The Gift of Edifying
Book of 1 Corinthians Chapter 14
Edifying is the building up of Christian knowledge.
Edification is the process by which we, as believers, are built up. We are becoming advanced in knowledge and holiness.
1Pe_1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe_1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Without holiness, we will never get to see the Lord Jesus face to face!
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Rom 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
1Pe 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
1Pe 3:13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
We already know that "Love" is the number one gift we must seek, but after this, we should seek to prophesy, evangelizing the Word of God.
God calls each individual who He makes His Pastors, and Preachers, but we can seek the ability similair to this to be more able to witness for the Gospel and it is called evangelism.
We are all, every child of God is to be an evangelist. An evangelist is those who proclaim the "good news" of salvation effectively.
Prophesy, as used here, does not mean foretelling of things to come other than the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no need for prophets today because we have the completed Word of God and there will be no new prophecies.
Prophesy, as used here, means to open and apply the Scriptures to our lives under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
God calls those He wants behind the pulpits of the Church. All others place themselves and are not God called.
We should understand that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be used for the work of the ministry of Jesus Christ.
We are to use the Word of God to help desperate people in this world we live in to see a new life.
Desperate people are those who do not know the salvation plan of God and will perish without this knowledge.
Every human being will get an opportunity to say "yes" or say "no" to our Heavenly Father.
We should keep in mind that there are always some people who feel their gifts and abilities make them better and more favored and privileged than others.
As we know, the gift of tongues is especially subject to pride and super-spirituality because it involves a heavenly utterance as opposed to ordinary human language.
The Holy Spirit would never give everyone in the church the same gift of tongues!
Since chapter 12, the Apostle Paul has been speaking of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. All gifts come by the Holy Spirit, and He decides what gifts we need as we serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Some people may have natural talents, but these are different from the gifts of the Holy Spirit even though these talents should also be used for the cause of Christ.
We know that the gift of tongues speak of languages and not some language of angels or any other Heavenly figure.
*****1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
Love in the Church will always be the number one gift of the Holy Spirit.
Every child of God is to possess the love of God!
Remember God is love!
1Jn_4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
The Holy Spirit is God, so the Holy Spirit is love.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The Holy Spirit produces love in every believer!
The next we should desire from the Holy Spirit then would be "prophesy" which is the ability to spread the Gospel as commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
There are no greater gifts of the Holy Spirit than these two!
As far as the gift of tongues, listen to the Apostle Paul.
*****1Co 14:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
1Co 14:4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
1Co 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
In reality, the gift of tongues was only for our benefit, and remember, tongues always speak of a known language.
Act 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Act 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Act 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
The gift of tongues in the Book of Acts and the Book to the Corinthians were the same.
Even if you know many languages it is still a lesser gift.
1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
The foundational gifts for the edifying of Church are: Apostle, Prophet, evangelist, pastor-teacher, and teacher.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Tongues are not foundational gifts of the Church and were never meant to be.
If anyone speaks in the Church, they must be understood if that message is to edify the Church!
*****1Co 14:6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
1Co 14:7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
1Co 14:8 For if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
1Co 14:9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
1Co 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
1Co 14:11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
1Co 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
There are two specific problems with tongues in the Church.
1) Tongues do not communicate in the Church apart from some other gift, which is "interpretation".
1Co 14:13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
Those sitting in the pews would not know what was being said and could not profit from the message, which is the job of the speaker for them to understand.
The speaker is to share some revelation of the Holy Spirit or some knowledge, or some teaching given to him by the Holy Spirit.
This can be proven by musical instruments, which must have a distinct sound, or that sound is meaningless.
A military trumpet must have a specific message for the troops to understand.
A person must speak words that are understood, or his message will mean nothing to those listening, who came to hear what God had for them on that day.
There are many languages in our world, and each language has its own distinct speech.
If a foreigner speaks to me and I do not understand, then I am a barbarian, dumb and senseless to him, or He is as a barbarian, dumb and senseless to me.
We are to have zeal for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but tongues should be at the bottom of the list, still considering that tongues is all about language and not about some unknown language.
If we are not servants to our particular church, then we cannot help our church to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and our eternal blessings.
