Nehemiah Chapter 1 – Does Anyone Care?

Posted on June 30, 2012 by dkoop

For our series, “Making Difference” We are looking at the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, if you want to read along, join in!

“The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.” George Bernard Shaw

Nehemiah was the kind of person who cared. He cared about the traditions of the past and the needs of the present. He cared about the hopes for the future. He cared about his heritage, his ancestral city, and the glory of his God. He revealed this caring attitude in four different ways.

1. He cared enough to ask. (Neh. 1:1-3)

Nehemiah was a layman, cupbearer to the great “Artaxerxes Longimanus,” who ruled Persia from 464 to 423 B.C. He is identified as the son of Hachaliah to distinguish him from other Jews of the same name (Neh. 3:16; Ezra 2:2). Nehemiah means “The Lord has comforted.”

A cupbearer was much more than our modern “butler” (see Gen. 40). It was a position of great responsibility and privilege. At each meal, he tested the king’s wine to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. A man who stood that close to the king in public had to be handsome, cultured, knowledgeable in court procedures, and able to converse with the king and advise him if asked (see 41:1-13). Because he had access to the king, the cupbearer was a man of great influence, which he could use for good or for evil.

That Nehemiah, a Jew, held such an important position in the palace speaks well of his character and ability (Dan. 1:1-4). For nearly a century, the Jewish remnant had been back in their own land, and Nehemiah could have joined them; but he chose to remain in the palace. It turned out that God had a work for him to do there that he could not have accomplished elsewhere. God put Nehemiah in Susa just as He had put Esther there a generation before, and just as He had put Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon. When God wants to accomplish a work, He always prepares His workers and puts them in the right places at the right time.

The Hebrew month of Chislev runs from mid-November to mid-December on our calendar; and the twentieth year of Artaxerxes was the year 444 B.C. Shushan (or Susa) was the capital city of the Persian Empire and the site of the king’s winter palace. No doubt it was just another routine day when Nehemiah met his brother Hanani (see Neh. 7:2), who had just returned from a visit to Jerusalem, but it turned out to be a turning point in Nehemiah’s life.

Like large doors, great life-changing events can swing on very small hinges. It was just another day when Moses went out to care for his sheep, but on that day he heard the Lord’s call and became a prophet (Ex. 3). It was an ordinary day when David was called home from shepherding his flock; but on that day, he was anointed king (1 Sam. 16). It was an ordinary day when Peter, Andrew, James, and John were mending their nets after a night of failure; but that was the day Jesus called them to become fishers of men (Luke 5:1-11). You never know what God has in store, even in a commonplace conversation with a friend or relative; so keep your heart open to God’s providential leading. I attended a birthday party one evening when I was nineteen years old, and a statement made to me there by a friend helped direct my life into the plans God had for me; and I will be forever grateful.

Why would Nehemiah inquire about a struggling remnant of people who lived hundreds of miles away? After all, he was the king’s cupbearer and he was successfully secure in his own life. Certainly it wasn’t his fault that his ancestors had sinned against the Lord and brought judgment to the city of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah. A century and a half before, the Prophet Jeremiah had given this word from the Lord: “For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask how you are doing?” (Jer. 15:5, NKJV) Nehemiah was the man God had chosen to do those very things!

Some people prefer not to know what’s going on, because information might bring obligation. “What you don’t know can’t hurt you,” says the old adage; but is it true? In a letter to a Mrs. Foote, Mark Twain wrote, “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.” But what we don’t know could hurt us a great deal! There are people in the cemetery who chose not to know the truth. The slogan for the 1987 AIDS publicity campaign was “Don’t die of ignorance”; and that slogan can be applied to many areas of life besides health.

Nehemiah asked about Jerusalem and the Jews living there because he had a caring heart. When we truly care about people, we want the facts, no matter how painful they may be. “Practical politics consists in ignoring facts,” American historian Henry Adams said; but Aldous Huxley said, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” Closing our eyes and ears to the truth could be the first step toward tragedy for ourselves as well as for others.

What did Nehemiah learn about Jerusalem and the Jews? Three words summarize the bad news: remnant, ruin, and reproach. Instead of a land inhabited by a great nation, only a remnant of people lived there; and they were in great affliction and struggling to survive. Instead of a magnificent city, Jerusalem was in shambles; and where there had once been great glory, there was now nothing but great reproach.

Of course, Nehemiah had known all his life that the city of his fathers was in ruins, because the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem’s walls, gates, and temple in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25:1-21). Fifty years later, a group of 50,000 Jews had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city. Since the Gentiles had hindered their work, however, the temple was not completed for twenty years (Ezra 1-6), and the gates and walls never were repaired. Perhaps Nehemiah had hoped that the work on the walls had begun again and that the city was now restored. Without walls and gates, the city was open to ridicule and attack. See Psalms 48, 79,84, and 87 to see how much loyal Jews loved their city.

Are we like Nehemiah, anxious to know the truth even about the worst situations? Is our interest born of concern or idle curiosity? When we read missionary prayer letters, the news in religious periodicals, or even our church’s ministry reports, do we want the facts, and do the facts burden us? Are we the kind of people who care enough to ask?

2. He cared enough to weep. (Neh. 1:4)

What makes people laugh or weep is often an indication of character. People who laugh at others’ mistakes or misfortunes, or who weep over trivial personal disappointments, are lacking either in culture or character, and possibly both. Sometimes weeping is a sign of weakness; but with Nehemiah, it was a sign of strength, as it was with Jeremiah (Jer. 9:1), Paul (Acts 20:19), and the Lord Jesus (Luke 19:41). In fact, Nehemiah was like the Lord Jesus in that he willingly shared the burden that was crushing others. “The reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon Me” (Ps. 69:9; Rom. 15:3).

When God puts a burden on your heart, don’t try to escape it; for if you do, you may miss the blessing He has planned for you. The Book of Nehemiah begins with “great affliction” (Neh. 1:3), but before it closes, there is great joy (8:12, 17). “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). Our tears water the “seeds of providence” that God has planted on our path; and without our tears, those seeds could never grow and produce fruit.

It was customary for the Jews to sit down when they mourned (Ezra 9:1-4; 2:13). Unconsciously, Nehemiah was imitating the grieving Jewish captives who had been exiled in Babylon years before (Ps. 137:1). Like Daniel, Nehemiah probably had a private room where he prayed to God with his face toward Jerusalem (Dan. 6:10; 1 Kings 8:28-30). Fasting was required of the Jews only once a year, on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29); but Nehemiah spent several days fasting, weeping, and praying. He knew that somebody had to do something to rescue Jerusalem, and he was willing to go.

3. He cared enough to pray. (Neh. 1:5-10)

This prayer is the first of twelve instances of prayer recorded in this book. (See 2:4; 4:4, 9; 5:19; 6:9, 14; 9:5ff; 13:14, 22, 29, 31.) The Book of Nehemiah opens and closes with prayer. It is obvious that Nehemiah was a man of faith who depended wholly on the Lord to help him accomplish the work He had called him to do. The Scottish novelist George MacDonald said, “In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably, or succeed more miserably.” Nehemiah succeeded because he depended on God. Speaking about the church’s ministry today, the late Alan Redpath said, “There is too much working before men and too little waiting before God.”

