Sunday School Lessons

May 16, 2021

CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND OURS (PART II)

INTRODUCTION:

1. There can be no greater absurdity than that professed Christians should deny the resurrection, that doctrine which is the keystone of their faith. Yet there were some in the church at Corinth, even teachers, who were denying the resurrection. (Vse. 12)
2. It is the resurrection of Christ that proves beyond all doubt that he is indeed the true Messiah. (Luke 24:46) It is the resurrection of Christ that secures the resurrection of the dead in Christ at His coming. Yet, there has been no period in the history of the church when there were not some within its ranks who opposed those very doctrines, including the resurrection, that are foundational to the Christian faith.
3. Such heretics have been called rationalists, modernists, liberals, etc., but whatever their label, their heresies are deadly. Therefore, Paul began by establishing beyond all doubt that Jesus died and rose again according to the Scriptures,
(Verses 1-4) and that it was a fact well attested. (Verses 5-11)
4. Paul, using a hypothetical, shows the unthinkable results that must follow, “if there be no resurrection of the dead…” (Verses 13-19)
5. He now leaves the hypothetical, and declares the positive fact. “But now is Christ risen, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” (Vse. 20) He proceeds to establish the resurrection of the dead in Christ, based on the fact that Christ is risen. (Verses 20-34)

I. FROM THE SAVIOR’S RESURRECTION THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IN CHRIST IS ESTAB-LISHED. (VERSES 20-28) All of the gloomy consequences presented in the preceding verses follow from the assumption that Christ did not rise from the dead. “But, now is Christ risen.” So therefore, our preaching is not vain, our faith is not vain, we are not in our sins, the dead in Christ are not perished, and we are not the most miserable of men. Christ has not only risen, but He has risen in representative character.

A. CHRIST’S RESURRECTION IS THE PLEDGE OF THE RESURRECTION OF HIS PEOPLE. (VRS. 20-22)

1. That He rose as the firstfruits does not only mean that His resurrection preceded theirs, but it was the first sheaf of the harvest presented to God as a thank offering, and was the pledge and assurance of the ingathering of the whole harvest. So His resurrection is a pledge and proof of the resurrection of His people. (Vse. 20)
2. As Adam was the cause of our death, so Christ is the cause of our life. (Vse. 20) Christ’s resurrection secures the resurrection of His people, because as there was a casual relation between the death of Adam and the death of his descendants, so there is a casual relation between the resurrection of Christ and that of His people. As death was by means of man, so life was by means of man. Why this is so is explained in the next verse.
3. As Adam secured death for all that are in him, so Christ secures life for all that are in Him. (Vse. 22) Union with Adam is the cause of death; union with Christ is the cause of life. (See Rom. 5:12-21)
a) As union with Christ is made the ground of the communication of life, it can be extended only to those who are in him. (II Cor. 5:17)
b) Although there shall be a general resurrection which shall also include the wicked dead (John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; etc.), this passage has only to do with the dead in Christ. The verb (zoopoieo) of which we have here the future, passive, indicative form, which reads “shall be made alive,” is never used of the wicked. Whenever used in reference to the work of Christ it always means to communicate to His people that life of which He himself is the source. (John 5:21; 6:63; Rom. 8:11; I Cor. 15:45; Gal. 3:21)
c) The real meaning of the verse therefore is, “as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made partakers of a glorious and everlasting life.”

B. CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION SECURES THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IN CHRIST AT HIS COMING AT THE END OF THE AGE. (VERSES 23, 24)

1. Though our resurrection is secured by His resurrection being tied to it, the two are not contemporaneous. (Vse. 23)
2. Christ arose from the dead, but subsequently ascended back to heaven; back to the Father’s right hand, where He conducts His Mediatorial reign, and shall do so until all of His enemies are put under His feet.
3. Then is the final consummation when Christ as Mediator shall deliver up the providential kingdom to the Father. (Vse. 24)
4. The kingdom that He shall thus deliver up to the Father is that dominion which was given to Him over all powers in heaven and earth, which He shall deliver up when all of the work of redemption is fully accomplished. Since Christ’s Kingdom is everlasting, and of His dominion there shall be no end, this must be understood as referring to His Mediatorial dominion, which He received from the Father (Matt. 28:18), and which shall have an end.
(Vse. 24a)

C. IT IS NECESSARY THAT CHRIST MEDIATORIAL RULE, TO WHICH HE WAS EXALTED AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, SHOULD CONTINUE UNTIL THE END COME,WHEN HIS GREAT WORK OF SUB-DUING AND RESTRAINING EVIL IS ACCOMPLISHED. (VERSES 25-28)

