The Need For Maturity

Dear Bethelites,

Some of us are church leaders, elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, parents with children, married couples, individuals, etc. We may be Christians for many years. What if someone describes you as a child? It would be most devastating, right! Nobody likes to be called a child because it means you are immature, childish, easily deceived, fickle-minded, uninformed and does not understand. These are just some of the negative characteristics of children.

Here, in 1 Corinthians 14:20, the Apostle Paul began by calling the Corinthians children, Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. In a sense, he was saying, “You think you are spiritually mature, but you are so childish in your understanding.

Though here, the immaturity was in regards to spiritual gifts, but in an overall sense, the Corinthians were very immature in their understanding and thinking. The literal structure of the sentence is “Stop being children in your understanding.”

Why did Paul call them children? Just take a moment and consider the negative characteristics of children.

Children are selfish — Children are selfish by nature, and when they desire something, they only want it for their ownselves. Like children, the Corinthians desired to have the gift of languages (tongues) not for edification but to show off, impress others and be praised. Likewise, when we do something (like our services in the church) that only pleases ourselves, and satisfies our desires or egos, we are behaving like children who are selfish.

Children are easily deceived — Christian are easily deceived. When they see everybody doing something, they reckon it must be good. Like children, the Corinthians saw that everyone was desiring to speak in tongues, therefore, it must be good. They did not consider the thing they desired in accordance with God and His Word.

Children want to be known as mature — The Corinthians thought they were spiritually mature, but in reality they were the opposite, spiritually immature. Oftentimes, people who are immature, almost always think they are mature. Parents would be able to attest to this fact. Children would tell their parents that they are mature enough to take care of themselves when they want to go out on their own or stay out late at night. But they cannot even take care of themselves when they are at home.

Children do not understand why they are doing what they are doing — Like children, the Corinthians did not even understand the purpose of tongue-speaking, and yet they desired to have those gifts. Isn’t it true that children often do not understand why they want what they want, or why they are doing what they are doing?

But there is one characteristic whereby being childlike is good and desirable, Paul said, howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. In other words, he did not want them to be childish and immature in their understanding, but when it came to sin, wickedness and malice, he wanted them to be as innocent as a child.

To put it plainly, when it comes to spiritual understanding, we ought to be thinking like a mature adult, but when it comes to sin, we ought to be thinking and behaving like an innocent child. The opposite will be most devastating; when it comes to spiritual understanding, we are like children, but when it comes to sin, we are like adults, meaning to say, so advanced in our understanding and experiences (in sin).

Have you ever listened to the conversation of young immature people who like to boast about the things they know and have experienced? They would say, “Have you tried smoking? I have experienced that! Have you tried drinking alcohol? I have experienced that! I have been to clubs and casinos, even though I am underage, by using my friend’s identity card.” God’s people must never be like that. When it comes to sin, we ought to be innocent like children.

I. The Importance Of Biblical Thinking

Tongues were never intended for believers, it was for the unbelieving Jews. 1 Cornthians 14:21, In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people (the Israelites, the Jews); and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

Here, the law refers to the Old Testament. This was a quotation from Isaiah 28:11-12. What happened was that in the time of Isaiah, the Israelites were running away from God and they were engaged in false worship and idolatry. God said to them, “If you don’t listen to me, you are going to listen to a people who speak a language that you don’t understand.” The first group of people were the Assyrians that attacked and took over the Northern Kingdom (Israel), and the second group of people were the Babylonians that attacked and took over the Southern Kingdom (Judah). The strange foreign languages of their conquerors was a sign of God’s judgment!

The Jews were very familiar with this quotation from Isaiah. So, at Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Jews saw the people speaking in tongues (foreign languages), they were thinking to themselves, “This is just like Isaiah’s time. This is judgment on us because we did not listen to God. Now He is speaking through these people in other languages that we do not understand.” If God’s judgment would fall on the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, how much more would His judgment fall on those people who had crucified the Son of God? In AD 70, that great judgment came, and Jerusalem was utterly destroyed by the Roman general Titus. Over one million Jews were slaughtered, and many were taken into captivity. The Temple was desecrated and destroyed, and the rest of the city was burned to the ground. This was the other important reason why tongue-speaking had ceased because the judgment had already come.

As a sign gift (a sign means it is pointing to something), the purpose of tongues had ended when that which it was pointing to had come to pass. It was a sign to authenticate the authority of the Apostles, and with the Bible completed and the apostolic era having ended, there was no more reason for tongues to exist.

For example, if you are driving to Canberra, you may see the first sign that says you are 600 km away. Later, you see the sign that reads, 500 km, and then, 400 km, and subsequently, 300 km. However, after you pass through Canberra, you will no longer see the sign anymore. There is no more need or purpose because the sign which is pointing to the place has come and passed.

