1 Cor 14 – Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 1 Cor 14:1-5

1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.

A. Find Out:

1. What are we to desire and how? v.1
2. To whom does a tongue speaker speak? v.2
3. To whom does one prophesy and why? v.3
4. How do speaking in tongues and prophesying differ? v.4
5. What did Paul say he wanted? v.5a
6. What did he conclude about tongues and prophecy? v.5b

B. Think:

1. What are the benefits of speaking in tongues?
2. What are the benefits of prophecy?
3. How are we to view these gifts?

C. Comment:

Some of us move into “unbelief mode” when we hit these verses. Whereas we would accept all of the rest of Paul’s teaching, when we come to these we start making excuses. Let’s look at them.

First, Paul’s definite direction: “eagerly desire spiritual gifts” (v.1) and “I would like every one of you to speak in tongues”. Nothing unambiguous about that. Summary: go for spiritual gifts!!!!

Second, what he says about tongues: it is speaking to God – it is not another form of prophesy, it is the heart cry of the individual to the Lord. When it is truly that and interpreted when used publicly, it is a beautiful revelation of the work of grace being done in our hearts. As it comes it softens the hearts of the rest of us to be more open to the Lord. How rarely we see it like that in the Church! Note: it also edifies or builds up the individual himself. We each need building up and this is one personal way that the Holy Spirit has given us. Let’s use it!

Third, what he says about prophecy: go for it more than tongues! When you prophesy you “strengthen, encourage and comfort” and build up the individual and thus the church. Not a wonder the enemy tries to discredit it. Paul wants all of us to prophesy. Some of us won’t because of lack of faith, but he still wants us to!

D. Application:

1. Tongues bring personal edification. Ask the Lord for them.
2. Prophecy builds and blesses others. Ask the Lord for it even more.

Passage: 1 Cor 14:6-12

6 Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8 Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.

A. Find Out:

1. What does Paul ask about tongues? v.6
2. To what does he compare it? v.7,8
3. So what does he conclude about tongues? v.9
4. What point does he make about language in general? v.10
5. What does lack of interpretation do? v.11
6. So what is his conclusion about this? v.12

B. Think:

1. What is Paul’s thrust in this passage?
2. How were they to overcome that?
3. What, therefore, should be the main lesson here?

C. Comment:

From what Paul now says in this passage it seems obvious that some in the Corinthian church were “going over the top” in respect of tongues. Perhaps they insisted that this was THE gift to indicate you had been filled with the Spirit. Perhaps you were deemed a second class Christian if you didn’t speak in tongues. Whatever was the problem, Paul gets tongues in the right perspective. (Don’t forget in all this he’s said he would like all of them to speak in tongues, v.5)

Tongues without an interpretation simply blesses the individual who is bringing it (v.4a) and does little to build up the whole church. That is the central thrust of what Paul is saying. It’s revelation or teaching that builds up the church as a whole, not unintelligible words. He compares it with musical instruments where notes have to have order to make sense. He compares it with languages in the word in general where, unless you have an interpreter, all a foreign language does is emphasise your difference and isolates you from that person.

So what’s the conclusion to all this? Yes use tongues as an individual to build yourself up, use it with an interpretation in the assembly, but otherwise seek God for gifts that, in love, will bless and build up the whole church. Let that be your main aim.

D. Application:

1. The Lord does want us individually to be blessed with tongues.
2. It’s not to stop there. Seek God for gifts to bless the whole church!

Passage: 1 Cor 14:13-20

13 For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an enquirer, say ‘Amen’ to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

A. Find Out:

1.  What happens when you pray in a tongue? v.14
2. So what did Paul say he did? v.15
3. What is the limitation on speaking in a tongue? v.16,17
4. What could Paul claim? v.18
5. Yet what did he prefer? v.19
6. So what did he tell them to do? v.20 

B. Think:

1. What according to these verses is tongues?
2. What are its limitations?
3. So what is the answer?

C. Comment:

Paul continues to speak about the use of the gift of tongues in the church. Having just said we should seek to excel in gifts that build up the church, he now says seek to interpret what you pray in a tongue so that others will understand what you say.

In these verses we see more what “speaking in tongues” actually is. In v.2 we saw that it was speaking to God. Here again we are told that it is praying (v.14), not prophesying as apparently sometimes seems to happen with so-called interpretations in some churches. It is praise and thanksgiving (see also Acts 2:11 & 10:46). Tongues is the cry of the spirit of a person to God and when it is interpreted we, the listeners, can marvel and wonder at the beauty of that cry as it is revealed. It is in fact the cry of the spirit of a person inspired by the Holy Spirit to praise God from the innermost being and as such is perhaps the most beautiful expression of praise and thanksgiving possible.    

Paul was able to testify that he prayed much in tongues, yet for the sake of the church, in a public situation he would rather bring some teaching that would bless, edify and build up his listeners. Tongues are good but in public they are limited in building up the church. 

D. Application:

1. A “public tongue” is a prayer from the innermost being.
2. To bless others, it really needs interpretation.

Passage: 1 Cor 14:21-25

21 In the Law it is written:

‘With other tongues
    and through the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
    but even then they will not listen to me,
says the Lord.’

