1 Corinthians #24: an exposition of 1 Corinthians 14:1-25. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 17, 2011.
Intro:
I was sitting in a crowded room. Surrounded by people of all shapes, color and sizes. I was a bit nervous and a little uncomfortable because it was hard to hear and difficult to see the platform. I had heard that there were some of “them” present. It could be though I was not certain. A room this size with a crowd this large…yes it is reasonable that there would be at least one. I wondered what he looked like. He? Maybe it is a she? I’ve never heard one though I knew they existed. Then it happened, “Let us pray.” Suddenly people all around me were babbling in some sort of strange language and I had my first encounter with the gift of tongues. You may have a story similar to mine. What was uncommon in my world as a high school student is now common place in many churches. Tongues had long been a practice in Pentecostal circles but in the mid to late 60s it moved into the mainstream in the form of the Charismatic Movement. It caused quite a furor any Baptist circles as well as Methodist, Episcopal and even Catholic congregations. Of course with the rise of the nondenominational churches and the Word of Faith movement it began to dominate the Evangelical landscape. While not the hotbed today that it was in the 70s and 80s there still is a wide rage of opinion on the matter.
There are those who say that speaking in tongues is the sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit while others claim the gift died out with the last of the apostles and any experience or expression of the gift today is Satan’s counterfeit. The truth is there are good and godly men on both ends and at all points in between. Men who love God, who love His Word and His church. I remember having to go toe to toe with my director of missions when I was 25 years old, in my first church during my ordination service! He wanted me to say that tongues are not for today and that it is an unbiblical practice and I refused. It is not an easy question. I’m convinced it is not as cut and dried as most would have us believe. It is easy to say, “I’ve had this wonderful experience and I know it has to be true.” it is just as easy to say, “It’s not rational. I’ve never had such and experience therefore it cannot be true.” Both judge right and wrong, truth and error by personal experience. The only approach I know to take is to let God’s Word speak for itself.
I have a little plaque on my desk. It is there to remind me as I study, “You are responsible to believe and teach what the Bible teaches, not what you would like for it to teach.” That’s it. As with all questions we must be willing to come to the Scriptures and ask, “What does God say about this?” Sometimes what He says makes us uneasy. Sometimes what He reveals is uncomfortable. But then truth doesn’t have to be comfortable or put us at ease. Truth just has to be true!
Paul writes to the church at Corinth in an effort to encourage them to live godly lives. Lives that live up to their calling as the people of God. Along the way he answers some of the questions that have come to him. He addresses some of the problems that plague the Corinthians church. In chapters 11-14 he deals with matters of public worship.
In chapters 12-14 he focuses on the subject of spiritual gifting.
In chapter 12 he reminds them that, as believers, they have all been gifted by God as He saw fit.
The purpose of their gifting is the building up or edification of the church as a whole.
After all they are all members of one body.
Each member is essential to the life of the others.
In chapter 13 he demonstrates that love is to animate, motivate and permeate all they say and do.
In chapter 14 he deals specifically with the gift of tongues.
Text: 1 Corinthians 14:1-25
It is clear throughout 12-14 that the Corinthian believers prized the gift of tongues.
Ecstatic utterance had been a part of their worship in their pagan days.
Their worship, in their pre-Christian days centered on ecstasy and enthusiasm thus they were drawn in the direction out of familiarity.
Thesis: Paul, in this passage, clearly demonstrates the value of the simple, direct speaking forth the truth of God over the value of ecstatic utterance.
Put simply – prophecy is superior to tongues.
As the passage unfolds Paul gives three reasons for the superiority of prophecy.
- Prophecy is superior because it edifies the whole congregation. (14:1-12)
- Prophecy is superior because it can be understood by all. (12:13-19)
- Prophecy is superior because it inspires conviction, confession and worship. (14:20-25)