Public worship that is Scriptural

Date: 19 Oct 2025, 9.30 am

Speaker: Ps Daniel Tan Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 14:1-40

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TRANSCRIPT

Introduction

Blessed Sunday to everyone.

Before Covid-19, I had quite a few opportunities to visit Faith Evangelical Church in Myanmar, Ps Samson’s church. And when I’m there, there is always a segment during their Sunday Worship where I get to experience the church praying in tongues.

I see some worried looks amongst us  

There is a segment in the service where the whole church prays aloud together. If I’m not wrong, it is preceded by the announcement of prayer points projected on the screen, written in Burmese.

To me they are praying in tongues because I don’t understand a word they are saying.

Ps Samson told me, there are at least 2 languages being spoken. The first is Burmese and the 2^nd is the Chin State dialect.

And the interesting thing is that the Burmese speaking and the Chin speaking people will not understand each other.

This time of prayer goes on for about 2-3 mins and then the worship leader will bring it to a close and I can sort of recognize the phase ‘In Jesus Name’ And then, I’ll voice my ‘Amen’ with the rest of the congregation.

As we are aware, 1 Cor 11-14 is Paul addressing concerns that pertain to the public worship of the church in Corinth.

Last week, as we went through 1 Cor 13, I offered us the picture of a sandwich. 1 Cor 13 is the meat, the important part.

Agape love is the essential when we understand how spiritual gifts are to function in the body of Christ.

1 Cor 12 gives us general principles about spiritual gifts while 1 Cor 12 will focus on 2 specific ones, tongues and prophecy.    

Cessationism vs Continuationism?

Before we dive into 1 Cor 14, I thought it would be helpful to address our church stand with regards to Spiritual Gifts, especially the more charismatic ones – like tongues and word of prophecy.  

2 big words. Firstly Cessationism, this is the view that the “miracle gifts” of tongues and healing have ceased—that the end of the apostolic age brought about a cessation of the miracles associated with that age. Most cessationists believe that, while God can and still does perform miracles today, the Holy Spirit no longer uses individuals to perform miraculous signs.

Secondly Continuationism is the belief that all the spiritual gifts, including healings, tongues, and miracles, are still in operation today, just as they were in the days of the early church.

A continuationist believes that the spiritual gifts have “continued” unabated since the Day of Pentecost and that today’s church has access to all the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible.

As I’ve shared when we went through 1 Cor 12, as a BP church, we follow the Westminster Confession of Faith and because we have the cannon of Scripture, in para 1.1 the final sentence reads – ‘Therefore the Holy Scriptures is most necessary, God’s former ways of revealing his will to his people have ceased.’

It is our persuasion that the miraculous signs were there to authenticate who the Apostles of Jesus were.

Now that their Holy Spirit inspired writings are our bible, Scripture is sufficient.

Some verses in the bible that have guided our persuasion are:

1. Jesus is the supreme revelation of God. It is the Holy Spirit’s role to point us to Jesus.

   
   

   ^{Heb 1:1} Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

   
   

2. Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit and Scripture is all sufficient

   
   

   ^{2 Tim 3:16} All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

   
   

3. The completeness of Scripture. There is no more new revelation. The book of Revelations is the final book of the Bible.

Rev 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

4.      Since we are going through 1 Cor 14, tongues are known languages

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

For all of us who are persuaded with the Cessasionist position, I submit, our prayerful support should thus be for bible translation.

Since Jesus said, all Scripture points to Him, and since Scripture is God’s full revelation to us - we cannot but support the efforts for every tribe and people to have the bible in their own language.

We thank God that there are 781 fully translated bibles. But of the 7391 languages in the world, 3333 languages do not have any portions of the bible translated. 

On that note, let’s get back to 1 Cor 14. When public worship is Scriptural, I offer 4 things that will happen – firstly, it will build up her people, secondly it will draw yet-believers to God, thirdly, it will be conducted in an orderly manner and finally it will be followed obediently.

Will build up her people (v1-20)

Paul begins in v1 by linking up 1 Cor 12 & 13  - he says, pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts especially that you may prophesy.

1 Cor 14:1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation

1 Cor was written latest 55 AD. Not all the books of the NT were already written and it would be another 200 years before the full New Testament was put together under God’s direction.