1. He must maintain his dominion until he has destroyed all of his enemies. (Vse. 25; Psalm 110:1; Matt. 22:44;
Eph. 1:20-23; Heb. 1:13; 2:8, 9)
2. The last enemy which he must destroy is death itself. (Vse. 26) Then men shall nevermore be subject to its power. Then death shall be swallowed up in victory. (Vse. 54) “Neither shall they die anymore.” (Luke 20:36)
3. The proof that death is finally to be destroyed is taken from Psalm 8:6, which is here referenced. (Vse. 27) That Psalm predicts that all things shall be in subjection to the Messiah.
4. When the work of redemption has been accomplished, the dead raised, the judgment held, the enemies of Christ all subdued, then, and not until then, shall the Son also Himself be subject to Him Who put all things under Him.
(Vse. 28) This verse parallels Vse. 24. The subjection of the Son to the Father means precisely what is meant by His delivering up the kingdom to God, even the Father. The subjection of which the Apostle here speaks is not of the eternal Logos, the second person of the Trinity, any more than the kingdom referred to in Vse. 24 is that eternal dominion which belongs to the Son of God eternally.

II. SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS BY WHICH THE APOSTLE FURTHERS HIS AURGUMENT FOR THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IN CHRIST. (VERSES 29-34)

A. THE CASE OF THOSE WHO WERE BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD. (VSE. 29) This verse has been interpreted in many ways, and a variety of possible explanations have been offered, some of which seem more plausible than others.

1. Some think that Paul here speaks figuratively of baptism. Jesus referred to his suffering and death as a baptism. (Luke 12:50) Thus, why would any endure such suffering, even martyrdom, if there were no resurrection? This view does not seem very likely.
2. It is possible that Paul is referring to some practice which existed in his time, the knowledge of which is now lost. Perhaps there was a custom similar to that which was afterward practiced by the Corinthians and Marcionites that had already been introduced at Corinth which involved vicarious baptisms, allowing a living person to be baptized for someone who died without the hope of salvation.
a) Objections to this view are that the practice was superstitious and heretical, and would therefore have been immediately condemned by Paul.
b) However, that would not necessarily be so. We have already considered two cases in which things disapproved in the church were mentioned without his immediate condemnation of the error.
(1) See Ch. 11:5 with Ch. 14:34 and I Tim. 2:11, 12.
(2) See Ch. 10:8 with Ch. 10:14-22.

c) Perhaps this may have been one of those things which he left “to be set in order when he came.” (Ch. 11:34)
d) In any case, the question would be valid, and serve to make his point. “What shall they do which are baptized for the dead?” If the dead rise not, what sense did it make? (Notice, he did not say “What shall we do,” but… “they.”)

3. Others think “the dead” here means Christ. Why would they be baptized in the name of a dead Christ? He had already established that “if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is not Christ risen.” (Vse. 13) Baptism has no meaning at all if Christ is not risen. (Rom. 6:4, 5)
4. Others take the Apostle’s words as referring to the true Christian ordinance of baptism, according to which the believer is baptized as dead. Why are we baptized as the dead, if there is no resurrection which is symbolized in the completion of the ceremony?
5. There are other less plausible views, which we need not to mention.

B. THE CASE OF HIS OWN CONDUCT AND OTHERS WHO ENCOUNTERED PERPETUAL HAZARDS FOR SAKE OF THE GOSPEL. (VERSES 30-32; II COR. 11:23ff)

1. The reason why he counted not his own life dear was that he had the hope of the life to come. He therefore feared not him who could destroy the body only. (Acts 20:24; Rom. 8:36; Luke 12:4)
2. If there be no resurrection, they were not only of all men most miserable, they were of all men most foolish too.
3. Paul assured his readers that he was in constant jeopardy. “I die daily.” He was indeed constantly exposed to death. (II Cor. 4:10)
4. He likens the violent murderous men who constantly sought to kill him to wild beasts. (Vse. 32) We believe he, here, speaks figuratively, since exposure to wild beasts is not mentioned in the long enumerations of his sufferings and II Cor. 11:23- 29.

III. THE APOSTLE CONCLUDES HIS ARGUMENT WITH A CAUTION, AN EXHORTATION, AND A REPROOF. (VERSES 33, 34)

A. HE CAUTIONS AGAINST THE CORRUPTING INFLUENCE OF EVIL ASSOCIATIONS. (VSE. 33)

1. Perhaps those who denied the resurrection were the sort of men who say “let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
2. The Apostle grants that the Christian’s life and walk was in hope of the future state. (Verses 19, 30, 32) But, having confuted their principal, he now warns how dangerous the lifestyle of such men can be.
3. It is best not to keep company with those whose influence is corrupting. (Prov. 13:20)

B. HE EXHORTS THEM TO STIR THEMSELVES UP TO LEAD MORE HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS LIVES. (VSE. 34a) “Awake to righteousness and sin not.”

