Prophecy Reveals Hidden Things

 

Prophecy Reveals Hidden Things

 

1 Corinthians 14:24-25: "But when all prophesy, unbelievers and those who do not know will come in and be rebuked by all and judged by all, and the hidden things of their hearts will be revealed. Then they will fall down and worship God and proclaim that God is indeed in your midst."

 

This means that when unbelievers enter the church, hear God's word, receive rebuke in their hearts, and the hidden things of their hearts are revealed, they will come to worship God and proclaim that God is truly present among the saints.

 

Paul speaks of the essentials that a church community must possess. He states that there is praise, the teaching of Scripture, revelation (prophecy), speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. This differs significantly from the church of today.

 

In particular, he instructs that when speaking in tongues within the church community, two or three people should be present. Furthermore, he commands that the interpreter explain the meaning of the tongues. This was intended to allow the church to hear the message God speaks to it through the tongues. The reason two or three people speak in tongues is to ensure the unity of the message conveyed through it and to assure that it is the Word of God.

 

The instruction is not to speak in tongues in the church if there is no interpreter. It implies that the person speaking in tongues is conversing with God and listening. Therefore, it is advised to do so quietly or when alone.

 

Prophecy is also to be spoken by two or three people, and the listeners are to discern. The truthfulness of the prophecy must be consistent and not contradict the Bible.

 

When two or three people prophesy, if one person is prophesying and another suddenly receives a revelation and speaks prophetic words, the person who was prophesying first must stop and prophesy only after hearing the revelation.

 

When two people prophesy in the church, if the two happen to be a married couple, the wife should not prophesy, but rather listen to what the husband has prophesied. If the wife's prophecy accounts for a larger portion than the husband's, there may be a problem with the reliability of the prophecy.

 

Paul speaks of the roles of husband and wife metaphorically, employing the concept of order. The church signifies Christ, and the woman symbolizes one who has turned away from God. A woman becomes a complete person only when she becomes a wife and meets her husband. In other words, one who has turned away from God must meet Christ to become a complete person.

 

Acts 14:35-36: "If she wants to learn anything, she should ask her husband at home. It is shameful for a woman to speak in the church, asking whether the word of God originated from you or came only to you."

 

It states that it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church, and shame implies a disgraceful matter. It means that a servant must not speak carelessly to the Master (Christ), who is the head of the church. It is a shameful thing to speak of one's own thoughts as prophecy within the church community, which symbolizes Jesus Christ, when one does not even fully understand prophecy. It means to go home first, consult with your husband, listen to his words, and then reflect on them.

 

There were people within the church community who believed that they alone had received the gift of prophesying; to them, Paul strongly asserts that his words regarding spiritual gifts are the Lord's commands. He implies that if they do not understand even though Paul has clearly explained the gifts in an easy-to-understand manner, they are truly ignorant of the gifts.

 

There was a negative view of speaking in tongues within the church. However, since speaking in tongues aids personal faith and can develop into prophecy with interpretation, Paul instructs that when prophesying, one should do so in an orderly manner, appropriate to the situation, and in a pleasing manner, just as previously mentioned. He means to do it well in the eyes of the believers.

 

At that time, the region of Corinth saw frequent traffic of Gentiles for trade, and some even entered the church; consequently, there were interpreters for sermons. To foreigners, a sermon sounds like speaking in tongues, making interpretation necessary. To convey the gospel to these people, interpretation is undeniably a great spiritual gift.

 

This implies that there were individuals at that time who could speak Greek, Hebrew, and Latin simultaneously. Interpretation is not directed toward God, but rather serves to ensure that foreigners can understand. However, the question is whether such an interpreter should be mobilized when someone is speaking in strange tongues. Paul rebukes this as an absurd act.

 

But what does it mean to interpret prayers offered to God because they cannot be understood? Must others listen while going so far as to interpret the “intention of the one praying in tongues”? Therefore, the main point Paul is making is that prayer in tongues offered to God is fake. He is saying that God is not someone who understands only when prayer is offered in such a mysterious way.

 

The most important purpose of the church community is to preach the Word of the Gospel. Prophecy enables the accurate interpretation and manifestation of God's Word. However, regarding prophecy, Jesus often spoke in metaphors. The reason for this is that the meaning of the Gospel is not merely about being saved by believing in Jesus, but holds deep spiritual significance.

 

Those who read prophetic words but do not understand their meaning interpret and believe according to their own thoughts. Consequently, the content of the Bible is distorted. To the faithful, those who interpret and preach the Bible in a distorted way appear like foreigners or like someone speaking in tongues.