Biblical guide for a "church service"

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

Brother,, this is BEFORE the PAULINE EPISTLES,, this is before Church Order was established.. this even happened in the infancy of the church.. Paul brought us into maturity... away from Baby steps.. away from chaos....

Baloney. What you are doing is taking the Corinthian example and ASSUMING this was occuring in ALL churches and Paul was sent to begin a new thing not done in all the churches....church order.

In fact that is false. Paul was not sent for THAT reason. He was sent to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. He was their apostle and so he wrote letters to each to help them. In one such instance he had to address the Corinthian church because of their excesses, abuses and tolerance of an individual found in sin. That was specific to the Corinthian church, not to all churches.

The ORDER he brought TO them was on their abuses of the gifts of the Spirit. Everyone wanted to stand up and give a message. But clearly not everyone can. So Paul said let it be by the most of 3.

I asked this already but you blew me off. How would someone know if there is no intepretor before hand? They would not. What you are not seeing is that they had several members that could give a message and they would be all standing and giving a message one after the other.....by the time there were three messages and no interpretation it becomes clear that there is no one to give an interpretation so anyone with a message should speak that to themselves so the service can continue on. The purpose of those tongues were meant to be shared by interpretation....

1Co 14:5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.
1Co 14:6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

1Co 14:9 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air.

If someone is giving a message in tongues and nobody interprets after giving a message and by the time 2 or 3 have done so, if by that time there is no intepretation then they need to stop giving messages and move on.

That was not happening. Instead everyone was giving messages ...more than three of them...and it just went on and on. Nobody but the speakers was being edified as a result.

1Co 14:4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

Yet if each one prophesied then all the hearers would be edified

1Co 14:3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

Paul does NOT forbid praying with the spirit
1Co 14:12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
1Co 14:13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret.
1Co 14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
1Co 14:15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

Here Paul is essentially saying you can pray with the spirit but you need to pray with the mind also so others know when to say AMEN

1Co 14:15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
1Co 14:16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
1Co 14:17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.
1Co 14:18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

Here is what Paul is trying to prevent
1Co 14:23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

The WHOLE church to speak in tongues and there are outsiders. Imagine now...church gathers. One person stands up and speaks in a tongue...no interpretation in a language they all understand. Then another stands and speaks..and another...and another...and another...pretty soon the entire church just about has done this. Being a Pentecostal if I walked into a service like that and nobody was edifying the hearers in their own language I would have a problem too. From what Paul is saying THAT is what was happening.

The order here was about them all speaking in tongues and not just one by one....and nobody edifying in a language they understood....

And prophesying all at the same time and not rather one by one. One that receives a word should wait for the other to finish giving the word instead of interrupting.