They come with the giver, the Holy Spirit.
Also, they may not be recognized immediately. They may be latent in your life for a
long period of time, either because of apathy on your part, or because of your stage of
maturity, you are not yet to the place where God the Holy Spirit is going to manifest to
you the presence of that gift for a particular job. I would say in my own life that I have
three gifts, and I knew of none of them when I was called to preach. I have only
successfully found out about them, as the occasion demanded it in God’s preparation in
my life. I found out about all of them, for the most part, from other people, which is a
principle in keeping with body life. When you are on the right track concerning your
gift, you will enjoy it; others will recognize it, and God will bless it.
“The manifestation of the Spirit is given,” and then notice, “to every man.” Now
in case there is a member of the Women’s Liberation front reading this, this is not a
prejudicial statement. “Man” here is speaking about mankind, that is, man and
woman. So that any of the gifts are possible for any man or woman or any boy or girl
who knows Christ. But there are none of the gifts that are confined to either man or
woman. They are given to the entirety of the body of Christ. You can put down a few
other verses to support that “everyone” concept. In Romans 12:3, you have the same
phrase repeated. In Ephesians 4:7 the same thing is stated: “unto everyone of us.” In
I Peter 4:10, you have the same thing: “As every man has received the gift.” So that
every one of us here that knows Jesus Christ has at least one gift. Now I am not going
to argue whether you have more than one gift. I think many people have more than
12
one gift; some people have several gifts. However, I believe that if we will at least get
started in developing our one gift we may discover some more.
Now, he says that are given for profit. Later on in the chapter, we learn that the
profit is for the entire Body of Christ (cf. Vs. 25 – “having the same care one for
another”). The gifts are not given for selfish desire. They are given for ministry to
the rest of the members of the Body of Christ. My gift is not for me to use on myself.
My gift is to use on the membership of the Body of Christ beginning with the local
manifestation of the Body, the local church, and God’s working agency on earth.
Now, in the third place, under the unity of the gifts, he talks about their distribution
(Vs. 8-10). At this point, it is not his purpose to name all of the gifts. He simply gives
you a sampling of them in order to show you their diversity. Notice how he words
this: “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of
knowledge by the same Spirit. To another faith by the same Spirit. To another the
gift of healing by the same Spirit. To another the working of miracles; to another
prophecy; to another discerning of Spirit; to another various kinds of tongues; to
another interpretation of tongues.” Notice that this emphasis here is on the
differentiation, and their distribution. The same gifts are not given to everyone, but
there is a distribution of gifts to everyone. If you want to receive a complete list of the
gifts, you would need to put together Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12. You would
find that they might be outlined under three headings: serving gifts, speaking gifts, and
sign gifts. Time and space do not allow this author to elaborate each of the gifts at this
point. But let me make just a couple of cursory remarks with regard to this statement
of their distribution.
Take the gift of faith. Everybody that is a Christian has a gift of faith, Ephesians
2:8,9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” So all of us have been given
faith. But the gift of faith that we are talking about when we talk about spiritual gifts is
something that goes beyond the faith that all of us exercise. Some have given a
corresponding translation of that and called it “vision”, and I think that fits very well.
There are those that have a gift of “faith” or “vision”. I would say that Dr. Bill Bright
is a man that has the gift of faith beyond the faith that every child of God has. I think
when he was given the idea of Explosion ’72, that this was a result of the manifestation
of his gift of faith. The committee that he called together did not recognize the same
thing. Perhaps he has shared with you that he asked the Lord to share with them the
same thing that He shared with him, in order that they could have unity in going ahead
with Explosion ’72.God allowed those who were in the inner circle working with him
to understand what He had taught Dr. Bright.
Most of us have read of George Mueller in one or more of several biographies, a
great man of faith. He himself admitted that he had the gift of faith, but unfortunately a
lot of people reading his biography cannot understand why the same things don’t
happen in their life when they trust God. George Mueller, during his lifetime, prayed
13
in more than 13 million dollars, but he never had more the equivalent of 60 pounds in
the bank at any particular time. At times, he would get up in the morning in one of his
many orphanages, and they would come to breakfast and there would be nothing to eat.
All the children would gather around the table to their empty plates; they would thank
the Lord for that which they were about to receive. A milkman would knock at the
door. “My wagon just broke down out here. The milk is going to spoil. Could you use
it?” “Well, as a matter of fact, we could. We just thanked the Lord for it.” That
was not one experience; that happened again and again in the life of George Muller. I
think that God demonstrated through his life the gift of faith.
Now I have not elaborated on the other gifts; I have just taken one. All of you have
a gift of FAITH that you received when you came to Jesus Christ. So you can operate
by faith. Some of you may have beyond that GIFT of faith, and you should use that for
the Body because it is the stimulation that the rest of the body needs. Now fortunately
God didn’t give all the gift of faith for the Body couldn’t stand it. For example, for
one man to come up with Explosion ’72 is one thing. For a host of other men with the
gift of helps, administration, etc., to complement it is another thing. For every exercise
of the gift of faith, there is the need of hundreds and even thousands with the gift of
helps.
