Tag: Devotion

The Scriptures predicted the coming of suffering Messiah – the Christ, the Lamb of God that will take away the sins of the world fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy:

Isaiah 53:4-8 (KJV) 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

The Corinthian believers are reminded of God’s grace that came to them through the preaching of the gospel by the Apostle Paul by which they were saved. He is reminding them of the power of the gospel that mightily shattered their bondage to sin and granted to them the freedom to choose not to sin. They now live as free men, by the merits of Jesus Christ, wherein they stand justified.

This is the first record of the gospel preached by in the city of Corinth – Acts 18:4-5 “And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.”

William MacDonald said well, “To summarize, then, the Apostle Paul sets forth the following controls for the use of tongues in the local church:
1. We must not forbid the use of tongues (v. 39).
2. If a man speaks in a tongue, there must be an interpreter (vv. 27c, 28).
3. Not more than three may speak in tongues in any one meeting (v. 27a).
4. They must speak one at a time (v. 27b).
5. What they say must be edifying (v. 26b).
6. The women must be silent (v. 34).
7. Everything must be done decently and in order (v. 40).
These are the abiding controls which apply to the church in our day.”

The gift of prophecy is highlighted here to be useful for the strengthening of the faith of the saints. When the Word of God is preached and taught, when doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness is meted out, God’s people grow in spiritual maturity. This is useful. The people of God are therefore encouraged to keep up and keep on hearing the sound preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

When God gives His Word, it is to be imbibed and assimilated and acted upon for our well-being. The Apostle Paul whilst giving the Lord’s instruction also saw that there are those who would choose to disobey these divine instructions. He has highlighted that these were not his words but the very words of God. They are to be obeyed.

The Apostle Paul has to make it clear that what he has written are not his own words but they are the very commandments of the Lord. And any persons who claim to be spiritually discerning will certainly acknowledge the truth concerning what he has written.

William MacDonald observed well, “Apparently the Apostle Paul realized that his teaching here would cause considerable contention. How right he was! To meet any arguments, he uses irony in verse 36 by asking: Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?”

The women folk in the church are instructed by the Apostle Paul ask their husbands at home for any questions they may have concerning any matter because the husband is the person God has appointed for this purpose. This instruction was given that all things be done decently and in order in the church of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 14:40).