1. We must ever be stirring ourselves up, using every means of grace available to us.
2. One means of awakening ourselves to righteousness is live in the hope of the life to come.

C. HE SHARPLY REPROVES SOME AMONG THEM. (VSE. 34b) “Some of you have not the knowledge of God.”

1. Perhaps some who were believers were too much ignorant of God and His Word.
2. No doubt, some were unbelievers, and knew not the Lord. What a shame!!
3. How tragic that within every church, even the best of churches, there are some who have no heart knowledge of God and of His salvation.

APRIL 18, 2021

CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND OURS (PART I)

1. We come now to what is sometimes called the great resurrection chapter of the Bible. That there were certain teachers at Corinth who denied the resurrection is clear from the course of Paul’s argument, and from his explicit statement in Vs. 12.
2. We can only speculate who these persons were. Perhaps they were converted Sadducees. We know that they denied the doctrine of the resurrection. (Acts 24:6-9; 26:6-8) However, some may also have been of Grecian culture. The Athenians we know mocked when they heard Paul preach about the resurrection. (Acts 17:32) From the character of the objections answered in the latter part of the chapter it is also very possible that they stemmed from such philosophy as assumed that matter is the seat of all evil, and therefore will not occupy the eternal state. Since at Ephesus there were those who taught that the resurrection was past already (II Tim. 2:17, 18), it is likely that these might also have believed in a spiritual resurrection only.
3. Regardless of who these false teachers were, since they were denying that doctrine which is at the very center of the Christian faith, their heresies had to be refuted.
4. It is the resurrection of Christ that secures the resurrection of His people. Paul therefore first proves the fact of Christ’s resurrection. (Verses 1-11), and then deduces the certainty of the resurrection of His people. (Verses 12-34)

I. THE APOSTLE FIRST ESTABLISHES THE CERTAINTY OF OUR SAVIOR’S RESURRECTION. (VRS. 1-11) This was necessary because this great truth is essential to the Christian religion. Should their faith be staggered in this point, it could mean the overthrow of their faith altogether. That heathens and infidels should deny this truth is not strange, but that Christians, who had their religion by revelation, should deny a truth so plainly revealed and validated is incredible.

A. HE BEGINS BY GIVING A SUMMARY OF THE GOSPEL WHICH HE HAD PREACHED AMONG THEM, OF WHICH THE RESURRECTION IS AN ESSENTIAL PART. (VERSES 1-4)

1. “Moreover brethren.” He now moves on to another subject unrelated to that of the previous discussion. As if they had never heard it before, Paul says, “I declare (make known) unto you the Gospel.” But obviously, they had heard it before. “Which I preached unto you which ye also received, and wherein you stand.” (Verse 1)
a) That which was being denied was a vital part of the Gospel which they had received.
b) This was fundamental. “Wherein ye stand.” Christ’s death and resurrection is the very foundation of our faith. Remove one of its vital elements, and the foundation is destroyed. (Psalm 11:3)
2. Only in this Gospel which Paul preached was there hope of salvation. (Verse 2)
a) Salvation is in the Name of Christ alone. (Acts 4:12)
b) Yet, there can be no salvation in His Name, except for the fact of His death and resurrection. His redeeming death and His victory over death are absolutely essential.
c) Belief in these Gospel realities must be retained. “Keep in memory”; or “Hold fast,” as the word is rendered in Heb. 10:23. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith.” We believe in vain unless we persevere in faith.
3. The Gospel of revelation consists in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Verses 3, 4)
a) The Gospel on which Paul laid so much stress was that doctrine which he had received by revelation and delivered to them. (Ch. 11:23; Gal. 1:12)
b) It was the principal thing. The phrase “first of all” has no reference to time or order, but to the principal thing.
c) Christ’s death and resurrection constitute the very epitome of evangelical truth. (Rom. 4:25)

B. THE GREAT GOSPEL TRUTHS OF CHRIST’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES. (VERSES 3, 4)

1. The fact that Messiah was to die as a propitiation for sin, and that he was to rise again the third day, had been abundantly revealed in the Old Testament. (Luke 24:25–27, 44–46; Acts 13:32, 33; 26:22–23)
2. It is a great confirmation of the faith of the Gospel to see how it corresponds with ancient types and prophecies. (Psa. 16:10; Isa. 53:4–6; Dan. 9:26, 27; Hos. 6:2; Matt. 12:4; Heb. 11:19)

C. THE TRUTH OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION WAS ESTABLISHED BY MANY EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS. (VERSES 5-8)