Thus, the Lord gives some men the gift of faith so they will be thinking out front.
They will constantly be prodding us; they will make us reach out; they will make us
stretch our minds. And God thankfully gives other people the gift of administration
that can keep all things in order. God distributes these perfectly.
This is clearly explained in verse 11, the concluding verse of the key paragraph,
“But all these worketh that one and the very same Spirit, dividing to very man
severally as he will.” Please note every word in that verse. It is the same Spirit that is
giving them. He is dividing; He is distributing, to everyone severally, individually as
He wills. The word severally translated the Greek word (idios). The most literal
translation of IDIOS would be “one’s own”. The high school kids have a phrase
about “doing your own thing.” That would fit very appropriately right here. The
Spirit of God has divided to every man his thing. His own package; gift,
administration, and operation, his own package. It is peculiar; it is distinct; it is his.
And it is given, as He will – not as YOU will! What a mess we would have if
everybody were choosing the gift of his own. But they are not given that way. They
are not given because you tell God what He should do in the Body. They are given
because God sovereignly bestows them. Furthermore, He bestows them “as He will.”
Only! So be careful about praying and instructing God about what gift to give you.
He is really quite competent. And thankfully, even when we pray ignorantly, God
sometimes doesn’t respond affirmatively. I am surely glad that God has not answered
all of my prayers. I would be in a real mess today. But the Body doesn’t tell the head
what to do. The head gives the directions to the Body. And whenever the Body, and
the members of the Body, starts instructing the Head you have spiritual insanity, just
14
like you have physical insanity when the members of the body don’t respond to the
direction of the head.
Now, the second major section of this chapter related the unity and diversity by
means of the very vivid analogy of the body. Here we meet the principle of unity in
diversity. How can you get unity out of all of this? With everybody being different,
how can you get unity? All right, God says, look at your body. It has fantastic
diversity, but it has unity. The whole body is working together. Why? A
hypothalamus in your head is giving directions for six trillion cells, 100 thousand miles
of nerve fiber, thousands of miles of vessels carrying blood around your body, 200 plus
bones in your body, joints, ligaments, muscles and all the rest. One small, gray, prune-
shaped thing in the center of your head, the hypothalamus, is competent to do that; it
calls the directions. You have unity. The body functions together. The same is true
with our omni competent Lord, Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body, the Church.
Now in elaborating this principle, I am not going to follow the chapter point by
point, but skip very lightly through it, as I want to get to a further point. But let me
quote it here: “For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members
of that one body being many are one body; so also is Christ.” Notice the emphasis on
the oneness, as he compares the Body of Christ. Then in verse 13, not the comparison
explained. “For by one Spirit were all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
Greeks, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit.” There is your oneness again, as exemplified in the social diversity and
spiritual unity.
Then verses 14 through 26 explain the comparison between the Body and Christ.
“For the Body is not one member but many.” Note the humor of the Apostle here. It
would be fun to dwell on it, but let’s just take a glance, “If the foot shall say, because
I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?” Can you
imagine the ear saying: “No one ever tells me how beautiful I am, like they do to the
eye. I am not really important because I can’t do what the eye does.” “If the whole
body were an eye, where were the hearing?” I can see it, over here in the parking lot,
just one great big eyeball. No socket around it. Just a juicy, bouncy eyeball. Now I
wouldn’t begin to depreciate my eye. I thank God for my eye. It is the best camera in
the world. It takes 3-D, 4 color, instantly developed pictures. But I would hate to be
just an eye. Or, he says, if the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? Just
have a huge ear. No, no. Or if the whole were smelling, where were the hearing?
And so on and so forth. But it isn’t that way. It is not all eye; it is not all ear; it is not
all tongue. But that doesn’t mean that any one is less important than the other. We
may give greater honor to one than to another, as he goes on to say in the chapter. At
times I have told my wife what beautiful blue eyes she has. But I have never told her,
“Honey, what tremendous toes you have. They are really fantastic. I just love them!”
That doesn’t mean I want her to be without toes. In fact, a recent article would tell you
how valuable a big toe is by way of balance. Now, you can get along without the use
of some things. You can do without a big toe but it is just a little bit harder. In fact,
15
you can cut off your leg and do without it. You can do with one leg, but it is just a
little bit harder. You can live if you cut off both legs, but it’s tougher.
You can cut off both arms and legs, and you can still live as a basket case, but oh,
it’s hard to get things done. We are told today that 20% of the people are dong 80% of
the work. We’ve got a lot of basket cases. What happens when members of the Body
don’t exhibit their gifts? It is like the basket case. God has distributed the gifts and the
administration of the gifts and the energy to be used through them to the whole Body,
so that when every member of the Body is operating, you have efficiency and unity, if
they are all operating in their place. But if an ear is trying to be an eye, you have got
trouble. An ear has an awful hard time seeing, and an eye has a terrible time hearing.
