GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP | 恩道堂

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 7

Theme                            : Loyalty and Comfort         

Having God’s promises in the previous chapter provides powerful motivation for believers to separate from unbelievers. In this passage, Paul continued his plea for the Corinthians to break away from the false teachers and return to him.

1. Paul’s love and loyalty for the Corinthians (7:1-4). The apostle knew that as long as the Corinthian church clung to their sinful associations with his enemies, their love relationship with him could not be restored. Therefore it is all the more urgent for the Corinthians to follow his instructions in 6:14-7:1 and sever all ties with the false teachers. Here, Paul reminded them of his innocence against all the false charges and his loyalty towards them.

2. Paul’s comforts from the Corinthians (7:5-16). In 2 Cor. 7:5, Paul returned to the narrative that broke off from 2 Cor. 2:14 – 7:4 on the events that followed the sending of the severe letter. In this section, God comforted the anxious, grieving pastor and restored his joy through the safe return of Titus and the repentance of the Corinthian believers. As a result of their repentance, the Corinthians demonstrated their loyalty towards Paul by uniting to discipline the individual who attacked him (cf. 2 Cor. 2:6) and reaffirmed their submission to Paul’s authority (cf. Heb. 13:17). This encouraged Paul to share with them a project that was dear to his heart in chapters 8-9 and also gave him the boldness to confront the remaining pockets of resistance to his apostolic authority in chapters 10-13.

Praying the Scripture

1. Despite their unfaithfulness, disloyalty and sin, Paul maintained great confidence and trust in the Corinthians – not because of them, but because he knew that God would complete the saving work He had begun in them (cf. Phil. 1:6). This demonstrated true love that “believes all things, (and) hope all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). Let’s pray that we will believe and hope for the best in our brothers and sisters in Christ even in their imperfection.

2. True biblical repentance is not emotional human remorse seeking to relieve stress and improve one’s circumstances. Such remorse is simply the sorrow of the world – wounded pride, getting caught, self-pity – which has no healing and transforming capability. It only produces guilt, shame, resentment, depression, hopelessness and even death (cf. Mt. 27:3-5). But true repentance involves a sorrow over sin which produced a genuine change of heart, leading to a turning away from sin to holiness. This is a healing and transforming sorrow that is according to the will of God, intending for us to feel because it produces repentance. Let’s pray that we will experience godly grief over our sins because repentance is a gracious work of God in the human heart (cf. Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25).

经文：哥林多后书7

主题：忠义及安慰 

神在上个篇章所列出的应许，是予信徒和非信徒分别为圣的强力动机。在这段经文中，保罗继续求哥林多教会要离开假教师，重归于他。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 6

Theme                             : Servants of God      

As ambassadors of Christ, believers bring the message of reconciliation to a hostile world, which could either be embraced or rejected. Nowhere is such tension between honor and dishonor better expressed than Paul in this passage.

1. Paradox of God’s servants (6:1-10). As privileged coworkers of God (cf. 1 Cor. 3:9), Paul could not permit the Corinthian church to be deceived by a false gospel or be led astray from the true path of sanctification, hence he pleaded earnestly with them not to receive the grace of God in vain. Not only that, he also demonstrated great endurance as a true ambassador of Christ, even as he faced contrasting paradox in his ministry (v8-10).

2. Appeals of God’s servants (6:11-13). One of false accusations against Paul was the charge that he had no real affection for the Corinthian church. Hence throughout the letter, Paul repeatedly affirmed his love for the church (2 Cor. 2:4; 11:11; 12:15) and pleaded with them not to close their hearts to him by believing these lies.

3. Mandate of God’s servants (6:14-18). Not only that, the false teachers were also eager to blend the Corinthians with pagan worshippers in order to make themselves popular, thus Paul gave this mandate to separate because believers and unbelievers belong in different spiritual realm and all false religions are virulently hostile to God. Hence believers must obey God’s command and be separated from unbelievers in order to enjoy the blessings of an intimate relationship with God.

