Pathways For Sojourners

[hawkman]

In my opinion, prophesying is an altogether different gift and not relevant to
tongues.
_

Here is how I have seen the operation of the Gift of prophecy work . A message from the Holy Spirit is given out in tongues and then the message is interpreted by someone with the gift of interpretation of tongues , unless there is someone in the congregation that speaks the language the tongues message is in then they can tell what the message was . Example below .

My wife told me of a Chinese lady missionary visiting here in Alabama at the local church . One of the regular church members spoke a message in tongues during a church service . But problem was after the message in tongues was given no one offered an interpretation . Then the Chinese missionary spoke up and said the message was for her , it was spoken in Cantonese . Part of the message was for her and part was for her church back home in China . She said the message was delivered in perfect Cantonese , the lady that spoke the tongues message in Cantonese spoke Appalachian like me .

 

[hawkman]

Back in 1968 when I was a young welder, a production manager at my place of
work began chatting with me about Christianity and made me aware that Jesus was
thinking of me when he went to the cross. So, in time I went with the manager to
his church and along with him and two elders went down to the front rail and
prayed this rather simple prayer.

"Lord I know I'm a sinner. I would like to take advantage of your son's death."

Then began 57 years of Sunday school classes, seminars, sermons, Bible books,
and radio Bible teachers the likes of J.Vernon McGee and others. I appreciate your
offer but I already know as much about the gift of tongues that I'll ever need to
know at 81+ years and dying of end stage esophageal cancer.
_

Thanks for sharing with us . You know I am praying for you , carry on brother .

 

[Beetow]

.
111) 1Cor 14:29-31 . .Two, or three, prophets should speak, and everyone else
should weigh carefully what is said. If a revelation comes to someone who is sitting
down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that
everyone may be instructed and encouraged.

The Greek word translated "prophets" isn't restricted to foretelling future events. It
also pertains to inspired folks who were able to quote the new testament before it
became available in writing. In other words, some, if not all, the prophets were
walking Bibles and thus extremely valuable to congregations as in-house sources of
the word.

● 1Cor 14:32 . .The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

Though God endows certain Spirit-selected people in church with the gift of
prophecy (1Cor 12:4-11) it is not He who endows them with the compulsion to talk
all at once and/or talk out of turn. Self control and chaos prevention are the
prophets' responsibilities, viz: no matter how inspired the prophets might be, nor
how important they think their information is, Paul expected them to act like adults.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
112) 1Cor 14:34 . . Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they are no
permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says.

It could be argued, with some merit, that this rule applies only to tongues and
prophecy; but Paul expanded its scope in a letter to his friend Timothy.

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to
teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first
formed, then Eve." (1Tim 2:11-13)

It's important to note that this is neither a gender issue, nor a competence issue,
nor an intelligence issue when it's so obviously a primogeniture issue, viz: it's about
seniority.

FAQ: What about women like Anne Graham Lotz and/or Tara-Leigh Cobble? Aren't
they out of order?

REPLY: The instructions are limited to congregational meetings. They don't include
public venue's, e.g. forums, town squares, street corners, coliseums, stadiums,
convention centers, radio, television, or social media like YouTube and/or Facebook.

FAQ: What about Deborah in the old testament book of Judges? Exactly how was
she an exception to the rule, if indeed she was?

REPLY: Things are quite a bit different now with Christ at the helm, i.e. Christ's
association with his church trumps Deborah's association with the Jews. I do not
recommend using her, or any other woman in the Bible, as an excuse to circumvent
Paul's instructions in matters pertaining to the management of Christian
congregations.

* Paul appealed to "the law" as the basis for 1Cor 14:34. Normally when Paul
speaks of the law he's referring to the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon
with God as its written in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Exactly where in the covenant that women are forbidden to lead an assembly
and/or speak in a mixed group I don't know. However, it's quite obvious that the
covenant is very sexist, i.e. women were not installed in either the priesthood or
the Sanhedrin, to wit; the priesthood was Israel's teaching arm and the Sanhedrin
was Israel's governing arm.

* Moses' law doesn't always specifically address certain things. Sometimes the law's
rules and procedures imply principles that we call "the spirit of the law".
_

 

[Beetow]

.
113) 1Cor 14:35 . . If women have questions, they should ask their own husbands
at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

What's an inquiring wife to do if her husband is spiritually inept? I'd suggest that
women married to spiritually inept Christian men, and/or women married to non
Christian men, and/or unmarried women; seek assistance from one of the ladies in
church known to be somewhat of a Bible expert.