So he compares the two. And I’ll leave that down to verse 31.
With verse 31, you have the beginning of the next major principle, the superior
approach; namely, the fruit of the Spirit, love, takes precedence over the gifts of the
Spirit. The transition statement is verse 31a and is best rendered, “But you are
selfishly striving after the more dramatic or showy gifts.” I believe that the word here
is an indicative, not an imperative, and; therefore, it is not a command. It is a
statement of fact, and it summarizes the Corinthian problem of self-seeking in contrast
to the teaching of sovereign bestowment in chapter 12. The reason there is a
discrepancy here is because the same form in Greek can be translated either indicative
or imperative. I believe the better translation would be indicative, making the
statement: “You are selfishly striving after the more showy gifts.” You are not
satisfied to be a kidney; you have got to be an eye. You want the more showy gifts.
Let me show you, he says, a more excellent way.
Now then, we enter into the whole 13th
chapter at this point, which elaborates the
principle for exercising the gifts, which is, the fruit of the Spirit, love. An in the first
portion of chapter 13, he uses five of the gifts to point out that though you had all of
these gifts to their nth degree, and you used them on yourself and you did not exhibit
them by the fruit of the Spirit, namely, love, they are zero. When the result of the use
of gifts is schism and disunity in the local body of believers, you can be sure that it is
not a manifestation of the Spirit. (Cf. I Corinthians 12:25) Love does not rend
asunder.
Notice verse 1 of Chapter 13: “Though I have the tongues of men and of
angels, and have not love, I am become a sounding bronze and tinkling cymbal.” If
I could not only speak with all the tongues of men (in excess of 3,700 languages) but if
I could speak with the tongues of angels, (messengers of God to man) and I did it for
selfish edification, it would be zero in God’s sight. “Though I have the gift of
prophecy,” I could preach up a whirlwind, “and I could understand all mysteries”,
the gift of knowledge, “and though I have all faith”, the gift of faith, “so that I could
remove mountains, and have not love, I am zero.” In other words, what he is saying
is the manifestation of gifts per se is useless unless they are manifested in the fruit of
the Spirit, love. And, if they are manifested in the fruit of the Spirit, love, they will not
16
be used for selfish ends. They will be used for the follow members of the Body of
Christ.
Today, in the current charismatic movement, we constantly hear people saying,
“Oh, my, the reason that I do this is because it helps me to pray, and it helps me to
witness, and it helps me to read my Bible.” Exactly contrary to what this says.
Spiritual gifts are not given to build you up spiritually: The Word of God is
ample. You have the resources for the spiritual walk given in many massages in the
Word of God: Ephesians 5, Galatians 5, John 15, over and over again, and nothing to
do with the gifts of the Spirit. The gifts may be manifested in the flesh or in the Spirit.
And if you are manifesting them in the Spirit, you will not be using them on yourself;
you will be using them for fellow member of the Body (12:25). It was the heathen
practice to use ecstatic utterances for self-edification. God’s principle of love is that I
get by giving. So as I give out of what I have to my Brother in the Body, I receive
from the Father. As I use it on myself, I hold back the demonstration and
manifestation from the Father through the Word. (Cf. John 15:1-3)
In verses 4 to 7, Paul gives a description of love as it applies to the matter of
gifts of the Spirit and, more particularly, to tongues. A sincere effort to practice these
verses alone would eliminate most of what goes under the name of Biblical tongues
speaking today. Notice the characterizations of love as they apply to the use of gifts.
“Love suffereth long”; literally, it is “fire spread way out like the horizon at sunset.”
It is not a fiery burst of passion, but, rather, enduring warmth. Again, “love vaunteth
not itself, is not puffed up”, that is, it won’t say, “It’s really too bad you don’t have
my gift.” Again, “love envieth not”. It will not be feeling that it has been cheated
because it doesn’t have somebody else’s gift. Again, “(love) does not behave itself
unseemly.” In contemporary English it might read, “love doesn’t act like a fanatic out
of control.” Love will always be proper and controlled as was Jesus. He didn’t act as
if He had lost His mind. Once again, “(love) seeketh not its own”; that is, love will
not seek to use the gifts for selfish benefits. How often we hear so-called “tongues”
speaker say, “I need this gift. It helps me study my Bible; it helps me pray; it helps me
witness.” Me! Me! Me! That is not of God! The gifts are the tools God has given us
“one to another.” They are not for self. The Word of God is altogether adequate for
edifying self (Matt.4:4; John 15:3; 17:17).