1. The Apostle first appeals to the credible witnesses of others, beginning with Cephas (Peter) and then of all of the twelve Apostles together. (Verse 5) See Luke 24:25–27; 24:44–46. He does not refer to every single manifestation, but he selects a few, which he details in the order of their occurrence. Next mentioned are the 500 brethren at once. (Verse 6) This was probably the meeting in Galilee mentioned in Matthew 28:7. He then appeared to James (we are not sure which James), and then again to the twelve. (Verse 7) This may be John 20:26, or Acts 1:4.
2. He then names himself as a witness of Christ’s resurrection. (Verse 8; Acts 9:3–5)
a) This was necessary to his apostleship. (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:21, 22)
b) Paul was the last to see Him.
(1) “Last of all” may mean the last of the Apostles, as “one born out of season.”
(2) “Last of all” may mean the very last, which he was.

3. How undeniably evident was Christ’s resurrection, so many having at different times seen Him alive.
4. These witnesses meet all necessary requirements to render their witness valid and irresistible.
a) The fact born witness to was of a nature that it could be known with certainty.
b) Adequate opportunity was afforded the witnesses to ascertain its nature, and be satisfied of its verity.
c) The witnesses were of a sound mind, and persons of integrity.
d) Then, add to this the fact that these continued their witness at the expense of great personal sacrifice.

D. PAUL TOOK THIS OCCASION TO MAKE A HUMBLE DIGRESSION. (VERSES 8B, 10) He was highly favored of God, and always endeavored to maintain and express a grateful and humble spirit. He does so here.

1. First, as an apostle, he says that he was “one born out of due time.” (Verse 8b) “Out of due time,” literally, an abortive, a child dead born, and out of time. He resembled such in the suddenness of his new birth, for he was not matured for apostleship. Unlike those who were “full-term,” he had not been a follower of Christ; nor had he been personally taught and nurtured by the Lord, so as to be formed for so honorable function.
2. He owned himself inferior to the other Apostles. (Verse 9)
a) He thought of himself as the least, because he was the last to be called.
b) He thought himself unworthy. “Not meet (worthy) to be called an Apostle.”
c) He thought of himself least and unworthy, because of his past life of opposition to Christ and persecution of Christians. (Comp. I Tim. 1:12 – 14)
d) Indeed, Paul was not unaware that in gifts, graces, service, etc., he was not inferior to the greatest of the Apostles. (II Cor. 11:5)
e) Yet, what made his amazing abilities and accomplishments even more amazing was the deep and genuine humility that he felt because of his past wickedness.

3. He ascribed all that he was as a Christian and as an Apostle to the grace of God. (Verse 10a)
4. He testified that all of his abundant labors were owing to God’s grace. (Verse 10b)
a) God used his former zeal against Christianity as a great motivating factor. Paul realized his great indebtedness to the grace and mercy of God, and it stirred him up to abundant labors for Christ.
b) Though he saw himself as unworthy to be counted among so honorable company, his labors were more abundant than all the rest. In this way, God’s grace was more abundantly manifested in him than in any other Apostle.

E. THE GOSPEL, AS HE HAD DEFINED IT (VERSES 1-4) WAS THE CONSISTENT MESSAGE OF ALL OF THE APOSTLES, AND WAS RECEIVED BY THEM AS TRUE. (VERSE 11)

1. It mattered not under which Apostle’s ministry they had been converted. All had preached the same doctrine.
2. All agreed that Jesus Christ and Him crucified and buried and risen again from the dead, was the very sum and substance of the Christian Gospel.
3. Therefore, the Apostle has set out to defend the great and central truth of the Christian faith, that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. He allows no room for doubt upon this vital subject, because if Christ’s resurrection could be disproved, our faith would be in vain, and we would have no hope that the dead shall be raised.

II. THE APOSTLE GOES ON TO REFUTE THOSE WHO SAID THERE WAS NO RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. (VERSES 12-19)

A. CLEARLY THERE WERE AMONG THEM THOSE WHO DENIED THE RESURRECTION. (VSE. 12)
1. That any professing Christian should question the resurrection is absurd.
2. Yet Christian teachers were then, and still are saying, “There is no resurrection.” (Isa. 8:20)

B. TO DENY THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IS TO DENY THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. (VERSES 13, 16)
1. The admission of the resurrection of Christ is inconsistent with the denial of the resurrection of the dead. What has happened may happen, but if it cannot happen, then obviously it has not happened.
2. Paul’s argument does not imply that the objectors admitted to the resurrection of Christ. His design is to show that their denial proved too much. It proved what no Christian could ever admit to, that Christ is not risen.

