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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 2 * PART 4 * BOOK 28
I CORINTHIANS 12:1 - 14:3 - PART 2
As we continue in I Corinthians Chapter 12, Paul has been explaining that the Body of Christ, that invisible make-up of all believers from wherever they are on the planet, and of whatever background, every true child of God becomes a member then of that Body of Christ. And that is a revelation that was given only to the Apostle Paul, because you do not see the Body of Christ taught until Paul comes and shares the revelations that he got from the ascended Lord. You see the resurrection of Christ was at the core of all of Paul's preaching.
Now let's look at verse 23:
I Corinthians 12:23
I Corinthians 1:27
"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;" Now let's look at verse 24:
I Corinthians 12:24
"For our comely parts (the best part of our appearance) have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:"
I Corinthians 12:25,26
Verse 26:
It's the same way with the Body of Christ, if a believer is hurt, then the whole Body hurts with it. Now verse 27.
I Corinthians 12:27
"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."
So many times Christians pray, and we think, "Oh it's just another sound to God." I Corinthians 12:28-31
of tongues."
(No) do all speak with tongues? Now since we've covered Chapter 13, let's go right on over to Chapter 14.
I Corinthians 14:1
Now remember the word `prophesy' is not being able to tell the future as we think of Daniel or Isaiah, but to simply speak the Word of God. Now verse 2 which reads:
I Corinthians 14:2
"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue (Now watch the language here because the word "unknown" is italicized. speaketh not unto men, but unto God: (because only God could understand it) for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit (Now it's a small s so it's not the Holy Spirit, but in his mind and his own thinking processes) he speaketh mysteries."
Now before we go any further, come back to what we just read: that the person speaking in this so-called "unknown"tongue, or in this unwritten tongue, was speaking to God. Let's go back to the three times in Scripture when the Holy Spirit delegated this miracle of speaking in tongues to men, and there are only three times. The first is in Acts Chapter 2, and here is our first example of the gift of speaking in tongues, but it's plural so it's languages, and of course it's back when God was still dealing with the Nation of Israel. Other languages, because there were Jews there from all over the then-known world all speaking different languages. Now the miracle of Pentecost was that God gave these apostles for sure this gift to speak all the languages of the people that were out there in that massive crowd in front of them. It was miraculous, and it was the work of the Holy Spirit, but as Paul said in I Corinthians, who were these men talking to? Other men, and what was the purpose? Peter and these other disciples were promoting the Gospel of the Kingdom, that Jesus was the Christ, but they were doing it in languages that everyone could understand, so it had a divine purpose.
You all know the account, how that Peter, contrary to his own desires, is forced by God to go up to the house of Cornelius. "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word." Verse 45.
"....as many as came with Peter (these six Jews) because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was speaking languages. That's the second time that the Holy Spirit was manifested by giving the gift of speaking more language than they were normally living with. The first time it happened to Jews in Chapter 2 - strictly Jews. The second time it happens - to a whole house of Gentiles. (John the Baptist) Chapter 2 - with the Nation of Israel. Chapter 10 - with the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. Now let's go back to Chapter 14 and remember that whenever the Holy Spirit was manifested in the Book of Acts, it was for a divine purpose and that was to prove something. It was to show Israel that God was now moving in the work of the Holy Spirit. It was to prove to the Jews in the house of the Gentiles that God was now saving Gentiles. It was not longer based on John's baptism and Christ's earthly ministry. I Corinthians 14:3
"But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." Paul said in verse 1 that the one that they should really long for is the gift of speaking the Word of God. I Corinthians 14:3
"But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification. By proclaiming to them the Word of God.

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