By Pastor Dave Farmer

Topic #16  The Third Argument - Part 1

1 Corinthians 14:18,19

Summary

   This is Paul's third of five arguments against using the gift of tongues in public worship, 1 Corinthians 14:18-20.  Although each rebuttal is different, the divine design for our public worship does not change.   Each argument sheds light on the Plan of Grace and our Heavenly Father's will for assembling worship.

1 Corinthians 14:18

 I am giving thanks, at this moment, to God [for] I speak with tongues more than all of you. Expanded Translation 1

Paul Is An Expert

   What Paul says in this verse is entirely out of character. Paul is no braggart!  He knows better than anyone that "pride comes before a fall."  So when he calls attention to himself, it is always connected with teaching us a point of doctrine.  Again, Paul not only says he has spoken in tongues, but he is an expert "more than all of you."

   This idea is put forward whenever you debate the legitimacy of the gift of tongues and whether it should be practiced in public worship. You need to speak in tongues to be competent to express your opinion.  It is possible that the house of Chloe's report to Paul about the quarrels in the church contained comments such as this.  What we do know is that there were two opposing parties. Those who supported allowing the gift of tongues to be utilized in public worship and those against it, 1 Corinthians 1:11.  

   I can testify that this assertion is not new.  Unlike Paul, I have never spoken in tongues.  So, if I followed this line of reasoning, I have no business teaching on this subject.  Although the argument from experience is often appealed to, it is a weak and inferior foundation to stand on.  I hope these articles demonstrate that they are not based on my experience but rooted and grounded in the Scriptures; not on subjective experience, but on what saith the Lord!

   It is interesting to note that Paul was with the Corinthians for eighteen months and needed to tell them that he had this spiritual gift.  They didn't know!  However, their ignorance is now explained in the next verse.

Paul's Policy

1 Corinthians 14:19 Expanded Translation

 But in a church, I prefer to speak five words with my mind [in a language the congregation understands], so that I may instruct others [believers] also, rather than ten thousand words with a tongue [in a foreign language not known by the congregation]. 2

   First, what about speaking in tongues during public worship?  As much as he loved this gift and effectively evangelized the Jews with it, Paul's standing policy was never to use it in the church during public worship.  The Infinitive "to speak" denotes purpose, so we must understand that this is a predetermined policy of the Apostle Paul in all the churches. 3 

  Secondly, what is the true purpose of assembling worship?  The result clause "so that" reinforces the conclusion reached in our previous studies regarding the principle of edification, so that I may INSTRUCT others. Paul would rather speak five words to the congregation in their own language than ten thousand words with the gift of tongues.  Paul repeatedly returns to the core issue.  The purpose of public worship is the instruction of believers [ALLOS].  

   Thirdly, Paul informs us of the audience to be instructed using the adjective ALLOS.  The Scripture translates two Greek words as "others": ALLOS and HETEROS.  ALLOS means others of the same kind, while HETEROS means others of a different kind.  Paul chose ALLOS, meaning that this is a reference to believers.  If he had used HETEROS, it would have meant that his instruction was for unbelievers.   Why make this differentiation?  

Edification Takes Priority

   The gift of tongues represents the idea of evangelism.  In the following argument, Paul will show that the gift of tongues was a sign to the Jews to win them to Christ, 1 Corinthians 14:21,22.  The gift of prophecy and the gift of tongues were both communication gifts.  This is what they had in common.  What made them different was their purpose and audience.  The gift of tongues was to communicate the Gospel to the Jew.  The purpose of the gift of prophecy was to train and teach the believer how to live the Christian Way Of Life.  They had two different audiences!  One was directed toward unbelievers, and the other was directed toward believers.

   What we have in Corinth and today is the gift of tongues used in the public worship of God.  It is the wrong gift used in the wrong way, resulting in chaos, confusion, and disorder in the church.  Worse!  In our next verse, 1 Corinthians 14:20, Paul explains how these circumstances effectively neutralized the most important reason for Christians worshipping together: to be instructed in the doctrinal things that glorify and honor the Lord Jesus Christ.

Backward Thinking

   This passage, when understood correctly, divides the Church.  It is true; the Charismatic churches have left the line of orthodoxy.  Their emphasis on the spectacular gifts removes them from ever joining the true line of Biblical Christianity.  They declare they are orthodox and point to Corinth as an example.  Corinth tried to leave the fold, and Paul slapped them down with 1 Corinthians 12-14.  Doctrine divides us!  Truth divides us.  Now, leaving aside our Charismatic brethren, this passage calls upon all churches to examine themselves.   Are we functioning as a church in the line of orthodoxy presented by the Apostle Paul, or have we morphed into some other form of Christianity?   In the last article, I introduced the idea of backward thinking, and this concept appears again.4  

Edification Takes Priority Even Over Evangelism  

   The gift of tongues was a communication gift directed toward unbelievers, while the gift of prophecy is a communication gift directed toward believers.  Unbelievers cannot be edified; they can only be saved.  Yet, many churches are designed solely around evangelism.  This is not God's design, nor here in this passage.  The evangelization of the lost and the edification of the saints both have a place in ministry.  They are not to have equal status, nor is evangelism more important than edification.  This is what 1 Corinthians 14 is teaching.  