Praying the Scripture

1. The noblest view of ministry is to see it as working together in partnership with God (2 Cor. 6:1a). Disappointment over the difficulties in ministry often begin with a failure to understand the high privilege to which God’s servants are called. Let’s pray that we will have a high view of ministry and endure faithfully regardless of the difficulties.

2. Believers and unbelievers inhabit two opposing world. Christians are in Christ’s kingdom, which is characterised by righteousness, light and eternal life. Unbelievers are in Satan’s kingdom, which is characterised by lawlessness, darkness and spiritual death. Therefore a believer has no common spiritual ground with an unbeliever. Let’s pray that we will not be bound to unbelievers in any spiritual effort though we continue to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).

经文：哥林多后书6

主题：神的仆人     

身为基督的大使，信徒将与神和好的信息带到一个敌对的世界，而这信息可以被他们接纳或拒绝。保罗在这段经文便很好地阐述了荣耀与羞辱之间的冲突。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 5

Theme                            : Ministry of Reconciliation 

Though Paul faced death constantly in his earthly life, he was undaunted and showed us the hope for his confidence in facing death.

1. Paul’s longing to be with God (5:1-10). Paul was not afraid to die because in death, he will receive a glorified body in the perfect eternal life, which is a plan purposed by God for all believers. This stirred in him the longing to be with God, thus he made it his highest ambition to be pleasing to God whether on earth or in heaven. This motivation to please God was also driven by the knowledge that he will one day appear before the judgment seat of Christ where his true heart will be revealed, thus made him even more careful about how he lived in this world.

2. Paul’s integrity in ministry (5:11-15). As noted previously, Paul’s credibility as the apostle of Christ was under attack from false teachers who had infiltrated the church in Corinth. Therefore, Paul had to defend his integrity (“persuade others”) against these false accusations out of reverence for God and for the sake of the church. Above all, Paul was overwhelmed with gratitude for Christ’s love towards him and defended his ministry strongly so as not to lose the opportunity to serve Him.

3. Paul’s ministry of reconciliation (5:16-21). God’s perfect righteousness demands all sinners to be punished, yet through His plan of reconciliation, all hostility and alienation separating the Holy One and sinners vanished through Christ’s substitutory death. It is to all reconciled people that God gives the ministry of reconciliation (cf. Mt 28:19-20) and called them to be His messengers in proclaiming the gospel.

Praying the Scripture

1. The reality of death faces every human being who ever lived, yet Christians do not need to fear death because death simply stripped away our physical body so that we can be ushered into the presence of God. Let’s pray that we too will be confident in facing death.

2. Ambition is often associated negatively. The Bible condemns sinful ambition too (Jer. 45:5), but there is a type of ambition that is legitimate – the ambition to please the Lord. Let’s pray that we will follow Paul’s example to make pleasing God our highest ambition.

3. Sinners cannot be reconciled to the Holy God on their own terms because they have absolutely no ability to conform to His standard of righteousness. But God, according to His great love, initiated the way of reconciliation through Jesus Christ, whose perfect sacrifice is the only one that can satisfy the demands of God’s holy justice. Let us thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His work for us on the cross and seek to live for Him alone.

经文：哥林多后书5

主题：与神和平的事工     

保罗虽然在地上的生命时刻都面对着死，他却不畏惧，从而向我们显示面临死亡之信心的盼望。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 4

Theme                            : Strength in Weaknesses     

As believers look at the glory of God in the face of Christ, they are constantly being transformed into the likeness of Christ. It is by looking at the face of Jesus as revealed in Scripture that provides new covenant believers the strength, joy and hope to face all of life’s trials.

