Response to Damon J Grays article on 1 Corinthians 14
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1 Corinthians 15- The Central Theme
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 1 Corinthians 15:12-15
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central theme of Christianity, it’s the central theme of our faith and life. As the Apostle Paul says “If Christ is not rise, your preaching and faith are in vein” If Christ didn’t rise from the dead, then there is no hope for any of us. Without the resurrection of Christ, there is no Christianity, there is no salvation for anyone without the resurrection of Christ
People will often ask, why do we worship on a Sunday? Many will echo conspiracy theories of Roman paganism for Sunday worship, No we worship on Sunday morning because Christ is Risen on Sunday morning, period. All four gospel state Jesus rose on the first day of the week (Sunday) the early Church began worshiping on Sunday morning (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2) The resurrection of Christ changed everything, no longer are we dead in our sins, but Christ is Risen and we have been delivered from sin and death
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 1 Corinthians 15:16-19
As the Apostle Paul states here “If Christ is not raised, your faith is worthless, and you are still in your sins” Think about that! This is why the Resurrection of Christ is the central doctrine of Christianity, if you get the resurrection wrong, all of your beliefs are wrong. Doesn’t matter what good or religious works you have performed in your life, without Jesus Christ walking out of that tomb, it would all be worthless
So its not a surprise, everything in Christianity is focused around the Resurrection. This is the center of the gospel message, Christ died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again. This should be preached every week from the pulpits, this is the most important message.
So next time you go to Church, celebrate and worship Christ is Risen, it should be an Easter Sunday celebration every Sunday, because Christ is Risen therefore we have a living hope! Amen!
1 Corinthians 15- Case For Christ
After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 1 Corinthians 15:6-9
Think about all the eyewitnesses to the Risen Christ after the Resurrection. Here the Apostle Paul states that “Jesus was seen by more than 500 people at one time” Now talk about having strong eye witnesses for a case. Paul even stated that most of these eye witnesses were still alive, so if you want to follow up with some questions, that could have.
The fact is , the case for the Risen Christ is rock solid, every reputable historian affirms the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact. Even before Jesus appeared to these 500 men, remember in the gospels when Jesus appears to the women at the tomb (John 20:11-18) Jesus appeared to the Apostles in the Upper Room (John 20:19-31) Jesus appearance to Peter on the shore (John 21:1-20) Jesus walked with the men on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and of course Jesus appeared to Paul on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9)
Countless of encounters people had with the Risen Lord , who has transformed their lives. To the point that all these brothers and sisters were willing to die for their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord. And as Paul mentioned James, the brother of Jesus who didn’t believe him until he had seen Christ is Risen. The evidence of the Risen Lord is written throughout history and the story never changed, even up till this present day
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed 1 Corinthians 15:10-11
The Apostle Paul’s life is a walking testimony for Christ, he persecuted the Church, including being responsible for the death of Stephen (Acts 7:54-Acts 8:3) But on the Road to Damascus Christ called Paul and transformed his life (Acts 9) Paul went from being the chief of all sinners to a vessel for Christ and building God’s Kingdom
The Case for Christ is very solid and before you dismiss Jesus Christ as your Lord, check the facts! Christ has died , Christ is Risen, Christ will come again, Amen!
1 Corinthians 15- The Gospel
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 1 Corinthians 15:1-5
1 Corinthians Chapter 15 is most known as the “Resurrection Chapter” , this is a long and wonderful Chapter where Paul goes into depth , not only about the Resurrection of Christ, but also the Resurrection of us because of Christ. The Apostle Paul begins this Chapter with the gospel message.
Jesus commanded us to share the gospel with everyone (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15) But what is the gospel? Sounds like a simple question, but if someone asked you to share the gospel with them in under a few minutes, what would you say? The first thing we need to remember is that the gospel is Good News! That’s exactly what the word gospel means. Many Christians seem to share the gospel as if it was a death sentence, no its actually the opposite. We are already under a death sentence because of sin, whether people realize that or not. The gospel is a message of life and hope, a living hope because Christ is Risen!
So when we understand this, we can hit the streets with enthusiasm! Many Christians fear or dread sharing the gospel with people, why? Because they think we are condemning people to Hell? But your not, people are already heading to Hell , you are sharing the only chance someone has for salvation, Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6, Acts 4:12)
Paul gives a simple and clear explanation of the gospel, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures (v3) Most people you talk to on the streets know Jesus died on the cross, but most don’t know it was because of our sins! This is the starting point of the gospel, ask do you know why Jesus died on the cross?
