59 中翻英 Be wise about using Spiritual gifts 哥林多前書 14 11/05/2025
CHAPTER
11 BE WISE ABOUT USING SPIRITUAL GIFTS 1 Corinthians 14
Paul had discussed the gift of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the graces of the Spirit; and now he concluded this section by explaining the govern[1]ment of the Spirit in the public worship services of the church. Apparently there was a tendency for some of the Corinthians to lose control of themselves as they exercised their gifts, and Paul had to remind them of the fundamental principles that ought to govern the public meetings of the church. There are three princi[1]ples: edification, understanding, and order. 保羅曾討論聖靈的恩賜、聖靈的禮物以及聖靈的恩典；現在，他透過解釋聖靈在教會公共敬拜儀式中的治理[1]來結束本節。顯然，一些哥林多人在運用他們的天賦時容易失去自我控制，保羅必須提醒他們應該遵循的教會公開會議的基本原則。有三個原則[1]：教導、理解、秩序。
Edification (14:1–5, 26b) 造就（14:1-5，26後半段）
This was one of Paul’s favorite words, borrowed, of course, from architecture. To edify means “to build up.” This concept is not alien to the “body” image of the church; even today, we speak about “bodybuilding exercises.” There is an overlapping of images here, for the body of Christ is also the temple of the living God. Paul’s choice of the word edify was a wise one. 這是保羅最喜歡的字之一，當然也是從建築中藉來的。啟迪的意思是「建立」。這個概念與教會的「身體」形象並不陌生；即使在今天，我們仍在談論「健身運動」。這裡的圖像是重疊的，因為基督的身體也是活生生的上帝的殿。保羅選擇「啟迪」這個字是明智的。
The
mistake the Corinthians were making was to emphasize their own personal
edification to the neglect of the church. They wanted to build themselves up,
but they did not want to build up their fellow believers. This attitude, of
course, not only hurt the other Christians, but it also hurt the believers who
were practicing it. After all, if we are all members of the same body, the way
we relate to the other members must ultimately affect us personally. “The eye
cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee” (1 Cor.
Paul detected that the church was neglecting prophecy and giving a wrong emphasis to tongues. We must not think of a New Testament prophet as a person who foretold the future, for even the Old Testament prophets did more than that. Prophets received God’s message immediately, through the Holy Spirit, and communicated that message to the church, usually in a tongue, but not always. Prophecy was not the same as our modern-day “preaching,” because today’s preachers study the Bible and prepare their messages. No preacher today should claim that he has immediate inspiration from God. 保羅發現教會忽略了預言並錯誤地強調了方言。我們不能將《新約》中的先知視為預言未來的人，因為《舊約》中的先知所做的還不止於此。先知透過聖靈立即收到上帝的信息，並將訊息傳達給教會，通常用語言，但並非總是如此。預言不同於我們現代的“佈道”，因為今天的傳道人會研讀聖經並準備他們的信息[1]。今天沒有傳教士應該聲稱他直接受到了上帝的啟發。
It is
unfortunate that our translators inserted unknown in 1 Corinthians 14:2,
because the New Testament knows nothing of an “unknown tongue.” From the very
beginning of the church, tongues were known languages, recognized by the listeners
(Acts 2:4, 6, 8, 11). The tongue would be unknown to the speaker and to the
listeners, but it was not unknown in the world (1 Cor.
It is
also unfortunate that people have the idea that tongues were used to preach the
gospel to the lost. Quite the contrary was true: Paul was afraid that the
excessive tongues-speaking in the church would con[1]vince the lost
that the Christians were crazy (1 Cor.
The believer who speaks in a tongue speaks to God in praise and worship; but the believer who prophesies shares the Word with the church and helps those who listen. This leads to the second contrast. 說方言的信徒向神說話，以讚美和敬拜的方式；但預言的信徒會與教會分享聖言並幫助那些傾聽的人。這就引出了第二個對比。
Prophecy
edifies the church, tongues edify only the speaker (vv. 4–5). Paul did not deny
the value of tongues to the speaker, but he did place a greater value on
building up the church. “Greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh
with tongues” (1 Cor. 14:5). Unless the tongues are interpreted (1 Cor.