This prayer begins with ascription of praise to God (1:5). “God of heaven” is the title Cyrus used for the Lord when he announced that the Jews could return to their land (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-2). The heathen gods were but idols on the earth, but the God of the Jews was Lord in heaven. Ezra often used this divine title (5:11-12; 6:9; 7:12, 21, 23), and it is found four times in Nehemiah (1:4-5; 2:4, 20) and three times in Daniel (2:18-19, 44). Nehemiah began his prayer as we should begin our prayers: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name” (Matt. 6:9).

To what kind of a God do we pray when we lift our prayers to “the God of heaven”? We pray to a “great and awesome God” (Neh. 1:5, NKJV; and see 4:14, 8:6, and 9:32), who is worthy of our praise and worship. If you are experiencing great affliction (v. 3) and are about to undertake a great work (4:19; 6:3), then you need the great power (1:10), great goodness (9:25, 35), and great mercy (v. 31) of a great God. Is the God you worship big enough to handle the challenges that you face?

He is also a God who keeps His Word (1:5). The Lord had made a covenant with His people Israel, promising to bless them richly if they obeyed His Word/but warning that He would chasten them if they disobeyed (Lev. 26; Deut. 27-30). The city of Jerusalem was in ruins, and the nation was feeble because the people had sinned against the Lord. (See Ezra’s prayer of confession in Ezra 9 and the prayer of the nation in Neh. 9.)

The greater part of Nehemiah’s prayer was devoted to confession of sin (1:6-9). The God who promised blessing and chastening also promised forgiveness if His people would repent and turn back to Him (Deut. 30; 1 Kings 8:31-53). It was this promise that Nehemiah was claiming as he prayed for himself and the nation. God’s eyes are upon His people and His ears are open to their prayers (1 Kings 8:29; 2 Chron. 7:14). The word remember is a key word in this book (Neh. 1:8; 4:14; 5:19; 6:14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31).

Note that Nehemiah used the pronoun “we” and not “they,” identifying himself with the sins of a generation he didn’t even know. It would have been easy to look back and blame his ancestors for the reproach of Jerusalem, but Nehemiah looked within and blamed himself! “We have sinned! We have dealt very corruptly!”

A few years ago, when the “media scandals” brought great reproach to the church, the book The Integrity Crisis reminds us:

To begin with, the integrity crisis involves more than a few people who were accused of moral and financial improprieties. The integrity crisis involves the whole church. I am not saying that people didn’t sin, nor am I preaching “collective guilt,” whatever that is. I only want to emphasize that, in the body of Christ, we belong to one another, we affect one another, and we can’t escape one another. The press did not create the crisis, the church did; and the church will have to solve it (Nashville: Oliver Nelson, 1988; p. 18).

When one Jewish soldier, Achan, sinned at Jericho, God said that “the children of Israel committed a trespass” and that “Israel” sinned and transgressed the covenant (Josh. 7:1, 11). Since the sin of one man was the sin of the whole nation, it brought shame and defeat to the whole nation. Once that sin had been dealt with, God could again bless His people with victory.

How do we know that God forgives our sins when we repent and confess to Him? He has so promised in His Word. Nehemiah’s prayer is saturated with quotations from and allusions to the covenants of God found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. He certainly knew the Old Testament Law! In Nehemiah 1:8-9, he reminded God of His words found in Deuteronomy 28:63-67 and 30:1-10, just as we remind the Lord of His promise in 1 John 1:9. Nehemiah asked God to forgive His people, regather them to their land, and restore them to His favor and blessing.

This humble prayer closed with an expression of confidence (Neh. 1:10-11). To begin with, he had confidence in the power of God. When the Bible speaks of the eyes, ears, and hands of the Lord, it is using only human language to describe divine activity. God is spirit, and therefore does not have a body such as humans have; but He is able to see His people’s needs, hear their prayers, and work on their behalf with His mighty hand. Nehemiah knew that he was too weak to rebuild Jerusalem, but he had faith that God would work on his behalf.

He also had confidence in God’s faithfulness. “Now these are Thy servants and Thy people” (v. 10). In bringing Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and take the people captive, God chastened the Jews sorely; but He did not forsake them! They were still His people and His servants. He had redeemed them from Egypt by His great power (Ex. 14:13-31) and had also set them free from bondage in Babylon. Would He not, in His faithfulness, help them rebuild the city?

Unlike Elijah, who thought he was the only faithful Jew left (1 Kings 19:10), Nehemiah had confidence that God would raise up other people to help him in his work. He was sure that many other Jews were also praying and that they would rally to the cause once they heard that God was at work. Great leaders are not only believing people who obey the Lord and courageously move ahead, but they also challenge others to go with them. You can’t be a true leader unless you have followers, and Nehemiah was able to enlist others to help him do the work.

Finally, Nehemiah was confident that God would work in the heart of Artaxerxes and secure for the project the official support that it needed (Neh. 1:10). Nehemiah couldn’t simply quit his job and move to Jerusalem. He was an appointee of the king, and he needed the king’s permission for everything he did. Furthermore, he needed the king’s provision and protection so he could travel to Jerusalem and remain away from his post until the work was completed. Without official authority to govern, an official guard for the journey, and the right to use materials from the king’s forest, the entire project was destined to fail. Eastern monarchs were absolute despots, and it was not easy to approach them or convince them. But “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases” (Prov. 21:2, NIV).

Too often, we plan our projects and then ask God to bless them; but Nehemiah didn’t make that mistake. He sat down and wept (Neh. 1:4), knelt down and prayed, and then stood up and worked because he knew he had the blessing of the Lord on what he was doing.

4. He cared enough to volunteer. (Neh. 1:11)

It has well been said that prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven but getting God’s will done on earth. However, for God’s will to be done on earth, He needs people to be available for Him to use. God does “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (EPH. 3:20, NKJV italics mine). If God is going to answer prayer, He must start by working in the one doing the praying! He works in us and through us to help us see our prayers answered.

While Nehemiah was praying, his burden for Jerusalem became greater and his vision of what needed to be done became clearer. Real prayer keeps your heart and your head in balance so your burden doesn’t make you impatient to run ahead of the Lord and ruin everything. As we pray, God tells us what to do, when to do it, and how to do it; and all are important to the accomplishing of the will of God. Some Christian workers are like Lord Ronald in one of Stephen Leacock’s short stories who “flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.”

Nehemiah planned to volunteer to go to Jerusalem to supervise the rebuilding of the walls. He didn’t pray for God to send somebody else, nor did he argue that he was ill-equipped for such a difficult task. He simply said, “Here am I— send me!” He knew that he would have to approach the king and request a leave of absence. Eastern kings’ words meant life or death. What would happen to Nehemiah’s plans if he approached Artaxerxes on the wrong day, when the king was ill or displeased with something or someone in the palace? No matter how you look at it, Nehemiah was facing a test of faith; but he knew that his God was a great God and would see him through.

The king’s cupbearer would have to sacrifice the comfort and security of the palace for the rigors and dangers of life in a ruined city. Luxury would be replaced by ruins, and prestige by ridicule and slander. Instead of sharing the king’s bounties, Nehemiah would personally pay for the upkeep of scores of people who would eat at his table. He would leave behind the ease of the palace and take up the toils of encouraging a beaten people and finishing an almost impossible task.

