Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 1 CORINTHIANS #18 - 14:1-19)
C. 14:1-33 MANIFESTATION RULES FOR GIFTS OF UTTERANCE
1. 14:1-19 CONTRAST BETWEEN GLOSSALALIA AND PROPHECY
a. 14:1 Follow after :love; yet desire earnestly the spirituals, but rather that you prophesy.
DiOke-te [1377] ten aGApen; zeLOUtede ta pneu-ma-tiKA [4152], MALlon de HIna pro-pheTEUe-te [4395].
b. 14:2 TONGUES ARE FOR COMMUNION WITH GOD
ho gar laLON GLOSseouk anTHROpois laLEI, alLA TheO;
For who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God;
ouDEIS gar aKOUei; PNEUma-ti de laLEI musTEri-a [3466].
for no one hears; but in spirit he speaks mysteries.
c. 14:3 But who prophesies speaks unto men edification, and exhortation, and consolation.
ho de pro-pheTEUon anTHROpois laLEI oi-ko-doMEN [3619], kai paRAkle-sin, kai pa-ra-muTHIan [3889].
d. 14:4 Who speaks in a tongue builds up himself; but who prophesies builds up the church.
ho laLON GLOSsehe-auTON oi-ko-doMEI; ho de pro-pheTEUon ek-kleSIan [1577] oi-ko-doMEI.
e. 14:5 PROPHECY AND INTERPRETATION: BEST FOR THE CHURCH
THElode PANtas huMAS laLEIN GLOSsais, MALlon de HIna pro-pheTEUe-te:
Now I would you all to speak in tongues, but rather that you prophesy:
MEIzon de ho pro-pheTEUon eho laLON GLOSsais,
and greater he that prophesies than who speaks in tongues,
ekTOS ei medi-er-meNEUe [1329], HIna heek-kleSIa oi-ko-doMEN [3619] LAbe.
except he interpret, that the church receive edification.
f. 14:6 THE TRUE MEANS FOR EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH
nun de, a-delPHOI, eAN ELthopros huMAS GLOSsais laLON, ti huMAS o-pheLEso[5623],
But now, brothers, if I come unto you speaking in tongues, what shall I profit you,
eAN mehuMIN laLEsoeen a-po-kaLUpsei [602], een GNOsei [1108],
unless I speak to you either by revelation, or of knowledge,
een pro-pheTEIa [4394], een di-daCHE[1322]?
or of prophecy, or of teaching?
g. 14:7 ALL SOUNDS MUST HAVE SIGNIFICANCE
HOmos ta Apsu-cha [895], phoNEN [5456] diDONta, EIte auLOS [836] EIte kiTHAra [2788],
Even the thingswithout life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp,
eAN di-as-toLEN [1293] tois PHTHOGgois [5353] medo,
if they give no distinction in the sounds,
pos gnosTHEse-tai to auLOUme-non eto ki-tha-riZOme-non?
how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
h. 14:8 For if also the trumpet give an uncertain voice, who shall prepare himself for war?
kai gar eAN Ade-lon [82] phoNEN SALpigx [4536] do, tis pa-ra-skeuAse-tai [3903] eis POle-mon?
i. 14:9 SPEECH IS EMPTY IF NOT UNDERSTOOD
HOUtos kai huMEIS, diA tes GLOSses eAN meEUsemon [2154] LOgon DOte,
So also you, unless you utter by the tongue distinct speech,
posgnosTHEse-tai [1097] to laLOUme-non [2980]? Eses-the gar eis aEra [109] laLOUNtes.
how shall itbe known what is spoken? for you will be speaking into the air.
j. 14:10 Thereare, it may be, so many kinds of voices in theworld, and nothing is voiceless.
toSAUta, ei TUchoi, GEnephoNON ei-sin en KOSmo[2889],
k. 14:11 UNINTELLIGIBLE VOICES ARE AS FOREIGN LANGUAGES
eAN oun meeiDOten DUna-min tes phoNES, Eso-mai tolaLOUNti BARba-ros [915],
If then I know not the force of the voice, I shall be to him that speaks a barbarian,
kai ho laLON en eMOI BARba-ros.
and who speaks will be a barbarian in my mind.
l. 14:12 COVET GIFTS FOR CHURCH EDIFICATION
HOUtos kai huMEIS, ePEI ze-loTAI [2207] es-te pneuMAton [4151],
So you also, since you are zealots for spirits,
pros ten oi-ko-doMEN [3619] tes ek-kleSIas zeTEIte HIna pe-risSEUe-te [4052].
seek that you may abound unto the edification of the church.
m. 14:13 Wherefore let him that speaks in a tongue pray that he interpret.
