Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

Some of us are like Christopher Columbus when it comes to our understanding:

He didn’t know where he was going.

He didn’t know where he was when he got there.

He didn’t know where he had been when he returned.

Illustrate the Importance of Clear Communication

Eight times in this section, Paul used the word understanding.

It is not enough for the minister to impart information to people; the people must receive it if it is to do them any good.

The seed that is received in the good ground is the seed that bears fruit, but this means that there must be an understanding of the Word of God (Matt.

13:23).

If a believer wants to be edified, he must prepare his heart to receive the Word (1 Thes.

2:13).

Not everybody who listens really hears.

Spiritual Gifts can only used right when building up God's church is the underlying motive (vv.

1-5, 12); This is proven by considering some examples (vv.

6-11).

Main Thought: The Importance of Measuring Motives for Spiritualties: Are We Building Up the Church or Tearing it Down?

Sub-intro:

[Previously]

I. Paul's Invitation to Consider the Spiritualties in the Church at Corinth (1 Cor.

12:1-3).

A. An Intimate Call to Listen (1 Cor.

12:1).

B. An Intentive Audience (1 Cor.

12:2).

C.

An Intelligent Audience (1 Cor.

12:3).

II.

Paul's Proposition for the Purpose of Spiritualties in the Church at Corinth (1 Cor.

12:4-7).

A. Based on the Involvement of the Triune Godhead (1 Cor.

12:4-6).

B. Based on the Incentive of the Profitability of a Spiritual Church (1 Cor.

12:7).

III.

Paul's Confirmation of the Purpose of Spiritualties in the Church at Corinth (1 Cor.

12:8-27).

A. Argument One: The Reality of Spirituality (1 Cor.

12:8-27).

B. Argument Two: The Identity of Spiritualties (1 Cor.

12:28-13:13).

1. Defining Spiritualities (1 Cor.

12:28-13:3).

The Spiritualities are Defined By Love.

a.

The Placement of the Gifts in the Local Body (1 Cor.

12:28-29).

b.

The Profit of the Gifts Apart from Love (1 Cor.

13:1-3).

Ultimately meaningless without Love

2. Defining Love (1 Cor.

13:4-13).

An Explanation of What Genuine Biblical Love Is:

a.

The Graphic of Love (1 Cor.

13:4-8a).

b.

The Greatness of Love (1 Cor.

13:8b-13).

Body:

C. Argument Three: The Qualities of Spiritualities (1 Cor.

14:1-11).

The Importance of Clarity in Spiritual Communications.

The elitist tendency of that church led some of them to regard all spiritual powers (ta pneumatika, 12:1) as a means of self-aggrandizement.

Just as they used “knowledge” and “liberty” in ways careless of community identity (8:1–2; 10:23), so the spectacular gift of tongues seems to be claimed as a superior “sign of the Spirit.”

Indeed, some may have been claiming that only tongues truly certifies the presence of the Spirit: “tongues is a sign for believers” (cf. 1 Cor 14:22).

1. Proper Patterns for Spiritualities (1 Cor.

14:1-5).

a. Foundation of Clear Communication (v.

1).

Prophecy: gifts are to be coveted, especially prophecy.

Note two points.

a. Love is to be pursued above all else in life.

Gifts, abilities, and service are important; but they pale into insignificance in comparison with love.

Love is the greatest need and the supreme answer to all the needs of men.

It is when we love a person that we meet the needs of a person.

In fact, if we truly love a person, then we will do all we can to meet all the needs of that person.

⇒ The word follow (diokete) means to pursue, to persist, to continue on and on, never giving up until love is possessed.

b.

Spiritual gifts are to be desired.

We are to pursue love first, but this does not mean we are not to seek the spiritual gifts of God.

On the contrary, the more we love God and men, the more we covet the gifts of God so that we can minister and help the world of men more effectively.

⇒ The word desire (zeloute) means to covet earnestly; to be zealous and ambitious for.

As if a veritable chase.

Paul comes back to the idea in 12:31 (same use of ζηλουτε [zēloute]) and proves the superiority of prophecy to the other spiritual gifts not counting faith, hope, love of 13:13.

Note - prophesy = present subjunctive - "that ye may keep on prophesying"

by which he means, not so much the gift of foretelling future events, though there was such a gift bestowed on some persons in those times, and, in certain cases, was very profitable to the churches; but a gift of preaching the word, or explaining the prophecies of the Old Testament, and of praying and singing of psalms, all which, as appears from some following parts of this chapter, were included in it; and that not in an ordinary, but in an extraordinary way; a person possessed of this gift could at once, without the use of means, or help of study, preach the word, and open the more difficult parts of Scripture; he had an extraordinary gift of prayer, which he could make use of when he pleased, and at once compose and deliver out a psalm, or hymn, in the public congregation.

We must not think of a New Testament prophet as a person who foretold the future, for even the Old Testament prophets did more than that.

Prophets received God’s message immediately, through the Holy Spirit, and communicated that message to the church, usually in a tongue, but not always.

Prophecy was not the same as our modern-day “preaching,” because today’s preachers study the Bible and prepare their messages.

No preacher today should claim that he has immediate inspiration from God.

b.

Failure of Clouded Communications (v. 2).

The mysteries Paul has in mind here are of the type associated with the pagan mystery religions, out of which many of the Corinthian Christians had come.

Unlike the mysteries of the gospel, which are revelations of things previously hidden (Matt.

13:11; Eph.

3:9; etc.), the pagan mysteries intentionally remained mysterious, as unknown truths and principles that supposedly only the initiated elite were privileged to know.

The spirit to which Paul refers is not the Holy Spirit, as some interpreters claim, but the person’s own spirit, as implied in the Greek (locative case)

c.

Framework of Constructive Communications (v. 3).

Note the importance being laid upon proclaiming the message of the gospel in understandable terms.

Men can be reached and helped only as they can understand the message of believers.

The point is clear: the primary message upon our lips must be the gospel, and it must be understandable to all men.

QUOTATION SLIDE ~ FB Meyer

Do not be content merely to make a sound; say something.

Seek to do actual service to others is one of the three directions suggested in v. 3. Edification is the building up of the soul in truth.

Comfort is for the distressed and weary.

Consolation is the heartening of the soul to fresh enterprise.

d.

Focus of Christocentric Communications (v. 4).

i. Corrupted = Self-edification.

ii.

Uncorrupt = Church-edification.

Keep in mind that the members of the Corinthian church did not sit in the services with Bibles on their laps.

The New Testament was being written and the Old Testament scrolls were expensive and not available to most believers.

God spoke to His people directly through the prophets, and the message was sometimes given in a tongue.

The three gifts of knowledge, prophecy, and tongues worked together to convey truth to the people (1 Cor.

13:1–2, 8–11).

e. Favorable Counsel for Communications (v. 5).