Notice verse 8. At this point, Paul zeroes in on the termination of the gifts, and
particularly tongues, because tongues were the problem. Now notice that he names
three specific gifts: prophecy, tongues and knowledge. There are three verbs. The
first and third are the same, “be done away”, and they are transitive. They require an
object to complete them. Something outside of them shall stop them; they shall be
done away. The middle one, “tongues shall cease”, is intransitive. It doesn’t require
an object, and it means something shall stop in and of itself. In other words, the gift of
tongues shall not need to be stopped because it shall have already stopped in and of
itself by having fulfilled its purpose.
17
Verse 9: (Now notice Paul’s argument very carefully). “For we know in part and
we prophesy in part.” There are knowledge and prophecy. Nothing about tongues is
stated yet.
Verse 10: “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part
shall be done away.” What is “in part”? Look at verse 9 again! Knowledge and
prophecy! But what is the perfection? Jesus Christ! When shall the gift of prophecy
(preaching) and the gift of knowledge cease? They shall cease when Jesus Christ
comes. This is made clear by verse 12.
Verse 12: “For we see in a mirror darkly, but then (when the perfection comes)
face to face’ Now I know in part, but he (when the perfection comes) shall I know
even as I am known.” Knowledge and prophecy shall be done away with when the
perfection, Jesus Christ, comes. Now Paul has already said tongues shall cease in and
of themselves. When? Look at verse 11: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man I put away
childish things.” There is his next step in the answer to the cessation of tongues in
verse 8. Why shall tongues cease prior to the other gifts? They will have fulfilled their
purpose in childhood. But what is the childhood and how does one become a man?
Now following on that thought, just skip right over to I Corinthians 14:20. I am
just going to the conclusion, skipping the argumentation that leads up to it, so that you
can notice the similarity of wording as he comes to his conclusion in verse 20:
“Brethren, stop being children; stop being immature; stop being infantile in
understanding about the gifts. In malice be infants, but in understanding be men.”
Stop using God’s tools like toys. Be a man! Now how can I be a man, how can I grow
up, with regard to understanding the purpose of tongues? I will need to go to the
manual of instruction, the Bible – not to experience, to the Bible. The first thing I will
do is to understand that he said, tongues shall cease in and of itself during infancy; it
shall cease BEFORE the perfection comes, which shall put an end to the other gifts
Now why? You have the answer in verse 21 in a quotation from Isaiah 28: “In the law
it is written with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people
and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.” In the context of Isaiah 28
“this people” can be none other than the nation of Israel. He is addressing rebellious
Israel, and he is saying to them, “You wouldn’t listen to your own prophets. I am
going a step further and give a miraculous sign.”
I am going to speak to you in your language – miraculously – with men of other
tongues, and even when I do that, even when I use men that don’t know your language
to speak to you, you are not going to listen. “And yet for all that will they not hear
me, saith the Lord.” Thus, the sign is not a converting one, but a judging one, but a
judging one, a sing of condemnation. God was there by giving notice to Israel that He
was moving from the Jews to the Gentiles as His people. Paul explains this in detail in
Romans 11 and Jesus had prophesied it in Matthew 21:33-43.
18
Now, then, in verse 22, you have a very important conclusion stated. In fact, it is
the only place in Scripture where you have the PURPOSE of tongues stated. Three
basic, undeniable facts are stated here about tongues. Here they are: (1) Tongues are
for a sign. They are not for self-edification. They are for a sign, a sign of judgment.
(2) They are for a sign not to them that believe. The Corinthians were using them
entirely out of accord with their purpose, as children who get into their dad’s toolbox.
They were not for those who believe. Who were they for? (3) They were for them that
believe not, the unbelieving nation of Israel as stated in verse 19. Let me skip to the
last of the verse, which talks about prophecy. Go to verse 23. “If therefore the whole
church be come together in one place and all speak with tongues, and there come in
those that are unlearned or unbelievers will they not say you are mad.” Tongues are
not the unlearned unbelievers; that is, pagan Gentiles. Who are they for? They are
only for one group, the nation of Israel, as stated in verse 21. And the reason that they
were still in effect then (ct. vs. 39) was because until 70 A.D, the nation, Israel was still
a factor. And even in Acts 3 the Apostle Peter was preaching for the restitution of all
things: “Ye men of Israel, ye men of Judah, hear what you say concerning the
covenant which our God made with our father Abraham. Listen to it only it, and we
will have the restitution of all things.” Even at that late date, after the ascension of
Jesus Christ, he was still appealing to the nation of Israel; hear me! Israel didn’t hear
him. In 70 A.D. Israel was wiped out in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:63-65. They
were dispersed into every nation on the face of the earth, and since that day there has
been no biblical purpose for tongues. Tongues are not for self-edification. Tongues
are not for believers. Tongues are not for Gentiles. Tongues are FOR (according to I
Corinthians 14:21) the rebellious, disobedient nation of Israel; (this passage referring
back to Isaiah 28). And the result of their use is condemnation, not conversion.
