Departing Principles: 1 Corinthians 16:15-24

1. The principle of devotion
15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints—1 Corinthians 16:15 (ESV)

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20:28 (ESV)

2. The principle of submission
16 be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 1 Corinthians 16:16 (ESV)

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Hebrews 13:17 (ESV)

3. The principle of refreshment
17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.
1 Corinthians 16:17-18 (ESV)

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
Proverbs 3:27 (ESV)

 4. The principle of greeting
19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20 All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 1 Corinthians 16:19-20 (ESV)

14 Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. 1 Peter 5:14 (ESV)

5. The principle of destiny
21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. 1 Corinthians 16:21-24 (ESV)

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:18 (ESV)

12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (ESV)

Maranatha:

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20 (ESV)

How Christians Should BE!!: 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

1. Be watchful
13 Be watchful . . . 1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)

31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. Acts 20:31 (ESV)

42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42 (ESV)

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. 15 Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. Proverbs 4:14-15 (ESV)

2. Be steadfast
13 . . . stand firm in the faith . . . 1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 (ESV)

12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV)

3. Be courageous
13 . . . act like men . . . 1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Ephesians 4:11-14 (ESV)

4. Be strong
13 . . . be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)

16 . . . he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, Ephesians 3:16 (ESV)

5. Be loving
14 Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV)

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35 (ESV)

Continuing the Work: 1 Corinthians 16:1-12

1. Continue the work through giving
1  Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2  On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3  And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4  If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 (ESV)

22  And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. 2 Corinthians 8:22 (ESV); Acts 11:27-30

26  For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27  For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. Romans 15:26-27 (ESV)

5  and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 2 Corinthians 8:5 (ESV)

38  give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 (ESV)

2. Continue the work through planning
5  I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6  and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7  For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8  But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9  for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:5-9 (ESV)

6  And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7  And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Acts 16:6-7 (ESV)

9  And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Acts 16:9 (ESV)

13  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16  As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. James 4:13-16 (ESV)

3. Continue the work through partners
10  When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11  So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. 12  Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. 1 Corinthians 16:10-12 (ESV)

Our Victory in Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)

1. Our need of victory
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1 Corinthians 15:50 (ESV)

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 1 Corinthians 15:42 (ESV)

2. Our time of victory
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (ESV)

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (ESV)

3. Our hope of victory
53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 1 Corinthians 15:53-56 (ESV)

8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 25:8 (ESV)

14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes. Hosea 13:14 (ESV)

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— Romans 5:12 (ESV)

4. Our faith of victory
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57 (ESV)

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV)

2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
1 Corinthians 2:2 (ESV)

 5. Our evidence of victory
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

Resurrection Sense: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49

1. The principle of continuity and discontinuity and the resurrection body
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 1 Corinthians 15:35-38 (ESV)

27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?? Jeremiah 32:27 (ESV)

8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? Acts 26:8 (ESV)

37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 (ESV)

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 (ESV)

2. The principle of variety and the resurrection body
39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
1 Corinthians 15:39-41 (ESV)

24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Mark 12:24-25 (ESV)

3. The principle of the spiritual nature and the resurrection body
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (ESV)

4. The principle of heavenly source and the resurrection body
45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (ESV)

7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7 (ESV)

Life Motivated by Resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15:29-34

1. Resurrection motivates those who are baptized “for the dead”
29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 1 Corinthians 15:29 (ESV)

“Dead” is the condition of the believer who receives baptism?

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Romans 6:6-8 (ESV)

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:10 (ESV)

2. Resurrection motivates Christ’s followers to endure persecution and suffering
30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? . . . 1 Corinthians 15:30-32 (ESV); 2 Corinthians 11:23-27

Fought wild beasts:
8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (ESV)

16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 . . . So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 2 Timothy 4:16-17 (ESV)

3. Resurrection motivates Christ’s followers to meaning and purpose
32 . . . If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 1 Corinthians 15:32 (ESV)

Quote from Isaiah Septuagint:

13 but they engaged in joy and gladness, slaying calves, and killing sheep, so as to eat flesh, and drink wine; saying, Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die. Isaiah 22:13 (Brenton LXX En)

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:12 (ESV); Hebrews 11:6

4. Resurrection motivates Christ’s followers to purity
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 (ESV)

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3 (ESV)

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:12 (ESV)

The Implication on a No-Resurrection World

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

1. Christians’ Lord did not rise
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 1 Corinthians 15:12-13 (ESV)

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. Matthew 28:11-15 (ESV)

2. Christian faith is empty
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:14 (ESV)

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” Acts 17:32 (ESV)

3. Christians misrepresent God
15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 1 Corinthians 15:15 (ESV)

4. Christians are under the dominion of sin
16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:16-17 (ESV)

6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” Acts 23:6 (ESV)

5. Christian loved ones have perished
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 1 Corinthians 15:18 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (ESV)

6. Christians are most to be pitied
19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1 Corinthians 15:19 (ESV)

Resurrection Proof: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1. The Corinthian’s response to the resurrection
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 (ESV)