C. TO DENY THE RESURRECITON OF CHRIST IS TO SUBVERT THE GOSPEL, AND MAKE FALSE WITNESSES OF THE APOSTLES. (VERSES 14, 15)
1. This denial subverted the Gospel, because the validity of all of Christ’s claims rested on His resurrection.
(Rom. 1:3; Acts 1:22)
2. Thus, the preaching of the Apostles was vain and empty, void of reality, groundless, because the resurrection was the absolute proof that their Gospel was true.

D. IF THE DEAD CANNOT RISE, THEN IS NOT CHRIST RAISED, AND OUR FAITH IS EMPTY AND VOID. (VERSES 16, 17)
1. There is an inseparable connection between the two events. (Verse 16) If the thing is impossible, then it cannot have happened. The sense in which Christ rose determines the sense in which the dead are said to rise.
2. The essential repetition of Verse 13 in Verse 16 was designed to prepare the way for Verse 17. If Christ is not risen, we have no Justifier; no Intercessor; no Forerunner and High Priest within the veil. (Rom. 4:25; 8:34;
Heb. 6:19, 20)

E. IF THERE IS NO RESURRECTION, THE DEAD IN CHRIST ARE PERISHED, AND ALL CHRISTIAN HOPES ARE DESTROYED. (VERSES 18, 19)
1. The great hope and comfort spoken of in I Thess. 4:13–18 is a lie if the dead rise not. (Verse 18)
2. Christians are the biggest dupes of all men if Christ is not risen, and the dead in Christ rise not. (Verse 19)

a) Not only the future, but the present is lost, if Christ be not risen.
b) Our misery is such a case would not be over the loss of what we have given up, but because of the disappointment of our expectations. (Prov. 10:28; 23:18)

APRIL 11, 2021

ORDERLY CONDUCT IN THE ASSEMBLY

1. In this chapter, the Apostle is directing them in the use of their spiritual gifts, preferring those most that are best suited to do the most good. He therefore argued that those gifts by which the Gospel was communicated to the whole body were to be preferred. Thus, prophesying (preaching) was more useful than speaking in tongues.
2. This was because prophesying required no interpreter in order to edify the whole body. This was not the case with speaking in tongues, and this is the reason that speaking in tongues was forbidden unless an interpreter was present. Besides, he who spoke in tongues (without an interpreter), spoke only to God, Who needs not such a ministry. (Psa. 16:2)
3. The Apostle variously illustrated how, not only did tongues not edify, but might well have been cause for confusion. (Verses 7-11) He likened them to a pipe or harp which gave no distinct sound; to a trumpet which gave an uncertain signal; to foreign language which lacked signification to those unlearned in them.
4. Next we see that Paul was also concerned about the confusion that tongues would cause in the minds of unbelievers who came into the assembly.

I. PAUL ASSERTS THAT TONGUES WERE FOR A SIGN TO UNBELIEVERS WHEREAS PROPHESYING WAS FOR A SIGN TO BELIEVERS. (VERSES 21-25)

A. TONGUES, AS THE CORINTHIANS WERE USING THEM, WERE RATHER A TOKEN OF DIVINE JUDGMENT THAN OF BLESSING FROM GOD. (VERSE 21)
1. Paul here refers to Isaiah 28:11. However, he does not quote the passage as having any prophetic reference to the event at Corinth, nor does he give and allegorical interpretation of it in order to make it a condemnation of speaking with tongues. It is simply a reference to an event in Jewish history from which the Corinthians might derive a useful lesson. The Jews had refused to hear the prophets speaking their own language, and God threatened to bring upon them a people whose language they could not under-stand. From this they might learn that it was no mark of divine favor to have teachers whose language they could not understand. They were turning a blessing into a curse.
2. The gift of tongues was designed, among other things, to facilitate the propagation of the Gospel by enabling Christians to address people of various nations each in his own language. Used for this purpose it was a great blessing, but to employ it for the sake of display in addressing people of their own language was to make it a curse.

B. TONGUES WERE RATHER A SIGN TO UNBELIEVERS THAN TO BELIEVERS (VERSE 22)
1. They were a spiritual gift intended for the conversion of sinners, so that they might be brought into the Christian church.
2. The gift of tongues was necessary for the spread of Christianity, intended to convince unbelievers of the doctrine that Christians had already embraced.
3. However, converts were to be built up in the faith by instructions in their own language. Prophesying and interpreting Scripture was more profitable for such as already believed.