In Chapter 14, therefore, Paul applies the principle of the precedence of the fruit
of the Spirit of Chapter 13 to the principle of the sovereign bestowment of the gifts of
the Spirit in Chapter 12. The result is the regulation of spiritual gifts (particularly
tongues and interpretation of tongues) especially as it applies to the church of Corinth.
He set the priority in 14:1 when he starts to pursue the fruit of the Spirit, such as love,
and to desire the totality of spiritual gifts for the purposes to be emphasized (whether it
is my gift or somebody else’s) because it does more for the up building of the Body
than anything else. Thus, if I have the gifts of helps, I should use it in such a way as to
be advantageous to the ministry of preaching in the church.
Then from verse 2 to 19, Paul develops his argument leading up to his statement
of purpose in verses 20-25. Notice his use of a very basic teaching principle, namely,
taking he learner from where he is to where you want him to be. The Corinthians were
using tongues for self-edification. They were engaging in the heathen form of tongue
speaking, accompanied with emotional extravagances, which they had been
accustomed to before conversion. At that time, the “mysteries” were the central and
significant part of the religion of the Greeks.
19
There is much that we do not know of the situation in the church at Corinth, but
we should always make it a practice to interpret what we don’t know by what we do
know and not vice versa. Verse 22 is extremely clear. There is no reason for
confusion. As the infant church, the new people of God, was seeking to be established;
God gave it a sign gift to be used with respect to the nation of Israel who was
discrediting the infant church just as they had her Christ. But God was no longer
working through Israel. Judgment was sure. It came in 70 A.D., and there was no
longer any need for the sign gift of tongues. Any manifestation today, therefore, is
clearly out of accord with the stated purpose of Chapter 14. There is no possibility of
accomplishing the Biblical purpose of tongues today for it has already been fulfilled in
century One.
As we think of this whole concept of spiritual gifts; therefore, let us not short-
circuit our effectiveness by failing to use the gifts God has provided or by abusing
what He has given by accepting a subtle counterfeit from Satan. Satan works both
ways. If he cannot get us to ignore the good things God has provided for the ongoing
church, he will try to get us to pervert the things we have been given.
GLOSSOLALIA IN 1 CORINTHIANS 12-14
20
This discussion will attempt to briefly trace the argument of I Corinthians 12-14, in
reference to the exercise of glossolalia . The outline followed is that obtained
through a personal exegesis of the passage.
I. Introduction (12:1-3)
A. Ignorance about Spirituals Depreciated (1)
The problem alluded to here is not ignorance about the fact of spiritual thing, but of
their purpose and employment because the Corinthians had no lack of gifts (1:7). The
church had been using their gifts in a competitive, unharmonious manner, some
supposing to have a greater share of the Spirit, not comprehending the essential unity in
matters of the Spirit.
The pneumatikon should probably be understood as neuter in
gender, spiritual things or gifts rather than masculine, spiritual men, because the
discussion soon turns to spiritual enablements, all believers assumed to posses the Spirit
(12:3, 12).
B. Spiritual Sources Contrasted (2-3)
“Wherefore” introduces a conclusion based on their reminder of former spiritual
error and instability. The message inspired by the Spirit of God is consistent in its
teaching.
II. THE UNITY OF THE SPIRITUALS (12:4-7)
The unity of all the spirituals is demonstrated by of their common source, purpose and
distribution.
A. Their Relation to the Trinity (4-6)
There are three dimensions to each spiritual: (1) a gift, (2) a ministry, (3) an effect.
These aspects are always present in perfect harmony in a true spiritual, even as the Persons of the
Trinity work in perfect harmony.
B. Their Common Purpose (7)
Spirituals are here recognized as ‘manifestations of the Spirit”. Every believer is said to
receive one; therefore, we must conclude that there are no ungifted Christians. These
manifestations are for advantage or profit; they are not to be used for destructive purposes.
21
C. Their Distribution (8-10)
The distribution of all of the spirituals is traced to the agency (passive verb with en and
the instrumental case) of the same Holy Spirit. No one of the gifts can claim to be the exclusive
or “special” manifestation of the Spirit. “Kinds of tongues” and their interpretation, however,
are indeed spirituals, but identifiably distinguished from the others by the use of heteros for their
recipients in the same context with allos.
D. Their Sovereign Bestowment (11)
Again it is emphasized that it is the Same Spirit who is responsible for the spiritual which
each person receives, and it is not the recipient who decided which spiritual he shall receive, but
the Spirit. The determining factors are according to the standard of the Spirit’s own deliberate
decision. Each individual believer receives a spiritual with respect to that individual alone, as is
indicated by the adverbial use of idios ; it is not a product of group dynamics or by the
prayers of others; although, the exercise of the gift will be for the benefit of all.
III. THE ANALOGY OF THE BODY (12:12-30)
The organisms of the human body and of the church are viewed as analogous by virtue of
their Common Creator, and certain observations are valid for both.
The unified functions of the various parts of the body compare to that of the spirituals.