2) The second problem is that tongues do not communicate even in prayer without "interpretation".
If we get into our closet and pray to our Heavenly Father in some unknown language, no doubt He will know what is in our heart, but when I pray, I want to be concise because prayer is just too important.
If someone is chosen to pray from the congregation and that person speaks in some unknown language, how is the congregation to know what is said without an interpreter?
The truth is that tongues will not continue until the return of our Lord. Those who learn what the Bible says will stop the speaking of tongues themselves as they learn the truth.
In truth, tongues were a part of the miraculous era of Jesus Christ and the Apostles and were necessary along with the gift of miracles as an authenticating sign of the Apostles.
Since we now have the complete Word of God, these things are no longer needed, and the Holy Spirit will not give these gifts to God's people.
1Co 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
1Co 14:21 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.
1Co 14:22 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.
Tongues were a sign to the unbelieving Jews and, in this sense only were used only for evangelism.
When unbelieving Jews would enter into any assembly and hear people speaking in foreign languages, it was a sign to them from Jehovah.
Isa 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
This sign should have led them to the Messiah, but they would not listen.
You want to get on the wrong side of the Lord?
Be the cause that someone walks in off the highways and hedges and thinks the whole church is mad because they cannot understand what is going on, and they leave and go to Hell because they never returned.
1Co 14:23 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?
Worship must be orderly, showing the love of God!
*****1Co 14:26 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.
We should understand that the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit are for the edifying of the people of God, who are the Church.
The Church is not some building but the people of God, those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and are trying to follow in His ways.
There is only One Church, the Body of Christ!
This Scripture gives a view of just how divided this group of people was.
Each one of us must prepare ourselves before we go to the House of God.
We all have questions that we would love for the Lord our God to answer.
We should never go before the Lord empty-handed!
When in our daily lives we are made more aware of what the Lord Jesus Christ has given to us then He by our own mouths would love for us to tell Him about it.
We could call this a testimony, and we all should have a testimony of what the Lord has done in our lives after we confess to Him our sins and invite Him into our hearts.
He loves to hear from us how the Words of God have affected us.
When we attend the gathering of the Church with these things, we will notice our heart is filled with Him.
Sometimes may feel empty, and we want a refilling of the Holy Spirit and the message God has for us on that day we gather together.
At Corinth, everyone came with something, but the services had degenerated into utter disorder and mass confusion.
They all wanted gifts from the Holy Spirit that attracted attention much more than the gifts used to edify the Church and each other.
They were neglectful of the Church order!
Some had a hymn of praise.
Some had some doctrine they wanted enforced.
Some had a hidden mystery they wanted to reveal.
Some had an interpretation peculiar to themselves.
Some had some utterance in a foreign language.
None tried to promote common welfare for all their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Everyone was talking and doing their own thing.
This was a church in disorder!
To the visitor who came into the church, they heard nothing to tell them they needed a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The thing that made matters worse was when they all tried to speak in some unknown language.
If these things did not stop, this church would never be effective in the work the Lord Jesus Christ has given us all to do.
Every child of God with a personal relationship with Christ Jesus has the same job, and it is to tell others about the salvation plan of God through His Son Christ Jesus and what He has accomplished in our lives.
We attend Church to be edified by the Holy Spirit, and we must hear His message and apply it to our lives outside the Church.
*****1Co 14:27 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.
1Co 14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
We know that every word in this epistle came by the Holy Spirit.
We know that the word tongues is always interpreted as languages.
The Holy Spirit says no more than three people in the service were to speak in tongues and them not at the same time.
There was to be nothing out of order and no confusion.
There was always to be an interpreter, or no one was to speak in tongues (languages); they were to remain silent.
The person who spoke was to have the gift of tongues.
This was not some person who stood up with an impulse from the Holy Spirit that the person could not resist.
The one who stood up to speak had control of his words because he had the gift, and he could control what he was saying.
Those who stood up saying they had a message from the Holy Spirit in some gibberish did not have the gift of tongues.
No one could interpret such unknown words!
It would be hard to stop this sort of thing in a place where this takes place, but that place is to follow the Word of God, which is the Divine Truth.