1 Corinthians 14:22, Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. Paul was trying to help the Corinthians understand that the purpose of tongues was for a sign to the Jewish unbelievers because they had refused to listen. It was not intended for the church. The Corinthians thought it was great to speak in tongues, in different languages, but they had missed the essential point that it was a sign to the unbelievers.

If tongue-speaking was not intended for the believers, then what was intended for the believers? But prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe (v.22b). The word prophesying can mean preaching, and notice Paul did not say prophesying was a sign, but rather, he used the word serveth. Prophesying or preaching is not a sign gift but a spiritual gift which still exists today. All spiritual gifts serveth as a purpose for the edification of the saint, for them which believe.

God’s people need God’s Word. They do not need to hear things they do not understand. We need pastors to stand on the pulpit to preach the Word. We need Sunday school teachers to stand in front of the children to teach the Word. This is the way the people can be edified!

1 Corinthians 14:23, 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?

Today, we worship as a church in one place, at 10 Downing Street, Oakleigh, Victoria. If all of us start to speak in tongues, different languages, and we have an unbelieving visitor, and he does not understand those languages, he is going to think that we are all mad or crazy. How can he be evangelised in a language he does not even understand?

But on the other hand, 1 Corinthians 14:24-25, 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. 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.

Essentially, that was the difference between tongue-speaking and preaching.

How did we get saved? Someone explained the Bible in a language that we could understand. The Holy Spirit convicted our hearts; we were confronted by our sins, the secrets of our heart were all revealed, we repented of our sins, we turned to the Saviour and cried out to Him to save us. And then we worshipped God and acknowledged that indeed He was the one living and true God. That is just how powerful and superior the preaching of the Word is!

Therefore, the Corinthians must understand the biblical reason why God gave the gift of tongue-speaking. Tongue-speaking was a sign for unbelievers, prophesy (preaching) was for believers. Therefore, the Corinthians must grow up, and stop thinking like children who only wanted to show off, were selfish, immature and easily deceived, and did not understand why they were doing what they were doing.

II. The Importance Of Biblical Practice

1 Corinthians 14:26, 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.

Paul was saying, “When we come together as a church, whether we have a psalm (it could be reading or singing a psalm), or a doctrine (reading some verses, passages, instructions or teachings from the Word of God), or has a divine revelation, or speak in another language, or be able to interpret the language, let everything be done for the purpose of edification!” At that point in time, the sign-gifts like tongues-speaking and divine revelations were still in existence, So, it was not wrong to exercise those gifts (if they had been gifted with them), but they had to be careful. The only way tongue-speaking could edify was when it could be understood, and the only way it could be understood was that it had to be interpreted. But even then, it had to be done in an orderly fashion.

And so, Paul showed how it should be done in those days. 1 Corinthians 14:27, 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.

Firstly, in any one service, there should be no more than three persons permitted to speak in tongues, preferably two and at most three.

Secondly, and that by course means each speaks in turn, not all at the same time. If everyone is speaking at the same time, then who is listening to who. Everybody would be confused. Paul says, “You do not do that. Only two or three should speak in tongues, and let them speak one at a time.”

Let us pause for a moment, and ask ourselves, “Does this reflect the charismatic tongues today? We have mentioned this before, that the charismatic tongues are different from the biblical tongues in the early church which were languages. The charismatic tongues are ecstatic utterances. But even then, look at the way it is being practiced in the charismatic churches. They all speak at the same time, and there is confusion everywhere. Here, the Bible said very clearly, “Only three at most, and it must be one at a time!”

Thirdly, Paul said, and let one interpret. Remember tongues was a foreign language, and therefore it must be interpreted so that it could be understood. There must be someone who was able to interpret. But what happens when there was no one who could interpret? 1 Corinthians 14:28, But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

By way of illustration, let’s say, we have some people who can speak in different languages, English, Chinese and Tamil. The congregation can only understand English. The one who speaks in Chinese must have an interpreter who understands both Chinese and English. And the one who speaks in Tamil must have an interpreter who understands both Tamil and English. But if the interpreter who understands both Tamil and English is not present, then the one who speaks in Tamil has to keep silent, because what is the purpose of him speaking in Tamil, when no one in the congregation can understand the language. However, what he can do is to pray to God by himself in Tamil, because only God can understand!

Dear friend, are we a spiritual child or spiritual adult? Do we see the need for maturity as important in our life? What will happen if we have spiritual children serving as pastors, preachers, Sunday school teachers, Bible facilitators and parents? The church will be wrecked, the believers will not be edified, and the unbelievers will not hear the pure Gospel!

We need to grow out of spiritual immaturity, and the only way we can do that is through a diligent study of God’s Word, and a humble submission to the wonder working of the Holy Spirit. It is not either one, but both. We must not just be hearers of the Word only, but to be doers of the Word as well.

With love in Christ,

Pastor Paul Cheng

1 CORINTHIANS 14

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