This word received (paralambanō) refers to an established tradition passed on personally, and almost certainly by word of mouth, from the original eyewitnesses of the facts involved in the death and resurrection of Jesus (D. Prior)

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, Ephesians 1:19-20 (ESV)

2. The prophetic revelation of the resurrection
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV)

10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:10-12 (ESV)

10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. Psalm 16:10 (ESV)

39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:39-40 (ESV)

22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed. Matthew 17:22-23 (ESV)

3. The historical reality of the resurrection
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 1 Corinthians 15:5-7 (ESV)

4. Paul’s personal reversal and the resurrection
8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 1 Corinthians 15:8-11 (ESV)

The Necessity of Orderly Worship - Part 2

1 Corinthians 14:33-40

1. The prevention for orderly worship
33 . . . As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 (ESV)

First, men and women are created as equal heirs to the promises of salvation. (*points by Chuck Swindoll)

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 (ESV)

Second, women had significant ministry roles in the early church.

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, Romans 16:1 (ESV)

Third, the early church also had prophetesses who obviously engaged in the prophetic ministry (Acts 21:9).

8 . . . Philip the evangelist . . . 9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. Acts 21:8-9 (ESV)

Fourth, women were permitted to pray and prophesy under the proper authority of their husbands.

5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. 1 Corinthians 11:5 (NASB)

Fifth, for His own purposes God has appointed men to serve in the authoritative role of elders—those primarily responsible for leading, teaching, and preaching (1 Tim. 3:1–7).

2 Therefore an overseer must be . . . the husband of one wife . . . 1 Timothy 3:2 (ESV)

Sixth, women were not to “teach or exercise authority over a man,” but to remain quiet during the time of public address.

12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 1 Timothy 2:12 (ESV)

2. The proclamation for orderly worship
36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.
1 Corinthians 14:36-38 (ESV)

1 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second
time . . . 2 “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: Jeremiah 33:1-2 (ESV)

2 . . . But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Isaiah 66:2 (ESV)

3. The precept for orderly worship
39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:39-40 (ESV)

18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
1 Corinthians 12:18 (ESV)

The Necessity of Orderly Worship Part 1

(Practical Tips to Bring Organization to Controversial Topics) . . . 1 Corinthians 14:26-33a

1. The purpose for orderly worship
26  What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (ESV)

2. The practical counsel for tongues in orderly worship

27  If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28  But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God . . .   1 Corinthians 14:27-28 (ESV)

5   . . .  and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. 1 Corinthians 14:5 (NASB)

13  Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 1 Corinthians 14:13 (ESV)

3. The practical counsel for prophecy in orderly worship

29  Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30  If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31  For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32  and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
1 Corinthians 14:29-33 (ESV)

1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 (ESV)

20  Do not despise prophecies, 21  but test everything; hold fast what is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (ESV)

0  While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11  And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” Acts 21:10-11 (ESV); Acts 11:27-28

1  Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers . . . . 2  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3  Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:1-3 (ESV)

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love . . . self-control . . .  Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

Bereans:

11  Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Acts 17:11 (ESV)

4. The principle in orderly worship
33  For God is not a God of confusion but of peace . . .  1 Corinthians 14:33 (ESV)

16  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:16-17 (ESV)

The Danger of an Improper Use of the Language Gift

1 Corinthians 14:20-26

1. A Charge to discern the gift of languages maturely
20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
1 Corinthians 14:20 (ESV)

14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
1 Corinthians 4:14 (ESV)

15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Mark 10:15 (ESV)

16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, 17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
Matthew 11:16-19 (ESV)

2. An allusion to the judgmental possibility of languages
21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.
1 Corinthians 14:21-22 (ESV)

11 For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people,
12 to whom he has said, “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”; yet they would not hear. Isaiah 28:11-12 (ESV)

7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” Acts 2:7-13 (ESV)

3. An evangelistic consideration in the misuse of the language gift
23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 (ESV)

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: John 16:7-8 (ESV)

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Romans 10:14 (ESV)

40 But all things should be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40 (ESV)

Edification and Instructive Speech

1 Corinthians 14:1-19

1. The greater benefit of instructive speech
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 (ESV)

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language . . . 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? . . . 11 . . . we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” Acts 2:4-6, 8, 11 (ESV)

10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 1 Corinthians 14:10-11 (ESV); 1 Corinthians 14:21

7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit . . . 10 . . . to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 (ESV)

30 . . . Do all speak with tongues? . . . 1 Corinthians 12:30 (ESV)

2. Illustrations of confusion without instructive speech
6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 7 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
1 Corinthians 14:6-12 (ESV)

3. Strengthening the mind through instructive speech
13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
1 Corinthians 14:13-19 (ESV)

Enduring Love: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

1. The temporal values of highly prized gifts
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:8–10 (ESV)

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 1 Peter 1:10-11 (ESV)

9 . . . the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9 (ESV)

2. The anticipated values in the age of completion
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:11–12 (ESV)

27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27 (ESV)

