the master teacher

1 Cor 14:1-9

• Daniel Webster: “If we work on marble it will perish.

If we work on brass, time will efface it. If we rear

temples, they will crumble to dust. But if we work on

men‟s immortal minds, if we imbue them with high

principles, with just fear of God and love of their

fellow-men, we engrave on those tablets something

which time cannot efface, and which will brighten

and brighten to all eternity.”

• The work of teaching Scripture is so important.


– Those who teach touch eternity.



– Dennis Jones: “Fellas, we are changing the population of

heaven!”



– Dennis Jones: “Fellas, we are changing the population of

heaven!”

– In whatever way we teach, we are changing the population

of heaven.

• First century worship allowed more individuals to

speak.


speak.

– “When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a

revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation” (1 Cor 14:26,

ESV).


speak.

– “When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a

revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation” (1 Cor 14:26,

ESV).

– The context of miraculous gifts necessitates that we see

each of these teaching tools as miraculous.

• Problems in the way the Corinthians exercised their

gifts.


gifts.

– Some were bragging about the “superior” gifts God had

given them.


gifts.


given them.

– Many were speaking at once.


gifts.


given them.


• “If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and

each in turn, and let someone interpret” (14:27, ESV).


gifts.


given them.


• “If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and

each in turn, and let someone interpret” (14:27, ESV).

• “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is

said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be

silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn

and all be encouraged” (14:29-31, ESV).

• To combat these two extremes:

– Paul has written of the superiority of love.



• Love isn‟t going to boast that my gift is better than your gift.




• Love isn‟t going to cause me to feel that I need to speak over you to

make sure I get “air” time.






– Paul, in our passage, writes about the purpose of tongues &

prophecy.







prophecy.

• The purpose of prophecy is instruction.







prophecy.

• The purpose of prophecy is instruction.

• This morning, we want to think about the “Master Teacher.”

WE ALL TEACH IN ONE WAY

OR ANOTHER!

CONSTRUCT

Vv 1-5

• “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts,

especially that you may prophesy. 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. On the other hand, the one who prophesies

speaks to people for their upbuilding and

encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks

in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who

• “prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all

to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The

one who prophesies is greater than the one who

speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that

the church may be built up” (vv 1-5, ESV).

• “Earnestly desire” (ESV) or “desire” (KJV) is the

term from which we get the English “zeal.”

• “Earnestly desire” (ESV) or “desire” (KJV) is the

term from which we get the English “zeal.”

• The idea of “zeal” is closely tied up in this word—it

means to want something really, really, really badly.

WHY WOULD PAUL TELL

THESE BRETHREN TO DESIRE

EARNESTLY THESE GIFTS?

• It all has to do with the PURPOSE of these gifts.


“The one who prophesies speaks to people for their

upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (v

3).


“The one who prophesies speaks to people for their

upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (v

3).

• These gifts were given for the benefit of the body of

Christ, not individual Christians.

HOW DO WE USE THE GIFTS

WE’VE BEEN GIVEN?

GOD EXPECTS US TO USE

OUR GIFTS FOR HIS

PURPOSE, NOT OUR OWN!

• “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much

will be required, and from him to whom they

entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Lk

12:48, ESV).




12:48, ESV).

• Parable of the Talents.




12:48, ESV).


– When the landowner returned home, he called his servants

before him to give an account.




12:48, ESV).




– The servants presented the talents to their master.




12:48, ESV).




– The servants presented the talents to their master—The

talents didn‟t belong to the servants to do with as they

pleased, but they were to be used for the benefit of the

master.

DO WE USE OUR TALENTS

FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE

BODY OF CHRIST?

• The one who prophecies speaks to the people for their

upbuilding and encouragement and consolation, v. 3.



– “Upbuilding” literally means “construction.”




• Often used of the act of construction & more frequently of the

finished product (i.e., a building).




• Often used of the act of construction & more frequently of the

finished product (i.e., a building).

• Figuratively, the term refers to building people toward maturity.

• Helping people reach maturity is so important.


– “He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the

shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of

ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph 4:11-12,

ESV).





ESV).

• Apostles & prophets were to help the infant church reach maturity.





ESV).


• Evangelists & teaching-shepherds (same office) help Christians of

any age reach maturity.





ESV).


• Evangelists & teaching-shepherds (same office) help Christians of

any age reach maturity.

– As we teach, we are helping people reach maturity.

DO WE REGULARLY HELP

PEOPLE REACH MATURITY?



– “Encouragement” (ESV) could also be rendered

“exhortation” (KJV).





• Applied to a person, the term refers to a mediator, an intercessor,

and occasionally an attorney.







• The concept is aid, assistance, or help.







• The concept is aid, assistance, or help. Prophecy was to help the

hearers as they sought to please God.

• “I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of

exhortation, for I have written to you briefly” (Heb

13:22, ESV).



13:22, ESV).

– The Hebrew Christians were being tempted to go back to

Judaism.



13:22, ESV).


Judaism.

– The Spirit guided the author to help them as they sought to

do what‟s right.