   I know from experience that if you, as a pastor, are not preaching evangelistic messages each time you preach the Word, in some Christian circles, you will not be considered a very good pastor.  If that is your attitude toward your pastor, consider this.  First, Paul repeatedly insists that edification is the priority, not evangelism.  Remember, the use of the gift of tongues represents this concept.  Secondly, the pastor's role is to care for and to preach the Word of God to believers, Ephesians 4:11-14.  Thirdly, a passage that is so abused in this regard is  2 Timothy 4:5:

2 Timothy 4:5 

But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 

   Paul is speaking to a pastor, specifically to Timothy, but also to every pastor, and we are called upon to do the work of an evangelist.  We are not evangelists; that is a separate spiritual gift, Ephesians 4:11.  We are concerned for the lost, and any pastor worth his salt weaves the gospel into their lessons as the Holy Spirit leads, but our target audience is believers.  Another way the pastor does the work of an evangelist is to teach the church how to share the gospel.   Evangelism is equally all our mission.  All of us are to do the work of an evangelist, 2 Corinthians 5:20.  Teaching the unique doctrines of the church age is solely the responsibility of the pastor, namely, the formation of the body of Christ and the unique spiritual life of the believer, to mention a few subjects. 

   However, that being said, this result clause," so that I may instruct others," is to be the heart and soul of worship. The word instructs is KATECHEO, a word for face-to-face teaching.  This is where we get our English word catechism.  Over the years, I have taught that the church is a classroom!  We are all to enroll in the school of Christ to learn about Him and be instructed in the Christian Way of Life.  Paul states this unmistakably in this passage.  When we assemble for worship, the thrust is teaching, not singing, not announcements, not greeting everyone, not fellowship, and not evangelizing anyone.  It is teaching, teaching, teaching.  

   Today, the church is anything but a classroom.  Yet, the Scripture clearly states that the pastor is not your social director, song leader or worship leader, information officer, or TEACHER.  He is God's authorized communicator of the Word of God, and "in the church," that is, believers are to receive their instructions during public worship.  Let me reinforce this doctrinal statement. The principle of this passage is: The Bible is the textbook, the church is the classroom, and the pastor is the instructor.  

   Again, the list of gifted personnel in Ephesians 4:11 states that "there are some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers."  If you count the number of personnel listed, you should get five. The reason is the translation.  The phrase "and some pastors and teachers" should be "pastor-teachers."  The number of personnel is four, not five.  There is a Greek construction called the Grandville Sharp Rule, which indicates that the two nouns refer to the same person. 5  The leader of the local church is to be a pastor-teacher.  There is a separate gift mentioned in Romans 12:7 on teaching, but this is not to be confused with Ephesians 4:11. 6   The New Testament teaches that not all teachers are to be pastors, but all pastors are to be teachers.  This is their spiritual gift and their role in the church.  

   Also, the change from the indicative mood "I prefer" to the subjunctive mood "I may instruct" is sobering, for it means that instruction or edification may or may not occur.  It is God's plan and design for the congregation to receive instruction from the pastor as he teaches the Word of God.  But how many believers view their pastor as their teacher?  The subjective mood says, maybe the congregation will receive instruction, maybe they won't.  It depends on other factors.  

   For one, if you don't think of your church as a classroom, you'll probably not be spiritually built up.  Another would be if the pastor does not think of his role as the pastor-teacher of the church, you're probably not going to be edified.  This is what the subjunctive mood conveys.  One thing is definite from this passage.  If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is God the Father's plan for you to be in your seat when the church gathers.  If you are not in attendance, you will miss your instructions.  

   This passage is also applicable to pastors.  Your calling is to study and teach the Word of God.  Everything else you might do is secondary, and if you allow anything to interfere with your primary ministry, you not only fail the Lord, you fail the people God has given you charge over.  Sadly, this is the great failure of the church today, 1 Timothy 4.

1 Timothy 4:1 

 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith [doctrine, what is believed], paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 

We are following the same path that Israel followed.  We are on the road to destruction, Hosea 4:1-6, especially verse 6:

Hosea 4:6 

 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge [Bible doctrine], I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. 

Summary

1. Those who spoke in tongues at Corinth made their emotional experience more important than God's Plan and design for worship in the church.

2. God's plan was edification.  We will learn that their conduct, priorities, and motivations were outside the system God had designed.

__________  

ENDNOTES

1  See Appendix C for the exegesis of 1 Corinthians 14:18 to support expanded translation.

2  See Appendix C for the exegesis of 1 Corinthians 14:19 to support expanded translation. 

3  It is interesting that the translator of the NASB chose to include the article in the phrase in the church. Actually, the article is not in the original text, so the translation should be in a church.  This was not just a policy that Paul followed at Corinth but a standing operating procedure throughout his ministry with all the churches.  

4  See Topic #15. 

5  Dr. Wuest says, "The words “pastors” and “teachers” are in a construction called Grandville Sharp’s rule which indicates that they refer to one individual" Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Eph 4:11). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans."  

The Grandville Sharp Rule:  When the copulative και connects two nouns of the same case, [viz. nouns (either substantive or adjective, or participles) of personal description, respecting office, dignity, affinity, or connexion, and attributes, properties, or qualities, good or ill], if the article ὁ, or any of its cases, precedes the first of the said nouns or participles and is not repeated before the second noun or participle, the latter always relates to the same person that is expressed or described by the first noun or participle: i.e., it denotes a farther description of the first-named person.

Some grammarians do not agree with this.  For instance, Dr. Wallace says that the Grandville Sharp rule does not apply to plural nouns, yet he tells us that this construction means "all pastors were to be teachers, though not all teachers were to be pastors. "Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (p. 284). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan."  This is the same conclusion as the above rule. 

6 Regarding the list of gifted men in Ephesians 4:11, each person is placed on the team according to their spiritual gift.  Apostles had the gift of Apostleship.  Prophets had the gift of prophecy.  Evangelists had the gift of evangelism.  Pastors of the local church had the gift of pastor-teacher.  However, this was written during the pre-canon period of the church.  Once the New Testament Canon was written and circulated, the temporary gifts ceased, which means Apostles and Prophets were replaced by the Canon of Scripture.  The two remaining would be evangelists and pastor-teachers.  See the article "Summary of the Periods of the Church Age"  in the Reference Section.