Lesson 479

(Lesson 479)(12-07-12) 1 Corinthians 14:20-33, "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, everyone of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. 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. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

This lesson is a furtherance of yesterday's and deals again with "tongues" and "prophesy".
Yesterday I posted the definition of "tongues" as it is related in Strong's Bible Dictionary. That same dictionary defines "prophesy" as: "to prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict, to prophesy, with the idea of foretelling future events pertaining esp. to the kingdom of God, to utter forth, declare, a thing which can only be known by divine revelation, to break forth under sudden impulse in lofty discourse or praise of the divine counsels, under like prompting, to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, comfort others, to act as a prophet, discharge the prophetic office."

The correct definition of the term, as it is applied in this text is "to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, or comfort others.
Paul, in this lesson, is praising the virtues of one who chooses to prophesy over one who might want to speak in an "unknown tongue" simply because he/she has that ability. He again clearly states that speaking in tongues serves no spiritual purpose whatsoever, and is simply a waste of time unless the speaker (teacher) does not speak the language of the congregation, in which case the speaker is to provide an interpreter so that the congregation is able to understand what the speaker is saying.

Paul establishes the value to the Church, of both "tongues" and "prophesies", "With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

The essence of this lesson is that we should not waste precious time on meaningless self-promotion that can be far better spent exhorting and edifying those who strive to teach the glorious good news of God's grace through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to the redemption of our eternal souls.~