Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 1 CORINTHIANS #19 - 14:20-40)
2. 14:20-25 PROPHECY PREFERRED OVER TONGUES IN CHURCH
a. 14:20 BE MATURE IN THE GLOSSALALIA CONTROVERSY
A-delPHOI, mepaiDIa GInes-the tais phreSIN [5424],
Brothers, be not children in your:minds,
alLA tekaKIa [2549] ne-piAze-te [3515]; tais de phreSIN TElei-oi [5046] GInes-the.
but in :malice be babes; in your :minds however be perfect.
b. 14:21 PAUL APPLIES A PROPHECY FROM ISAIAH
en toNOmoGEgrap-tai, [HOti] En he-te-roGLOSsois [2084]
In the law it is written, [that] By strange-tongued
kai en CHEIle-sin [5491] heTEron laLEsotolaOTOUto;
and by lips of strangers will I speak to this :people;
kai oud’ HOUtos ei-saKOUsonTAI [1522] mou, LEgei KUri-os.
and not even thus will they hearken to me, says theLord.
c. 14:22 APPLICATION: TONGUES A SIGN FOR THE UNBELIEVER
HOSte hai GLOSsai eis seMEI-ON [4592] ei-sin, ou TOIS pisTEUou-sin [4100], alLA tois aPIStois [571]:
So that the tongues are for a sign, not to the believing, but to the unbelieving:
hede pro-pheTEIa [4394] ou tois aPIStois, alLA tois pisTEUou-sin.
but prophecy isnot to the unbelieving, but to the believing.
d. 14:23 UNDISCIPLINED TONGUES BRING REPROACH
E-AN oun suNELtheheek-kleSIa HOleePI to auTO
If therefore the whole church come together in meeting
kai PANtes laLOsin GLOSsais, eiSELtho-sin de i-diOtai [2399] eApis-toi [571],
and all should speak with tongues, and menungifted or unbelieving come in,
ouk eROUsin HOti MAInes-the [3105]?
will they not say that you are mad?
e. 14:24-25 DISCIPLINED PROPHECY BRINGS CONVERSION
eAN de PANtes pro-pheTEUo-sin, eiSELtheDE tis Apis-tos ei-diOtes,
But if all prophesy, and one unbelieving or ungifted come in,
eLEGche-tai [1651] huPO PANton, a-naKRIne-tai [350] huPO PANton;
he is reproved by all, judged by all;
ta krupTA [2927] tes karDIas auTOU phe-neRA [5318] GIne-tai;
25 the secrets of his :heart have become manifest;
kai HOUtos peSON ePI PROso-pon pros-kuNEsei [4352] toTheO,
and so he will fall on his face and worship :God,
a-pagGELlon [518] HOti ONtos ho TheOS en huMIN es-tin.
declaring that :God is among you indeed.
3. 14-26-33 ORDERLY MANIFESTATION LEADS TO EDIFICATION
a. 14:26a What is it then, brothers? Ti oun esTIN, a-delPHOI?
b. 14:26b IDEAL: EACH MEMBER HAS A CONTRIBUTION
HOtan suNERches-the, HEkas-tos psalMON [5568] Echei, di-daCHEN [1322] Echei,
When you come together, each has a psalm, has a teaching,
a-poKAlu-psin [602] Echei, GLOSsan [1100] Echei, her-meNIan [2058] Echei.
has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.
c. 14:26c Let all thingsbe unto edifying.
PANta pros oi-ko-doMEN [3619] giNEStho.
d. 14:27-28 THE RULE OF ORDER FOR A TONGUE IN A MEETING
EIte GLOSsetis laLEI, kaTA DUo,
If any speaks in a tongue, let it be by two,
eto PLEISton treis, kai aNA MEros [3313]; kai heis di-er-me-neuEto[1252]:
or at the most three, and in turn; and let one interpret:
eAN de meedi-er-me-neuTES, siGAto[4601] en ek-kleSIa;
28 but if therebe no interpreter, let him be silent in church;
he-auTOde laLEIto, kai toTheO.
and let him speak to himself, and to :God.
e. 14:29 And let prophets speak by two or three, and let the others discern.
proPHEtai de DUo etreis laLEIto-san, kai hoi ALloi di-a-kriNEto-san [1252].
f. 14:30 But if a revelation be made to another sitting by, let the first be silent.
eAN de ALloa-po-ka-luphTHE[601] ka-theMEno, ho PROtos siGAto[4601].
g. 14:31-33 EDIFICATION: REQUIRES RULES OF ORDER
DUnas-the [1410] gar kath’ HEna PANtes pro-pheTEUein,
For you all can prophesy one by one,
HIna PANtes manTHAno-sin [3129], kai PANtes pa-ra-kaLONtai [3870];
that all may learn, and all may be exhorted;
(kai PNEUma-ta [4151] pro-pheTON proPHEtais hu-poTASse-tai [5293];
32 (and thespirits of prophets are subject to prophets;
ou GAR es-tin a-ka-tas-taSIas [181] ho TheOS, alLA eiREnes [1515]),
33 for :God is not a God of confusion, but of peace),
hos en PAsais tais ek-kleSIais ton haGIon [40].
as in all the churches of the saints.
