HolySpiritBIbleStudy5

The Holy Spirit

Part Five: The Holy Spirit

Today I want to begin the lesson with Chapter 13 of I Corinthians. Reason being is the greatest gift is love(charity). Charity
means love in KJV. It is the most important gift and without it all other gifts might as well be void.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 KJV
(1) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
(2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I
could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
(3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me
nothing.

If one speaks in tongues, and have not love they are like a sounding brass or tinkling cymbal in other words they make a lot of
noise instead of music. If I prophesied and have understanding and knowledge and faith but do not love I am nothing. Even if I
give up everything for the poor and become a martyr with out love I am nothing. I am zilch. Why is love so important one might
ask.

The gift of love is explained in the next few verses of the chapter.

1 Corinthians 13:4-10 KJV
(4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
(5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
(6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
(7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
(8) Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be
knowledge, it shall vanish away.
(9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
(10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Love is not sin, It is not prideful, envy, rude, selfish, not given to anger, and does not dwell on evil. Love suffers long, is kind,
rejoices in truth, bears all things believeth all things and hope all things and endureth all things, and it never fails I sometimes
think we have enough to work on when it comes to love., but I have learned God gives the ability to love those we find
unlovable as well as those that are mean or wish to cause us harm. God gives us the patients with people. In other words the
gift of love is something we all need to work on. Many people know how to love and to show love but often there is a condition
put on love and even if it is not a condition until one meets Christ it is hard to grasp the love of God's unconditionally loving us.
Loving us despite how many time we reject Him. Loving us despite how often we fail in obedience and love.

Love will be the only gift remaining when we reach Heaven. We won't need someone to prophesy or someone to speak in
another language or interpret. For when Christ returns we will have knowledge and understanding and know one will have to
explain it.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 KJV
(11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away
childish things.
(12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am
known.

When one becomes a man or a women our childish thoughts are put to rest by truth and facts, we no longer in the dark of
understanding. Old mirrors were not clear image of the person, it was often distorted and dark that is what it means by looking
through a glass darkly. We don't have a full image of the things to come but when Christ returns and takes us home we will have
a clear image of all.

1 Corinthians 13:13 KJV
(13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The greates gift is love out of the three faith hope and love. We are all given faith that believe as well as hope of everylasting life.
But love is the greatest gift because it never ends. It will be on going even when Christ returns for us.

For He will wipe away our tears from our eyes and heal all our diseases.

Revelation 21:3-4 KJV
(3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
(4) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there
be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

So the greatest gift is love and so what is the least gift? Tongues is often consider the least gift, because it seems it can cause a
lot of confusion in a church. Paul took almost an entire chapter to discuss tongues. But if one speaks of tongues they must also
speak of prophesy and also interpretation.

1 Corinthians 14:5 KJV
(5) I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with
tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

First what is spoken in tongues, it is a language whether unknown or known by the listener and speaker.

1 Corinthians 14:1-5 KJV
(1) Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
(2) For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the
spirit he speaketh mysteries.
(3) But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
(4) He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
(5) I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with
tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

The word unknown is a word that is added and not in the original Greek text. Though I think if you read it without the word it
could cause as much confusion as having it. Some interpret unknown tongue as anything that is uttered out of the mouth whether
interpretable or not. Some interpreted it has not a spoken language an if you will notice the Holy Spirit speaks language in Acts
2 which we covered back a few lessons ago. Those who worship idols speak mumble jumbo often time with no meaning. So
what is spoken in tongues by a speaker will be a language whether known or not known by the speaker or listener. That is why
it is so important to have interpretation especially when tongues are spoken in the church or group.

The word edification is used much in this passage and it means to build up. A church can not grow spiritually or increase in
number if they have no knowledge of what is said in tongues. This is one reason Paul does not encourage speaking in tongues
out loud unless their is an interpretation. Even if the speaker speaks in tongues to God unless they have understanding it has
very little effect on the one speaking. So Paul encourage that all should prophesy. Prophesy does not always mean foretelling
events to come. Often it is speaking the wonderful works of God and magnifying God or teaching and preaching about God. It
can mean to foretell because we has Christians often foretell of the coming of Christ. We speak of the prophesy of Christ
return. All these things edifies(builds up the church).

The gift of tongues can cause confusion. And Paul uses several illustrations to prove the confusion it can cause.

1 Corinthians 14:6-14 KJV
(6) Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation,
or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
(7) And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be
known what is piped or harped?
(8) For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
(9) So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall
speak into the air.
(10) There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
(11) Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a
barbarian unto me.
(12) Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
(13) Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
(14) For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

Paul use the illustration of a trumpet. How do you know when to march or fight in battle unless the trumpeter plays a certain
tune. Same inside a church if someone speaks in tongues in a language you do not know how will you know to Praise the Lord.
Paul uses the illustration of a barbarian. This is someone that does not speak the language you speak. In other words people
trying to understand but can not because they know not the words. Without interpretation even if the speaker speaks in the
spirit there needs to be understanding because otherwise it has no meaning. So one needs to pray for interpretation.

1 Corinthians 14:15-17 KJV
(15) What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing
with the understanding also.
(16) Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of
thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
(17) For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

Paul uses the illustration of giving thanks, how will someone know to say amen or whether to say amen. If we are to speak in
tongues we need to have understanding of what is said through interpretation. Interpretation is very important. Praying for
interpretation is important.

1 Corinthians 14:18-22 KJV
(18) I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
(19) Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten
thousand words in an unknown tongue.
(20) Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
(21) In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not
hear me, saith the Lord.
(22) 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.

Paul makes it clear he speaks in tongues, but he makes it clear in the church he rather prophesy then to speak in tongues. He
rather make it clear the wonderful works of God in the language of the people then speaking in tongues and them not
understanding. Most churches today accept for Pentecostals take this stand very seriously to the point if someone spoke in
tongues they might get kicked out of their church. But one must remember that tongues is a sign to the unbeliever and if
someone would come in not speaking the language and hear the word of God in their own it would glorify God. But if they
come in and hear a language not known to them it would cause confusion. God is not the author of confusion, He desires for all
people to come to Him. And with this knowledge that God desires people to know Him then one must realize if their is
confusion and lack of understanding then how can someone know the love of God. God makes it clear all languages would
come to Him and so tongues is a valid gift. Tongues though without prophesying in a language to people who know the
language has little effect. And tongues with out interpretation has little effect if one has no understanding. So tongues need to
either prophesy or their needs to be interpretation or one needs to be quiet.

1 Corinthians 14:23-33 KJV
(23) 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?
(24) 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:
(25) 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.
(26) 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.
(27) 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.
(28) But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
(29) Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
(30) If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
(31) For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
(32) And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
(33) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

There is one more rule to go by and that is there should be more then one that interprets. Yet I have never seen this practiced in
a church. I have seen interpretation and had it confirmed but never heard two people give interpretation. Also the fact is if there
is no interpreter then one should speak to God and himself and not the whole church to speak to God from the heart in other
words and not to verbally speak out loud. Also if there be other that which to prophesy in the church it should be done one at a
time. If you can imagine three preachers speaking at once would be confusion has well.

Unity of the Spirit is not confusion and no matter the gift whether tongues, interpretation, prophesying, preaching, teaching,
helps and so on. Love is not confusion either. If you say you love someone then treat them badly like making fun of them in
meanest then that is not love. Christian's need to be consistent in their lives but often times they are not. We must strive for
unity and not confusion and asking God to rid any confusion out of our life.