Keep in mind that the members of the Corinthian church did not sit in the services with Bibles on their laps. The New Testament was being written, and the Old Testament scrolls were expensive and not available to most believers. God spoke to His people directly through the prophets, and the message was sometimes given in a tongue. The three gifts of knowledge, prophecy, and tongues worked together to convey truth to the people (1 Cor. 13:1–2, 8–11). 請記住，哥林多教會的成員在禮拜時不會把聖經放在腿上。當時，《新約》正在撰寫中，而《舊約》捲軸價格昂貴，大多數信徒都買不起。上帝透過先知直接向祂的子民講話，有時訊息是用語言傳達的。知識、預言和語言這三種恩賜共同作用，向人們傳達真理（哥林多前書 13：1-2、8-11）。
Paul emphasized the importance of doctrinal teach[1]ing in the church. Our worship must be based on truth, or it may become superstitious emotionalism. Christians need to know what they believe and why they believe it. The prophet shared truth with the church, and thereby edified the assembly. The person speaking in tongues (unless there is an interpreter) is enjoying his worship of God, but he is not edifying the church. 保羅強調了教義在教會中的重要性[1]。我們的崇拜必須基於真理，否則就可能變成迷信的情緒化。基督徒需要知道他們相信什麼以及為什麼相信。先知與教會分享真理，因而啟迪了會眾。說方言的人（除非有翻譯）是在享受對上帝的崇拜，但他並沒有在啟迪教會。
In my own ministry, I have shared in many local church services and conferences, and I have always tried to communicate biblical truth to the people. Sometimes the music has not been edifying, and at other times, the music communicated the Word of God in a powerful way. Whenever all of us as ministers have aimed at edification, and not entertainment, God has blessed and the people have been helped. A min[1]istry that does not build up will tear down, no matter how “spiritual” it may seem. When we explain and apply the Word of God to individual lives, we have a ministry of edification. 在我自己的事工中，我參加過許多地方教會的服事和會議，我一直試圖向人們傳達聖經的真理。有時音樂並不具有啟發性，而有時音樂卻能以強而有力的方式傳達上帝的話語。無論何時，當我們所有牧師都致力於教導他人，而不是娛樂時，上帝就會祝福我們，人們也會得到幫助。一個不能建設的事工[1]無論它看起來多麼“屬靈”，它終究會毀滅。當我們解釋上帝的話語並將其應用於個人生活時，我們就有了一種啟蒙的使命。
1. Understanding (14:6–25) 1. 理解（14:6-25）
Eight
times in this section, Paul used the word understanding. It is
not enough for the minister to impart information to people; the people must
receive it if it is to do them any good. The seed that is received in the good
ground is the seed that bears fruit, but this means that there must be an understanding
of the Word of God (Matt.
The
famous Congregationalist minister Dr. Joseph Parker preached at an important
meeting and after[1]ward
was approached by a man who pointed out an error in the sermon. Parker listened
patiently to the man’s criticism, and then asked, “And what else did you get
from the message?” This remark simply withered the critic, who then disappeared
into the crowd. Too often we are quick to judge the sermon instead of allowing
the Word of God to judge us.