A. The Principle Unity in Diversity (12:12-26)
1. The Body Compared to Christ (12)
2. The Comparison to Christ Explained (13)
Other than the predictions by the Evangelists and Jesus (Acts 1:5), this is the only
mention of a Spirit-baptism in the New Testament. Although Christians are of various social
classes and ethnic groups, as the body is one, so are all believers, “one body”. The reason for
this is that all believers share a common identity (the meaning of “baptism”), having come to
posses the same Spirit who abides in them all. The doctrine taught is clear, that by receiving the
Spirit we are all made members of the body of Christ, and that it is in virtue of the indwelling of
the Spirit that the church is one.
3. Comparison of Body Explained (14-19)
The observation that the body is many parts leads to several deductions: (1) The lack of a
particular function does not eliminate any part from full participation in the body (15-16); (2) A
body of parts all with an identical function is absurd (17). The fact of partition by divine design
22
for a body shows that (3) sameness of parts precludes a body (18-19). However, the unity of the
body (20) further evidences that: (4) No part can exclude another (21); (5) every part fulfills a
necessary function; (6) each part should be consciously assigned recognition. The application of
this explanation is that (7) cooperation is the divine design, and (8) unity should be preserved by
mutual care among the other parts (24b-25). The result of all this leads to (9) a common interest
of all the parts.
B. The Application to Christian Unity (27)
This relates the relation of believer with one another to those within the illustration of the
body.
C. The Application to Christian Diversity (28-30)
Christian unity having been established, it is safe to discuss then the diversity of the
spirituals. But no mere list or exhaustive enumeration is given. Rather a selection, and that
presented in order of importance within the church. The first three spirituals correspond to
offices (cf. Eph. 4:11).
The established fact that every believer has already been Spirit-baptized, has already
received the Spirit, and has already been given a manifestation of the Spirit should make it clear
hat not all are to have the same spirituals, for all do not have the same. This should be obvious
from simple observation within the church. The rhetorical questions in vs. 20-30 employing the
negative particle me demand a negative response, “No, not all are apostles,” etc.
Whereas the Corinthian Christians were coveting gifts, even the better one, Paul,
however, recognized that all spirituals must be operated within the sphere of love. “Covet” can
be taken as either imperative or indicative; if the latter, it may be either a statement or question.
If the former, then the charismatic aspect of a spiritual should not be the center or emphasis.
D. The Dangers of Lovelessness (13:1-3)
Both the best and the least of spirituals are explicitly stated to be of no value unless they
are exercised with love, the greatest of Christian virtues. Verse 1: “If by the tongues of men I
should speak, and of angels…” The “tongues of men” are doubtless the normal languages
spoken by people, but what are the “tongues” of angels? Are they special heavenly dialects not
comprehended by the unaided intellect of man? If that were so, it presents a difficult problem, for
“if these tongues are ecstatic utterances, they could be duplicated fraudulently, and, therefore, be
impossible to detect. And “it must be admitted that Satan can perform this phenomenon. He had
done so in the past; he may be doing it today.”
It is Bellshaw’s contention that “the uniform usage of the word tongue in the New
Testament is that which signifies a language used by inhabitants of the world.” Although the
principal lexicons list ecstatic utterances as a definition of glossa , it is based upon a
presupposition about nature of tongues in I Corinthians. Bellshaw elucidates:
23
“The setting in which this gift was exercised lends further weight to the Viewpoint that these
were known languages, which were uttered. In Acts 2 People had come from many foreign
countries (Acts 2:5, 9-11). In Acts 10 Cornelius was a foreigner (Acts 10:1). In Acts 19 Paul
was in a foreign country. In Corinth Paul’s ministry was to a seaport community, which was
a melting pot for peoples from many parts of the world. It was a city where many languages
were spoken. There fore, the ability to speak a foreign tongue without previous
acquaintance with that language would arrest the attention of these people, and commend
that message as a supernatural one.”
The glossolalia of Acts and of 1 Corinthians should be equated as the
same phenomenon, because (1) both use the same terminology (gloss and talein) and (2) Luke
wrote about five years after Paul and still used the same terminology, fearing confusion.
Major non-biblical Greek lexicons not only so not consider ecstatics a valid definition
definition of glossa, but a comprehensive consideration of biblical usage would seem to preclude
any such glossai were known human languages.
(1) The normal meaning was the origin of, content of and designation of groups denoted by a
known language.
(2) The reference in Mark 16 employs the adjective kainos (new in quality), not neos
(new in kind or time).
(3) The tongues of Acts 2 were clearly known dialects, for they required not interpreter.
(4) Acts 10 (cf. 11:17) was the same situation.
(5) Acts 19 employs the same terminology.
(6) Attempts to feign glossolalia in the flesh may have mistaken “anathema” for “maranatha”
(1 Corinthians 12:3).
(7) Kinds (genos ) of the known and the unknown languages would not have been
kinds of the same thing.