Di’ HO ho laLON GLOSsepro-seuCHEStho[4336] HIna di-er-meNEUe[1329].
n. 14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my :spirit prays, but my :understanding is unfruitful.
eAN gar proSEUcho-mai GLOSse, to PNEU-MA mou proSEUche-tai, ho de nousmou AkarPOSes-tin.
o. 14:15a What is it them? ti OUN es-tin?
p. 14:15b BOTH SPEAK AND SING WITH SPIRIT AND UNDERSTANDING
proSEUxo-mai toPNEUma-ti, proSEUxo-mai de kai tonoI:
I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also:
psaLO[5567] toPNEUma-ti, psaLOde kai tonoI.
I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
q. 14:16 UNDERSTANDING PRECEDES APPROVAL
ePEI eAN eu-loGES [2127] en PNEUma-ti, ho a-na-pleRON [378] ton TOpon [5117] tou i-diOtou [2399]
Else if you bless in spirit, how shall who fills the place of the unlearned
pos eREI to A-MEN ePI teseeu-cha-risTIa [2169], e-peiDEti LEgeis ouk oiDEN?
say the Amen at your :giving of thanks, seeing he knows not what you say?
r.14:17 For you verily give thanks well, but the other is not built up.
su men gar kaLOS eu-cha-risTEIS, all’ ho HEte-ros ouk oi-ko-doMEItai [3618]
s. 14:18-19 PAUL’S EXAMPLE: PROPHECY IN CHURCH – TONGUES IN PRIVATE
eu-cha-risTO[2168] toTheO, PANton huMON MALlon GLOSselaLO:
I thank :God, I speak with a tongue more than you all:
alLA en ek-kleSIa THEloPENte LOgous
19 but in church I would ratherspeak five words
tonoI mou laLEsai HIna kai ALlous ka-teCHEso[2727],
with my :understanding that I might instruct others also,
emuRIous [3463] LOgous en GLOSse.
than ten thousand words in a tongue.
NOTE: Here for some is one of the difficult passages of the New Testament; while for others – there is thanksgiving for Paul’s clear exposition by the Spirit.
I read a book as a young believer entitled, “Let God say what He wants to say, and let the Bible mean what it wants to mean!” I seek to follow this maxim since 1946.
For me, the enlightenment from the Greek language in the Aorist Tense, the matter was settled once and for all. Many dispensationalists believe that the gifts of the Spirit and the office of apostle and prophet ceased when the first apostles of Jesus passed away. But – the Bible does not say so! As a matter of fact, because of the Aorist tense, it says exactly the opposite! It spells out that as long as the church remains on earth, all the gifts of the Spirit, plus the offices of apostle and prophet should continue to operate.
The Aorist tense describes an event taking place usually in the past – but just as possible in the present or future – that is complete in itself, rounded off, but with continuing consequences. See Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:28. In the latter God “set”(Aorist) in the church apostles, prophets… healing, tongues etc. In Ephesians, Jesus gave(Aorist) apostles and prophets etc. to function as long as the church is on earth.
Study the history of revival. Whenever God in mercy and compassion returned to the church as He did 7 times in the Book of Judges on behalf of backslidden and sinning Israel – thenall ministries, gifts and the supernatural returned also. In the Wesleyan Methodist revival of the 18thcentury starting about 1738, one half of all John Wesley’s preachers used tongues as a devotional help. In his words he said, “I neither encouraged this nor discouraged it. But I noted that those who exercised this gift devotionally, were among my most zealous soul winners.
In the beginning of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, many of the leaders and people used the gift of tongues devotionally. It is true that eventually this was discouraged, but at the beginning or initiation of practically every church revival, we find records of all the gifts of the Spirit reappearing, with the 5-fold offices of Ephesians 4:11 also.
It is God’s stated purpose that the manifestation of these should continue from Christ’s First Coming to His Second. If these fail to manifest themselves – it is notGod’s fault. But like Israel of old – slipping back into worldliness, idolatry, carelessness etc. – will cause God not only to temporarily lift His hand off His people – but to bring them back to their senses – He allows judgments of disaster and bondage to take place. It worked for Israel. It still works today. God’s judgments are alwaysin love and mercy.
He also judges nations in a similar manner. Books have recently been written pointing out the amazing correlation between the United States pressuring Israel to give up God’s land for peace – and judgments such as recently happened in New Orleans area and the wicked sinfulness of Mardi Gras.
In the 1906 Earthquake in San Francisco, the news media widely reported, “Whatever other cause might explain this earthquake tragedy, we can clearly say it had nothingto do with the judgment of God.” Then Frank Bartleman, who corresponded and prayed with Evan Roberts of the Welsh Revival from 1904-1906 – wrote a tract setting out that without exception – everyearthquake recorded in the Bible came as the judgment of God.
When this tract came out in San Francisco at that time, Bartleman had to literally run for his life because of angry mobs!
And finally, it is instructive to note that in 1 Corinthians 14:18, Paul testifies that he spoke in devotional tongues more than anyone else in the Corinthian church.” In another place he said,-- “Follow me – as I follow Christ.” - J.A.W.