C. PROPESYING WAS PREFERRABLE TO SPEAKING WITH TONGUES FOR SAKE OF THE EFFECT IT WOULD HAVE ON UNBELIEVERS. (VERSES 23-25)
1. It is clear from this passage that the church assemblies were to have an evangelistic appeal, and that the conversion of unbelievers was to be desired. However, this result could not be achieved unless those who came could hear with the understanding. Thus, those who ministered were to speak intelligibly. If the ministers and others were all speaking with other tongues, then visitors who entered the assembly would think they were insane, and conclude that Christianity was ridiculous. (Verses 22, 23)
2. But, on the other hand, if those who spoke preached plainly the truths of Scripture, there would be reason to hope for the conversion of unbelievers. It is by the plain preaching of the Word that the Holy Spirit convinces of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come. By this means, He reveals the secrets of men’s hearts, and brings them to repentance and faith, to worship the true and living God. (Verses 24, 25)

II. PAUL DENOUNCES THE DISORDER AND CONFUSION THAT THEY WERE BRINGING INTO THE ASSEMBLY. (VERSES 26-33)

A. HE BLAMES THEM FOR CAUSING CONFUSION BY THEIR OSTENTATIOUS BEHAVIOR. (VERSE 26)
1. It would seem that they were confounding the various aspects of worship.
2. It also appears that they were speaking over one another, causing disorder.
3. This could not possibly have been edifying to the church, plus it gave the church a horrible image in the eyes of strangers.

B. HE CORRECTS THEIR FAULTS AND ESTABLISHES SOME RULES OF ORDER FOR FUTURE PRACTICE. (VERSES 27-30)
1. As for tongues, no more than two or three in any one meeting, and only one at a time, provided there was an interpreter present. Otherwise, they were to keep silent in the church. (Verses 27, 28)
2. As to prophesying, two or three only should speak at one meeting, and only in succession, not all at once; and that the other should examine and approve what was preached. They were to be in agreement as to the divine authority of the word given. This was to safeguard against false prophets and mere pretenders. (Verse 29)
3. If one of the prophets attending had something to interject by way of revelation, the one speaking was to yield to him for the time. (Verse 30) This was so that the whole church could benefit from what each one had to say. (Verse 31)
4. He adds, “…and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” (Verse 32) They needed not to speak together, for they would all have opportunity in due order. The Spirit, i.e. the divine Influence under which they spoke was not of such a nature to destroy self-control. There was no necessity why they would interrupt one another. The divine Influence is to order not confusion.

C. THE APOSTLE GIVES REASONS FOR THESE REGULATIONS. (VERSES 31, 33)
1. That all should benefit in knowledge and comfort. (Verse 31b)
2. The honor of God requires them. (Verse 33) God is the God of order, not confusion. Our assemblies are first and foremost to bring glory and honor to Him.

III. HE FORBIDS WOMEN SPEAKING IN THE CHURCH. (VERSES 34, 35)

A. THAT WHICH IS HERE FOREBIDDEN IS THE PUBLIC MINISTRY, INCLUDING PROPHESYING AND SPEAKING WITH TONGUES. (VERSE 34)
1. This was the rule in all Christian churches.
2. This is in accordance with the will of God as made known in The Law, i.e. The Old Testament. There, as well as in the New Testament, the doctrine that women are to be in subjection is clearly revealed.

B. THEY WERE NOT TO OPENLY INQUIRE ABOUT WHAT WAS TAUGHT. (VERSE 35)
1. Their desire for understanding is not to be repressed. They may ask their husbands at home.
2. The reason assigned for their silence is given. “For it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” The word “shame” means that which is ugly or deformed, thus detracting from what is essential to a woman’s true attractiveness, that being a meek and a quiet spirit.

IV. PAUL CONCLUDES THIS SUBJECT BY REQUIRING THEM TO PREFORM ALL THINGS IN PUBLIC WORSHIP WITH ORDER AND DECENCY. (VERSES 36-40)

A. HE REBUKES THE CORINTHIANS FOR THEIR ARROGANT AND EXTRAVAGANT PRIDE AND SELF CONCEIT. (VERSE 36)

1. This rebuke is delivered in cutting sarcasm. “What? Came the Word of God out form you? Or came it unto you only?”
a) Did the Gospel originate with them? Did Christianity come out of Corinth? Did it originate with them?
b) Or, if not, was it now limited and confined to them? Were they the only church favored with divine revelation?
c) Did they think that they were free to depart from the good practices of all other churches?

2. He clearly found their behavior to be intolerably assuming, and thus he rebukes them sternly.

B. HE LET THEM KNOW THAT WHAT HE SAID TO THEM WAS THE COMMAND OF GOD. (VERSES 37, 38)
1. No truly spiritual person or prophet of God would deny his divine authority.
2. Those who were truly the Lord’s were obligated to abide by what the Apostle of Christ said.
3. Let all who profess Christianity understand that these commands which came from the inspired Apostle’s pen are binding upon them.
4. But, if any refuse to hear, let them remain in their willful ignorance. (Verse 38)

C. HE SUMS UP ALL IN TWO GENERAL WORDS OF ADVICE. (VERSES 39, 40)

1. They were not to despise the gift of tongues, nor count it of no use, yet they should prefer prophesying. (Verse 39)
a) The regulations that he gave were not intended to eliminate the use of tongues altogether.
b) But, the scope of this whole argument is that prophesying was to be preferred, because it was the more useful gift.

