Reading for October 11th

 Read 1 Corinthians 14.20-40. In verses 20-25: Worship outsiders can understand. In verse 20: The issue is their level of maturity (13.11; Eph 4.14-15). In verse 21: Isa 28.11-12. Yahweh speaks to Israel using foreign language (Assyrian), but with out success. In verse 22: Strange tongues might be understandable to strangers, but not to God's people. Intelligible speech, prophecy, is better for them. In verses 23-25: As it turns out, even the unbeliever and outsider benefit more if they can understand what is said when the whole church comes together. Prophetic proclamation can convict the unbeliever's heart and show God's presence within the church. The quotation is from Isa 45.14. In verses 26-36: Suggestions for orderly worship. In verse 26: The variety of activities suggests unstructured worship. Building up restates the overarching principle (14.12). In verse 27-28: The restrictors on speaking in a tongue imply the individual's ability to control speech. Paul's instruction are consistent: no interpreter, no tongues (14.5, 12; see 12.10). In verses 29-33: Prophetic speech can also be controlled. since it is understandable, it is weighed rather than interpreted. Chaotic worship fails to recognize the true nature of God (7.15; Rom 15.33). In verses 33b-36: The restrictions on women's speech are in parentheses because their location here is disputed. The role of  women in worship is discussed nowhere else in chs. 12-14. The instructions do not agree with Paul's earlier discussion in 11.2-16, were women praya nd prophesy along with men. many scholars doubt they were written by Paul and date them to a later period (1 Tim 2.11-12; Titus 2.5). In verses 37-40: Concluding words. In verse 37: Command of the Lord: I what sense is not clear. Paul is not able to cite Christ's teaching as he does earlier (7.10; 9.14). In verse 39: Be eager to prophesy: He restates the point where the discussion began (14.1). Do not forbid speaking in tongues: he recognizes that some people will. Paul sees their dangers but also their potential value. In verse 40: His advice is grounded in God's character (14.33). Comments or Questions..