22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and enquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or an enquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’

A. Find Out:

1. What had the Law said? v.21
2. For whom does Paul say tongues is a sign? v.22a
3. For whom does he say prophecy is? v.22b
4. What will an unbeliever think about tongues? v.23
5. What will he think when he hears prophecy? v.24
6. With what result? v.25

B. Think:

1. How can tongues be both a sign and rejected?
2. How can prophecy be both a sign and a blessing?

C. Comment:

At first sight some contradictory verses. Paul, like the good Rabbi that he was, uses an Old Testament quotation (Isa 28:11,12) with a double meaning. Originally it had meant foreign people would speak to the hard unbelieving hearts of Israel. Now, Paul says, these unknown languages are a sign revealing unbelievers. When an unbeliever comes in and hears tongues without interpretation they will show their lack of understanding and their unbelief by rejecting as rubbish what they hear. They won’t realise that this is something of the spirit.

Prophecy, on the other hand, is a sign that reveals and releases belief . When a believer hears it they realise it is a word from God and accept it and their belief is revealed. Indeed, even when an unbeliever comes into a meeting and hears this word of revelation that exposes the truth about them, they will be convicted and worship God.

The implication of what Paul is saying is fairly obvious: if unbelievers come into the meeting, in the case of tongues they will simply write it off and show their unbelief, but in the case of prophecy they will actually be convicted. Obviously therefore, the effect of prophecy is greater than that of tongues, so go more for prophecy than tongues (reinforcing what he said at the beginning of the chapter).

D. Application:

1. Tongues bless the individual and expose the unbeliever.
2. Prophecy blesses the church and brings out belief in Christians but can bring conviction to non-Christians.

Passage: 1 Cor 14:26-32

26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two – or at the most three – should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.

A. Find Out:

1. What may we have when meeting together and why? v.26
2. How should tongues be ordered? v.27
3. What restriction needs there to be? v.28
4. How should prophets bring order? v.29
5. What should happen when a second revelation comes? v.30
6. How should prophecy be ordered? v.31,32

B. Think:

1. What impression is given in verse 26 about the church?
2. What guidelines are given for the use of tongues?
3. What guidelines are given for the use of prophecy?

C. Comment:

Paul now moves on to give guidelines for the use of certain gifts.

First, note his assumption that gifts are CHURCH WIDE! In verse 26 he says “everyone has….” meaning that he expects everyone in the meeting to be involved in bringing a contribution to the direction of the meeting. Very far from ordered “services” today!

Second, consider the GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF TONGUES:

• a) A limited number of people should bring a tongue, and note that it’s under your control!
• b) They should speak one after another, not all together.
• c) Someone should interpret each tongue for the blessing of others.
• d) If no interpreter, then no tongue please. Note in passing that this is for tongues that are to be a blessing to others as against tongues being used as a communal worship expression hinted at in v.23a.

Third, consider the GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF PROPHECY:

• a) Again, a limited number of prophets should speak, so as not to fill the entire meeting with prophecy.
• b) When one prophet is speaking the others should “weigh” or judge the validity of what is being brought as revelation.
• c) If a second prophet starts getting a word while the first is still going on, the first should give way and allow the other opportunity to bring their revelation, so it is not dominated by one person

D. Application:

1. The use of gifts is under our control and should be orderly.
2. The purpose of gifts is to bless and build up the church.

Passage: 1 Cor 14:33-40

33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace – as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

34 Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to enquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

36 Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38 But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.

39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

A. Find Out:

1. How is God described? v.33
2. What was the practice in the church in respect of women? v.34,35
3. What does he ask them? v.36
4. To whom does Paul appeal and why? v.37
5. So what does he encourage them to do? v.39
6. So what is Paul’s overall guidance? v.40

B. Think:

1. Why do you think the churches at that time made women be silent?
2. How does Paul show he is winding up this subject?
3. What conclusions does he leave them with?

C. Comment:

Paul has just been speaking about maintaining order in the use of the gifts when the church comes together. God doesn’t want there to be disorder or chaos in the meeting, but peace and blessing. That’s why Paul has given the instructions he has so far.

With this in mind he also reminds them of the practice of the early church to require women to be silent in the meeting. This was a throw-over from Judaism. Wherever Paul had been going across Asia Minor he had gone first to the Jews and therefore the congregations he has been setting up still had a very Jewish element to them, especially that of requiring the women to be quiet and not participators. That was a practice and not a principle that gradually fell away, but Paul says it because he wants to emphasise the order requirement.

He appeals to those who are spiritual to accept his teaching on all these matters, reminding them that they are just one church among many and shouldn’t see themselves as doing their own thing. In conclusion he encourages the use of prophecy (for building up) and asks that they don’t go overboard and reject tongues. Simply make sure it’s all done decently and in order is his final exhortation.

D. Application:

1. Beware two extremes: services that are so predictable that God isn’t in them, and those that are totally chaotic in their content.
2. Encourage the use of gifts that build up the church.