13:22, ESV).


Judaism.


do what‟s right.

• Hebrews was to help these Christians remain faithful rather than

fall away.



13:22, ESV).


Judaism.


do what‟s right.


fall away.

• The author is encouraging these Christians to do what‟s right.



13:22, ESV).


Judaism.


do what‟s right.


fall away.

• The author is encouraging these Christians to do what‟s right.

• As we teach, we encourage people to do what‟s right.

ARE WE ENCOURAGING

OTHERS TO DO WHAT’S

RIGHT?



– “Consolation” (ESV) or “comfort” (KJV) refers to

“encouragement.”





– The idea in this word is to provide solace or comfort.






• The verb occurs twice in Jn 11.







• “Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them

concerning their brother” (Jn 11:19, ESV).







• “Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them

concerning their brother” (Jn 11:19, ESV).

– The idea is helping someone with his/her grief.

ARE THERE NOT MANY

TIMES WE SEEK GOD’S

WORDS FOR COMFORT?

ARE WE COMFORTING THE

HURTING WITH SCRIPTURE?

COMPREHEND

Vv 6-12

• “Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues,

how will I benefit you unless I bring you some

revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If

even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp,

do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know

what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct

sound, who will get ready for battle? 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. There are

• “doubtless many different languages in the world, and

none is without meaning, 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. So with

yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of

the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church”

(vv 6-12, ESV).

• For Paul, the whole issue about tongues in the

assembly centers around intelligibility.



– Musical instruments must make distinguishable notes so

that the melody is understandable.





– Bugles must give distinct notes so that soldiers can prepare

for battle.





– Bugles must give distinct notes so that soldiers can prepare

for battle.

• If you cannot understand the language, you might as

well be in a foreign country.

WHAT’S THE POINT OF ALL

THIS?

WHAT’S THE POINT OF ALL

THIS?

People need to understand what we‟re saying.

• “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the

mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man

boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in

this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the

LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and

righteousness in the earth” (Jer 9:23-24, ESV).

• “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the

mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man

boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in

this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the

LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and

righteousness in the earth” (Jer 9:23-24, ESV).

• If we do not speak understandably, how will people

ever come to know and understand the LORD?

• “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true

God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (Jn 17:3,

ESV).

• “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true

God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (Jn 17:3,

ESV).

• If people who hear us do not understand us, how will

they know the only true God, Jesus Christ, and have

eternal life?

• We must teach understandably!


– Start where people are.


– Start where people are. Jesus talked about water and then

moved to eternal life with the woman at the well.




– Speak in comprehensible terms.




– Speak in comprehensible terms. Jesus‟ parables applied

eternal truths in comprehensible terms.






• Young preacher: “And now, my friends, if you do not

believe these truths, there may be for you grave

eschatological consequences.”






• Young preacher: “And now, my friends, if you do not

believe these truths, there may be for you grave

eschatological consequences.” Elder: “Did you mean

they‟d be in danger of hell?”

LET US TEACH

UNDERSTANDABLY!

CLARIFY

Vv 13-19

• “Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray

for the power to interpret. For if I pray in a tongue,

my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 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. 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? For you may be giving thanks well enough,

• “but the other person is not being build up. I thank

God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five

words with my mind in order to instruct others, than

ten thousand words in a tongue” (vv 13-19, ESV).

• The one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the

power to interpret.


power to interpret.

– Not just for building up others.


power to interpret.


– “If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is

unfruitful.”


power to interpret.



unfruitful.”

• Apparently, speaking in tongues often occurred in prayer.


power to interpret.



unfruitful.”


• “One who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God” (v 2,

ESV).


power to interpret.



unfruitful.”



ESV).

– God deserves worship!


power to interpret.



unfruitful.”



ESV).

– “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and

honor and power, for you created all things, and by your

will they existed and were created” (Rv 4:11, ESV).

• The worshiper seems to have had no idea what he

was saying; the mind was unfruitful.

• The worshiper seems to have had no idea what he

was saying; the mind was unfruitful.

– “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied

about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired

carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ

in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of

Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them

that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things

that have now been announced to you through those who

preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from

heaven, things into which angels long to look” (1 Pt 1:10-

12, ESV).

WHAT SHOULD ONE DO?

WHAT SHOULD ONE DO?

Pray for the power to interpret.

WHAT SHOULD ONE DO?

Pray for the power to interpret. Why?

• “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” (v 15, ESV).




• The mind needs to be involved!





• Gr term for “mind” means what the English does.






– The term refers to the center of thinking/cognition.







– “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Lk

24:45, ESV).







– “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Lk

24:45, ESV).

– Praying or singing with our mind means that understand

what we sing or pray.

DO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT

WE SAY & DO DURING

WORSHIP?

DO YOU NEED TO ENGAGE

YOUR MIND IN OBEDIENCE?

the master teacher

Spiritual

love isnt

superiority of love

superior gifts god

spiritual gifts

purpose of prophecy

work of teaching scripture

purpose of tongues prophecy

context of miraculous