Illustration (vv. 6–11). Paul used three simple illustrations to prove his point that there must be understanding if there is to be an edifying spiritual ministry: musical instruments, a bugle call in battle, and daily conversation. 例證（6-11節）。保羅用三個簡單的例子來證明他的觀點，如果要進行啟發性的精神服務，就必須有理解：樂器、戰鬥中的號角和日常對話。
If a musical instrument does not give a clear and distinct sound, nobody will recognize the music being played. Everyone knows how uncomfortable one feels when a performer almost plays the right note because the instrument is defective or out of tune. Large pipe organs must be constantly serviced lest their reeds fail to perform properly. I was in a church service one evening during which the organ pitch gradually changed because of atmospheric conditions, and by the close of the service, the organ could not be played with the piano because of the radical change that had occurred. 如果樂器不能發出清晰獨特的聲音，就沒有人能聽出正在演奏的音樂。每個人都知道，當表演者因為樂器有缺陷或音調走調而幾乎彈奏出正確的音符時，人們會感到多麼不舒服。大型管風琴必須經常維護，以免簧片無法正常運作。有一天晚上，我在參加教會禮拜時，由於大氣條件的原因，管風琴的音調逐漸發生了變化，禮拜結束時，由於發生了劇烈的變化，管風琴無法與鋼琴一起演奏。
If the bugler is not sure whether he is calling “Retreat!” or “Charge!” you can be sure none of the sol[1]diers will know what to do either. Half of them will rush forward, while the other half will run back! The call must be a clear one if it is to be understood. 如果號手不確定他是否在喊「撤退！」或「衝鋒！」可以肯定的是，所有士兵[1]也不知道該怎麼辦。其中一半會向前衝，而另一半會向後跑！如果要讓別人理解這個呼叫，它必須清晰。
But
this fact is also true in everyday conversation. I recall the first time my
wife and I visited
First
Corinthians
The musician, the bugler, and the everyday conver[1]sationalist cannot be understood unless their messages are communicated in a manner that is meaningful to the listener. Having illustrated the principle of under[1]standing, Paul then applied it to three different persons. 音樂家、號手以及日常談話者[1]所傳達的訊息如果不能以一種讓聽眾有意義的方式傳達，就無法被理解。在闡明了[1]理解的原則之後，保羅隨後將其應用於三個不同的人。
Application
(vv. 12–25). Paul first applied the principle of understanding to the speaker
himself (1 Cor.
What,
then, is the speaker to do? He must ask God for the interpretation of the
message. Paul assumed that an interpreter would be present (1 Cor.
Paul
then applied the principle to other believers in the assembly (1 Cor.
Again,
it was a matter of priorities. While Paul did not oppose the ministry of
tongues, he did try to put it into a right perspective. The issue was not
quantity of words, but quality of communication. The Corinthians were acting
like children playing with toys. When it came to knowing about sin, Paul wanted
them to be “babes”; but when it came to spiritual understanding, he wanted them
to be mature men (1 Cor. 3:1–4;
Some people have the idea that speaking in a tongue is an evidence of spiritual maturity, but Paul taught that it is possible to exercise the gift in an unspiritual and immature manner. 有些人認為說方言是精神成熟的證明，但保羅教導說，以不精神和不成熟的方式運用這種天賦是可能的。
Paul’s
final application was to the unsaved person who happened to come into the
assembly during a time of worship (1 Cor.
However, tongues did have a “message” for the lost Jews in particular: they were a sign of God’s judgment. Paul quoted Isaiah 28:11–12, a reference to the invad[1]ing Assyrian army whose “barbaric” language the Jews would not understand. The presence of this “tongue” was evidence of God’s judgment on the nation. God would rather speak to His people in clear language they could understand, but their repeated sins made this impossible. He had spoken to them through His mes[1]sengers in their own tongue, and the nation would not repent. Now He had to speak in a foreign tongue, and this meant judgment. 然而，舌頭確實對迷失的猶太人傳達了一個「訊息」：它們是上帝審判的標誌。保羅引用了以賽亞書 28:11-12，指的是入侵的亞述軍隊[1]，他們的「野蠻」語言是猶太人無法理解的。這「舌頭」的出現就是上帝對這個國家審判的證據。上帝寧願用祂子民所能理解的清晰語言與他們交談，但他們一再犯下的罪使得這不可能。他曾經透過他的使者[1]用他們的語言對他們講話，但他們卻不肯悔改。現在他必須用外語講話，這意味著審判。
As a
nation, the Jews were always seeking a sign (Matt.
The
principle of edification encourages us to majoron sharing the Word
of God so that the church will be strengthened and grow. The principle of
understanding reminds us that what we share must be understood if it is to do
any good. The private use of spiritual gifts may edify the user, but it will
not edify the church; and Paul admonished us to “excel to the edifying of the
church” (1 Cor.
But a third principle must be applied: the principle of order. 但必須應用第三個原則：秩序原則。
2. Order (
Two
statements in this section go together: “Let all things be done unto edifying”
(1 Cor.
The
Corinthian church was having special problems with
disorder in their public meetings (1 Cor.
First
Corinthians
Note that the tongues speakers were the ones causing the most trouble, so Paul addressed himself to them and gave several instructions for the church to obey in their public meetings. 請注意，說方言的人是造成最多麻煩的人，因此保羅向他們講話，並給了教會在公開集會上要遵守的幾條指示。
First,
speaking and interpreting, along with judging (evaluating the message) must be
done in an orderly manner (1 Cor.