But for safety's sake, she shouldn't seek assistance from another woman's
husband; even if he's the pastor, or a deacon, or an elder; it's not only disobedient,
but that's also how rumors (and other things) get started.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
114) 1Cor 14:37-38 . . If anybody thinks he's a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him
acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.

If your Sunday school class is chaired by somebody who disagrees with the Lord's
instructions relative to a woman's activities in church, or the use and abuse of the
gift of tongues, and/or the exercise of the gift of prophecy; then believe me you have
a serious problem because it indicates that your church's management practices are
secular instead of inspired.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
115) 1Cor 14:38 . . But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

In other words: if a spiritual influence refuses to accept the apostle Paul as a duly
authorized agent speaking for Christ; then do not try to fix them. Instead, regard
the influence as severely compromised; and avoid speaking with them about your
religion. In point of fact: it's probably best to regard them as feral creatures. (Matt
7:6)
_

 

[Beetow]

.
116) 1Cor 14:39 . .Therefore, brethren, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid
speaking in tongues.

That rule applies only to people who actually have the gifts of tongues and/or
prophesy because according to Rom 12:4-6, 1Cor 12:10, 1Cor 12:29-30, and 1Cor
14:5 not everyone does.

So then; it's okay to speak in a tongue, and it's okay to prophesy, but both must be
done not only according to the rules, but also as if by adults in possession of their
faculties, i.e. grown-ups.

● 1Cor 14:40 . . Let all things be done decorously and in proper order.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
117) 1Cor 15:34 . . Come to your senses and stop sinning. For to your shame I say
that some of you don't have the knowledge of God.

Those instructions are in connection with some of the Corinthians suggesting that
dead people stay dead and never recover.

"Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some
among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" (1Cor 15:12)

Apparently some of the Corinthians couldn't see that Christ's resurrection proves
it's possible for dead people to be revived.

A measure of that blindness exists even today among people who insist that
Christ's crucified dead body wasn't restored to life. They insist he came back from
death with another body: a so-called glorified body; and some even insist that
Christ came back from death as a spirit being instead of a human being, and others
postulate that his post crucifixion appearances were done as an angel disguised in a
fully functioning human avatar. But if any of that were true, then Christ's prediction
at John 2:19-22 would be easily invalidated.

According to 1Cor 15:51-53 and 1Thes 4:13-17, Christ's followers will first be
restored to life as they were, and then be transformed into something very
wonderful as they levitate up to meet the Lord in the air.

It's very likely that Christ underwent the very same process, to wit: his crucified
remains were first restored to life just as he predicted; and then forty days later, at
some point during the flight up to Heaven per Acts 1:9, his natural mortal body
underwent transformation into a supernatural immortal body.

* According to 1Cor 15:34, people who insist that Jesus' crucified dead body is still
dead aren't fully conscious; viz: they're like someone in a stupor; i.e. dazed.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
118) 1Cor 15:56-58 . .The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is The
Commandments; but thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing discourage you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of The Lord, because you know that your
labor in The Lord isn't futile.

When I was a growing Catholic boy, The Commandments kept me anxious about
my afterlife future. Well, no more; not since I discovered that Jesus' crucifixion
somehow manages to insulate people from The Commandments' ability to ruin their
chances for happiness in eternity.

"He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we
like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and The
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isa 53:5-6)

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,
God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the
written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to
us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross." (Col 2:13-15)

In light of those two passages. I have to agree with the angel the night Christ was
born that his was a message of "great joy". (Luke 2:10)

Now; just imagine if somebody had it in the back of their mind that they might be
giving The Lord unreserved quantities of their time, talent, and resources in a
difficult spiritual endeavor only to end up being condemned anyway per Matt 7:22
23. Well, Paul assured the Corinthians that Christ's work on the cross, and in the
grave and out of the grave, guaranteed that wouldn't happen to them-- their future
in a better life was in the bag; therefore they needn't fear that in the end their work
for The Lord will be judged all for nothing.

Ironically; and at the time of his writing, the Corinthians were not all that spiritual.
(1Cor 3:1-3). However; though their work in The Lord was being performed by
Christians whose spirituality was basically substandard, they were still useful; which
tells me that it isn't necessary to be a super saint before one can begin serving
Christ. Just serve him as best you can and pay no attention to your location on the
curve: keeping in mind that loyalty and reliability count more than quantity.
_