1. The light of the gospel (4:1-6). Despite his suffering and the savage attacks on him by the false apostles, Paul had not lose heart, but continued to receive strength for his ministry by looking at the face of Jesus. Unlike the false apostles who veiled the truth by adding elements of mystery to impress their followers, Paul presented only the pure and straightforward gospel (1 Cor. 2:2). However, despite the simplicity of the gospel message, it is veiled to unbelievers who have no light to see the gospel of the glory of Christ.

2. The treasure in clay jars (4:7-18). Not only had the false apostles attacked Paul’s character and ministry, they even resorted to ridicule Paul’s personal appearance as unimpressive and battered. Rather than denying their allegations, the apostle acknowledged his weakness and used the analogy of precious treasure kept in a clay pot to express how the priceless truth of the gospel was also held in a humble human container. That was how God’s power flowed unhindered through him so that he can withstand exceeding pressure and onslaught from his enemies during his ministry. His secret for enduring through painful and difficult trials was by cultivating spiritual strength in his inner person (v.16), not letting the present blind him to the future (v.17), and setting his heart on eternal, not temporal realities (v.18).

Praying the Scripture

1. God delights in using humble, common people, those who are overlooked by the society to place the incalculable treasure of the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26-29), so that the power to save is not in the human messenger, but in the divine message. As we humbly and faithfully serve God, His power flows through us so that more and more people will worship and glorify God (Rev. 5:13). Let’s pray that we will not rely on clever tactics or make the gospel less offensive when evangelising, but to trust in God’s sovereignty for the salvation of unbelievers.

2. All Christians can learn from Paul’s example on how to endure the loneliness, disappointment, pain and persecution they face. It was the vision of God’s glory revealed in the face of Jesus Christ that provides the foundation for living a triumphant life. As we know Christ better, the better we will know God and the better equipped we are to handle life’s trials and difficulties. Let’s pray that we do not lose heart in suffering, but to look even more intently at Jesus Christ who is revealed through Scripture.

经文：哥林多后书4

主题：软弱中的力量         

当信徒在基督的脸上得知神荣耀的光时，他们也不断转变成基督的样式。新约信徒是藉着仰望经文所揭示的基督得到力量、喜乐和盼望，来面对生命中的试炼。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 3

Theme                            : Superiority of the New Covenant 

False teachers have infiltrated the Corinthian church, teaching that rituals and ceremonies of the old covenant were prerequisites for salvation. To boost their own credibility with the Corinthians, they not only attacked Paul’s integrity, but also his competency as a minister.

1. The Competent Minister (3:1-6). Unlike the false apostles who had to rely on deceptive letters of commendation to gain acceptance by the Corinthians, Paul does not need these to prove his credibility because the Corinthians already had firsthand knowledge of his virtuous, godly, sincere life and powerful preaching (cf. Acts 18:11). His authenticity as a true servant of Jesus Christ was evident in the transformed life of the Corinthians through his ministry. The confidence that God had called him to ministry and his humble dependence on God’s power also distinguished him from the false apostles who were self-confident and arrogant, fully trusting in their own cleverness.

2. The Glory of the New Covenant (3:6-18). The false teachers affirmed that salvation was through faith in Christ plus keeping the Mosaic Law. True ministers, however, are servants of a new covenant, which is far more superior than the old covenant because it gives life (v.6), produces righteousness (v.7-9), is permanent (v.10-11), brings hope (v.12), make truth clear (v.13-14a), is Christ-centered (v.14b-16), is energized by the Spirit (v.17), and is transforming (v.18). Though the Law had the glory of God by revealing His holiness and justice, the new covenant reveals God’s glory in a fuller manner because it not only reveals His holy nature, but also manifests His compassion, mercy, grace and forgiveness (cf. Ex. 34:6-7).

Praying the Scripture

1. God does not look for the mighty and the noble according to human standards when He chooses men for the ministry (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26). As advised by the godly Scottish pastor, Robert Murray McCheyne, to a young minister, “It is not great talents God bless so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.” Let’s pray that we will not rely on our natural abilities to carry out any ministry in church, but to rely on the Spirit’s power to make us effective.