And with the help of God, he did it! In fifty-two days, the walls were rebuilt, the gates were restored, and the people were rejoicing! And it all started with a man who cared.

Abraham cared and rescued Lot from Sodom (Gen. 18-19). Moses cared and delivered the Israelites from Egypt. David cared and brought the nation and the kingdom back to the Lord. Esther cared and risked her life to save her nation from genocide. Paul cared and took the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Jesus cared and died on the cross for a lost world.

God is still looking for people who care, people like Nehemiah, who cared enough to ask for the facts, weep over the needs, pray for God’s help, and then volunteer to get the job done.

“Here am I, Lord—send me!”

Source: Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) – Old Testament

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The Use of Tongues in Church – 1 Corinthians 14 Commentary

Posted on June 23, 2012 by dkoop

When spiritual gifts are properly used, they help everyone in the church. Much of the controversy over spiritual gifts today comes from the vacuum that has been created because the gifts have been abused in some Christian circles (strikingly similar to the Corinthian problems), while at the same time they have been almost completely ignored in other Christian groups.

The gift of speaking in unknown tongues was a concern in the Corinthian church. The use of the gift had caused disorder in worship. Apparently, the Corinthians had a knack for turning even good gifts into divisive issues.

Speaking in tongues is one of the legitimate gifts of the Holy Spirit, but the Corinthian believers were using it as a sign of spiritual superiority rather than as a means for giving spiritual unity.

14:1 Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy.NLT The previous chapter, known as the “love chapter,” is nestled purposefully into this section on tongues. As beautiful as it is standing alone, chapter 13 serves as a transition from chapter 12 (regarding the various gifts of the Spirit) to chapter 14 (focusing on the abuse of one particular gift, the gift of tongues). Having described love as the most valuable of all the gifts given by the Holy Spirit, Paul concluded here that believers should let love be [their] highest goal. Then, from that foundation, they should desire the special abilities the Spirit gives. This repeats the statement of 12:31, “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (niv), desiring to be helpful in the body of Christ by seeking the gifts that benefit everyone. To “desire” the gifts means literally “to pursue, strive for, seek after, aspire to.” Elsewhere, Paul used the word to refer to spiritual effort (see Romans 9:30-31; 12:13; 14:19; Philippians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22). The tense of the verb implies continuous action; that is, it could read, “keep on desiring.”

The “greater gifts” or “special abilities” that Paul wanted the Corinthians to seek were those that edified the church. The gift of prophecy (see also 12:10) had not so much to do with predicting future events as it had to do with bringing some message from God under the direction of the Holy Spirit to the body of believers. This gift provides insight, warning, correction, and encouragement (see 14:3). The Corinthians were eager for gifts, especially tongues, but Paul wanted them to be eager for the gifts that edify—namely, prophecy. The Reformers (Calvin, Luther) believed that sermons are the exercise of the gift of prophecy. Other scholars say that “prophecy,” as used here by Paul, means spontaneous, Spirit-inspired messages that are orally delivered in the congregation for the edification and encouragement of the body of Christ.

14:2 For if your gift is the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking to God but not to people, since they won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.NLT The gift of prophecy should be desired more than the gift of tongues because the ability to speak in tongues does not help other people since they won’t be able to understand you. The “tongues” mentioned are not earthly languages (such as the gift described in Acts 2:4-12). Instead, this refers to an “ecstatic” or heavenly language, unknown to the speaker or to anyone else. Through this special gift, the believer talks to God but not to people; talking to God primarily involves prayer and praise. Because “tongues” is a true spiritual gift, the speaker is speaking by the power of the Spirit, but the words cannot be understood—it will all be mysterious.

As wonderful as this gift is, Paul wanted the Corinthian believers, in particular, to stop overemphasizing it. They needed to keep its value in perspective. Paul’s goal, as always, was the unity and edification of all the believers.

Paul made several points about the gift of speaking in tongues:

  • The gift of speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit (12:28; 14:2, 39).
  • Speaking in tongues is a desirable gift, but it is not a requirement of salvation or of being filled with the Spirit (12:30-31).
  • The gift of tongues is less important than prophecy and teaching (14:4).
  • The gift of tongues must be accompanied by some rules regarding its best use in public settings (14:26-28).

14:3-4 But one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally in the Lord, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.NLT Although Paul himself spoke in tongues (14:18), he stressed prophecy because it benefits the whole church. In context, speaking in tongues primarily benefits the speaker. Public worship must be understandable and edifying to the whole church. The purpose of “prophecy” is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them, and the one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. Through prophecy, believers are taught more about the Lord and their faith so they can grow as a body.

The person who speaks in tongues, however, is strengthened personally in the Lord. Such personal edification is truly a blessing for the one who has received this gift, but a person who prays in a tongue for personal edification should not be doing so in public worship because, while it strengthens him or her, it does not strengthen anyone else. Paul would give some guidelines for the use of tongues in public worship later in this chapter.

 * LIFE APPLICATION – TO SPEAK OR NOT
The use of tongues in the modern church has continued despite conflicting teaching regarding the legitimacy of this gift. There are at least four distinct approaches to spiritual gifts:
1. Studious or ignorant neglect—the subject of spiritual gifts is avoided or simply unknown.
2. Rejection by historical limitation—the teaching that spiritual gifts only functioned during the apostolic age and ended with the writing of the New Testament.
3. Emphatic approval—spiritual gifts are central to Christian experience, sometimes even insisting the presence of a single gift (i.e. tongues) as the mark of genuine belief.
4. Cautious acceptance—seeking to avoid the problems described in Scripture while at the same time acknowledging the Holy Spirit’s freedom and power to act within the church and through Christians.
The first three approaches fail to take Scripture seriously. Each makes a judgment about spiritual gifts that is ultimately based on issues outside of the Bible. These are issues that each church must deal with in order to ensure orderly worship. But they are best handled by being open and not limiting the Holy Spirit’s work. Keep open to other Christians who regard tongues differently than you do.

14:5 I wish you all had the gift of speaking in tongues, but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy. For prophecy is a greater and more useful gift than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church can get some good out of it.NLT Paul never wrote disparagingly of the gift of tongues, only the Corinthians’ overemphasis of it. In fact, he even wished that they all had the gift of speaking in tongues, for the gift has great value for individuals in their private communication with God. But the issue at hand was that the Corinthian believers were seeking that gift above all others, when other gifts were actually more helpful to the church as a whole. Repeating his emphasis in 14:1, Paul stated that prophecy is a greater and more useful gift than speaking in tongues. The one who prophesies helps others to grow and encourages and comforts them (14:3). The one speaking in tongues realizes a wonderful relationship with the Lord but has edified no one else unless someone interprets what has been said so that the whole church can get some good out of it. (For more on interpretation, see 12:30; 14:13, 22-25.) With interpretation, therefore, the gift of tongues can edify the church. Apparently, the Corinthian believers were exhibiting the gift of tongues in public worship without interpretation, and that was helping no one.

*LIFE APPLICATION-ABLE TO PROPHESY
Paul’s words to the Corinthians about tongues and prophecy have much to say to our generation. Many Christians struggle with the discussion of tongues. Paul would clearly say that no one should put down those Christians who speak in tongues, and those who speak in tongues should not disparage those who do not. Believers need unity and love. The enemy is not each other but the sinful world, Satan, and our selfish, sinful desires. But Paul would have another word for today: “I wish you were all able to prophesy.” Paul would encourage us to be so in tune with the Spirit that his messages of comfort, encouragement, and edification would be heard in our congregations today. Make sure your actions are encouraging and edifying.

