Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
This is the first record of the gospel preached by in the city of Corinth – Acts 18:4-5 “And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.”
William MacDonald said well, “To summarize, then, the Apostle Paul sets forth the following controls for the use of tongues in the local church:
1. We must not forbid the use of tongues (v. 39).
2. If a man speaks in a tongue, there must be an interpreter (vv. 27c, 28).
3. Not more than three may speak in tongues in any one meeting (v. 27a).
4. They must speak one at a time (v. 27b).
5. What they say must be edifying (v. 26b).
6. The women must be silent (v. 34).
7. Everything must be done decently and in order (v. 40).
These are the abiding controls which apply to the church in our day.”
The gift of prophecy is highlighted here to be useful for the strengthening of the faith of the saints. When the Word of God is preached and taught, when doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness is meted out, God’s people grow in spiritual maturity. This is useful. The people of God are therefore encouraged to keep up and keep on hearing the sound preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
When God gives His Word, it is to be imbibed and assimilated and acted upon for our well-being. The Apostle Paul whilst giving the Lord’s instruction also saw that there are those who would choose to disobey these divine instructions. He has highlighted that these were not his words but the very words of God. They are to be obeyed.
The Apostle Paul has to make it clear that what he has written are not his own words but they are the very commandments of the Lord. And any persons who claim to be spiritually discerning will certainly acknowledge the truth concerning what he has written.
William MacDonald observed well, “Apparently the Apostle Paul realized that his teaching here would cause considerable contention. How right he was! To meet any arguments, he uses irony in verse 36 by asking: Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?”
The women folk in the church are instructed by the Apostle Paul ask their husbands at home for any questions they may have concerning any matter because the husband is the person God has appointed for this purpose. This instruction was given that all things be done decently and in order in the church of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 14:40).
The Apostle Paul instructed that women are to keep silence in the churches. They are commanded to be under obedience, submissive to their husbands.
He explains this in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 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. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
The Lord seeks order in the church. He is not the author of confusion. When a meeting of God’s people degenerates into a state of pandemonium and disorder, surely it is not in order and God is surely not approving of it. The responsibility is therefore upon the church to practice orderly behaviour during public meetings. Whether on the matter concerning the interpretation of a foreign language or proclamation of prophecy, there is a place for the orderly use of these gifts so that the congregation can benefit.
William MacDonald observed well, “a prophet received direct communications from the Lord and revealed them to the church. But it is possible that after giving this revelation, he might go on to preach to the people. So the apostle lays down the rule that if a prophet is speaking and anything is revealed to another prophet sitting in the audience, then the first is required to stop speaking to make way for the one who has received the latest revelation. The reason, as suggested, is that the longer the first man talks, the more apt he is to speak by his own power rather than by inspiration. In continued speech there is always the danger of shifting from God’s words to one’s own words. Revelation is superior to anything else.”