I Cor. 14

I have slowed way down on my blog - once again - because I am also doing a women's Bible study. So since that has a deadline each week, it takes precedence.

This chapter is Paul's direction how to use the supernatural spiritual gifts, ie tongues, prophecy and healings. I agree with the commentator of my Bible that these gifts are not available for us today. Back in the day they were needed to spread the Gospel - people needed to understand in their own language and the apostles did not know those languages. Prophecy and healings were to prove to the people that the apostle were who they say they were.

"Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?" v. 23

My experience with modern day charismatic churches, is that if you sit through their worship time it sounds chaotic and scary when everyone starts speaking in tongues. I'm assuming if you are an unbeliever you would leave, running. When the real gift was used in Acts 2, there was no madness, and everyone understood in his own language. In Corinth, there was already charismatic chaos!

I've had a bad experience with the whole "words of prophecy" thing in these same churches. Someone stands up and gives a word of help - or whatever - for someone sitting in the congregation. Presumably that word is directly from God. When I was was going through an extremely hard time, no one ever got up to give me a comforting word from God, and it made me feel worse. Like, why doesn't God want to speak a comforting word to me?

"The church at worship before God should reflect His character and nature because He is a God of peace and harmony, order and clarity, not strife and confusion." John MacArthur

There are a couple of places  in the Bible where it tells women to be "silent" in church, ie submissive. For us here in America in the 21st century, that seems silly. But I believe it should still be today.

"It is not coincidental that many modern churches that have tongues-speaking and claim gifts of healings and miracles also permit women to lead worship, preach, and teach. " J. MacArthur


"...God is not a God of confusion but of peace..." v. 32