7 . . . Moses . . . 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD . . . Numbers 12:7-8 (ESV)

9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 1 Corinthians 2:9 (ESV)

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 (ESV)

3. The enduring values of faith, hope, and love
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three . . . 1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)

7 Love . . . believes all things, hopes all things . . . 1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)

4. The greatest value of love
13 . . . the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. Galatians 5:6 (ESV)

20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 2 Corinthians 12:20 (ESV)

The Nature of Love: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

1. What Love Does
4 Love is patient and kind . . . 1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)

8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 103:8 (ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

2. What Love Does Not Do
4 . . . love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
1 Corinthians 13:4–6 (ESV)

97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:97 (ESV)

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

3. How Love Elevates
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35 (ESV)

31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:31 (ESV)

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:7-9 (ESV)

The Need for Love: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

1. The valueless gifts of communication without love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers . . . 1 Corinthians 13:1–2 (ESV)

4  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:4 (ESV)

2. The valueless gifts of comprehension without love
2 . . .  and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2 (ESV)

1 . . . This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2  If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 (ESV)

3. The valueless gifts of confidence without love
2 . . . and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2 (ESV)

23  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Mark 11:23 (ESV)

4. The valueless gifts of compassion without love

3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3 (ESV)

7  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)

8 . . . the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:8 (ESV)

1  “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 6:1 (ESV)

The Pattern of Spiritual Gifts for Worship

1 Corinthians 12:27-31

1. The accord of gifts in Christ’s Church
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (ESV)

2. The alignment of gifts for Christ’s Church
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:28 (ESV)

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
Ephesians 4:11 (ESV)

19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. Galatians 1:19 (ESV)

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, Ephesians 2:19-20 (ESV)

3. The assortment of gifts for Christ’s Church
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 (ESV)

4. The ambition in gifts for Christ’s Church
31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts . . . 1 Corinthians 12:31 (ESV)

5. The approach to gifts for Christ’s Church
31 . . . And I will show you a still more excellent way. 1 Corinthians 12:31 (ESV)

9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Romans 13:9 (ESV)

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:14 (ESV)

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34 (ESV)

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35 (ESV)

Lessons from the Body Metaphor

1 Corinthians 12:14-26

1. Do I belong to Christ’s body?
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? . . . 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
1 Corinthians 12:14-17; 19-20 (ESV)

2. Did God create Christ’s body?
18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
1 Corinthians 12:18 (ESV)

10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! Psalm 143:10 (ESV)

3. Do others belong to Christ’s body?
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
1 Corinthians 12:21-26 (ESV)

Application by Rod Matoon

a. The Problem of Comparison

12 For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NASB)

 b. The Problem with Confidence

18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14 (ESV)

c. The Problem of Covetousness

15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 (ESV)

 d. The Problem of their Conclusions

 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. Philippians 4:11 (ESV)

 5 . . . be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

e. The Problem with their Commitment

The Metaphor of the Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12-16

1. The solidarity of Christ’s Church as seen in the body metaphor
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ . . . 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 1 Corinthians 12:12; 14 (ESV)

Recalls the question:
13 Is Christ divided? . . . 1 Corinthians 1:13 (ESV)

16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (ESV)

2. The Spiritual Baptism of Christ’s Church as seen in the body metaphor
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body . . . 1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV)

18 . . . be filled with the Spirit, Ephesians 5:18 (ESV)

3. The Inclusiveness of Christ’s Church as seen in the body metaphor
13 . . . Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV)

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:27-28 (ESV)

Jesus body and the Temple:
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 . . . 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. John 2:19-21 (ESV)

The body is to be offered to God in worship:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 (ESV)

The Spirit who inhabits the temple leads it to worship:
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV)

Unity dominates diversity and makes diversity genuinely meaningful and constructive (Garland)

The Gift List: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

The Gift List (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

1. The Design of Spiritual Gifts
7  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV)

28   “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29  Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
Joel 2:28-29 (ESV)

29  But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” Numbers 11:29 (ESV)

2. The Dimensions of Spiritual Gifts
8  For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,9  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (ESV)

6  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7  if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8  the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:6-8 (ESV)

Prophesies are to be evaluated:
21  but test everything; hold fast what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (ESV)

Tongues are spoken languages:
4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4 (ESV)

3. The Determination of Spiritual Gifts
11  All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 1 Corinthians 12:11 (ESV)

The Allotment of Spiritual Gifts: 1 Cor. 12:4-6

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV)

4 . . .  “there is no God but one . . .  for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 1 Corinthians 8:4; 6 (ESV)

1. The allotment of grace gifts are by the Holy Spirit
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit… 1 Corinthians 12:5 (ESV)

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us . . .  Romans 12:6 (NIV)

2. The grace gifts should be practiced with a Christ-like attitude.
5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 1 Corinthians 12:5 (ESV)

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13–14 (ESV)

3. The result of grace gifts are because of God’s empowerment in a person’s life.
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
1 Corinthians 12:6 (ESV)

31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:31 (ESV)

11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11 (ESV)