2. He charges them to let all things be done decently and in order. (Verse 40)
a) They must do nothing that was manifestly childish. (Verse 20)
b) They must be careful not to give occasion to any to say they were mad. (Verse 33)

3. Let us therefore be careful that we give no occasion for our Christian faith to be evil spoken of.

MARCH 14, 2021

THE SUPERIORITY OF THE GIFT OF PROPHECY

INTRODUCTION:

1. The Apostle, in the foregoing chapter, had, himself, preferred Christian charity to all spiritual gifts, and it was his earnest desire that they should also prefer charity to all spiritual gifts.
2. One reason for this preference is not that spiritual gifts are of little value, but rather, because no gift is of any profit unless it is seasoned with the grace of love.
3. Another reason for this preference is that the only true motive in the exercise of spiritual gifts is love. It is the grace of the Holy Spirit that renders the gifts of the Holy Spirit pleasing to God.
4. In this chapter, he further established something that he has already implied, and that is, that of all of the gifts, those by which the Gospel is communicated are the most useful. Every Christian ought to desire such gifts as would be for the edification of the whole church, rather than those which would be for self-edification.

I. THE APOSTLE ESTABLISHES THE SUPERIORITY OF THE GIFT OF PROPHECY TO THAT OF TONGUES. (VERSES 1-5)

A. CONSIDERING THAT ALL GIFTS ARE DESIRABLE, SO LONG AS CHARITY IS THE MOTIVATING FORCE, AND THE AIM IS TO PROPHESY. (VERSE 1)

1. The exhortation here is to eagerly pursue this love – make it your aim; and earnestly desire and cultivate spiritual endowments, especially that you may prophesy.
2. Whatever gift one may possess, the purpose should be to convey the divine will to the church through inspired preaching and teaching.

B. CONSIDERING THAT HE WHO SPEAKS WITH TONGUES SPEAKS TO GOD, WHEREAS HE, WHO PROPHESIES, SPEAKS TO MEN. (VERSES 2, 3)

1. One that speaks in another tongue, if he does not interpret what is said, cannot benefit the church. (Verse 2) God is the only One Who understands him, and the Lord does not need to be edified. “Thou art my God: my goodness extendeth not to thee.” (Psa. 16:2)
2. It is not the gift of tongues that he censures, but the use of that gift when no one is present who understands the language employed.
3. He adds, “Howbeit, in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries.”
a) Some understand this to mean simply things not understood by the hearers.
b) The meaning is that, although not understood, what is uttered is divine truth. It is therefore a shame that none should understand.

4. He who prophesies speaks in the common language of the hearers; the speaker with tongues in a foreign language. The one was understood, and the other was not. If what is spoken is not understood, there can be no edification, exhortation or comfort. (Verse 3)
5. Hearing with understanding is essential to the Christian faith.

C. CONSIDERING THAT HE WHO SPEAKS WITH TONGUES (without an interpreter) ONLY EDIFIES HIMSELF, BUT HE THAT PROPHESIES EDIFIES THE CHURCH. (VERSE 4)

D. CONSIDERING THAT HE WHO PROPHESIES NEEDS NO INTERPRETER. (VERSE 5)

1. Clearly, this verse disallows tongues without an interpreter. When he says, “I would that ye all spake with tongues,” it is understood that he means only if there be an interpreter.
2. In any case, he would prefer that they prophesy. The only benefit that tongues could give was if through the interpretation it became prophesying.

E. CONSIDERING THAT, EVEN SHOULD THE APOSTLES COME TO THEM SPEAKING IN TONGUES, THAT ALONE WOULD BE TO NO PROFIT. (VERSE 6)

1. Here again he shows the priority given to the gifts by which the Word of God is communicated.
2. How much preferable for him to, as a prophet, bring them a revelation from God; or, as a teacher, set before them a doctrine of the faith.
3. Even the Apostle with all of his bestowments could not profit the souls of men unless he spoke to the capacity of his hearers.

II. THE APOSTLE ILLUSTRATES THIS FACT BY VARIOUS ALLUSIONS. (VERSES 7-11)

A. SPEAKING IN UNINTELLIGIBLE LANGUAGES IS LIKE PIPING AND HARPING WITHOUT DISTINCTION OF SOUNDS. (VERSE 7)

1. To pipe in one tone, or to harp with one string can be of no use to those who dance. If there be no distinction of sounds how should they order their steps?
2. Speaking in languages not understood cannot give direction to man how he is to order his life.