D. 14:34-40 THE AUTHORITY FOR RULES OF SPIRIT MANIFESTATION
1. 34-36 AUTHORITY OF MEN IN SPIRIT MANIFESTATION.
a. 14:34 RULES OF UTTERANCE TO BE SETTLED BY MEN
Hai guNAIkes [1135] en tais ek-kleSIais siGAto-san [4601]: ou gar e-piTREpe-tai [2010] auTAIS LAlein;
Let the women be silent in the churches: for it is not permitted to them to speak;
alLA hu-po-tasSEStho-san [5293], kaTHOS kai ho NOmos LEgei.
but let them be in subjection, as also says the law.
b. 14:35 WOMEN TO QUESTION HUSBANDS AT HOME
ei DE ti manTHAnein [3125] THElou-sin, en OIkotous iDIous ANdras [435] e-pe-roTAto-san [1905];
And if they would learn anything, let them ask theirown husbands at home;
aisCHRON [149] GAR es-tin gu-naiKI laLEIN en ek-kleSIa.
for it is shame for a woman to speak in church.
c. 14:36 What, isit from you that the word of :God went forth,or came it unto you alone?
e, aph’ huMON ho LOgos tou TheOU eXELthen, eeis huMAS MOnous kaTENte-sen [2658]?
2. 14:37-40 RULES FOR SPIRIT MANIFESTATION ARE FROM THE LORD
a. 14:37 PAUL’S TEACHING HAS THE WITNESS OF CHRIST IN IT
EI tis doKEI [1380] proPHEtes EInai, epneu-ma-tiKOS [4152],
If any thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual,
e-pi-gi-nosKEto[1921] ha GRApho[1125] huMIN, HOti KuRIou esTIN en-toLE[1785].
let him take knowledge of what thingsI write you, that it is theLord’s commandment.
b. 14:38 But if any is ignorant, let him be ignorant. ei DE tis ag-noEI [50], ag-noEItai.
c. 14:39 BOTH PROPHECY AND TONGUES HAVE THEIR PLACE
HOSte, a-delPHOI mou, zeLOUte [2206] to pro-pheTEUein [4395],
So then, my brothers, desire earnestly to prophesy,
kai to laLEIN mekoLUe-te [2967] GLOSsais.
and forbid not to speak with tongues.
d. 14:40 But let all things be done decently and in order.
PANta de eu-scheMOnos [2156] kai kaTA TAxin [5010] giNEStho.
NOTE: This mailing is the last section on 1 Corinthians 12-14. I would say that it is the “plumbline”passage of this section.
Derek Prince in his “Daily Scripture Prayers and Proclamations to bless Israel,” has this to say for today: Raise up “sons of Zion” who take God’s word seriously in opposition to the humanistic “sons of Greece.”
Make no mistake – there are among “Evangelicals” today those who are more in the ranks of the humanistic “sons of Greece” than in the corridors of the “sons of Zion.”
In the book “Our Father Abraham” by Marvin R. Wilson, he points out the contrast between the above two positions. He characterizes “the sons of Greece” – the Hellenists,” as those in the ranks of the “linear thinkers,” versus the “sons of Zion,” who are among the “Block Thinkers” of the East.
Let us illustrate the contrast by interpreting one of the parables of Jesus. He likens the Kingdom of God to a grain of mustard seed – small – but in its maturity it becomes a tree in which the birds of the air can nest. Hellenists would say – “Now let us consider this parable. Let us ask, “What do each of the branches of the tree stand for, and what do each of the dirty birds represent?”
A son of Zion – not a linear thinker, but a Block Thinker – is amazed. He knows that each parable has but one central thought. The remarkable capacity for growth is the one thought Jesus wants to get across. Hellenistic interpretation misses the point completely.
The thought of the “Plumbline” is likewise abused by the sons of Greece. They either fail to – or refuse to – accept that the entire Bible according to Bible Numerics is so ably presented by Ivan Panin. It cannotbe so lightly dealt with,
In Isaiah 8:20 the Spirit of God through the prophet exhorts us –“To the Law (Torah) and Testimony – if they speak not according to this word – it is because there is no lightin them.”
And Peter clearly sets forth the same thought. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: butholy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
Paul is just as clearly stating this same principle when he says in our passage, “If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you – are the commandments of the Lord“ (1 Corinthians 14:37). Only one time in his 14 letters did Paul state anything by permission and not of commandment (1 Corinthians 7:6). So when people say – “Oh, that was just Paul giving his ideas” – such is eintirely false and in deception.
To cap this – Bible Numerics by Ivan Panin conclusively prove that the entire 66 books of the Bible are authenticated by God – with his signature of “numbers.”
So what do we do with individuals and denominations who forbidto speak with tongues, when Paul and God through the Holy Spirit speaking through him – command us notto forbid such? And think not to say – “Oh, those things stopped in the early church.” Pray tell – “Wherein the New Testament can you find corroboration for this conclusion? And when we apply the Greek Aorist tense to such teachings, we find God effectively says the very opposite!
So – the entire Bible is God’s Plumbline to evaluate allpeople claim to say by the Holy Spirit, and all Bible interpretations. The early believers went to prison rather than capitulate to the wrong dictums of Jewish leaders of their time. Peter responded, “It is betterfor us to obey God than you.” The same goes for governmental edicts which would put preachers in jail for saying from the pulpit that homosexuality, abortion and political correctness is wrong. Jeremiah went to prison rather than bow to such wrong governmental edicts. So did the early apostles. Now we in the last days in the United States, Canada, Sweden and many other nations of the world – face the same situation as in Bible days.
Will the Plumbline of the word of God prevail for what we believe, think and act upon – or the humanistic, Hellenistic thinking of government leaders and many denominational leaders? One day we will allstand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to answer for the deeds done in our body. For all those who are hearers of His Word – but not doers– expect to hear His Words at that time – “Depart from Me you who work iniquity – for I have neverintimately known you!
- J.A.W.