Paul Defines Order in the Worship Service Part 2
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Corinthians 14:29-33 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. KJV
Paul now focuses his address to the men gifted by
God the Holy Spirit as Prophets or the Greek word prophetes meaning as used by Paul here the man gifted as an
inspired speaker of God’s Holy Word and also Paul meant the man enabled and
empowered by the Spirit to foretell some future event soon to take place as was
the case when he was in Caesarea and he met a disciple named Agabus from Judea
and these were the words written by Dr. Luke of this disciple, “As we were staying there for some days, a
prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s
belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, ‘This is what the Holy Spirit
says: ‘In this way 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). The fulfillment
of this prophesy by Agabus came true exactly as God the Holy Spirit had given
it to him and Dr. Luke records for us what Paul suffered at the Temple in
Jerusalem at the hands of certain Jews there, he writes, “Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and
taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the
doors were shut. While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the
commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. At
once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them;
and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul”
(Acts 21:30-32).
Paul as he writes here to these Corinthian believers
bears in mind such an event as with the disciple and prophet Agabus not wanting
to quench the Spirit’s work in any of the believers in Corinth but just as he
declared for each person coming forward with a tongue, that it be done by two
or three at the most, likewise Paul now commands the same hold true for the
prophets. They are to come two or three and then allow the others to judge and
this immediate judging refers to the prophets given some inspired word of
instruction, or comfort, or encouragement, or rebuke, or conviction from the
Old Testament Scriptures. The others in the Corinthian congregation were to be
like the Noble Bereans as they were with Paul when he spoke of the Scriptures
to them as documented for us by Dr. Luke with these words, “The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea,
and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were
more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with
great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these
things were so” (Acts 17:10-11). Any foretelling of some future events
given to any of them by God the Holy Spirit could only be judged by the others
in the congregation if the prophesy came to pass at the exact time and exactly
as it was given to the congregation by the prophet coming forward to speak. The
English word judge Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word diakrino which means to separate thoroughly,
or to make a distinction, or to discriminate, or to prefer, or to try or test or
to discern. Like the Noble Bereans these Corinthian believers and us today are
to test every word spoken or written by any so-called Prophet by what the
Scriptures declares as eternal truth that has not and will not ever change.
Paul was well aware of all the false apostles going
about claiming to be Apostles of Christ as he was but they were not, therefore,
he commands them to try and test every teaching claiming to come from God the
Holy Spirit by the Scripture, as He (the Holy Spirit) authored ever word in the
Word of God (1 John 4:1). Paul
declared this same concept again when he wrote to the Thessalonians with these
words, “Do not quench the Spirit; do not
despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold
fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians
5:19-22). These were the marching orders from Paul to every one of our Lord
Jesus Christ disciples in every place at that time and it is still the same
marching orders for us today. Paul directs them again to be courteous to one
another and not desiring to step on or walk over others so that they could be
heard first, as we declared in the last study seeking some preeminence or
superiority over others who Christ has also died for and given gifts to as
well. Paul declares that when they each show such honor one to another then
they all will receive understanding and be comforted and nourished by God’s
Eternal Word that gives or imparts life to the hearer. Paul declares that even
the Old Testament Prophets like Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Jerimiah, etc. were
never speaking “Thus saith the Lord” in some sort of manner that rendered them
out of control or not capable of knowing what they said or wrote in their
documentation of the Spirit’s work in and through them, for they were at all
times and on every occasion that the Spirit moved them to speak in control of
their own spirits.
Paul uses the English word subject here and it is
translated by the Greek word hupotasso
which means to arrange under, to subordinate, to subject or put in subjection,
to subject one’s self, to obey, to submit to one’s control, to yield to one’s
admonition or advice; A Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop
divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader”. In
non-military use it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating,
assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden”. This is the testimony of the
Divine and Holy Unity in the Eternal Scriptures for the same message declared
through these men although they lived many centuries apart from one another
testifies to them being subject to the men who were called before them to be
true stewards of God and to test everything by what God the Holy Spirit had
already spoken to men who lived before them. Why was this true? Paul tells us
why when he writes, “For God is not the
author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1
Corinthians 14:33). The English word confusion Paul uses here is translated
by the Greek word akatastasia which
means instability, commotion, tumult, disturbance, or disorder. Every Prophet
that has ever spoken under the Holy Spirit’s influence always speaks truth and
never speaks with his spirit/mind being controlled by God the Holy Spirit but
speaks words of edification, rebuke, judgment, instruction, comfort, or
exhortation to and for the Glory of God.
“The impulses of the Holy Spirit, even in men really
inspired, so suit themselves to their rational faculties, as not to divest them
of the government of themselves, like the heathen priests under their
diabolical possession. Evil spirits threw their prophets into such ungovernable
ecstasies, as forced them to speak and act like madmen. But the Spirit of God
left His prophets the clear use of their judgment, when, and how long, it was
fit for them to speak, and never hurried them into any improprieties either as
to the matter, manner, or time of their speaking.” John Wesley
“All those pretended conversions, however sudden and
striking they may be, which are attended with disorder, and confusion, and
public outcries, are to be suspected. Such excitement may be connected with
genuine piety, but it is no part of pure religion. That is calm, serious,
orderly, heavenly. No person who is under its influence is disposed to engage
in scenes of confusion and disorder. Grateful he may be, and he may and will
express his gratitude; prayerful he will be, and he will pray; anxious for
others he will be, and he will express that anxiety; but it will be with
seriousness, tenderness, love; with a desire for the order of God’s house, and
not with a desire to break in upon and disturb all the solemnities of public
worship.” Adam Clarke
“Everything ordered or ordained by God the Holy
Spirit going all the way back to the very beginning is always with structure,
focus, and above all ordered for a determined eternal purpose.” Clifford D.
Tate, Sr.
If you do not
know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your
heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus,
I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You
shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead
proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my
sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my
life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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