Take your Bibles with me and turn to 1 Corinthians 14. 1 Corinthians 14. We are going to be looking tonight at verses 26-40.
Last time we looked at this a few weeks ago, we were mostly talking about speaking in tongues and prophecy. This passage talks about that too, but I believe it gives some really clear rules for how we should act in any church gathering. Those rules are summarized in verse 40 - a very well known verse:
[40] Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40 (KJV)
But this whole passage is about doing church decently and in order and it actually breaks that down into ten different rules for church.
Let’s read the text and then pray and then we’ll jump into this list tonight.
[26] How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. [27] If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. [28] But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. [29] Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. [30] If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. [31] For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. [32] And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. [33] For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. [34] Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. [35] And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. [36] What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? [37] If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. [38] But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. [39] Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. [40] Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 (KJV)
Let’s pray.
The early church context was very different from our context. Especially in Corinth. They very likely did not have a building. They often met in people’s homes and probably had to split their meeting into many different homes. If you’ve ever been to a small group meeting or a home Bible study - it’s a different enviroment from a church service. Everyone is expected to participate.
There are pros and cons to that. The pros are that everyone gets to speak and it’s a lot more personal. The cons are that everyone gets to speak and its a lot more personal.
Sometimes, in a meeting, one person can just take over. Sometimes people can argue. Sometimes it can get confusing. Sometimes people talk and they have no idea what they are talking about.
Now add to that a misuse of speaking in tongues, an incomplete Bible, people prophesying and hearing from God and you have a recipe for some really confusing stuff.
That’s what seems to be going on in Corinth and Paul gives us this passage to correct it. He gives us ten rules for church meetings that I think apply whether it is a big congregational meeting like one of our church services, or a home Bible study with two or three families.
So let me give you these ten rules.
Rule number 1.
1. It has to have a point (26)
At the end of verse 26 Paul said “let all things be done to edifying.”
Everything that happens in a church meeting needs to build up Christians, evangelize the lost and glorify God. It all needs to have a point.
And it’s important that we realize that the gifts themselves are never the point. Someone might have a gift of speaking - they might speak beautifully - everyone might love listening to them, they might cry and laugh and have a good time - but if they aren’t edified, if they aren’t evangelized, if God isn’t glorified - it shouldn’t happen in church.
If it isn’t helping other people - it has no place in church.
Look at verse 26 again:
[26] How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (KJV)
Apparently, when the people came to these meetings, everyone was trying to be heard. Everyone was vying for attention. And Paul didn’t like that. “How is it then, brethren?” is a rebuke.
So the second rule for a church gathering is...
2. It can't be an exhibition (26)
The point of a church service should always be “look at Christ, look at God, look at the word”. It should never be “look at me”.
If you want to “use your gifts” so other people can see you. If you want attention and fame. Church isn’t the place to do that sort of thing. Go to a talent show. Go on America’s Got Talent. But the church isn’t an exhibition, the church is for edification. Edify, don’t exhibit. Build up, don’t show off.
I remember when I was a boy, there was a man in our church who thought he had a beautiful singing voice. He wanted to sing a special in the choir where he had a long solo, and the choir director said “no” and do you know what that man did? He took his ball and went home. He left the church. It hurt his family.
The church isn’t the place to show off your talents, it is the place to build people up with the word of God to follow Christ.
So when you go to church, it has to have a point, it can’t be an exhibition.
There is a third rule we see in this passage and that is...
3. It can't go on and on (27, 29)
Look at verse 27 with me:
[27] If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. 1 Corinthians 14:27 (KJV)
Now look at verse 29:
[29] Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 1 Corinthians 14:29 (KJV)
Do you see a repeated phrase there? “two or three”. What’s the point of that? The point is Paul didn’t want everyone in the church to stand up and speak in tongues or everyone in church to stand up and prophecy. If they did that, the church service would go on and on, people would get bored, and people would leave.
That doesn’t edify.