So, prophesy then would span from proclaiming and explaining God’s revealed truth as well as inspired utterance.

Today, however as 2 Tim 3 instructs, there is no more foretelling, no more revealing something of the future.

It is only forth-telling, explaining what God’s Word reveals about Jesus and how He wants us to live in the 21^st century.

By contrasting tongues with prophesy, Paul hints that the Corinthians had a mistaken understanding of the spiritual gifts of tongues. I think it is safe to say that those who spoke in tongues felt that they were superior.

Why desire prophesy? Paul says because prophesy speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation (comfort).

Zebedee and I was able to visit Ps Samson’s mother on the last day before the Lord took her home in 2019. She did not understand English.

What comfort and encouragement could I have given her if not for Ps Samson translating?

I was speaking a foreign tongue, I could have shared the most appropriate Scripture, prayed the most comforting prayer, but it would have been just noise if not for translation into the Chin dialect.

Following the trajectory of 1 Cor 11-13, it is not wonder that Paul was focus on believers being others-centred. And therefore, we do things for the common good.

Remember, every gift is given by the Holy Spirit. And because of the perfect relationship within our Triune God, it is only acceptable that such an ethos permeate the focus of how such gifts should be used.

Thus, we see the repeat emphasis about edifying others.

1 Cor 14:3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 1 Cor 14:4 …. but the one who prophesies builds up the church 1 Cor 14:5 …. so that the church may be built up. 1 Cor 14:6 …. how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 1 Cor 14:12 …. strive to excel in building up the church. 1 Cor 14:17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.

Tongues that are not interpreted are unintelligible to the listener.

It is definitely self-centred and therefore cannot be for the common good.

To help them understand, Paul gives two illustrations in v7 and 8.

1 Cor 14:7 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air.

The first is of a concert where each instrument is to contribute a distinct note or sound. A flute should sound like a flute and a harp like a harp.

I remember attempting to learn to play the guitar many years ago. If you don’t press the strings evenly or with enough strength, the note does not come out. It becomes muted, it’s confusion.

But it takes strength to press it sufficiently and pain tolerance to do it regularly.

And so, because I gave up after just a few lessons, you can estimate my pain tolerance.

Prophesy is like a clear note, tongues, is not.

During Paul’s time, the bugle was used to communicate action across many people and area. A different series of notes was played on the bugle if the troops were to move forward or to retreat.

It would have been disastrous if the bugler played the wrong one or played in indistinctive one. It would cause confusion with terrible consequences.

Soldiers will die unnecessarily, and morale will be affected.

Linking tongues to known languages in v10-12, Paul says, why be a foreigner to one another, why be a stranger in the church community? 

1 Cor 14: 10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

Since you are so eager to display the gifts of the Spirit, seek those that enable you to contribute to the body.

Strive for those that will benefit the faith community.

Those in the continuity camp would say, okay, maybe if I pray in tongues privately it is okay.

Firstly, we need to note that v13 is still in the context of a gathered community. So personal prayer in tongues is not the appropriate application here.

Secondly, even if v13 was to be about personal prayer, Paul says, the tongue speaker must ask for the gift of interpretation.

1 Cor 14:13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

But because these verses are in the community context, Paul tells them from v13-15 that the gift of tongues must come with interpretation, because it is so that others can say Amen.  

Thirdly, I’m sure we all agree that it is God’s desire is that we know and experience Him more fully.

Then assuming that there is such a thing as private tongues, what benefit is it for us if we don’t pray also with our mind?

If we don’t understand a single syllable that is coming out of our mouth? How do we know God better?

And so, Paul again in his exaggerated way says, ten thousand words in unintelligent speech is worthless, rather, just 5 words that are clearly understood by others edifies.

I think for many of us, we can get a glimpse of such a situation when we attend a bi-lingual service. Especially when you do not know the 2^nd language.

Like say, if we had an English and Cambodian bi-lingual service.

Our minds will only be engaged in segments. Everything will seem truncated.

So Paul says, how in the world would you be able to say ‘Amen’ to what you do not understand?

Paul in his letter to the Romans, written from Corinth, says ^{Rom 12:2} Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Renewing our minds is what we do collectively every Sunday as we sing hymns to God and listen to His word explained.

And when we apply it in our CGs, we are discerning what is God’s good, acceptable and perfect will for us.  