(8) Tongues in Scripture are always translatable.
(9) The “tongues of men and of angels” are grammatically one class, are only hypothetical
(ean ), and are always comparable when angels converse in Scripture.
(10) The word “unknown” at 14:2, 4, 13-14, 19, 27 is an unjust insertion in the Authorized
Version.
(11) The tongues which “no man understands” pertained to the use of glossalalia in the then
current services of the church, not to the nature of the tongues..
(12) They were known languages produced at Babel.
(13) The illustration of 14:7ff depreciated orderless sounds.
(14) If Isaiah 28:11f pertained to known Assyrian, then 1 Corinthians 14:22is known
languages.
(15) Luke wrote sometime after Paul wrote 1 Corinthians but used the same terminology.
(16) Unintelligible sounds would not have bee indicative of any miracle.
(17) All known angelic communications were in understandable languages.
(18) That tongues were unintelligible, ecstatic utterances waits to be proved.
24
What at first glance seem to be two orders of tongues in 1 Corinthians 13:1 are, as seen
after closer examination, an assertion of just the opposite. Gromacki gives three reasons why this
must be so:
“First, Paul was describing a hypothetical case (“if;” ean). This does not mean that he had
spoken in angelic languages even though he later admitted that he did speak in tongues (1
Corinthians 14:18). Second, the very fact that the word “tongues” us used just once with
“men” and “angels” shows that human and angelic languages can be grouped together. They
have something in common. They are both languages, known and understood by the
listeners. Third, whenever men and angels conversed together in biblical times, they were
able to carry on an intelligent conversation in known languages without difficulty or
interpretation. Rather than dividing languages into known and unknown, Paul is affirming
that all tongues phenomena were in the forms of definite languages, not ecstatic utterances.”
E. The Character of Love (4-7)
F. The Superiority of Love over Spirituals (8-13)
Love never fails, “i.e., it endures forever. It is not designed and adapted, as are the gifts
under consideration, merely to the present state of existence, but to our future and immortal
state of being.”
Two spirituals in particular are selected to explicitly state their temporality, prophecies
and knowledge. But that is not to imply that prophesying and knowing will ever cease.
That (propheteia ) and (gnosis ) refer to the content of prophecy and
knowledge rather than to the act of prophesying and speaking knowledge is evident for several
reasons, In 1 Corinthians 12:8 Paul describes the gift of expressing knowledge by the term word
of knowledge,butin1 Corinthians13:8 he employs the simple term
knowledge. The former looks at the expression of knowledge; the latter refers to that which is
known or the knowledge itself. Second, verse nine emphasizes the content of prophecy and
knowledge more than the act. Third, the two are brought together in 1 Corinthians 14:6 where the
last term, doctrine indicates all the preceding terms referring to content.
The point is, as we shall see, that the imperfect content of the spirituals will eventually
be superseded. However, it is, in the case of tongues, not the message content that will be
eliminated, but the practice itself “shall cease.” An important grammatical distinction must also
be observed. In the case of prophecies and knowledge, they shall “be made” invalid, abrogated,
abolished (Passive Voice), but tongues shall merely cease “of themselves” (Middle Voice). Both
the change in verb and the change in voice of the verbs with the omission of mention of tongues
in verse 9 and 12, all in the same context, seem to be significant. The cessation of tongues is in
no wise viewed as concomitant with the abolishment of prophecies at a future point. “The
implication is clear. Tongues will not be in existence to be rendered inoperative” at that time.
25
Verse 9 states the problem of imperfection in spirituals, verse 10 states a gnomic
principle about the eventual abrogation of imperfections, verse 11 illustrates such, and verse 12
explains by application when the imperfect content of spirituals will be abolished, viz., “when
the Lord Jesus comes.” “The speaking face to face quite evidently is a reference to prophecy . . .
Numbers12:6-8.
IV. The Regulation of Spirituals (14:1-36)
A. In General (1-12)
The church is clearly commanded to continually pursue love, and to prefer to
prophecy over their desire for spirituals. The act of prophesying is distinguished from the
spiritual “prophecy” and the spiritual “prophet,” for it is something all can do (verse 31). The
reason is that prophesying edifies others, glossolalia does not, unless interpreted. The church
ought to give prominence to prophecy, or preaching.
B. In Particular (13-26)
The very incomprehensible nature of tongues for most people (they who have not
learned the particular language – “the unlearned”?) requires that tongues be interpreted to be of
any benefit to them, the very purpose of spirituals (13-19).
Mature thinking (13:9-11) is demanded to understand the very purpose of tongues. From
the quotation of Isaiah 28:11-12, it is deduced (hoste , “wherefore”) that tongues are for a
sign. But the objects of the sign are “this people,” i.e., the Jewish nation, who are further said to
not give heed, and that in Messianic times. “Accordingly directed as it is to an unbelieving
people, the true function of the gift is ‘for a sign to unbelievers’ . . . The adjective (apistos
) under these circumstances would – in contrast to a participial form – express pure
description as over against the action of believing involved in the foregoing participle.” It is
unbelieving Israel as a special class who are by nature “faithless” for who tongues were intended.