My old pastor used to tell me “the mind can only absorb what the seat can endure.”
The service or meeting can’t go on and on while everyone tries to get a word in. Limit it to two or three speakers at the most so you can go home.
Rule number four:
Look at verses 27-28:
[27] If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. [28] But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 (KJV)
Notice that if someone was going to speak in tongues - there had to be an interpreter. So our fourth rule is this:
4. It has to be intelligible (27-28)
People have to understand what is going on. If people can’t understand it, than they can’t be edified by it.
So these modern charismatic churches where everyone is going crazy and speaking in tongues at the same time and no one knows what anyone else is saying - that’s a violation of this rule. Paul says if you don’t have an interpreter and you can’t interpret - shut your mouth in church.
Everything has to be understood.
Rule number 5....
5. It has to be agreed upon (29)
Verse 29 says this:
[29] Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 1 Corinthians 14:29 (KJV)
This is a really important verse for understanding the rest of this chapter. You had these people in the church who were prophesying - they were saying “I hear a word from God.”
Not everyone in the church was to do this, just a few. But here is the important part - what they said was judged. Who was doing the judging? Most likely the other leaders in the church. They were saying “I agree with that, I think that is right.” or “I’m not sure about that.”
Listen, anyone can hallucinate. Anyone can have some bad pizza and think they heard a word from God. They can “have a vision.” It’s the church and church leaders responsibility to make sure what they are saying checks out with the word of God and they aren’t just speaking craziness.
I was watching a video this week about a building outside of Orlando Florida that the locals call the “I-4 Eyesore.” This charismatic preacher who had a television station in the 90s believed God gave him a vision to build this skyscraper and to do it debt free. So they started building - and that building has never been finished. It’s been vacant now for over 30 years. They do just enough work on it every year to keep it from being condemned. Just an empty skyscraper - a waste of millions of dollars.
Whose to stop someone from standing up here and saying “I think God is speaking to me and telling me we should break ground for a 50,000 square foot building in the middle of the cornfield and that He will give us the money.”
I’ll tell you who - the church. If the men of the church and the leaders of the church can’t agree that this comes from God - it probably doesn’t.
So rule 5: It has to be agreed on.
Rule six:
6. It can't be out of turn (30-31)
[30] If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. [31] For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 1 Corinthians 14:30-31 (KJV)
This is pretty simple: everyone has to take their turn or wait there turn. You can’t have people interrupting each other in a church meeting - trying to get their two cents in. That sort of thing isn’t of God.
Take your turn, let others speak. Then talk.
It can’t be out of turn.
Number 7 is related.
7. It can't be out of control (32)
Verse 32 is a very important verse:
[32] And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 1 Corinthians 14:32 (KJV)
What does that mean? It means that no one gets to say “God just took over. I couldn’t help it. He just took over and I had no control.”
No. God’s prophets don’t work that way. The Holy Spirit doesn’t work that way. Do you know what does work that way? Demons. Demons work that way.
Everything in a church meeting has to be in control. It can’t be wild and ecstatic and out of control.
Let’s keep going. Verse 33:
[33] For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV)
Rule number 8
8. It can't be confusing (33)
It can’t be a big confusing mess where everyone is trying to talk and shouting over each other. That’s not of God. That’s not how any of God’s churches work.
Again...decently and in order. Not confusing.
That leads me to number 9, which is one of the most important things on this list.
9. It can't degrade into an argument (34-35)
Look at verse 34-35 again:
[34] Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. [35] And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (KJV)
These are some super controversial verses. Some people take this to mean that it is always wrong for a woman to speak in church in any kind of public way or pray in any kind of public way.
But there are two problems with that understanding:
First, we see that happen in other places in the New Testament.
Second, in this very chapter Paul has already talked about women prophesying.
Look at 1 Corinthians 11:5
[5] But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 1 Corinthians 11:5 (KJV)
Almost everyone agrees that this is referring to evaluating prophesies (the immediate context)