Why
were the messages evaluated? To determine whether the speaker had truly
communicated the Word of God through the Holy Spirit. It was possible for a
speaker, under the control of his own emotions, to imagine that God was
speaking to him and through him. It was even possible for Satan to counterfeit
a prophetic message (see 2 Cor.
If while a person is speaking, God gives a revela[1]tion to another person, the speaker must be silent while the new revelation is shared. If God is in charge, there can be no competition or contradiction in the messages. If, however, the various speakers are “man[1]ufacturing” their messages, there will be confusion and contradiction. 如果一個人正在說話的時候，上帝給了另一個人一個啟示[1]，那麼在分享新的啟示時，說話的人必須保持沉默。如果上帝掌管一切，那麼訊息中就不會存在競爭或矛盾。然而，如果各個發言者都在「捏造」他們的訊息，就會產生混亂和矛盾.
When the
Holy Spirit is in charge, the various ministers will have
self-control; for self-control is one fruit of the Spirit (Gal.
Our own
self-control is one of the evidences that the Spirit is indeed at work in the
meeting. One of the ministries of the Spirit is to bring order out of chaos
(Gen. 1). Confusion comes from Satan, not from God (James
How do we apply this instruction to the church today since we do not have New Testament prophets, but we do have the completed Scripture? For one thing, we must use the Word of God to test every message that we hear, asking the Spirit to guide us. There are false teachers in the world and we must beware (2 Peter 2; 1 John 4:1–6). But even true teachers and preachers do not know everything and sometimes make mistakes (1 Cor. 13:9, 12; James 3:1). Each listener must evaluate the message and apply it to his own heart. 既然我們沒有新約先知，但我們有完整的聖經，我們如何將此指示應用於當今的教會？首先，我們必須用上帝的話語來檢驗我們所聽到的每個信息，祈求聖靈來指引我們。世上有很多假教師，我們必須小心（彼得後書 2；約翰一書 4：1-6）。但即使是真正的教師和傳道者也並非無所不知，有時也會犯錯（哥林多前書 13:9, 12；雅各書 3:1）。每個聽眾都必須評估訊息並將其應用到自己的心中。
Our public meetings today are more formal than those of the early church, so it is not likely that we need to worry about the order of the service. But in our more informal meetings, we need to consider one another and maintain order. I recall being in a testimony meeting where a woman took forty minutes telling a boring experience and, as a result, destroyed the spirit of the meeting.我們今天的公開集會比早期教會的公開集會更正式，因此我們不太可能需要擔心禮拜的秩序。但在我們更非正式的會議中，我們需要互相考慮並維持秩序。我記得在一次證詞中在會議上，一位女士花了四十分鐘講述一段無聊的經歷，結果破壞了會議的屬靈。
Evangelist D. L. Moody was leading a service and asked a man to pray. Taking advantage of his 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. 福音傳道者 D. L. 穆迪 (D. L. Moody) 正在主持一場禮拜，並要求一名男子祈禱。男子抓住這個機會，不斷地祈禱。穆迪感覺到禱告沒有為聚會帶來祝福，反而毀了聚會，於是他開口說道：「當我們的弟兄結束禱告時, 他的祈禱，讓我們唱一首讚美詩！」 負責公眾集會的人需要有洞察力 — 和勇氣。
Second,
the women in the meeting were not to speak (1 Cor.
The context of this prohibition would indicate that some of the women in the assembly were creating problems by asking questions and perhaps even gener[1]ating arguments. Paul reminded the married women to be submitted to their husbands and to get their ques[1]tions answered at home. (We assume that the unmarried women could counsel with the elders or with other men in their own families.) Sad to say, in too many Christian homes today, it is the wife who has to answer the questions for the husband because she is better taught in the Word. 這項禁令的背景表明，議會中的一些婦女透過提問甚至爭論來製造問題。 [1]保羅提醒已婚婦女要順服自己的丈夫，她們的問題[1]要在家中得到解答。 （我們假設未婚女性可以與長老或自己家庭中的其他男性商議。）可悲的是，今天在太多的基督教家庭中，妻子必須回答丈夫的問題，因為她在聖經中受過更好的教育。
What “law” was Paul referring to in 1 Corinthians 14:34? Probably Genesis 3:16. (The word law was a synonym for the Old Testament Scriptures, especially the first five books.) In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul had discussed the relationship of men and women in the church, so there was no need to go into detail. 保羅在哥林多前書 14:34 中提到的「律法」是什麼？可能是創世記 3:16。 （律法這個字是舊約聖經的同義詞，特別是前五本。）在哥林多前書第 11 章中，保羅已經討論了教會中男女的關係，所以沒有必要再詳細討論。
Third,
participants must beware of “new revelations” that go beyond the Word of God (1
Cor.