14:6 Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you talking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you some revelation or some special knowledge or some prophecy or some teaching—that is what will help you.NLT In Corinth, the gift of tongues was being used as a barometer of spirituality. Therefore, Paul described the natural inferiority of a gift that does not edify. For example, if, on his next visit to the Corinthian church, he should come . . . talking in an unknown language, would that help the young church grow in Christ? Would the believers be edified, encouraged, or comforted? Obviously not. However, if he were to come to them with some revelation, special knowledge, prophecy, or teaching, then any one of those would be helpful to them. What Paul meant specifically by each of these words is unknown. He probably was not referring to four different types of information given by speaking but to various names of the speaking done with the help of the Spirit for the benefit of the believers. The common factor is that all of these, to be helpful, would have to be done in a language understood by the hearers.

14:7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?NIV Paul argued his point with three different pictures. First, musical instruments, such as the flute or harp, make only noise if no one can distinguish the tune or a distinction in the notes. If an instrument is to make beautiful sounds that benefit the listener, the sounds must make sense.

14:8 And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?NLT The bugler was important in a battalion of soldiers. With different note combinations, the bugler would sound the call to wake up, to retire for the evening, or the call to battle. If the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, however, the soldiers would be left in confusion, not knowing whether or not they are being called to battle. That would be disastrous if they were being attacked! Mere sounds are not beneficial; only sounds that make sense and are understood by the hearers are helpful. (See Ezekiel 33 for an Old Testament example of the watchman’s responsibility to give a clear call.)

*LIFE APPLICATION –HIGHER GOAL
Paul confronted the self-oriented use of the gift of tongues. Spiritual people must be careful not to pursue self-development at the expense of broken, lost people. Giving too much attention to our own needs, ideas, and spiritual expression, we may push aside the Spirit’s true desire and abandon those who need encouragement. Follow Paul’s advice and make encouraging and edifying others the highest goal.

14:9 And it’s the same for you. If you talk to people in a language they don’t understand, how will they know what you mean? You might as well be talking to an empty room.NLT People from many lands converged in a busy city like Corinth. The residents were certainly familiar with foreigners who could not speak their language. As mere sounds mean nothing without some sort of plan and pattern of understanding (14:7-8), so human language, when not understood, accomplishes nothing. Trying to communicate in a language to a person who does not understand it would be talking to an empty room. Whatever is said would not benefit the hearer at all because he or she would not be able to understand the words. The language would be no more than noise to the hearers.

14:10-12 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.NIV Just because someone doesn’t understand a certain language doesn’t mean that the language has no meaning. In fact, there are all sorts of languages in the world, and all of them have meaning. But when two people who speak different languages attempt to communicate, one is not be able to grasp the meaning of what the other is trying to say. They are foreigners to each other. So it is with you, concluded Paul. Just as two foreigners cannot understand each other’s language, so those speaking in tongues cannot be understood by the congregation. Thus, their speaking is not beneficial to the church.

Because the Corinthians had been so eager to have spiritual gifts, Paul admonished them to try to excel in gifts that build up the church (see Ephesians 4:12). Paul was speaking to the church as a whole, not to individuals. The literal translation of 14:12 is, “since zealots you are of spiritual things, be zealous that you may abound in the edification of the church.” The church as a whole should strive to have the gifts that build up its members. It should support those who serve in those capacities, and it should redirect its zeal from a desire to speak in tongues to a desire to serve the Lord in the best way that will build up the church. No one should seek merely the personal experience. God does not give us gifts for private, selfish use. The gifts are for helping others.

14:13-14 So anyone who has the gift of speaking in tongues should pray also for the gift of interpretation in order to tell people plainly what has been said. For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.NLT The simple conclusion to the matter is that anyone who has the gift of speaking in tongues should pray also for the gift of interpretation of what he or she says in the unknown language. Up to this point, Paul had been explaining that the gift of speaking in tongues was of no value to the congregation as a whole, only to the person who speaks to God in the unknown tongue. But if the person also has the gift of interpretation, the tongue could be used in public worship if the one praying (or someone else with the gift of interpretation) would then interpret in order to tell people plainly what has been said. That way, the entire church would be edified by this gift.

Paul intimates in 14:2 and 14:4 that the gift of speaking in tongues provides a person with glorious communion with God. Most likely, however, this communion results not from understanding what the person is saying but from drawing closer to God through the power of the Spirit. Yet the person who prays that way is not expected to then be able to interpret his or her own words immediately. Paul wrote, if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. That is part of the mysterious beauty of this particular gift—it does not engage the intellect in order to use it. It is a gift filled with fervor and passion for the Lord. Yet even as the person prays, he or she does not understand his or her own words. The phrase “my spirit is praying” probably refers to both the spirit and the Spirit—the person’s inner spirit prays to and praises God with words given by the Holy Spirit.

While the spiritual fervor of one speaking in tongues has merit, wrote Paul, this ought not be the end in itself. Fervor is important, but people’s minds must be engaged in order for them to be edified. This can only be done if the words prayed to God are interpreted for everyone else. Thus, the gift of interpretation is required when tongues are used in the assembly.

14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.NIV Paul states in 14:18 that he himself speaks in tongues, so he wrote in the first person here, including himself in this situation. His answer is that he will do both—he will pray and sing in tongues with his spirit, and he will pray and sing in his own language so as to also engage his mind. Praying in tongues was, for Paul, a practice that edified him even if he did not understand what he was saying. Praying with the spirit (see “spiritual songs,” Ephesians 5:19) may be charismatic singing in the Spirit or singing spontaneously to previously composed songs.

In addition to that, however, he would pray and sing with his intellect and understanding in his own language—this would edify both himself and others. In praying and singing, both the mind and the spirit are to be fully engaged. When believers sing, they should also think about the meaning of the words. When they pour out their feelings to God in prayer, they should not turn off their capacity to think. True Christianity is neither barren intellectualism nor thoughtless emotionalism. (See also Ephesians 1:17-18; Philippians 1:9-11; and Colossians 1:9.) Paul may also have had in mind a private/public distinction. In his private prayers and singing, he could do so in tongues. In public, however, he would speak in Greek so that the congregation would understand and be edified.

14:16-17 If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?NRSV Paul just stated that he intended to continue to pray and sing in tongues (privately) and in his own language (publicly). The believers in Corinth should do the same. Those with the gift of tongues could continue to speak in tongues privately, but they needed to focus more on praying and singing in their own language in corporate worship. The reason is simple. If they were praising God with their spirits (meaning in an unknown tongue), how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to [their] thanksgiving? “Those who do not understand” refers to the rest of the people in the congregation who do not have the gift of tongues or of interpretation; thus, they do not understand what is being said. These may be other believers or people interested in Christianity who have not yet made the commitment. Most likely this refers to other believers because only they would be able to “say ‘Amen'” to particular words of thanksgiving. To say “amen” means to agree with or endorse what has been said (1 Chronicles 16:36; Nehemiah 5:13; 8:6; Galatians 1:5; Ephesians 3:21). If the rest of the people in the congregation have no clue what a tongues-speaker has said, how can they express agreement with it? The effect of the thanksgiving is lost because no one has understood the words. Paul continued, You will be giving thanks very nicely, no doubt, but it doesn’t help the other people present.NLT The bottom line on the corporate use of a spiritual gift is that it should help the other people present. That is the purpose of corporate worship, and believers must be sensitive to one another in that context—keeping out anything that would interfere with spiritual growth. Certainly the one speaking in tongues is giving thanks very nicely, but what is needed in the assembly of believers is intelligibility. Only then are the rest of the listeners edified. Corporate worship is just that—corporate. As a unified body, the believers come together to praise God, offer thanks, and learn. If various individuals attempt to continue their own private edification by speaking in tongues without interpretation, they will do so at the expense of others. Instead, they should worship that way privately. In public worship, everyone should be able to understand and participate.

