Miss Hepburn;74902][COLOR=Purple]The church I sometimes go to -no one speaks in tongues ( publicly).A lady in front of me turned her head to look to the back of the church as someone stood to be pointed out as having been healed recently ---and she whispered in tongues in front of me and I found it fascinating. I had no idea what that was. But said:
That comes from a misunderstanding of what Paul said. He was actually rebuking the Corinthians, not teaching them a new prayer language. I wouldn't make much sense for Paul to teach them a new prayer language and then tell them that prophecy is better than tongues.here is the context of 1 Corinthians, the context that Paul refers to the gifts in.The whole book was written to correct the Corinthians because they were edifying themselves; they were puffed up as Paul says. They were using their gifts to edify themselves and not the church, this is Paul’s whole argument. He starts out getting on them for having divisions among them, I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, etc. This is wrong they are all of Christ, who taught them doesn’t matter. 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 ( KJV ) And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?Can you can see the context and perspective of Paul‘s letter? He is writing to correct these, envying, strife, and divisions. This letter is written from this perspective. He continues,1 Corinthians 4:5-6 ( KJV ) Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.Can you see what they were doing? Envy, strife, divisions, that no man think higher of men than what is written, that none of them be puffed up one against another. Can you begin to imagine what was going on in this church? They were trying to outdo each other, everyone wanted to be the best, have the best gift, be above the next guy, keep up with the Joneses. This is the perspective that the letter was written from and the perspective that it should be read from.Look at the sarcasm in this next passage as Paul writes,1 Corinthians 4:7-13 ( KJV ) For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.Can you see the sarcasm??? I highlighted in blue what Paul says of the Corinthians and in green what he says of himself and the apostles. The Corinthians were glorying and edifying themselves and were puffed up against one another and look what Paul says. Who makes you different from another. In modern English we would say ‘what makes you better than anyone else’? Then Paul gets sarcastic, Oh look at you, you are full and rich, you have reigned as kings, but look at us (apostles) we are last appointed to death, made a spectacle. We (apostles) are fools, not you, you Corinthians are wise, we (apostles) are weak , but not you, you Corinthians are strong. We (apostles) are despised, but not you, you Corinthians are honorable. Can you see the sarcasm? This man is an apostle of Jesus Christ, his authority is far more than that of the Corinthians. He continues,Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.In other words the apostles have suffered all of this and yet the Corinthians are glorifying and edifying themselves, they are trying to see who is the best in Christ, who has the best gift, who has the most wisdom. Paul is ripping them. Then He tells them,1 Corinthians 4:14-16 ( KJV ) I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.They should be ashamed, the way they were acting was shameful. However, Paul says I am not saying this just to shame you but that you will learn how to act. He tells them be followers of me. In other words stop glorifying and edifying yourselves and suffer as we (apostles) do for Christ. He continues,1 Corinthians 4:18-21 ( KJV ) Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?It doesn’t get any clearer, shall I come with a rod? He is telling them, I will come either in love or with a rod, it is up to you.1 Corinthians 5:1-6 ( KJV ) It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?Can you see? Time after time Paul is ripping them for their behavior. This entire letter is like this.Again,1 Corinthians 6:1-8 ( KJV ) Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.In chapter 7 he begins to deal with specific questions, and instructs them on food sacrificed to idols, the Lord’s supper, Spiritual gifts, and those denying the resurrection. However, before he launches into his instruction on the Lord’s supper, Spiritual gift and those denying the resurrection he says,1 Corinthians 11:17-19 ( KJV ) Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. Can you see? This is the context from which you need to understand the teaching of the gifts.Also,They were being rebuked for their use of tongues in the church, and their self edification. Paul said he spoke in tongues more than all of them, yet he said he would rather speak five words in the church that were understood, than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue. If tongues was for ministry in the church or a prayer language, why would Paul make such a statement??? Five words, how much teaching can a person do with five words? Not much, yet Paul said he would rather speak 5 words in the church that were understood, than 10,000 in an unknown tongue. Need I say anymore?