2. The Christian life is a continual process of growing into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, ascending from one level of glory to another. That is also our goal in this life – to be like the Lord. The process of being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ will culminate in believers’ glorification, which is only possible through the new covenant. Let’s pray that we will not depend on rituals and ceremonies to be sanctified, but look to Scriptures for the glory of God reflected in the face of Jesus and be transformed into His image through the powerful internal work of the Spirit (cf. Eph. 3:16).

经文：哥林多后书3

主题：新约的优势 

假教师已潜入哥林多教会，并教导他们守旧约的礼仪和仪式是得救的必要条件。为要在哥林多人面前显出自己是可信的，他们不但冤枉保罗不诚实，还质疑他作执事的资格。

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 2

Theme                            : Forgiveness and Encouragement in Christ         

Paul hoped that the sinful issues he confronted in his letters would be settled before he visited Corinth again. In this passage, he urged the Corinthians to forgive one of their numbers and also displayed his deep love and concern for them. 

1. Forgiving the sinner (2:1-11). The individual to be forgiven had apparently verbally and publicly assaulted Paul during his “painful visit” to them. Following Paul’s instructions, the Corinthian church disciplined the sinning member and put him out of the fellowship. He had since repented, and now not only did Paul forgive him, but he also instructed the Corinthians to do so too in order to show mercy (v6), restore joy (v7), affirm love (v8), prove obedience (v9), restore fellowship (v10) and thwart Satan (v11).

2. Concern for the Corinthians (2:12-17). The serious riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41) may have prompted Paul’s departure for Troas. But more importantly, Paul hoped to meet Titus (whom he sent to Corinth) there in order to find out how the Corinthian church had responded to his letters. Fearing the worst, Paul’s heart was so heavy with concern that he found it difficult to focus on the open door of ministry at Troas. However, Paul did not look to his circumstances for comfort, joy and encouragement, but took his focus off his difficulties and turn to God. Here, Paul lists five privileges in which he was spiritually triumphant in spite of his circumstances: being led by a sovereign God (v14a), having the promised victory in Christ (v14b), to be an influence for Christ (v14c), to be pleasing to God in Christ (v15-16a) and having the power to serve in Christ (v16b-17).

Praying the Scripture

1. The apostle Paul understood the importance of forgiveness. Though he was sorrowed by the offender who assaulted him, he refused to take it personally or carry a grudge against the offender. This is how Paul exemplified the forgiveness that Jesus commanded (Matt 18:21-22). Let’s pray that we will follow Paul’s example in forgiving others for their offences against us.

2. Paul was no stranger to discouragement in his ministry, yet he continued to persevere until the end of his life (2 Tim 4:7).The cure to Paul’s discouragement is to focus on his privileges instead of his problems. The contemplation of those privileges – of being associated with the King of kings in His Triumph, of influencing people for eternity, of pleasing God, and of having His power undergirding his ministry – healed his broken heart and restored his joy. Let’s pray that we too will focus on the privileges in Christ whenever we are discouraged in the course of our ministry.

经文：哥林多后书2

主题：在基督里的赦免与勉励    

保罗希望他在书信中所提到的罪恶情况能在他二次探访哥林多之前得以解决。在这段经文中，他鼓励哥林多教会要彼此饶恕，并向他们展现自己对他们的爱与关注。 

Scripture Reading        : 2 Corinthians 1

Theme                            : The God of Comfort          

As mentioned in the introduction, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to defend himself against the assaults of false apostles who sought to discredit Paul in order to replace the truth of God with their satanic lies.

1. The comfort of God in trouble (1:1-11). The first section of this passage shows Paul’s defense against their false charge that his trials were God’s punishment for his sin and unfaithfulness. Here, Paul uses two OT titles of God – “the Father of mercies” (2 Sam 24:14; Ps 86:15; etc.) and the “God of all comfort” (Is 40:1, 51:3) to make the point that God was comforting him in his sufferings, not chastening him. God alone is the source of true comfort, which in turn gives us hope and strength amid the trial. Through God’s comfort in sufferings, we can then comfort others in their trials with the same comfort we receive.

