Saturday 020125
Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.
Since the beginning of this study, our vision has been that we are ONLY going to follow what is found in the Holy Bible, that pertains to us, and we realize that it’s ONLY from our own effort that we put into this study, that we’re going to take anything away for our own use.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
1 Corinthians 14:12; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 14:1-40; Ephesians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 10:8, 12:19, 13:10; Ephesians 4:16.
In tonight’s lesson I think we should delve deeper into this edification of the church.
The word ‘edify’ comes from the Greek word oikodomé, which appears in the New Testament of the King James Bible about 20 times and translates to ‘the building of a house.’ In the Bible, edification is more than just encouragement, and it’s considered to be one of the purposes of the church.
Some say that Christians who are edified are more effective and enthusiastic, and that those who are weak in knowledge and strength are more likely to become discouraged and fall away from their faith.
The explanation above should be reason enough, why we should keep our Bibles always open and set next to where we normally sit at night, so that we can easily grab onto them, at any time, and begin reading the Word.
1 Corinthians 14:12 ‘…So you too, since you are eager to possess spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the edification of the church…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
More than just teaching the church our feelings or teaching them what we believe in, I think it is important that we teach our church what has been written in the Word.
Right away there will be those ‘version police’ that will pop up out in the open and spark the debate on which version we should and should not be reading from. My only real problem with that is where is it written which version is the only correct version for us to read? If we’re reading an English or a Spanish version of the Bible, it is a translation, it’s not the first one ever written. A personal opinion has nowhere to be voiced in a church.
A person should keep an opinion of any sort, if it cannot be found in the Word, it should be kept privately to themselves.
The original Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. Primarily the O.T. was written in Hebrew and the N.T. was written in Greek.
So, the argument over which version we should read in English shouldn’t even be a discussion by anyone. It doesn’t really matter, whatever version we use in English is a translation, it is a version written different from the original version.
The Word is what we have been given by God. It is that Word that we should be passing on and teaching to those that are being edified. As I’ve stated earlier, we shouldn’t be teaching our feelings or our beliefs, we should allow God to handle that on His own and we should ONLY teach the Word as it is written.
There are four versions that I use the most, the KJV (King James Version), the NASB (New American Standard Bible), the GNT (Good News Translation), and the EASY (Easy English Bible) versions.
When I do, visually show the KJV (King James Version), almost always it is for the benefit of those ‘version police’ out there among us.
To me, if a person doesn’t talk like a Shakesperean play, ‘wherefore art thou Romeo’ what value is there in the KJV (King James Version).
There are some teachers of the Word, that change the words that have been used, to make it easier for them to read that version of the Bible, but to me, what these teachers are mostly teaching is the exact reason I tell others, to use a different version of the Bible that they understand, mostly because, it’s okay.
I display most times the NASB (New American Standard Bible) because, once again, to me, it is the most accurate Bible in English. compared to the original languages that were used.
There is the GNT (Good News Translation) and for me, this version has been written using the words I most often use. I am most comfortable when I read from the GNT.
And then finally, there is the EASY (Easy English Bible). The EASY version is used in the most very basic words found in the English language. The writings are so much more in detail.
Ephesians 2:8-9
‘…For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…’ ‘…Not of works, lest any man should boast…’ KJV (King James Version)
‘…For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…’ ‘…not a result of works, so that no one may boast…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
‘…For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
‘…When you believed in Jesus, God saved you because he is very kind. You could not save yourselves, but that is God’s gift to you…’ ‘…He has not saved you as a result of any good things that you have done. So, nobody has any reason to be proud about it…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
If we are going to Edify those believers that are around us, maybe rather than us telling them what they need to believe in, we should allow them to find the writings for themselves in the Bible and they should study on their own. This idea to me defines a ‘church’ because if and when we do get together, we can speak about what we have each been reading on our own.
I think rather than us going to church to be preached to, we should instead be going to church so that together, we can be taught what the Word says.
There are churches that are so large that the members sign up into smaller groups so they can personalize their learnings a little more. Once again to me, this then should be their church, the smaller group.
To much emphasis is put on the ‘size’ of the church that we go to … who is the pastor … what kind of music do they play … do they have coffee and doughnuts … is there childcare. To me none of the above has anything to do with church and the ‘edification’ that the Bible teaches us.
According to GotQuestions.org, Paul repeatedly mentions edification in:
1 Corinthians 14
vs1 ‘…Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy…’
vs2 ‘…For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries…’
vs3 ‘…But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation…’
vs4 ‘…The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but the one who prophesies edifies the church…’
vs5 ‘…Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but rather that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edification…’
vs6 ‘…But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophecy, or of teaching…’
vs7 ‘…Yet even lifeless instruments, whether flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp…’
vs8 ‘…For if the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle…’
vs9 ‘…So you too, unless you produce intelligible speech by the tongue, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will just be talking to the air…’
vs10 ‘…There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and none is incapable of meaning…’
vs11 ‘…So if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be unintelligible to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks will be unintelligible to me…’
vs12 ‘…So you too, since you are eager to possess spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the edification of the church…’
vs13 ‘…Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue is to pray that he may interpret…’
vs14 ‘…For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive…’
vs15 ‘…What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the mind also…’
vs16 ‘…For otherwise, if you bless God in the spirit only, how will the one who occupies the place of the outsider know to say the ‘Amen’ at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you are saying…’
vs17 ‘…For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified…’
vs18 ‘…I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all…’
vs19 ‘…nevertheless, in church I prefer to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue…’
vs20 ‘…Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature…’
vs21 ‘…In the Law it is written: ‘By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,’ says the Lord…’
vs22 ‘…So then, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe…’
vs23 ‘…Therefore if the whole church gathers together and all the people speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are insane…’
vs24 ‘…But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all…’
vs25 ‘…the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so, he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you…’
vs26 ‘…What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification…’
vs27 ‘…If anyone speaks in a tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to interpret…’
vs28 ‘…but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God…’
vs29 ‘…Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass judgment…’
vs30 ‘…But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent…’
vs31 ‘…For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn, and all may be exhorted…’
vs32 ‘…and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets…’
vs33 ‘…for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints…’
vs34 ‘…the women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says…’
vs35 ‘…If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church…’
vs36 ‘…Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only…’
vs37 ‘…If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment…’
vs38 ‘…But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized…’
vs39 ‘…Therefore, my brothers and sisters, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues…’
vs40 ‘…But all things must be done properly and in an orderly way…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Ephesians 4:12 ‘…for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
2 Corinthians 10:8 ‘…For if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
2 Corinthians 12:19 ‘…All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for building you up, beloved…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
2 Corinthians 13:10 ‘…For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Ephesians 4:16 ‘…from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Paul’s goal was to edify, and he believed that edification was one of the reasons spiritual gifts were given to believers. He also believed that the church should work to edify itself for the health of each member.
I love every one of you. Remember that one day, Jesus is going to teach each one of us what all entails in that word LOVE.
Keep your Bibles always open and study the Word that God has given to each one of us.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen InHIM. ><)))o>