Next Christ was buried and rose again on the 3rd day, according to the scriptures (v4) It’s important people understand Jesus defeated sin and death, because of Christ we can inherit eternal life. Notice the Apostle Paul continually says “according to the scriptures” The death and resurrection of Christ was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. We know that Jesus is God in the flesh, because of what Christ has accomplished according to the scriptures
Then Jesus appeared to many people after His resurrection including the woman, the Apostles, the Romans ,ect. This is historically significant, as everyone can’t be making this up!
So what is an easy way to share and explain the gospel with someone.Understand while it’s our job to share the gospel, it’s the Holy Spirit who convicts and regenerates people, we can’t save anyone.
- Are You A Good Person?– Help them to understand, we are all sinners and in need of a Savior. Check out Ray Comforts “Good Person Test” on YouTube, walk someone through the Ten Commandments
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. Mark 10:18
- Jesus Christ is Lord Help them to understand Jesus Christ died for our sins, and Rose on the third day defeating sin and death to give us eternal life. The Holy Spirit will reveal to them that Jesus Christ is Lord and the Son of God
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
- Born Again- By this time the Holy Spirit is doing his work and their heart has either received or rejected Christ. Now some seeds may take longer than others, again we are not the Holy Spirit, we plant the seeds and let God do the rest
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
1 Corinthians 14- Commandments of The Lord
What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 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. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:36-40
Over the past few Chapters we have gone through some intense teachings of scripture, and judging from Paul’s rhetorical response here, I can imagine the Church of Corinth was probably having the same reaction as the Church today is. Notice the statement here from Paul “What? Did the Word of God come or originate from you?” Paul is making a sarcastic rhetorical question to the Church of Corinth
Obviously the Church of Corinth was practicing and worshiping in ways that was not in line with scripture or the Apostles. As Paul was dropping the hammer of truth on the Church of Corinth, I’m sure there were many of them questioning Paul’s Apostolic authority. This is the same scenario we see today, many will discredit Paul’s teachings or some even reject Paul all together. However as Paul states “The things that I write unto you are the commandments of The Lord”
The teachings that Paul is instructing to the Churches, are not his own ideas or interpretations. These are direct commandments from Jesus Christ, as Paul testified under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. To deny Paul’s teachings is to deny Jesus Christ as your Lord. Unfortunately we are seeing many Churches denying the true teachings of the Bible, and embrace traditions of man instead
Does your Church’s practices and doctrine align with the Bible? I don’t think many Christians love God enough to care about the obedience to His Word. They love their religion more than they love God. This is no different than the Pharisees or the Sauducess, everyone loves religion but do you love God with all your heart, soul, and strength?
This entire Chapter could be summed up with this final statement by Paul “Let ALL things be done decently and in order” This comes back to practicing Communion, to speaking in Tongues, to Women Pastors, everything must be done in decent order. We don’t worship a God of chaos, we worship a God of order.
Jesus said “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15) The teachings of the Apostle Paul are the commandments of Christ, if Jesus is your Lord, you will obey them, Amen!
1 Corinthians 14- Order Of Creation
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. 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. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35
These scriptures are probably some of the most controversial scriptures possibly in the whole Bible. The question is how do we interpret and respond to them? I’ve heard arguments that these verses were added at a later date, I’ve heard arguments that this was just a cultural issue with the Church of Corinth, regardless of what your interpretation is, we must deal with these scriptures in honesty and obedience.
The Apostle Paul says a little later “What I am writing to you is The Lord’s command” (V37) So this totally destroys the idea that this was just Paul’s prejudice towards women. The Apostle Paul is stating these are commands he received personally from The Lord Jesus Christ. So either Jesus is your Lord (Master) or he’s not. If Jesus is your Lord, then you must be obedient to his words and commands.