Individual believers are not here in question (23-25); tongues are no more for them than for those
who already exercise belief.
“When Paul came to Corinth he proclaimed to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts
18:5). They considered this to be a blasphemous message, but God authenticated it to them by
giving believers in Corinth the gift of tongues.” It is also clear from the Acts of the Apostles that
whenever the gift of tongues was exercised Jews were present.
It has already been observed that glossolalia was to cease sometime before the return of
the Lord. The very nature of tongues as a sign, and in particular to the nation of Israel, especially
at the time of Messiah, indicates when that spiritual was to cease. It can be demonstrated from
Scripture that (1) the object of the sign, i.e., Israel, ceased to exist, that therefore (2) the purpose
of the spiritual, i.e., to be a sign, lost all relevance, and, therefore, that (3) the spiritual ceased.
26
Jesus himself predicted the soon destruction of the nation of Israel as an identifiable
entity “until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-24). By the time that the Epistle
to the Hebrews was written, the sign spirituals had ceased, having fulfilled their purpose of
confirmation of the Word among Jews (Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark16:17 and 20). To exalt the gift,
while overlooking the purpose for which God gave it, is to betray an immaturity which is
inappropriate to spiritual adulthood.
In public worship (26-32), everything, glossolalia included, must be done for edification.
No tongues should be spoken without an interpreter. With an interpreter, only two or three may
speak. It is expressly forbidden for women to speak in the church (33b-36). No Jew would ever
attend to a woman attempting to predicate.
V. Conclusion
From this brief consideration of 1 Corinthians 12-14, it appears (1) that Biblical
glossolalia was the super-natural ability to speak known languages which were not understood
by the speaker, (2) that glossolalia was a special sign for the confirmation of the Word before
unbelieving Israel until the destruction of Jerusalem which began the Times of the Gentiles, and
(3) that the exercise of glossolalia is therefore no longer valid. The failure of the modern tongues
movement to display any discernible consciousness of the plain Biblical purpose of this gift
stands as a powerful argument the movement;s genuineness and validity.
Twenty-five principles can be deduced from the same material for the regulation and
proper understanding of glossolalia. (See end notes for these principles). The failure of all known
glossolalia movements to observe these revealed truths precludes the validity of those
movements, and suggests that their origin is not divine.
It is recommended that all receptive believers be carefully educated concerning the true
nature of spirituals and warned about this false movement which is sweeping so many saints into
spiritual deception, that we might all be rightly edified and exercised in love.
Principles Regulating Glossolalia
I. Glossolalia can be exercised in a manner characterized by ignorance about spiritual
things.
II. True glossolalia is consistent in its message content, recognizing the Lordship of
Jesus.
III. Glossolalia must be exercised in harmony with the other spirituals.
IV. True glossolalia must be exercised for constructive purposes.
V. Glossolalia is one of many distinguishable manifestations of the Spirit.
VI. Glossolalia and its interpretation comprise a distinguishable subclass within the whole
class of spirituals.
VII. The Spirit alone determines which individuals shall receive glossolalia.
VIII. All believers, glossolalists and non-glossolalists alike, have (already) participated in
the “baptism” work of the Holy Spirit, and they all have his indwelling.
27
IX. The non-possession of (glossolalia) does not exclude one from full participation in the
life of the church.
X. For all to exercise glossolalia would be abnormal.
XI. The glossolalist cannot properly depreciate them who do not exercise glossolalia.
XII. Glossolalia fulfills a particular function (not identified at this point) which should be
properly identified.
XIII. The glossolalist should be sensitive to the contribution which he makes to others, and
theirs to him, and vice versa.
XIV. Glossolalia is of lesser eminence among the spirituals.
XV. No all are to exercise of spirituals is not the highest aim of the Christian life. It is
rather love. Spirituals can be misused for selfish purposes, love cannot.
XVI. Glossolalia is not the highest aim of the spiritual life.
XVII. Biblical glossolalia consists only of known languages.
XVIII. Glossolalia exercised in love is righteous and selfless.
XIX. Biblical glossolalia was to cease of itself at an unspecified time before the Lord’s
return.
XX. To prophesy is preferable to glossolalia.
XXI. Glossolalia must be interpreted when exercised among them who do not understand
the language in use.
XXII. Glossolalia is a sign for the unbelieving nation of Israel.
XXIII. Biblical glossolalia ceased with the destruction of Israel for the duration of the Times
of the Gentiles, and with the confirmation of the Word of God.
XXIV. In the church, glossolalia must be interpreted and closely regulated, otherwise
silenced.
XXV. Women are forbidden.
XXVI. to exercise glossolalia in the church.