Public worship done Scripturally will build up her people.

Will draw people to God (v21-25)

If we as believers already cannot appreciate a service spoken not in a language that we can understand, would it not be worst for a yet-believer?

Since God calls us as believers to be others-centred, would it not be logical then for us to also be inclusive of our yet-believing family or friend?

1 Cor 14:20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

Many of us have flown in airplanes right? Think about the safety briefing at the start of the flight. For airlines that are non-English speaking they do try to convey the safety briefings both in their native language and in English.

Thai Airways is even more inclusive, I’ve seen them hand a braille version to our brother Wee Kok before.

We all appreciate it right, that the airlines bother to communicate to us in the language we understand. It is for our safety.

So, if they did not care for us, then the opposite will happen. And that is what verse 21 is implying.

In v21, Paul was quoting from Isaiah 28:11. The Israelites have not been obedient to what God has been speaking to them.

They understood God’s instructions but they did not obey.

So Isaiah was warning them, soon God will be sending in people who speak a foreign language to discipline Israel. God allowed the Assyrian army to attack Israel.

Linking this to 1 Cor 14, Paul is saying, tongues are for the unbeliever.

Because if you speak in tongues in the presence of a yet-believer, with no interpretation, they will not comprehend and will thus walk out thinking you Christians are crazy.

And when that happens, the Gospel is not preach and communicated, instead these yet-believers are hardened in their unbelief and in their rejection of God.

By speaking in tongues without interpretation, you Corinthian believers are pushing the yet-believer towards danger and further away from safety.

Church, aren’t we so thankful that we have the bible in English? That we can understand that God has given us the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations?

That we don’t have to study Greek or Latin so as to understand such an important purpose God has for His church.

Someone once told me that he was brought to faith by listening to sermons delivered at the funerals he attended of relatives.

And he added, it seems strange that God convicted him through those sermons.

Those were not evangelistic sermons yet the Holy Spirit used it to open his heart.

Such a testimony supports the truth from Heb 4:2:

Heb 4: 2 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

So Paul says, when you gather in public, if there is prophesy, the unbeliever can be convicted and called into account.

The secrets of his heart are disclosed and so he will fall on his face and he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

Public worship done Scripturally will draw people to God.

Will be conducted in an orderly manner (v26-35)

I’m sure we have seen the parliaments of some overseas governments. They throw things at each other, they wrestle, they thump their desks and shout to drown out the speeches of the opposition.

Entertaining so long as it’s not your government right? And we wonder how they get anything accomplished!

The bible tells us that God is a God not of confusion but of peace and that translates to orderliness. V40 sums it up, all things should be done decently and in order.

And so, in the public gathering of His people, God’s nature should be evident.

As we go through v26-35, Paul highlights 3 groups of people who were speaking in the public gathering of the church, who actually should be keeping quiet.

He begins by reminding his audience, why some need to be quiet – it is because the whole purpose in the public gathering is to build up one another (v26).

So the first group that needs to keep silent are the tongue speakers.

1 Cor 14:27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.

Everyone talking in tongues at the same time is just audio clutter multiplied. Totally unedifying.

So Paul says, let a few, just 2 or 3 speak in tongues. Firstly, take turns, and secondly there must be interpretation.

Based on the way Paul phases v28, do you think tongue speaking is purely spontaneous?

May I offer a consideration, that to Paul, the tongue speaker likely already knows that there is a fellow member who will be interpreting.

So might this mean, the members selected to speak in tongues and also to interpret, could possibly have been pre-arranged?

Could Paul be saying, if you already know there is no one to interpret, then you are not to speak in tongues at all, but to keep silent.

The second group is that of the prophets.

1 Cor 14:29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

Same thing here, it’s just 2 or 3 to prophets to speak. Significantly they are to weigh what has been said.

That means, what these prophets claim is from God must be carefully evaluated, they must be carefully judged in the light of everything God has already revealed in Scripture.

During Paul’s time, the model for such discernment were the Berean Christians. They did not take Paul’s words even at face value. They search Scripture, which for them would have been the Old Testament.

Acts 17:11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Why was it so important to be discerning? Paul warns the Galatians.

Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Be discerning about what Gospel you are receiving. The wrong Gospel will lead you away from God not towards God.

It is so serious that Paul says, may those who preach a false gospel be condemned.