2. The testimony of the conscience against accusation (1:12-24). Not only that, the false apostles were also accusing Paul of being untrustworthy and fickle through a trivial evidence: a change in Paul’s travel plans. In his defense, Paul did not call on his friends to verify his integrity, but appealed to the highest human court: his own conscience. Because Paul’s fully informed conscience affirmed that his conduct had been in holiness and godly sincerity, it exonerated him from these false charges. After defending his integrity did Paul finally explain why he changed his travel plans: it was to give the Corinthians time to correct the problems he wrote of in 1 Corinthians in order to avoid another painful visit to them. This displayed his sensitivity towards his beloved church, not untrustworthiness and fickleness.

Praying the Scripture

1. Many people today question why bad things happen to good people. But Scripture rejects the underlying assumption that people are truly good (Rom 3:10). Bad things happen to all people because they are sinners who live in a fallen, sin-cursed world. In the course of godly living and ministry, it is inevitable that believers will be afflicted (2 Tim 3:12). Yet in God’s providence, we have the promise of God’s comfort to strengthen us when we suffer for Christ. Are you discouraged by the various trials in your life? Know that those who experience the most suffering will receive the most comfort and those who receive the most comfort are thereby the most richly equipped to comfort others. Let’s pray that we will not be discouraged by trials, but to trust God for deliverance and comfort through trials.

2. The conscience is a warning system, placed by God to warn of damage to the soul. But today’s culture aggressively tries to silence sin and guilt in the conscience as harmful to their self-esteem. However, those who attempt to do so face spiritual ruin (cf 1 Tim 1:19; 4:2; Titus 1:15). Though the conscience either affirms right behaviour or condemns sinful behaviour, it is not infallible. Therefore, believers need to set their conscience to the highest moral standard by submitting to all of God’s Word so that their conscience can call them to live according to that law. Do you have a clear conscience before God? At salvation, God cleanses the conscience from its lifelong accumulation of guilt, shame and self-contempt. It is now our responsibility to keep a clear or good conscience as commanded in the Bible (1 Peter 3:16). Let’s pray that we will be sensitive to any sins in our life by examining ourselves in light of Scripture and confess them quickly before our faithful and forgiving God.

经文：哥林多后书1

主题：赐安慰的神 

如前言所介绍的，保罗书写哥林多后书的目的是要在假使徒的诬告中维护自己，因为他们试着销毁保罗的信誉，以便用魔鬼的谎言取代神的真理。

Scripture Reading        : 1 Corinthians 16

Theme                            : Final Exhortation   

After discussing the resurrection in great details, Paul ended the letter with several exhortations in regard to giving, doing the Lord’s work, faithful living and love within the Christian fellowship.

1. Giving (16:1-4). The primary purpose of giving is to support the saints, particularly the poor saints in Jerusalem. Besides meeting the economic needs of the Jerusalem believers, Paul also want the collection to express the spiritual oneness of Jews and Gentiles in the church (Rom. 15:27).
2. Doing the Lord’s work (16:5-12). The work that Paul speaks of is not merely keeping busy, but dedicated spiritual service. This involves having a vision for the future (v.5), flexibility to God’s revision (v.6), thoroughness in working (v.7-8) and accepting opposition as a challenge (v.9).
3. Faithful living (16:13-14). After telling the Corinthians what not to be in the earlier chapters, Paul now gave five final commands to the Corinthians on what to be: alert, firm, mature, strong and loving.
4. Love within the Christian fellowship (15:50-58). Christ’s resurrection had broken the power of death for those who believe in Him, and death is no longer master over them (Rom 6:9). Though death still impacts us while we are mortal, yet we no longer need to fear death because Christ has conquered death by being raised from the dead (cf. Rev. 20:14; 21:4).

