They will Say You are Mad 1 Corinthians 14:23

Paul the apostle told the church members in Corinth, “tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serves not for them that believe not, but for them which believe”, and in chapter fourteen and verse twenty-three of First Corinthians, Paul declared, “be not children in understanding”, where we read:

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?

The verse begins, “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues,...”. Paul began with the word, “If” or “whether” “therefore” which means “then, accordingly, consequently and these things being so” “the whole church” which refers to “all and the complete assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting” “be come together” or “assembled and gathered” “into one place” which means “in one and the same location”, “and all” or “and each, every, the whole and everyone” “speak” which means “utter a voice, emit a voice and articulate sounds to declare their mind and disclose their thoughts” “with tongues” or “with the languages or dialects used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations ”. Paul referred to “the entire church” gathering and “all” of them “speaking in different spiritual languages”.

The verse continues, “... and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad?” Paul continued with the words, “and there come in” which means “and there enter” “those” or “people” “that are unlearned which means “who are illiterate, uneducated and unskillful”, “or unbelievers” which refers to “people who are unfaithful, faithless, unbelieving and incredulous”, “will they not say” or “won't they utter, speak and tell” “that you are mad” which means “that the church people are rave and seem not to be in their right mind”?

When we think through these words from Paul, we see he shares the “madness” of everyone in the church “speaking in tongues” at the same time. People who are “unlearned” in the spiritual things and people who are “unbelievers” would think they were “out of their minds” or “crazy”. Jesus Christ desires for His church to be attractive to people of the world and not unattractive, and if everyone in the church decides to exercise the “vocal spiritual gift” of “tongues” at the same time, the result is the latter. There is an order established by the Holy Spirit for the use of His “spiritual gifts”, and when that order is followed, the attraction of the gospel is fulfilled. May God lead us to the proper use of His “vocal spiritual gifts”.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “if all prophesy, and there come in one that believes not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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