Troublesome Topic: Precepts about Tongues from I Corinthians 1:5&7

Lesson 1 of 12

1 Corinthians 1:5

Translation

that in every ___ you have been enriched in Him, in every ___ __ speech and in all

knowledge, (See comment below.)

Paraphrase

and I give thanks that, regarding everything you need to glorify Him, you have been made spiritually wealthy through Christ Jesus – meaning with every type of speech you need, and with all the knowledge you need, (See comment below.)

Setting the Stage

Notice how Paul is setting the stage for what he wants to say in this letter about things like tongues and spiritual gifts in general. Paul did not start setting the stage in chapter 12 to be ready to address tongues in chapter 14; he started setting the stage early in chapter one!

1 Corinthians 1:7

Translation

so that you are not lacking not even one gift, while you eagerly await the revealing

of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. (See comments below.)

Paraphrase

resulting in the reality that you do not lack any gracious gift of the Spirit, which you exercise as you wait for our SUPREME RULER, who is also THE LORD’S SAVIOR and THE SPIRIT-ANOINTED MESSIAH to be revealed. (See comments below.)

YOUR SPIRITUAL SUPPLY IS NOT DEFICIENT

Paul’s point was that, when he had been among them and planted the church there, they had received everything they needed to live a productive and fruitful Christian life. They had been enriched (v. 5); they were not deficient and did not lack anything (v. 7). They already had all the knowledge they needed and all the forms of speech that are required to live for Christ (v. 5). They did not need to go after more spectacular gifts of the Spirit; they did not need to invent new gifts of the Spirit; they already had every spiritual gift they needed (v. 7).

If they had everything they needed, why did Paul come down hard on them on several issues?

The fact that they had everything they needed available to them did not ensure that they were relying on those things or appropriating them to their lives. Especially as it related to spiritual gifts, the pseudo-believers among them were ignoring the meat and potatoes and going only for the desert; and even with the desert, they were rejecting the cake so they could indulge exclusively in the frosting.

We likewise do not lack anything; our spiritual supply is not deficient. Just like those trapped in Berlin before the Berlin Airlift began, if we cannot see where our spiritual supply will come from, and if we don’t think it will be enough, our spiritual supply is never deficient; Unlike America and Britain, our supplier is all-knowing and all-powerful. “His divine power has already supplied everything [we need] for life and godliness” (II Peter 1:3).

We have at our disposal all the truth, power, guidance, and encouragement needed to live in victory over temptation. However, we must avail ourselves of the provision God has made for us in order to live in victory, and we need to be careful to choose what He has given us, and not chase after shiny new counterfeits.

GOD WANTS ACTIVE WAITING, NOT PASSIVE WAITING

The words “while you eagerly await the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ” do not mean that we are doing nothing; the type of waiting envisioned here is an active waiting, not a passive waiting. We are to trust in God and live as we should, serving Him by serving others. If we do nothing beyond waiting, we are actually violating many of the commands of the Bible.

WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES THESE QUESTIONS:

Am I relying on myself, or am I utilizing God’s spiritual provisions for me?

Do I trust that God’s provision is sufficient for my needs even if it seems to be inadequate?

Am I practicing active waiting by serving those around me?

Footnotes

1: "all":

This is the same word that has been used twice already, it means “every and all”.

2: "revealing":

We get our word “apocalypse” from this word, but it is not what we think it is; it means “to reveal.”