Praying the Scripture

1. The Christian’s first obligation in giving is to support fellow believers through the church. Giving should not be done only when we feel generous or “as the Spirit leads”. Though Scripture here mentions giving every week, Paul is not prescribing a legalistic requirement of parceling out our money so that we can be sure to have something to put in the offering plate every Sunday. Giving is part of worship – how believers handle their money is inextricably related to the depth of their worship. Weekly worship, thus, should remind us of our continual stewardship of the possessions the Lord has entrusted us. If we do not give properly, we cannot worship properly. Let’s pray that we will be faithful in the use of money, so that we will be entrusted with true riches one day (Luke 16:10-11).
2. Each of the last five commands to the Corinthians can serve as a point for reviewing the epistle. The first was to be alert, as opposed to being spiritually indifferent and listless. As the Corinthians were not alert in their spiritual walk, they allowed their previous pagan ideas and habits to invade their lives (1 Cor. 1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13). The second was to be firm in the truth and not be carried about by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14), as the Corinthians had tried to combine human wisdom with God’s wisdom. The third was to be mature, which is to have a sense of control, confidence and courage. Again the Corinthians were characterised by anything but maturity, as seen in their lack of love (cf. 1 Cor. 13:11). The fourth is to be strong, which is to be strengthened in our inner spiritual growth through the Lord (Eph. 6:10, 2 Tim. 2:1). Only a strong spirit can successfully battle and overcome the flesh – an area where the Corinthians were weak (1 Cor. 3:3). The last is to be loving, which complements and balances all other virtues. Let’s pray that our spiritual walk will also be characterised by these five commands.

经文：哥林多前书16

主题：最后的劝诫 

详细将复活谈论一番后，保罗以劝诫的话总结了这封书信，内容包括：奉献、做的主工、忠心的生活及基督徒团契里的爱。

Scripture Reading        : 1 Corinthians 15

Theme                            : Resurrection           

This whole passage is an entire doctrine on resurrection.

1. The evidence for Christ’s resurrection (15:1-11). The doctrinal problem here is not the Corinthians’ disbelief in Christ’s resurrection, but confusion about their own due to influence from Greek philosophy. Therefore, to lay the foundation for his teaching, Paul first presented the evidences for Jesus’ resurrection.
2. The importance of bodily resurrection (15:12-34). If Christ had not risen, all preaching and faith in Christ would be worthless (v.13-14), all witnesses and preachers would be liars (v.15-16), all believers will eternally perish in their sins (v.17-18) and Christians would be the most pitiable people on earth (v.19). It is the resurrection that gives us the greatest motivation to come to Christ and living for Christ.  
3. The resurrection body (15:35-49). Like a seed which die before it comes to life, we too must die before we can participate in the fruit of Christ’s resurrection. Resurrection body will differ radically in earthly body, which will be glorious, imperishable, powerful and spiritual.
4. The victory over death (15:50-58). Christ’s resurrection had broken the power of death for those who believe in Him, and death is no longer master over them (Rom. 6:9). Though death still impacts us while we are mortal, yet we no longer need to fear death because Christ has conquered death by being raised from the dead (cf. Rev 20:14; 21:4).