14:18-19 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.NIV Paul had been downplaying the value of tongues because of the Corinthian overemphasis on that particular gift, but he added that he himself had that gift. Paul used the gift consistently in private prayer, saying that he spoke in tongues more than all of the believers in Corinth. Up to this point in the letter, the Corinthians may have been thinking that Paul was putting down the gift of tongues because he did not possess it. Paul explained, however, that not only did he have the gift but that he used it more profitably than the rest of them. Then he pointed them back to the issue at hand—what was happening in the assembly. Paul understood the limitations of the gift of tongues when it came to edifying the body of believers. Instead of impressing people with the gift of tongues that he, like many of them, had received, Paul said that he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue because only words that are understood can instruct. The implication is that the believers in Corinth who were gifted with tongues should do the same.

*LIFE APPLICATION – UNDERSTANDABLE WORSHIP
Just as musical instruments must sound each note in order for the music to be clear, so Paul says that words preached in the hearers’ language are more clear and helpful. There are many languages in the world (14:10), and people who speak different languages can rarely understand each other. It is the same with speaking in tongues. Although this gift is helpful to many people in private worship and in public worship with interpretation, Paul wrote that he would rather speak five words that his hearers can understand than ten thousand that they cannot (14:19). Paul’s argument confronts all Christians with basic questions: Do we pay attention in worship? Do we seek to be clear in what we say? Are we sensitive to making worship always understandable to others?

14:20 Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature and wise in understanding matters of this kind.NLT In 3:1-3, Paul had explained to the Corinthian believers his concern that they were still “infants in the Christian life” (nlt) and had to be dealt with like little children. Here he once again reprimanded them for their wrong thinking regarding the use of the gift of tongues in the assembly of believers. He had explained how they should view that gift in 14:1-19, and here had written that they should not be childish in [their] understanding of these things, but, instead, they should be mature and wise in understanding matters of this kind. Children prefer excitement to instruction, but adults ought to know better. The Corinthians had been acting like children, enjoying the excitement that tongues offered in their assembly without realizing that they were obtaining no solid instruction from them. It is all right to be as innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but there is no place for constant immaturity in the Christian life. Believers are to be growing and maturing so that they can understand these issues for themselves and make wise decisions concerning them.

14:21 In the law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people; yet even then they will not listen to me,” says the Lord.NRSV Paul’s use of Scripture comes from Isaiah 28:11-12. He may have been adapting the passage or generalizing from it, since it is not an exact quote from either the Greek (Septuagint) nor the Hebrew text available at that time. He may have been quoting from another Greek text that no longer exists. Paul’s point in quoting this passage was to set up his conclusion in 14:23. The people in Isaiah’s time did not listen to the prophets who spoke in their language, and when people of other languages spoke to the Jews, they still did not listen. So Paul was saying that speaking in tongues will convince no one. Those outside the church who might enter and hear the Corinthian believers speaking in tongues (with no one to explain the meaning) would think that the Christians were crazy. That reaction would fulfill the Old Testament words that tongues will not draw unbelievers into the church. On the contrary, it will turn them away and leave them to judgment. Unbelievers need the gospel message spoken clearly and intelligibly, not tongues.

14:22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.NIV The Corinthians argued that speaking in tongues was supposed to be a sign to unbelievers, as it was in Acts 2. But Paul argued that after speaking in tongues, believers were supposed to explain what was said and give the credit to God. The unsaved people would then be convinced of a spiritual reality and be motivated to look further into the Christian faith. This is one way to reach unbelievers, but clear communication of God’s message is better (14:5). Tongues are a sign for unbelievers in the same way that Old Testament signs were understood.

14:23 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?NIV The way the Corinthians were speaking in tongues was helping no one. If the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, the result will be chaotic noise. (Such disorderliness may have been the case, considering Paul’s further instructions in 14:27-28.) Even if they were speaking one at a time, without interpretation of the words spoken, other believers who do not understand and unbelievers who come in will say that the Christians are out of their minds. They will not sound as though they are praising and praying, but rather one would think that they are all insane. This will edify no one, scare off unbelievers, and hurt the witness of the church.

*LIFE APPLICATION – THE USUAL
Unusual or unexpected spiritual events have a fascination all their own, but mere curiosity must be secondary to God’s purposes. God’s truth and power can be found in both the extraordinary and the ordinary. We don’t need to ask God to get our attention in some strange new way; instead, we need to ask for fresh attention to the amazing ways God has already made himself known. Instead of looking for something new, follow what God has clearly communicated to you.

14:24-25 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin, and they will be condemned by what you say.NLT Paul had already stated the value of prophesying over speaking in tongues (14:1-6) because prophecy “is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them” (14:3 nlt). Prophecy also speaks forth the word of truth. This was probably the type of speaking to which this verse refers because of how it affects those who heard and understood it. The unbelievers and the believers not gifted with speaking in tongues would come into the meeting and learn something. Here Paul highlighted the specific speaking that would help lead people to repent of their sins. They will be convicted of sin. “Convicted” means reproved or rebuked through the probing work of the Holy Spirit, who exposes and convinces people of sin (Ephesians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 4:2). Unbelievers would also be condemned, meaning “judged,” “held to account,” “examined.”

As they listen, their secret thoughts will be laid bare, and they will fall down on their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is really here among you.”NLT Having one’s secret thoughts . . . laid bare will lead both to conviction and condemnation. Obviously, the Corinthian believers would be far less convicted to have everyone speaking in tongues. They all would feel very spiritual, with no one having to face any sin. But when Spirit-inspired, intelligible words of truth are spoken, those who truly listen will find God right there among the congregation. His presence will be made known. The listeners will fall down on their knees and worship God (see Isaiah 45:14; Zechariah 8:23). And that is ultimately what the church should desire—to reach out and draw in the unbelievers, bringing them to saving faith in Jesus Christ and then helping them grow to maturity.

WORSHIP IN AN ORDERLY WAY / 14:26-40

Paul reviews the guidelines for tongues and prophecy as exercised in corporate worship. He restates the importance of everyone being able to understand, of orderliness, and of edifying each participant.

14:26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize what I am saying. When you meet, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in an unknown language, while another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must be useful to all and build them up in the Lord.NLT When believers meet, one will sing (an ability not mentioned in chapter 12 but a large part of worship going back to the Old Testament and the psalms; see also Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16), another will teach (12:29; Romans 12:7; Colossians 3:16), another will tell some special revelation God has given (this could be an aspect of the gift of prophecy—12:10, 29; 13:2; 14:1), one will speak in an unknown language (12:10, 28, 30), while another will interpret (12:30).