In
these verses, Paul was answering the church member who might say, “We don’t
need Paul’s help! The Spirit speaks to us. We have received new and wonderful
revelations from God!” This is a dangerous attitude, because it is the first
step toward rejecting God’s Word and accepting counterfeit revelations,
including the doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1ff.). “The Word did not originate
in your congregation!” Paul replied. “One of the marks of a true prophet is his
obedience to apostolic teaching.” In this statement, Paul claimed that what he
wrote was actually inspired Scripture, “the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor.
First
Corinthians
Paul summarized the main teachings of 1 Corinthians 14 in verses 39–40. Prophecy is more important than tongues, but the church should not prohibit the correct exercise of the gift of tongues. The purpose of spiritual gifts is the edification of the whole church, and therefore, gifts must be exercised in an orderly manner. Public worship must be carried on “in a seemly manner,” that is, with beauty, order, and spiritual motivation and content. 保羅在 39-40 節中總結了《哥林多前書》第 14 章的主要教義。預言比說方言更重要，但教會不應該禁止正確運用說方言的恩賜。屬靈恩賜的目的是為了造就整個教會，因此，恩賜必須以有序的方式運用。公共崇拜必須「以適當的方式」進行，即具有美觀、秩序以及精神動機和內容。
Before leaving this chapter, it might be helpful to summarize what Paul wrote about the gift of tongues. It is the God-given ability to speak in a known language with which the speaker was not previously acquainted. The purpose was not to win the lost, but to edify the saved. Not every believer had this gift, nor was this gift an evidence of spirituality or the result of a “baptism of the Spirit.” 在結束本章之前，總結保羅關於說方言的恩賜所寫的一些東西可能會有所幫助。這是上帝賦予的能力，使說話者能夠用一種自己以前不熟悉的語言進行交談。目的不是為了贏得迷失的人，而是為了啟迪得救的人。並非每個信徒都擁有這種天賦，這種天賦也不是靈性的證據或「聖靈的洗禮」的結果。
Only three persons were permitted to speak in tongues in any one meeting, and they had to do so in order and with interpretation. If there was no interpreter, they had to keep silent. Prophecy is the superior gift, but tongues were not to be despised if they were exercised according to Scripture. 每次聚會只允許三個人說方言，而且必須按順序講，並配有翻譯。如果沒有翻譯，他們就必須保持沉默。預言是高級的天賦，但如果按照聖經來運用方言，那麼也不應該輕視它。
When the foundational work of the apostles and prophets ended, it would seem that the gifts of knowledge, prophecy, and tongues would no longer be needed. “Whether there be tongues, they shall cease” (1 Cor. 13:8). Certainly God could give this gift today if He pleased, but I am not prepared to believe that every instance of tongues is divinely energized. Nor would I go so far as to say that all instances of tongues are either satanic or self-induced. 當使徒和先知的基礎工作結束時，知識、預言和語言的禮物似乎不再需要了。 「說方言的事終必停止」（哥林多前書 13:8）。當然，如果上帝願意，祂今天可以賜予這種禮物，但我並不準備相信每一次說方言都是神聖能量的。我也不會說所有說方言的例子都是邪惡的或自我誘導的。
It is unfortunate when believers make tongues a test of fellowship or spirituality. That in itself would alert me that the Spirit would not be at work. Let’s keep our priorities straight and major on winning the lost and building the church. 不幸的是，信徒們把說方言當作友誼或靈性的考驗。這本身就提醒我聖靈不會發揮作用。讓我們把重點放在拯救失喪的人和建立教會。
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