B. TO TALK IN AN UNKNOWN LANGUAGE IN THE ASSEMBLY IS AS CONFUSING AS A TRUMPET THAT SOUNDS NO CERTAIN SIGNAL. (VERSES 8, 9)
1. If the sound of the trumpet is so uncertain that it cannot be discerned whether its signal is to charge or to retreat, how would the troops know what to do? (Verse 8)
2. Likewise, if words spoken in the assembly are not understood, how can the church hear or heed the exhortation? (Verse 9)

C. HE COMPARES SPEAKING IN UNKNOWN TONGUES TO THE GIBBERISH OF THE BARBARIANS. (VERSES 10, 11)

1. There are, as the Apostle says, many kinds of voices in the world, none of which are without proper signification. This is true of the several languages spoken by different nations. Even within a single nation there can be many dialects. All of them have their proper signification. Without this they would serve no purpose. It is no language which does not communicate. But whatever proper signification the words of any language may have in themselves, and to those who understand them, they are only gibberish to those of another language, who do not understand them. (Verse 10)
2. In this case, the speaker and hearer are not of the same language, which, according to the Apostle, makes them as barbarians (foreigners) to each other. (Verse 11) They talk and hear only sounds without sense.
3. His point is this: To speak in the church in an unknown tongue is to talk gibberish. It is to play the barbarian. It is to confound the audience, and is therefore vain and without profit.

III. THE APOSTLE EXHORTS THEM TO EXERCISE THEMSELVES TO THE PROFIT OF ALL. (VS. 12-17)
If this should be so,…

A. THEY MUST DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS ONLY AS THEY MIGHT EXCEL IN EDIFYING THE WHOLE CHURCH. (VERSE 12)

B. THOSE WHO HAD THE GIFT OF TONGUES MUST EXERCISE IT ONLY IF THEY OR SOMEONE COULD INTERPRET. (VERSES 13, 14)

1. They were zealous for spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of tongues, but unless there was an interpreter, the church would not profit. (Verse 13)
2. He who prays in another tongue could not himself profit unless he understood what he prayed. (Verse 14)
3. This contradicts what some today think regarding tongues. They value the experience and the feeling as a great blessing, even though they pray not with understanding.

C. THEIR PRAYERS AND PRAISES MUST BE MORE THAN SPIRITUAL, THEY MUST BE INTELLIGIBLE. (VERSES 15-17)

1. “What is it then?” What is the practical conclusion? That conclusion is expressed by Paul’s avowal of this own purpose. He vows to both pray and sing with the spirit and with the understanding. (Verse 15)
a) We must pray not only with the higher powers of our nature, but with the understanding.
b) Or, as some say, not only with the heart but with the understanding.
c) Or, he means, “I will pray not only in the exercise of my spiritual gift, but so as to be understood by others.”
d) In any case, the idea of placing oneself into some sort of trance, or state of being out of control is not allowed.

2. Again, it is only in this way that others present can be blessed and edified. (Verses 16, 17)
a) The unlearned means those who understand not the language spoken.
b) How can one agree in prayer, if he does not know what is being prayed? “…say Amen at thou giving of thanks.”

IV. THE APOSTLE ALLEGES HIS OWN EXAMPLE TO MAKE THE GREATER IMPRESSION. (VRS. 18, 19)

A. HE DID NOT COME BEHIND ANY OF THEM IN SPIRITUAL GIFTS, INCLUDING THE GIFT OF TONGUES. (VERSE 18)

1. He spoke with tongues more than they all. Not only more than any other, but more than all of them combined.
2. They could not accuse him of censuring them in this matter out of envy. They had more reason to envy him than he them. He spoke more languages than they all.

B. HE HAD RATHER SPEAK FEW WORDS WITH UNDERSTANDING THAN VOLUMES WITH TONGUES NOT UNDERSTOOD. (VERSE 19)

1. Paul’s true apostolic spirit is here manifest. He labored in the Gospel for the benefit of those who heard him. (Gal. 6:6) He was selfless and even self-sacrificing for sake of the church.
2. His whole life was given to instruct and edify others. For this reason he was careful to be understood. Even as he spoke in the common language, he was careful to use great plainness of speech.

C. HE INTIMATES THAT THEIR FONDNESS FOR THE GIFT OF TONGUES WAS AN INDICATION OF THEIR IMMATURITY. (VERSE 20)

1. Children are more apt to be struck with novelty and appearances than substance.
2. The fact that there was jealousy over gifts was childish behavior as well.
3. Paul would tell them to be children in malice, but men in understanding.