This type of tongues, which is some unknown tongue, will only edify the person who is speaking it, as no one else will understand what is said.
The gift of "interpretation of tongues" involved the supernatural ability of someone in the assembly to interpret a foreign language, and that language would be translated into words for the people who were present to understand.
It was not a gift to translate some unknown language spoken on that day, which is impossible for people and not of God.
Since we now have the complete Word of God, the gift of tongues, along with the gift of miracles, is no longer given by the Holy Spirit.
God has given us the complete Bible, all the Word of God we need, and miracles happen through prayer and some intervention by God's Angels.
If there were more than one man called of God to preach in that service, then they would take turns, and the other one would judge the words of the speaker to see if he followed the truth of God and the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, the Gospel.
*****1Co 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
1Co 14:30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
1Co 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
1Co 14:32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
We should understand that the preacher has one job and one job only, and that job is to edify their brethren.
2Ti_4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
What Word:
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Did you know it is a sin to despise the Word of God?
1Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
We are to listen closely to the preaching.
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Every true preacher has a message from the Holy Spirit and will contribute to any church.
If the Holy Spirit lives within the man of God, he will know how to bridle his tongue until he gets his chance to preach.
All of us who sit in the pews are to hold fast to the truth of God!
1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
We are not to accept everything we hear unless it is the truth of God.
Keep in mind, most of those in this church in Corinth did not have a copy of the Word of God, it was being written by the true men of God.
Today, here in the USA, we all have our own copy of the Word of God, so we can know that that preacher is speaking the truth or not.
When we accept the truth of God, we will be at peace and we will not be confused about anything that the Holy Spirit has given to us!
The next subject has caused some division in the Church just as it did in Corinth.
*****1Co 14:34 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.
1Co 14:35 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.
This chapter has been about the speaking of tongues, which, remember, are languages.
Next, this chapter has been about order in the Church.
We are never to take Scripture out of the context when it is given to us by the Holy Spirit.
Some believe that the women in this church were using tongues more than the men, and even this was causing the church to be divided.
This is not the only place Paul addresses the women in the church:
1Ti 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
The family is the model of what the Church should be.
Eph_5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
This Scripture was written for the turmoil of that time that was happening in Corinth.
Whatever this passage is saying, it is not saying that women are barred from participating and sharing their own gifts in the Church.
Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Act 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
This word prophesy means to speak under Divine inspiration.
I believe that women should not teach a men's class, and I also believe that a man should not teach an all-women's class.
Paul had already recognized the fact that women could come under Divine inspiration.
1Co 11:5 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.
1Co 11:6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
1Co 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
Without good, godly women, most churches would fail to exist.
Paul then asks the church if they had received some special revelation on all these matters.
*****1Co 14:36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
1Co 14:37 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.
1Co 14:38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
1Co 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
We should understand that no lost person can receive a Divine revelation from God until they have first come under Holy Ghost conviction from the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
We must also understand that there will never be a Divine revelation to anyone that goes against the Word of God that we already have!
There will always be those who think they are God's greatest gift to mankind and to the Church.
There will be those who say they have some truth that no one else has.
Those who say they have some special insight.
Those who say they have some special revelation.
Those who say they have some special understanding.
All these are liars who are full of pride, and all puffed up about themselves.
Only the Lord Jesus Christ is the source of the truth and not some man or woman.
Many church groups say they are far above all others.
They, too, are deceived.
We should understand that the Books of the Bible from the Apostle Paul are the commandments of God, just as the Red-Letter words of Jesus Christ.
The speaking of tongues should have already left the Church and be non-existent, but it lingers on in certain denominations, even though they now have the truth of God, but they are not our enemies; they are dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
It is the preaching of God's Word that is the greatest of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Church is to conduct its business of leading the lost to Christ in an orderly fashion, but the Church is not to be so orderly that it becomes stiff and cold!
The congregation is to participate, and it is not limited to singing and the giving of offerings, but also testimonies, praise, and a good Amen from time to time.
Psa_47:1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
1Ti_2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
All those who reject the truth of the Apostle Paul are rejecting the truth of God.
Amen