In v32 a further point on orderliness is emphasized - ‘and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.’

This means that there should be no such thing as ecstatic utterances that is beyond the control of the speaker. You do not go into a trance to bring a prophecy.

The spirit of the prophets are in submission of the prophets themselves. They should be in absolute control of all their faculties.  

That means you know what you are about to say, and you know and can control yourself to be silent.

Finally, the third group to keep silence is that of the wives.  

1 Cor 14:33 As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

Remember in 1 Cor 11, the wives in Corinth, due to their wrong understanding of freedom and equality, were not dressing and behaving with propriety.

These women, it seems were also misunderstanding their radical freedom and equality by interrupting the services.

The immediate context is about weighing and discerning the validity of the prophetic sharing.

So, it would seem that these women, who were married, were inserting themselves into the discerning process.

They were asking questions and interrogating the prophets who were speaking and might have had the effect of undermining the leaders of the congregation.

So v35 says, such actions are ‘shameful’. This is the same word in the original as the word translated ‘disgraceful’ in 1 Cor 11.  

Paul’s instruction is that these wives should instead be asking their husbands about it at home.

One of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. And so, we are reminded again, the gifts of the Spirit are to be controlled by the fruit of the Spirit for it to be acceptable to God.

As we have already learnt in 1 Cor 11, there was no prohibition on women praying or prophesying. But there should be respect for gender differences.

Here in 1 Cor 14, it’s not that women cannot participate in the discerning process of the public worship at all, we the body would be poorer for it, if our ladies do not participate.

But Scripture points that God in His wisdom has given the responsibility of the oversight and conduct of public worship into the hands of the men.

How it is to take place in Hermon/Horeb is a discerning process that must be undertaken with much prayerful reflection upon Scripture.

Public worship that is Scriptural will have a sense of orderliness that springs from self-control.

Will be followed obediently (v36-40)

Paul ends this section on public worship with 1 Cor 14.

Does Paul think the Corinthians should just, by the way, consider Paul’s suggestion favourably?

1 Cor 14:36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

It has been said in some of our neighbouring countries, traffic rules are suggestions.

Red does not mean stop, it means see if you still can skilfully move forward.

The raised pavement does not demarcate where the pedestrian path is, it’s just a raised platform for me to cut traffic.

Paul says in no uncertain terms, everything that he says in 1 Cor 14 is a command of the Lord.

He is using his apostolic authority to warn. Paul commands, not suggests that things do not continue as they are.  

No, it is vital that the public worship of God be done in an acceptable manner that befits God’s character.

Because Paul is a genuine Apostle of Jesus Christ, commissioned to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, thus, he is a legitimate ambassador.

What he says, has the backing and authority of God.

Church, if we seek to be God’s children, the body of Christ, let us heed the teaching of our Lord:

Mt 12:46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

The body of Christ is to obeys the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Public worship that is Scriptural is in obedience to God’s revealed will.

Conclusion

Church, in going through 1 Cor 11 – 14, we see Paul correcting the Corinthians on where they have gone wrong.

It is implicitly assumed, that public worship happens right?

So, as we reflect on how appropriately we are to worship God together, I pray that it fortifies our conviction that the Sunday Service is essential for the building up of our faith.

That means, unless we are prevented from doing so, it must be a priority for us as believers.

For we know it is beneficial for our spiritual growth.

Secondly, as you may be aware, in these 4 chapters, a lot has been focused on the impact of our actions towards one another.

What that means is that the Sunday Service does not just have the vertical dimension. The horizontal dimension is very important as well.

When we come for Sunday Service, it is not just about me and God, no it is about me and my brothers and sisters-in-Christ as well.

Remember, Paul emphasizes unity in diversity. We are one body, Christ died to make us one.

As one family here in Hermon/Horeb, may our worship each Sunday be pleasing to God by the way we build one another up.

By the way we reach out to the yet-believer and by the way our orderliness reflects the character of the God we worship.

Reflection Questions

1. Think about our Sunday service (or any other church service you have visited). When might we be pursuing something that builds up the self rather than building up the whole church community?
   

2. How does your current service during Sunday service contribute to an orderly service that builds up each other?
   

3. How might the principles laid out in 1 Cor 14, help you to better grasp the application of spiritual gifts?