The Convinced Unbeliever 1 Corinthians 14:24

Paul the apostle asked the church members in Corinth, “if, therefore, the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad?”, and in chapter fourteen and verse twenty-four of First Corinthians, Paul shared what would happen to the “unbeliever”, “if all prophesy”, where we read:

But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believes not,

or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

The verse begins, “But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believes not, ...”. Paul began with the word, “But” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “if” or “whether” “all prophesy” which refers to “each, every, the whole and everyone speaks forth by divine inspirations to predict with the the idea of foretelling future events pertaining esp. to the kingdom of God and uttering forth and declaring a thing which can only be known by divine revelation”, “and there come in” or “there enters” “one that believes not” which means “a person who is unfaithful, faithless and incredible”. Paul presented the idea of a person who was an “unbeliever” entering into the church.

The verse goes on to say, “... or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:” Paul added the words, “or one unlearned” which means “a person who is illiterate as opposed to educated and unskilled in any art”, “he is convinced” or “convicted, refuted, corrected, reproved and admonished” “of all” which means “each, every, the whole and everyone”, “he is judged” or “discerned, examined and searched” “of all” or “by each, every, the whole and everyone”. Paul's idea was that when the person who is “ignorant” of spiritual things enters the church, not only would he be “convinced” by everyone but also “convicted” by them as well.

When we consider these words from Paul, we see how “understanding” of the “spiritual things” is essential to the “unbeliever” being “convinced and convicted” by members of the church. Jesus Christ desires to reach “the lost” within the world, and when the church operates according to His ways, they are “convinced and convicted”. Not everyone who hears the “gospel of Jesus Christ” shall receive it, but let it never be said the reason they did not believe was because of the church's lack in operating according to God's Spirit. May the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit lead us into all truth in this area, and may we be open to “prophesy” in a manner that “unbelievers” shall be “convinced”.

Next time Paul shares with the church members how, “the secrets of” the unbeliever's “heart” is “made manifest”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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