*LIFE APPLICATION- PARTICIPATION
Everything done in worship services must be beneficial to the worshipers. Every worshiper ought to consider herself or himself a contributor. These principles touch every aspect—singing, preaching, and the exercise of spiritual gifts. Contributions to the service (by singing, speaking, reading, praying, playing instruments, giving) must have love as their chief motivation. As you prepare and participate in worship, seek to strengthen the faith of other believers.

This verse is not to be taken as Paul’s recommendation of an order of service; his point is that various activities can happen in corporate worship. While all of this occurs, however, everything that is done must be useful to all and build them up in the Lord. Also, all believers should show love (chapter 13), and everything should edify (14:1-25).

14:27-28 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.NIV Because all activities done in corporate worship must be done to help and build up all the believers, Paul described how tongues can still be useful. He had already argued that tongues are not beneficial without interpretation (14:5) and certainly not when everyone is speaking at once (14:23). Tongues can be edifying to everyone, if a few simple rules are followed. First, if anyone in the congregation has the gift and can speak in a tongue, then only two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time. In other words, not everyone with the gift of tongues should speak at every service—only two or three should speak. That Paul should have to say that they should speak “one at a time” seems to be a corrective—apparently they were not doing so. Not only were the Corinthians overemphasizing this gift, but they were allowing it to dominate their church gatherings. Thus, Paul corrected this error. In addition, the gift of tongues should not so dominate a person that he or she cannot control the impulse to speak. It was possible for the believers to exercise this gift in a controlled, appropriate, and orderly way. The believers who had come out of pagan cults certainly had witnessed the ecstatic mania often associated with pagan worship rites. The gifts given to believers were radically different than the demon-induced “religious” frenzy performed by those in the cults.

The other stipulation for use of tongues in public worship is that someone must interpret. Either the person speaking can interpret for himself or herself (if he or she has the gift, see 14:13), or another person with that gift should interpret what was said into a known language (12:30; 14:26). Because there must be an interpreter, Paul continued: But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God.NRSV If those with the gift of tongues know that they do not have the gift of interpretation, and if no one else in the congregation is known to have that gift, then they should be silent in church. Paul was not forbidding believers from using their gift, but instructing them to pray silently, speaking to themselves and to God. That way they would be blessed by the use of their gift, but they would not in any way hinder the assembly.

14:29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.NIV Having just explained certain regulations on the use of tongues in the assembly, Paul also placed regulations on prophetic speaking. Although this was the particular gift that Paul had recommended to the believers (14:1-5), he also realized that its use had to be regulated by love, edification, and order. Just as only two or three people should be allowed to speak in tongues (14:27-28), so only two or three prophets (those who have been given that gift, 12:10, 28-29; 13:2) should speak. It is unclear who the others are—they could be “others” who also have the gift but exercise it at that time, not by speaking but by weighing carefully what is said. Or “the others” could refer to the congregation as a whole, discussing a prophet’s words to make sure that they agreed with Scripture. People in the church should never accept the words of any person, gifted or not, without careful discernment and personal knowledge of God’s Word; otherwise, false teachers could easily obtain a hearing and lead people astray.

14:30-32 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.NIV In order for the worship service to continue in an orderly manner (14:40), further guidelines were needed. These words might have been directed at those who would have a tendency to dominate. One who is speaking should willingly defer to another who has received a prophecy. That a revelation would come suddenly to a person describes this gift and its use in a worship service. It, too, could get out of control if the speakers were not careful to take turns and defer to one another as the Spirit leads each to speak. The phrase “for you can all prophesy” does not mean that everyone in the congregation has the gift of prophecy, but that those to whom the gift is given and to whom the Spirit gives a message must be allowed to speak in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged (14:3-6). As always, the worship service should be for the edification of the believers.

The phrase “the spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets” means that “the people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can wait their turn” (nlt). In other words, this gift, like the gift of tongues, does not send people out of control, unable to stop their mouths. The message, given by the Spirit, is “subject” to the person’s spirit. He or she can control when to speak and when to defer to another. This gift could also be exercised in a controlled, appropriate, and orderly way.

14:33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the other churches.NLT The reason that the church service must be controlled and orderly is that God is not a God of disorder but of peace. In worship, everything must be done in harmony and with order. Even when the gifts of the Holy Spirit are being exercised, there is no excuse for disorder or disturbances. In order to please God in their worship, believers are not to be wild and out of control. Instead, they should be using their gifts in an appropriate manner, always seeking to edify others. To contradict God’s own character in worship does not honor him. When everyone in the Christian assembly is truly in tune with the Holy Spirit, there will not be disorder, but harmony and “peace” that pleases God and encourages his people. This was not Paul’s instruction for the Corinthian church alone; indeed, all the other churches must exhibit the character of the one they worship. When the Corinthians did so, they would be in line with what God expects of all his people.

* LIFE APPLICATION  – ORDER
Paul stated that God is not a God of disorder but of peace. Note that the preferred alternative to disorder is “peace.” Too often, in resisting disorder, Christians have opted for rigid, predictable, and unvarying forms of worship in which God’s presence is as difficult to find as in disorderly gatherings. When there is chaos, the church is not allowing God to work among believers as he would like. Peaceful order should not, however, rule out God’s creativity, joy, and unpredictability. Do your part to have worship be a joyful, peaceful, winsome experience that draws people into it.

14:34-35 Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. If they have any questions to ask, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings.NLT

Does this mean that women should not speak in church services today? It is clear from 11:5 that women often prayed and prophesied in public worship. It is also clear in chapters 12–14 that women are given spiritual gifts and are encouraged to exercise them in the body of Christ. So what did Paul mean? It would be helpful to understand the context and the use of the word “silent.”

In the Greek culture, women were discouraged from saying anything in public, and they were certainly not allowed to confront or question men publicly. Apparently, some of the women who had become Christians thought that their Christian freedom gave them the right to question the men in public worship. This was causing division in the church. In addition, women of that day did not receive formal religious education as did the men.

“In all likelihood what was uppermost in [Paul’s] mind was the lax moral state of Corinth and the feeling that nothing, absolutely nothing, must be done which would bring upon the infant Church the faintest suspicion of immodesty. It would certainly be very wrong to take these words of Paul out of the context for which they were written.” William Barclay

The Greek word for “silent” used here is also used in 14:28, referring to the silence commanded on the one who desired to speak in tongues but without an interpreter present. Obviously, that did not mean that this person was never to speak in the church, only to remain silent when certain conditions were not met so that the church service would not be disrupted. The same Greek word is also used in 14:30 for the prophet who is asked to stop speaking (“be silent” in the Greek) when another has been given a revelation. Again, this obviously does not mean that the prophet was never to speak. This would negate his or her gift. Because women as well as men were gifted with tongues, interpretation, or prophecy, they would need to speak in order to exercise their gifts.

