The Prophet Expounds - 9-18-05
An informal, unprepared, family study time discussion.
Prophecy:
Though much of OT prophecy was purely predicative, see Micah 5:2, e.g., and cf John 11:51, prophecy is not necessarily, nor even primarily, fore-telling. It is the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means, Matt. 26:69, it is the forth-telling of the will of God, whether with reference to the past, the present, of the future, see Gen. 20:7; Deut. 18:18; Rev. 10:11; 11:3... .
From Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, by W.E.Vine, M.A. Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc., (c)1985 ISBN 0-8407-7559-8
The text for today is I Corinthians 13
Out of the NKJV:
1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging 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, but have not love, I am nothing.
3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5. does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11. When I was a child, I spoke 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 in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
In verse 6 we see that love 'does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.' What is true is real. If something is not true, it is fiction, falsity, a lie. Without truth, what is left? So, if you are not loving, are you rejoicing in a lie? Are you believing a lie? Are you denying the truth?
In verse 7 love 'bears,' 'believes,' 'hopes,' and 'endures.' Now, wouldn't you think that bearing and enduring were almost the same thing? Do you see an emphasis there?
Audience member: Well, if you endure something, don't you get to live through it?
(laughter)
If you can bear all things, endure all things, through love, that's pretty amazing, isn't it?
Think about knowledge. It's easier to have knowledge than to endure something painful, whether it's mental or physical. What about faith? Is it easy to have faith in something when you don't have to endure? But if you have love, then you endure. It says that love is greater than knowledge, faith, understanding, martyrdom, and even a good singing voice! What if you have all these but not love? It profits you nothing.
Love causes us to endure, be humble, be kind, and allows us to enjoy the benefits of the other gifts we may have, such as knowledge, faith, martyrdom and prophecy.
How much better can we serve God when we do everything with love?
Obedience, with love.
Teaching, with love. Don't you think you might get a better response?
Ministry, prophecy, faith, giving, and the list goes on!
Suffering, with love!
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
Isn't it strange to think of something greater than faith? Having more effect on a person than hope? Without love, anything else you do is worthless. Love is needed no matter what you are doing.
Now, looking at a note in my Bible here; let me quote it. This is not the Bible, just some dude who was around when they were translating it.
(14:1) The subject is still the pneumatika. Chapter 12 describes the gifts and the body, the Church; ch. 13 depicts the love which alone gives ministry of gifts any value; ch. 14 regulates the ministry of gifts in the primitive, apostolic assembly of believers in Christ. (1) The important gift is that of prophecy (v.1). The NT prophet was not merely a preacher, but an inspired preacher through whom, until the NT was written, new revelations suited to the new dispensation were given (14:29-30). (2) Tongues and the sign gifts are to cease; meanwhile they must be used with restraint, and only if an interpreter is present (vv.1-19, 27-28). (3) In the primitive Church there was liberty for the ministery of all the gifts which might be present, but for prophecy more especially (vv.23-26, 31,39). And (4) these injunctions are declared to be "the commandments of the Lord" (vv.36-37).
Chapter 14 does say that tongues and prophecy are to be used logically, within guidelines to edify the entire church. However, does it really say that tongues and other gifts will cease? What does he mean when he says the 'primitive' church? Do you consider that the church in the time of the apostles was more or less likely to concur with the desires of God? Is there room for that kind of comparison? In chapter 13 we read "...when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away." Has 'that which is perfect' come, by any stretch of the imagination? Surely not! When perfection is come, when God creates a new heaven and a new earth, we will no longer have any need for anything 'which is in part.' When we have the whole, we won't need the orphaned pieces.
But for today, for the Church now, do you believe that tongues and signs are still applicable? They seem to be.
Prophecy:
Though much of OT prophecy was purely predicative, see Micah 5:2, e.g., and cf John 11:51, prophecy is not necessarily, nor even primarily, fore-telling. It is the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means, Matt. 26:69, it is the forth-telling of the will of God, whether with reference to the past, the present, of the future, see Gen. 20:7; Deut. 18:18; Rev. 10:11; 11:3... .
From Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, by W.E.Vine, M.A. Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc., (c)1985 ISBN 0-8407-7559-8
The text for today is I Corinthians 13
Out of the NKJV:
1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging 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, but have not love, I am nothing.
3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5. does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11. When I was a child, I spoke 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 in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
In verse 6 we see that love 'does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.' What is true is real. If something is not true, it is fiction, falsity, a lie. Without truth, what is left? So, if you are not loving, are you rejoicing in a lie? Are you believing a lie? Are you denying the truth?
In verse 7 love 'bears,' 'believes,' 'hopes,' and 'endures.' Now, wouldn't you think that bearing and enduring were almost the same thing? Do you see an emphasis there?
Audience member: Well, if you endure something, don't you get to live through it?
(laughter)
If you can bear all things, endure all things, through love, that's pretty amazing, isn't it?
Think about knowledge. It's easier to have knowledge than to endure something painful, whether it's mental or physical. What about faith? Is it easy to have faith in something when you don't have to endure? But if you have love, then you endure. It says that love is greater than knowledge, faith, understanding, martyrdom, and even a good singing voice! What if you have all these but not love? It profits you nothing.
Love causes us to endure, be humble, be kind, and allows us to enjoy the benefits of the other gifts we may have, such as knowledge, faith, martyrdom and prophecy.
How much better can we serve God when we do everything with love?
Obedience, with love.
Teaching, with love. Don't you think you might get a better response?
Ministry, prophecy, faith, giving, and the list goes on!
Suffering, with love!
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
Isn't it strange to think of something greater than faith? Having more effect on a person than hope? Without love, anything else you do is worthless. Love is needed no matter what you are doing.
Now, looking at a note in my Bible here; let me quote it. This is not the Bible, just some dude who was around when they were translating it.
(14:1) The subject is still the pneumatika. Chapter 12 describes the gifts and the body, the Church; ch. 13 depicts the love which alone gives ministry of gifts any value; ch. 14 regulates the ministry of gifts in the primitive, apostolic assembly of believers in Christ. (1) The important gift is that of prophecy (v.1). The NT prophet was not merely a preacher, but an inspired preacher through whom, until the NT was written, new revelations suited to the new dispensation were given (14:29-30). (2) Tongues and the sign gifts are to cease; meanwhile they must be used with restraint, and only if an interpreter is present (vv.1-19, 27-28). (3) In the primitive Church there was liberty for the ministery of all the gifts which might be present, but for prophecy more especially (vv.23-26, 31,39). And (4) these injunctions are declared to be "the commandments of the Lord" (vv.36-37).
Chapter 14 does say that tongues and prophecy are to be used logically, within guidelines to edify the entire church. However, does it really say that tongues and other gifts will cease? What does he mean when he says the 'primitive' church? Do you consider that the church in the time of the apostles was more or less likely to concur with the desires of God? Is there room for that kind of comparison? In chapter 13 we read "...when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away." Has 'that which is perfect' come, by any stretch of the imagination? Surely not! When perfection is come, when God creates a new heaven and a new earth, we will no longer have any need for anything 'which is in part.' When we have the whole, we won't need the orphaned pieces.
But for today, for the Church now, do you believe that tongues and signs are still applicable? They seem to be.
posted by Anemone Flynn | 9/18/2005 09:50:00 PM
3 Comments:
P.S. 'The Prophet' is my daddy.
Heidi
have you read 1 cor 13 in the Message, it says " love does not strut" i thought that was quite funny
I have heard that passage, and I thought it was rather clever.
We don't own a copy of the Message, and I never refer to it. The pastor of a church we've attended has quoted it on occasion. It's not that I don't think that he's done a fun job paraphrasing the Bible; I just remember that it is paraphrasing, and it can be misleading if you are not using your Bible as your main guide.
Post a Comment
<< Home