1D. Understanding that his reference to the "whole Church be come together" has to do with the preaching service, just like the one you are now attending, let’s examine a couple of important words.

2D. I want you to circle or otherwise note the words "unlearned" and "unbelievers." Both words are used here to describe unsaved Gentiles who might happen to be attending the Corinthian Church services for one reason or another.

3D. The word "unlearned" refers to that person who knows nothing of the Scriptures, while "unbelievers" probably refers to Gentiles who, while they do not know Jesus Christ as Savior either, are familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. Such a person might have attended a Jewish synagogue and be quite familiar with the basic teachings of the Law.

4D. But notice Paul’s point. He seeks to show, in verse 23, what the reaction of a Gentile might be when attending a Church preaching service in which the unrestrained use of tongues occurs. Even if he has a rather broad knowledge of the Old Testament his reaction to the gift of tongues is predictably a negative one.

5D. He’s going to think those Christians are mad. And the word "mad" refers to someone who is literally out of his mind. Is God pleased when His children behave themselves in such a way that lost people think we are stark raving mad? No.

6D. So, tongues can have a very bad effect on lost people who attend a preaching service. I wish people were more sensitive to this reality.

1D. We know what happens when unsaved Gentiles hear the gift of tongues exercised. But what happens when those same Gentiles hear the Word of God preached...and they can actually understand the words?

2D. According to Paul, the man will report that God is in us of a truth. Why? Because God will actually use the lives of the Christians in the audience to convict the man of sin and lay open the secrets of his heart.

3D. Buddy, you never read about such glorious stuff as this happening with the gift of tongues. And why not? No understanding. So you see, though both gifts can disrupt the order of a preaching service, tongues is much more likely to do so than is prophecy. Prophecy, therefore, benefits.

1D. If I may paraphrase, Paul is saying, "If we have examined the two most prominent gifts in the Church and found the one to be most disruptive and the other to be most edifying, why is it that you continue to do your own thing in the Church? Why does one of you do this and the other do that and still another do some other thing? You need to do things in such a way as to "edify."

2D. Now folks, though various gifts can be used in turn during a public worship service, according to verse 4, which of the gifts most profoundly edifies the saints? Right. Prophecy.

3D. It only follows, then, that in order to let all things be done unto edifying some of us are going to have to just sit still and listen to the preaching and not disrupt the proceedings. Amen?

4D. This, then, is why order is necessary and restraint is called for.

1D. This passage tells us that no more than three manifestations of tongues is to take place.

2D. Further, it forbids the exercise of the gift of tongues unless one with the gift of interpretation is present to interpret. And why is this? Because it is necessary that the congregation understand at all times. Amen?

3D. And contextual considerations require that an unsaved Jewish person also be present. For what reason? Because according to verses 21 and 22 of this chapter, it is properly for this person that the gift was given to exercise in the first place.

4D. So, a lost Jewish person must be present. One with the gift of interpretation must be present. And only then can the gift of tongues be exercised, three or fewer times.

1D. Prophets take turns as God reveals new truth to them, with the others with the gift of prophecy constantly checking on the one who speaks for accuracy.

2D. That there is a provision for checking the accuracy of the prophet indicates that his gift is not to be relied upon for communicating truth in an infallible way. Only Scripture communicates truth without error. Amen?

3D. And what happens when truth is communicated by prophecy in an understandable way? According to verse 31, all may learn and all may be comforted. No such statement is made about either tongues or the interpretation of tongues.

4D. By the way, can you read verse 32 and still honestly tell people that you just felt compelled to speak and couldn’t help it because utterance was just given to you? No.

5D. The fruit of the Spirit of God is temperance, self-control. God would never, therefore, do anything that would reduce your ability to control your own actions. God never works against Himself in that way. For that reason, to blame God for your inability to keep your mouth shut, and to falsely claim that what you said came from God, is not true.

"but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law."

1D. Though Paul quotes no specific verse out of the Old Testament here, he does point out the undeniable reality that God’s plan for the home has always called for male leadership.

2D. But since sin entered in, God saw fit to command man and woman to occupy roles that they ought to have occupied as a matter of course.

3D. In this verse Paul lets his readers know that man being spokesman for his home, not the woman, is helpful in the Church to preserve the family structure and reinforce it. And for a man to be the spokesman for his home, demonstrating his leadership thereby, the woman must needs be quiet.

"And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home."

1D. Apparently, Paul does not want wives asking questions of the preacher in the presence of their husbands.

2D. And why is this so? Because when a wife asks the preacher something instead of her own husband she humiliates him, she undermines his position and his authority as the leader and the teacher in his own home.

3D. And practically speaking, it makes the preacher the smart guy and the hero instead of a child's own father. Your kid’s hero ought to be your husband, ladies. Amen?

4D. "But pastor, my husband doesn’t know anything." That’s okay. You ask him and he will come and ask me. Then I’ll tell him and he will tell you.

5D. "But pastor, he won’t ask you anything." Not until he really believes you won’t find out any other way he won’t.

"for it is a shame for women to speak in the church"

1D. According to this verse speaking out is base, ladies.

2D. And for women, tongues in Church is also shameful.

3D. "Well, what am I supposed to do then?" Just be quiet and listen to me preach. You see, the word "shame" means low down and filthy.

4D. Women who have no more control over themselves than to talk while I’m preaching are described by God’s Word as behaving in a way that’s worthy of shame. And it doesn’t speak highly of the way you were raised to not be ashamed of shameful conduct. Amen?

1D. Folks, matters of eternal consequence take place here.

2D. And since you can’t keep your kids in a nursery forever you need to teach and train your children that disrupting Church worship is wrong.

3D. And part of that training process will involve discipline at times, correcting a child and allowing them to suffer the painful consequences of disturbing a preaching service.

4D. So, as you appropriately sit near the back of the auditorium during the training years of a wiggly and distractible child, you will actually be helping to maintain order when you take them out and swat them, not disturbing me or anyone else one bit when you do it.

5D. After all, how dare I demand that an adult woman sit quietly while a child, who ought all the more to show proper respect, is disruptive. Amen?