The “speaking” to which Paul referred was the inappropriate asking of questions that would disrupt the worship service or take it on a tangent. Therefore, the women should be silent during the church meetings, not because they were never to speak, but because they were not to speak out with questions that would be ineffective in edifying the entire church. If they have any questions, says Paul, let them ask their husbands at home. That they should be submissive compares with Paul’s words in 11:7-12—to keep the believers in obedience with God’s commanded lines of authority (just as the law says). There is no clear reference to an Old Testament passage. Paul may have been referring to a generally accepted interpretation of Genesis 3:16. Apparently, the women believers in Corinth, newly freed in Christ to be able to learn and take part in worship, had been raising questions that could have been answered at home without disrupting the services. In this entire chapter, Paul had been dealing with various forms of disorder and confusion taking place in the Corinthian church in particular. His words are corrective. In this instance, Paul was asking the Corinthian women not to flaunt their Christian freedom during worship. The purpose of Paul’s words was to promote unity, not to teach about the role of women in the church.

14:36 Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?NIV This entire chapter corrects the Corinthian believers regarding their insistence on the gift of tongues as a sign of being “filled with the Spirit” and allowing it to overtake their church services. In their letter to Paul, they may even have questioned his spirituality since they had never heard him speak in tongues (hence his comment in 14:18). They have been guilty of taking off on a tangent and leaving the gospel behind. So Paul asked, sarcastically, Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? Were they the apostles? Were they the ones who learned directly from Jesus Christ? The answer is no. Then why did they think they could decide on their own what would constitute salvation and how they should worship? The Corinthian church was out of line with what was acceptable behavior in the churches (14:33), and they needed to make some changes. The Corinthians needed to recognize that all true believers are filled with the Spirit at the moment of salvation, and that they all will manifest different gifts. This variety was the strength of the church, for it provided them with all the necessary “parts” (as in a “body,” 12:12-31) in order to function properly.

14:37-38 Anyone who claims to be a prophet, or to have spiritual powers, must acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. Anyone who does not recognize this is not to be recognized.NRSV The authority of Paul’s words was not to be questioned. As an apostle, Paul was writing a command of the Lord, and they all should treat his words as such. Any true prophet among them would acknowledge this; anyone who claimed to be a prophet but did not recognize Paul’s words as authoritative was not to be recognized. The lines of authority went from “apostles” to “prophets” (12:28). Paul was an apostle, so his authority was not to be questioned. Those who claimed to be “prophets” would prove it by their acceptance of Paul’s words.

14:39-40 So, dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.NLT With the words “dear brothers and sisters,” Paul closed his answers to their questions about worship on a friendly note. He truly loved these believers and sought to correct their errors so that they could continue to grow in the Lord and not be sidetracked by anything. They were to be eager to prophesy (14:1) because that is the more powerful tool for the edification of the believers, but they should not forbid speaking in tongues because that is a bona fide gift of the Holy Spirit. They must be sure that everything is done properly and in order—and that would happen if they followed his instructions as outlined in this chapter.

Worship services should be intelligible and marked by mutual respect and proper behavior. They should be organized in a way to enhance communication but not so as to stifle the spontaneous work of the Spirit.

*LIFE APPLICATION – WORSHIP
Paul urged the Corinthians to conduct their worship in an orderly way. Worship is vital to individuals and to the whole church. The quality of our worship forms a powerful expression of the reality of our conversion. Having been loved by God, we seek to love God back with our whole being. Our gatherings should be conducted in an orderly way so that we can worship, be taught, and be prepared to serve God. Believers should be encouraged to prepare for the expected in worship but also to anticipate God’s ability to do the unexpected. Those who are responsible for planning worship should make sure it has order and direction rather than chaos and confusion. Opportunity for the expression of many gifts should be included.

For more about the series The Holy Spirit go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Source:  Life Application Bible Commentary

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Filled with the Holy Spirit

Posted on June 23, 2012 by dkoop

The terms “filled or baptized” with the Holy Spirit can be confusing.  Here’s a great article that helps explain the biblical meaning:

Throughout the Bible the revelation of the Holy Spirit had been step by step.

Prophecy shows this clearly.

1.  Joel prophesied, “It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.…” (Joel 2:28-29).

2.  John the Baptist said, “I baptize with water, but He shall baptize with [en, in] the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16).

3.  In the early part of Jesus’ ministry, He had said that believers were to be “born again…by the Spirit” (John 3:3-4; cp. 1 John 5:1).

4.  During His ministry, Jesus taught that men were to receive the Holy Spirit by prayer (Luke 11:13).

5.  In the Upper Room, Jesus identified the Holy Spirit as a Person (John 14:15-26), and He outlined the work of the Spirit with both unbelievers and believers (John 16:7-15). Significantly, He revealed that He was praying to the Father for the Comforter to come and abide with the disciples (John 14:16-17).

6.  After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to His disciples in the Upper Room. There He symbolically breathed on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). But He insisted they not begin their ministry until they experienced the Spirit actually coming upon them with power (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8).

7.  Right before Jesus was to ascend into heaven, He said, “John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5).

8.  Then, ten days after Jesus’ ascension and after much prayer, the Holy Spirit came upon and filled the whole body of believers at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

 

There are two events of the Holy Spirit’s coming that seem to hold historical significance. These two particular events are very, very special to the church, for both Jewish and Gentile believers were clearly seen to be in God’s historical plan. Both Jew and Gentile were baptized by the Holy Spirit, that is, placed into the body of Christ, His Church.

1.  At Pentecost: the disciples were “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4).

a.  This was in fulfillment of the prophecy by Joel. The Spirit was poured out upon the believers (Acts 2:16).

b.  This was in fulfillment of the prophesies by Jesus and John. The Spirit baptized, that is, immersed the believers with His own presence (Acts 1:5; Acts 10:44-48; cp. Acts 11:15-16, esp. Acts 11:16).

2.  At Cornelius’ house: the Holy Spirit “fell,” was “poured out,” and was “received” by the Gentile believers (Acts 10:44-47).

a.  Peter said to the Jews who came with him, “These received the Holy Spirit as well as we” (Acts 10:47).

b.  Peter reported the event to the Jerusalem Church: “The Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that He said, John indeed baptized with water: but ‘ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit‘ ” (Acts 11:15-16).

c.  Peter used the experience to support Paul before the great Jerusalem Council:

            “God…[gave] them the Holy Spirit even as He did unto us“ (Acts 15:8).

In all three instances the idea conveyed is that of an event just like their own experience. It is as though Peter pointed to a Gentile Pentecost or at least an extension of Pentecost in Acts 2 to include the Gentiles.

 

Note two other facts:

1.  At Pentecost, the account uses the word filled, not baptized.

2.  At Cornelius’ house, the account says the Holy Spirit fell, was poured out, and received. But in reporting the experience to the Jerusalem Church, Peter used the word baptized. He said the Gentile believers were “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 11:16) “as on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). This clearly says that although the word baptized is not used in the Pentecost experience, the disciples were baptized or immersed with the Spirit’s presence at Pentecost.* The words filled, received, poured, baptized, and fell upon are all used interchangeably to describe the Spirit’s presence coming into a believer’s life. (If believers would heed this, it would eliminate many of the arguments that arise over terminology.)

 

Other than these two events Acts records only four other times that the Holy Spirit came upon believers.

