The discipline in the use of gift of Prophecy: (14:29-33):
After giving enough evidences of the dangers involved while using the gift of the tongues, the Apostle now turns to prophecy and its regulations and discipline. Although Paul gives many benefits on the gift of Prophecy, he still believes that the gifts of the Spirit are not to be made the much focus of church or congregational life. The most important part is the Worship and the Word of God and they should be the main focus. When these are done, the gifts of the Spirit would automatically flow through the Holy Spirit. In case of the gift of the Prophecy too, there should be two or three people only be involved in the prophecy and others should listen and weigh carefully what is being said. If everyone start prophesying, it would be again chaos for the new comer. The words weigh carefully translate the verb “diakrinetosan” in Greek speaks of distinguishing “between spirits.” It was their responsibility to ascertain if the message delivered was indeed from God (1 John 4:1).
The service and those who took part in it should reflect the character of God. He is a God of peace, not disorder.
Apostle gently says, everyone can prophesy one by one in order. If any one has a special revelation, the man who is prophesying must stop and listen to the revelation. Everything must be in fitting order. While using the gifts of the Spirit, people use it for their self-glorification and benefit. The leader must gently stop such un-necessary things.
Ex: Evangelist D.L. Moody was leading a service and asked a man to pray. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the man prayed on and on. Sensing that the prayer was killing the meeting instead of blessing it, Moody spoke up and said, “While our brother finishes his prayer, let us sing a hymn!” Those who are in charge of public meetings need to have discernment and courage.
“The spirit of the prophets are subject to the control of prophets.” Now-a-days many false prophets are being seen in every place. There are people prophesy for their own benefit. I remember a person who had a big followers of teens and young people. He often prophesies success for the teens and better lifestyle, better jobs, marriage proposals etc. to the young people. All this just false prophecy. The church must shun such people taking the approval of the church authorities and premises. John says: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:1). The following should be the check points whenever there is a prophecy:
- Whether the prophecy is according to the revealed Word of God or it contradicts God.
- Whether the prophecy is edifying the church believers are not. Every word should be established by two or three witnesses. This is just an indicator. If someone speaking a different things which is not in accordance with the Word of God, that person must be stopped politely.
- Whether the prophecy is bringing an order and building up of the church or disorder/confusion in the congregation. In other words, the prophecy is bring spiritual encouragement to the believers or not.
- Whether this gift enhances the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) just as gift of the tongue or not.
Women should not judge prophecy or disrupt the meetings: (14:34-35):
Paul gives a guiding principle for both the gift of tongues and gift of prophecy. The church members needed to exercise self-control on all occasions. This control can be expressed by silence in order that the assembly might be characterized by peace.
Paul has given the right for the women to pray or prophecy publicly (11:1-16). Here Paul was simply saying that women should not judge the prophecy. If they want to learn something, they can ask their own husbands at home. In those in Corinth just as in India, women and men were sitting separately in the church. It seems that they were chattering and disrupting in the church with questions in the middle of the meeting which was very much disturbing. Further while they were sitting separately, they use to call loudly their husbands which was quite irritating in a peaceful meeting. That’s why Paul said, if women had some questions or doubts, let them not ask in the midst of the meeting but they can conveniently ask their husbands. This way the church would not be disturbed. A head covered women would be identified quickly and can sit separately along with women. Since the Corinthian church was a Gentile church they did not know how to conduct the worship. Paul gives careful and threadbare guidelines to the church which is a guiding principle to all our present churches. It is disgraceful for the women to speak in the church which contains the Greek verb “laleo” which means “to talk, question, argue, profess or chatter. ” So Paul says the women in the assembly should avoid all these things, but it has nothing to do with women Praying or Prophecy.