1 Corinthians

526 Dickson Teacher’s New Testament
come together, every one of you has a psalm,
has a teaching, has a language, has a revelation,
has an interpretation. Let all things be
done for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a language, let it be
by two, or at the most by three, and each in
turn, and let one interpret.
28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep
silent in the assembly, and let him speak to
himself and to God.
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let
the others judge.
30 If anything is revealed to another who is
sitting, let the first keep silent.
1 Corinthians 14
31 For you can all prophesy one by one so
that all may learn and all may be exhorted.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject
to the prophets.
33 For God is not a God of confusion but of
peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.
34 Let your women keep silent in the assemblies,
for they are not permitted to speak.
But they are to submit themselves, as the law
also says.
35 And if they desire to learn anything, let
them ask their own husbands at home, for it
is improper for women to speak in the assembly.
new converts to remember all that was delivered. Therefore,
through the gift of prophecy the early Christians
were reminded what was delivered to them by the
apostles (See comments Jn 14:26; 16:13). Interpretation:
If there was one present who addressed the assembly
through a foreign language, then there had to
be someone present who could interpret (vs 13). If there
were no interpreter present, then the one speaking in a
foreign language had to remain quiet. Done for edification:
Edification refers to the benefit the entire assembly
receives from the ministry of the gifts. Therefore,
in the assembly of the church, the ministry of each
member was to be directed toward the benefit of the
group and not the benefit of the individual (vs 7; see 2
Co 12:19). 27 In turn: Those speaking in languages
were not to speak at the same time. In each assembly
there were to be no more than three who would speak
in languages. If a foreign language were used in the
assembly, there must be one who could interpret any
language that was spoken. Paul’s instructions here
would certainly apply to all assemblies of the saints.
Nowhere in these instructions does he allow everyone
in the assembly to be speaking at the same time. In
fact, the instructions are given in order to stop such confusion.
28 If there were no one present who could interpret
the languages that were spoken, then those who
spoke in languages were to keep silent. Speak to himself:
He must not speak publicly, but meditate to himself
concerning what he would say. 29,30 As with those
who speak in languages, so with the prophets in reference
to how many would use their gift during the assembly.
No more than three prophets should speak to
the congregation during any one assembly. Others
judge: There were certainly those in the assembly with
the gift of discerning spirits (12:10; 1 Jn 4:1; Rv 2:2).
When the prophet spoke, those with this gift would discern
the truth of that which was spoken. This was possibly
God’s system of checks and balances that guaranteed
that the young churches not be led astray by
every wind of doctrine (Compare Ep 4:11-16). 31 One
by one: If while one prophet was speaking, another
had truth revealed to him, then the one speaking should
sit down and allow another prophet to speak. One
prophet, therefore, should not be allowed to dominate
the speaking in the assembly. 32 Subject to the prophets:
The Holy Spirit did not take over the assemblies of
the first century church. The spiritual gifts that came
from the Holy Spirit were in subjection to the one who
possessed the gift (See comments 2 Tm 1:6). Therefore,
the Holy Spirit nowhere took control of an individual
in such a manner that he or she was out of personal
control. People who allow themselves to be self-hypnotically
out of control are not under the influence of the
Holy Spirit. They are the victims of their own emotional
hysteria and self-deception. 33 Not a God of confusion:
The Holy Spirit does not lead men into conducting
chaotic assemblies by hysterical worshipers. Therefore,
any assembly of religious people that is chaotic is
not from God. Such assemblies are not a testimony to
the unbeliever that God is present (vs 25). They are
only assemblies that testify to the fact that biblically ignorant
religionists will allow their behavior to go uncontrolled
in order to find emotional satisfaction in misguided
beliefs. The entire context of what Paul is here teaching
is contrary to religious assemblies that have come
under the disruption of members who have emotionally
lost control of themselves in an effort to find emotional
release. Paul’s instructions here emphasize assemblies
that are in order, not disorder. 34 Let your women
keep silent: In order to continue to correct the Corinthian
chaotic assemblies, Paul instructed that the women
keep silent in the assemblies (See 1 Tm 2:11,12; Ti 2:3,4;
1 Pt 3:1). The women must not speak out in a manner
that would either disrupt the assembly or usurp the authority
of men to control the assembly. In the expression
of singing, women are not behaving in order to control
the assembly (Ep 5:19; Cl 3:16). Therefore, women
should sing. To submit themselves: The women
should so behave in the assembly as to portray the nature
of a submissive individual to God’s appointed authority.
It has always been a principle of God since the
beginning of time that the women work in a submissive
relationship with men in matters of spiritual leaderhsip
(Gn 3:16-18; compare Ti 2:3,4; 1 Pt 3:5,6). In this discussion
Paul seeks to bring this principle into the context
of the assembly of the church. 35 Ask their own
husbands: If Christian wives do not understand something
that is said in the assembly, then they must ask
their Christian husbands at home. They must do this in
order to prevent confusion in the assembly. If there is a
woman who has no husband, then the assumed principle
is that this woman ask for clarification outside the