1.  A little prayer band in Jerusalem was “filled” with the Holy Spirit (cp. Acts 4:8).

2.  The Samaritans (half-Jews, half-Gentiles) “received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:15-17).

3.  Paul was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17).

4.  The disciples of John experienced “the Spirit coming on them” (Acts 19:6).

One other fact is important. Other than Pentecost and Cornelius’ house, the word baptize is used in connection with the Holy Spirit only once in the rest of the New Testament. People need to pay attention to this. What is being said is that after the book of Acts, the word baptize is used only once with the Holy Spirit. That one reference is 1 Cor. 12:13: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” That is, the Holy Spirit takes all believers and baptizes or immerses, places, and positions them into the body of Christ—into the church, the universal church.

 In conclusion, what does all this mean?

1.  When a person grasps the gospel and believes, really believes, the Holy Spirit enters his life. He comes upon, falls upon, pours, fills, baptizes (immerses) Himself into the life of the believer. This act of the Spirit takes place in the life of the believer. The believer has the Spirit coming into his life. The believer receives the Spirit.

2.  When a person grasps the gospel and believes, really believes, the Holy Spirit takes him and baptizes or immerses, and places him into the body of Christ, which is God’s Church. The believer does not feel or experience this act. It is an act of God that takes place in heaven. The believer is counted as a child of God. He is counted as a member of the body, of the church. This is a position, not an experience, which the believer feels. It happens once-for-all. The believer is adopted as a child of God—irrevocably. It is an eternal position, an eternal sonship (The believer becomes a member of God’s Church—positionally (1 Cor. 12:13).

3.  After a person is saved, he is to “keep on being filled with the Spirit”—day by day (Ephes. 5:18; cp. John 14:21, the word “manifest”). The early believers were continually filled (Acts 4:8, 31).

For more about the series The Holy Spirit go to www.RidgeFellowship.com

Source:  Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

 

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Fathers and the Power of Validation

Posted on June 17, 2012 by dkoop

A dad’s key role isn’t control. It’s to validate every one of his children.

To validate means to let your child know over and over and over, through words and actions, that the following are true:

• “Hey, you exist and you matter to me.”

• “You’re good enough.”

• “You’re an okay kid.”

Psychotherapists sometimes talk about the looking-glass-self principle. It’s the idea that children get their earliest, most lasting impressions of who they are from what’s reflected back to them by their parents. These impressions become those “records” in the jukebox of your child’s brain.

Let’s say four-year-old Johnny walks into the room where his dad is reading the newspaper, and Dad doesn’t confirm Johnny’s presence. Dad doesn’t say, “Good to see you, son!” He doesn’t even say, “Don’t bother me. Can’t you see I’m trying to read?” Johnny may begin to doubt his own existence.

It’s like the old, philosophical question: If a tree falls in the forest and there’s nobody around to hear it, did it make a noise?

In Johnny’s case, the answer is no. His existence hasn’t been validated by any response. He interprets that to mean, I’m not an okay person. This may be a totally wrong interpretation; his dad may not believe this for a second about his son, but this is how Johnny — and most children — will interpret this scenario. That’s the way children’s brains operate.

That’s often why children do bad things, as in these cases:

• Sixteen-year-old Jenny barely saw her dad, thanks to his 12-hour days and golfing habit. He did give her a new computer, though, and thought that would be enough to show her he loved her. She used it to post suggestive photos of herself on MySpace. When her mom found out and tipped off Dad, he went ballistic and banned Jenny from using the computer for the rest of the year.

• Fifteen-year-old Ace saw his math grade going down the tubes, so he figured out a way to cheat on the final. He was desperate for a good grade because his dad only seemed proud of him when he did well in school. His cheating technique wasn’t very practiced,though; he was caught and flunked the test and the course. As a result, Dad ruled that Ace would have to wait a whole year to take the driving lessons needed to get a license.

• Thirteen-year-old Bob remembered the fun he used to have playing chess with his dad.These days, though, Dad traveled all the time and buried himself in televised sports when he was home. Without asking, Bob borrowed his father’s expensive chess set and took it to school for chess club. Somewhere along the way, he lost a few pieces. When he confessed, Dad yelled at him for being a “careless idiot.” After that, Bob didn’t think there was much chance the two would ever play chess again.

In all these cases, a failure to do his job led a father to “clamp down” and substitute control for validation. That’s a substitution that doesn’t work.

Note, too, that by misbehaving these kids got some response — even if it was negative. By acting out, teenagers can affirm they exist and that their existence has impact on the world around them. Their lives have made “ripples in the water,” so to speak. They get something from their parents, even if it’s punishment.

To avoid that kind of acting out, remember: A teenager needs as much of your time and attention as a toddler does. In fact, a dad’s validation is so critical to a child’s emotional health that he or she will go to any length — and I do mean any — to get it, whether it’s real or artificial.

What Validation Isn’t

What do you think of the following example? Does it fall under the definition of validation or not?

Jason wanted to play basketball, but he was no star athlete. In fact, he never shot baskets at home and barely dragged himself to practice for the YMCA team, frequently skipping at the slightest excuse. At home he whined to his dad about how hard the coach made the players work, demanding extra running drills.  When games started and Jason spent most of his time on the bench, he got frustrated and decided to quit. His dad felt sorry for the boy and told him it was all right to drop off the team. “Some people just don’t recognize natural talent,” Dad assured Jason.

Is that validation? And the answer is . . . no.

Validation doesn’t mean lying. It doesn’t mean telling me, “Great game, son!” when I really played poorly. Many parents have so bought into the self-esteem movement that no matter who wins or loses the baseball tournament, everybody deserves a trophy. In a feeble attempt to “validate” every player (and assuming the only way to do that is with a shiny cup), we end up extracting the genuine power and intention of true validation.

Just as validation has nothing to do with control, it has no relation to being a “softie” as a parent.

You can be firm and strong and still validate your child. It means acknowledging your son or daughter, certifying his or her existence, affirming the person apart from the not-so-good performance.

Some fathers go to the opposite extreme, withholding validation when kids don’t “measure up.”

Our culture is so conditional in its validation — affirming only those who’ve won fame or fortune, or been born (or surgically assisted) with “good” looks — that the same approach often creeps into our parenting. It’s easy for a man to validate a good performance; it takes a lot more time and energy to see and value the human being in the absence of any performance and put it into words.

In a way, these forms of “invalid validation” are another attempt to control the way our kids turn out. We want them to grow up full of confidence, so we give even mediocre performances rave reviews. Or we want them to achieve, so we skip the praise so they’ll try harder to earn it.

A dad’s biggest job is to relinquish that kind of control and affirm that the existence of each of his children, with or without any great (or poor) performance, is acceptable. If you’re a father, recognize that each of your children is worthy of being alive. You may know that, but each of your children needs to hear it from you.

Value that child as a person, even when disciplining an action or attitude. Make sure your child knows he or she is good enough for you.

Otherwise, when that tree falls in the forest, the silence will be deafening.

The best time to begin validating is the day you bring your baby home from the hospital.

Parenting a teenager begins when he or she is born.

When he or she is born. Really. But it’s never too late to start. Do it often enough to cut a record in your teen’s jukebox that says, “I’m okay. I’m good enough.” If you can do that, trying to compensate with control won’t be such a temptation.

Source:  Losing Control & Liking It, by Tim Sanford a Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2009, Focus on the Family.

Happy Father’s Day!    Being a father is a powerful force in the life of your children.  My goal is to encourage you and help you be the best dad you can be.  I am praying for you.  Darrell

www.RidgeFellowship.com

 

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