Praying the Scripture

1. The resurrection was the focal point of Christianity. Without the resurrection, the gospel would be an empty and hopeless message, the hall of faithful in Hebrews 11 would be the hall of the foolish and Christianity would be pointless and pitiable. To have hoped in Christ in this life only, we would have lived for nothing, hoped for nothing and died for nothing. Do you believe in the resurrection? Does it impact the way you live your life? All human power, beauty, wealth and glory will end at the grave, but the hope of a Christian should be like the epitaph expressed by Benjamin Franklin: “The body of Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gliding, lies here food for worms. But the work will not be lost, for it will appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the Author.” Let’s pray that we will always “set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2), “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
2. There are two types of resurrections in the Bible: one is the resurrection of the righteous (Rev. 20:6, 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Cor. 5:1-5; Luke 14:14; John 5:29), and second is the resurrection of the unrighteous (John 5:29). The first resurrection at Christ’s coming will be the resurrection of the church, made up of believers from Pentecost to the rapture (1 Thess. 4:16). Next will be the resurrection of the Tribulation saints (Rev 20:4) and Old Testament saints (Dan. 12:2; Is. 26:19-20) at the Millennium. The only resurrection remaining will be that of the unrighteous who will be raised to eternal damnation at the end of Christ’s thousand year reign (Rev. 21:8). Which resurrection will you belong to? Let’s pray that we will examine ourselves regularly to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5).

经文：哥林多前书15

主题：基督的复活

这整篇经文是关乎基督复活的教义。

Scripture Reading        : 1 Corinthians 14

Theme                            : Tongues and Prophecy      

After presenting love as the “more excellent way” above all ministries and gifts, Paul now confronted the Corinthians in regard to their sin against love in misunderstanding and misusing the gift of tongues.

1. The position of tongues and prophecy (14:1-19). Much of the tongues-speaking in Corinth had taken the form of pagan ecstasies and was counterfeit of the true gift. It is an interpretive key to note that the singular tongue (v.2, 4, 13, 14, 19) indicate the counterfeited gift because gibberish is singular while the plural tongues (v.5, 6, 18, 22, 23, 29) indicate the true gift because it involves various languages. Unlike prophecy (used here as speaking forth God’s Word) which edifies the whole congregation, tongues are unintelligible and its effects are emotional rather than rational.
2. The purpose of tongues and prophecy (14:20-25). The true purpose of tongue can be found in Is. 28:11-12 – the strange tongues mentioned refer to the gift of languages, which God gave as an impending sign of judgment to the unbelieving Jews. When that to which it pointed has been passed in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70, there is no longer a purpose for the gift. God’s prophesies had also closed since the Bible is completed. However, although foretelling has ceased, prophecy continues in the form of forth-telling (proclaiming) God’s revealed prophesies to edify believers and to evangelize to unbelievers.
3. The procedure of tongues and prophecy (14:26-40). Those true gifts must be ministered in a systematic and orderly manner because God is a God of propriety and order. Therefore, all things that His children do should also reflect those divine characteristics.

Praying the Scripture

1. As with Corinthian church, many Pentacostal and Charismatics today have misunderstood the gift of tongue. Using verse 4 as their support, they claimed that God is still giving the gift of tongues to believers this day for private devotional use, even if what’s spoken is gibberish. Some had even gone to the extreme to say that all Christians must have the gift of tongues in order to be a true believer. However, spiritual gifts are always used for ministering to others for God’s glory (1 Cor. 12:7), not to selfishly minister to oneself as some people thought they were doing by speaking in tongues. However, if even true tongues must be interpreted in order to be understood, how can gibberish possibly edify anyone, including the person speaking, without interpretation? Scripture is clear that Christians are only built up by the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17) and this is the tool which every believer should be skilled in. Let’s pray that we will not clamor after the gift of tongues, but we will desire to build up one another through the Word of God (cf. 1 Thess. 5:11).
2. In light of the confusion and disorder that the Corinthian believers seemed to do everything, Paul gave a clear command for things to be done in an orderly manner, for God is not a God of confusion but of peace (v.33). Therefore, our worship of God should reflect the character and nature of God: that He is the God of peace and harmony, not of strife and confusion (Rom. 15:33, 2 Thess. 3:16, Heb. 13:20). Let’s pray that we will always worship God in an orderly manner whenever we gather as a congregation.

经文：哥林多前书14

主题：说方言与做先知讲道        

保罗将爱呈现作超乎众事工和恩赐之“最妙的道”后，现在要指责哥林多教会悖逆这爱，因为他们误解并误用了说方言的恩赐。