The full context of this paragraph of scripture is order in the Church. Yes women are filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and women can prophesy and speak in tongues, however when it comes to a Church structure , there is supposed to be order. Remember earlier Paul taught us the order of creation “ the head of every man is Christ, and the head of every woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3)
This is a creation order from God, the woman was created from the man , and the woman was created for man (1 Corinthians 11:8-9) Now in a liberal crazy world we live in , this concept is unacceptable to the world, but this is the reality of creation. You either believe the word of God or you reject the word of God, there is no in between
Regardless of what the world says, Men and women are different and were born for different roles. I, as a man, can’t conceive and deliver a child, that is biologically impossible. That’s the reality of creation, we are different , and we were made and designed for each other. This doesn’t mean the man is greater than the woman, it means we were designed for different roles from God for serving family and the Church
The Apostle Paul dives more into this in 1 Timothy Chapter 2, The Apostle Paul says “ I do not permit women to have authority over a man, Adam was formed first, then Eve” (1 Timothy 2:12-13) A couple things here we can clarity:
- This is not a cultural issue specifically aimed at Corinth, as Paul teaches on this multiple times, specifically in his letter to Timothy
- The issue is regarding creation order, God created Adam first, and Eve was created from Adam’s rib
- The Apostle Paul specifically mentions that these are commandments from Jesus Christ himself
- We can’t reject parts of the Bible we don’t agree with, if you reject one part of the Bible , you reject all authority of the BIble
1 Corinthians 14- Order of The Church
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. 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. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. 1 Corinthians 14:26-28
We often hear a judge yell “Order in the Court” when there are multiple people talking at one time, well this is what Paul is saying here for the Church. God is not the author of confusion (v33) The Church of Corinth had multiple people talking at one time, one person was singing a psalm, another person was speaking in tongues, another person was prophesying. But it was all just mass confusion instead of edification for the Church
Again we see those words here again in this Chapter, Paul says “Let all things be done unto edifying” It’s great when we sing Psalms or Hymns together, but if someone is singing and another Christian is preaching, it doesn’t work. We as the body of Christ need to be in sync with each other. It’s not about me and you, its about us and Christ.
On our recent video chat, brother Fred mentioned at a prayer meeting, there are multiple people praying at one time, this actually is not Biblical. And it’s not surprising why , because it’s just causing mass confusion. There might be an edifying message or prophecy, however nobody can hear or understand it, therefore its not edifying to the Church
The Apostle Paul states here “If there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church, let him speak to himself, and God” If nobody understands what you are saying, then by scripture you are to remain silent in the Church. Now I think this bruises more egos than anything. If you have the gift of tongues , there is a time and place to use this gift, according to scripture
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. 1 Corinthians 14:29-33
God is not the author of confusion, we need to remember and understand this. I’ve visited a Church where people were rolling on the floors and people were randomly speaking out, is this a Biblical structure of the Church? The Apostle Paul says No, and to be honest with you me and my wife walked out, because it was pure madness.
As brother Fred also said “People are trying to create an upper room experience” , as we said before, we are not the Holy Spirit, we can’t create an upper room experience, only God Almighty can do this. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self control (Galatians 5:23) If we have no control over ourselves is this really from the Holy Spirit? God wants a Church of order and not chaos Amen!
Speaking In Tongues and Spiritual Gifts -Christian Conversation with Fred and John
1 Corinthians 14- Tongues Are A Sign
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. 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? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. 1 Corinthians 14:22-25
The Apostle Paul continues to drop more truth bombs on us with his teachings. The first part of his statement is “Tongues are a sign” So , as we established, the speaking of tongues has a reason or purpose, people don’t just randomly babble for no purpose. As we talked about previously, tongues are used for evangelism and for edification within the Church. Unknown tongues are to be spoken in private while alone with God, since there is no interpreter
Paul goes on to say “Tongues are a sign for non-believers, not believers” Now I believe Paul is referring to evangelism of the gospel but also its evidence of God’s presence. Again we see a specific purpose for speaking in tongues, God has a reason for delivering this message.
Now think about this from a non-Christians perspective, they hear a Christian speaking in tongues, and their first thought is “What is going on here”? I think that is part of the reason, God is grabbing the attention of the unsaved, God is demonstrating a supernatural gift into the natural world. So now what is the response from the non-believer? Are they going to seek this more or are they just going to blow it off as foolishness? Its a heart condition check by God
On the flipside Paul states “Prophecy is for the believer and not the non-believer” So this makes sense, if someone doesn’t believe in God they obviously are not going to be in prophecy. But it also demonstrates the importance of sharing your revelation with the rest of the Church. If God is giving you a prophecy , it needs to be shared with the Church, as it probably effects the Church.
So just to summarize what Paul is saying towards the end of this “ If a non-Christian witnesses multiple Christians speaking in tongues, their heart condition will be checked” the KJV says “his heart made manifest” , meaning how is this non-believer going to respond to a supernatural event? Are they going to continue to deny God or as Paul says “fall down on his face and worship God”
- Tongues is a sign of the New Covenant for non-believers
- Tongues of prophecy are purposed for the Church
- The response to tongues determines someone’s heart condition towards God
Unashamed of Jesus 