1550 英翻中(林前11課14章) Be wise about using spiritual gifts 明智地運用屬靈恩賜 24/04/2026
CHAPTER 11 BE WISE ABOUT USING SPIRITUAL GIFTS 1 Corinthians 14 第十一章 明智地運用屬靈恩賜 哥林多前書 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 principles: edification, understanding, and order. 保羅已經論述了聖靈的恩賜、聖靈的種種恩賜以及聖靈的恩典；現在，他以解釋聖靈在教會公開敬拜中的治理[1]來結束這一部分。顯然，有些哥林多信徒在使用恩賜時容易失去自製，保羅不得不提醒他們教會公開聚會應遵循的基本原則。這三個原則是：造就、理解、秩序。
1. Edification (14:1–5, 26b) 1. 造就（14:1-5, 26下）
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，它藉用自建築學。造就的意思是「建造」。這個概念與教會的「身體」意象並不陌生；即使在今天，我們仍然會談到「健美訓練」。這裡存在著意象的重疊，因為基督的身體也是永生上帝的殿。保羅選擇「造就」這個詞是明智之舉。
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. 12:21 ). If one member of the body is weak or
infected, it will affect the other members. 哥林多教會犯的錯誤在於，他們過度強調自身的造就，而忽略了教會。他們只想抬高自己，卻不願意造就其他信徒。這種態度不僅傷害了其他基督徒，也傷害了他們自己。畢竟，我們同屬一個身體，彼此之間的關係最終必然會影響我們自己。 「眼不能對手說：『我不需要你』」（林前12:21）。如果身體的一個肢體軟弱或感染，就會影響到其他肢體。
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 mes[1]sages. No preacher today should claim that he has immediate inspiration from God. 保羅察覺到教會忽略了預言，卻過度強調了說方言。我們不應將新約先知僅僅視為預言未來的人，因為即使是舊約先知所做的也遠不止於此。先知們透過聖靈直接領受上帝的信息，並將信息傳達給教會，通常用方言，但並非總是如此。預言與我們現代的「講道」並不相同，因為今天的傳道人會研讀聖經並預備講稿[1]。今天的傳道人不應宣稱自己直接受到上帝的啟示。
Paul explained the supreme value of prophecy over tongues by contrasting the two gifts. 保羅透過對比預言和方言這兩種恩賜，闡明了預言比方言更為重要。
Prophecy speaks to men, tongues to God (vv. 1–3). “If you are zealous for spiritual gifts, at least desire the best gifts,” was Paul’s counsel. Prophecy was best because it built up the church. It gave the listeners encouragement and comfort—something that everybody needs. 預言是與人交流，方言是與上帝交流（1-3節）。保羅勸勉說：「你們若渴慕屬靈的恩賜，至少要渴慕那更大的恩賜。」預言之所以更好，是因為它能造就教會。它給予聽眾鼓勵和安慰——這是每個人都需要的。
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. 14:10 –11, 21). 遺憾的是，我們的譯者在哥林多前書14:2中插入了“未知的方言”，因為新約聖經中根本沒有“未知的方言”這種說法。從教會創立之初，方言就是一種為人所知的語言，聽眾都能辨認出來（使徒行傳 2:4, 6, 8, 11）。方言對說方言的人和聽眾來說或許是陌生的，但在世人眼中卻並非如此（哥林多前書 14:10-11, 21）。
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. 14:23 )!
At Pentecost, the believers extolled “the wonderful works of God,” but Peter
preached the gospel in the Aramaic language his listeners could all understand. 令人遺憾的是，人們常誤以為說方言是為了向失喪的人傳福音。事實恰恰相反：保羅擔心教會中過度使用方言會使失喪的人認為基督徒是瘋子（哥林多前書 14:23）！在五旬節，信徒們讚美“神的大作為”，而彼得卻用亞蘭語傳講福音，讓所有聽眾都能理解。
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. 說方言的信徒是在讚美和敬拜神；而說預言的信徒則是在與教會分享神的話語，並幫助那些聆聽的人。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. 12:10 , 30), the message can do the
church no good. Paul pointed out that an interpreter must be present before the
gift of tongues may be exercised (1 Cor. 14:28 ). 預言造就教會，說方言只造就說方言的人（4-5節）。保羅並沒有否認說方言對說方言的人的價值，但他更重視的是造就教會。 「說預言的比說方言的更大」（林前14:5）。除非有人翻譯（林前12:10, 30），否則說方言的信息對教會毫無益處。保羅指出，在施行說方言的恩賜之前，必須有翻譯在場（林前14:28）。
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，哥林多教會的信徒在聚會時並沒有把聖經放在膝上。新約聖經正在撰寫中，而舊約經卷價格昂貴，大多數信徒無法取得。神直接透過先知向祂的子民說話，有時訊息就是用方言傳達的。知識、預言和方言這三種恩賜共同作用，將真理傳達給人們（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. 保羅強調了教義教導在教會中的重要性[1]。我們的敬拜必須建立在真理之上，否則可能淪為迷信的情感主義。基督徒需要知道自己所信的是什麼，以及為什麼相信。先知與教會分享真理，因而造就了會眾。說方言的人（除非有翻譯）雖然享受敬拜神的樂趣，但他並沒有造就教會。
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. 在我自己的事奉中，我參與過許多地方教會的禮拜和特會，我一直努力向會眾傳達聖經真理。有時，音樂並沒有造就人；有時，音樂卻以強而有力的方式傳遞了神的話語。每當我們這些事奉者以造就而非娛樂為目標時，神就賜福，人們也得到幫助。一個不造就人的事奉[1]最終會拆毀人，無論它看起來多麼「屬靈」。當我們解釋神的話語並將其應用到個人生活中時，我們的事奉就是造就人的事奉。
2. Understanding (14:6–25) 2. 理解（14:6-25）
Eight
times in this section, Paul used the word under[1]standing. 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. 13:23 ).
If a believer wants to be edified, he must prepare his heart to receive the
Word (1 Thess. 2:13 ). Not
everybody who listens really hears. 保羅在這段經文中八次使用了「理解」一詞。傳道者僅僅向人們傳講訊息是不夠的；人們必須真正接受這些訊息，才能從中受益。撒在好土裡的種子才能結果子，但這前提是人們必須理解神的話（太13:23）。信徒若想被造就，就必須預備好自己的心來接受神的話語（帖前2:13）。並非所有聆聽的人都能真正聽進去。
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. 著名的公理會牧師約瑟夫·帕克博士在一次重要的聚會上講道，之後有人上前指出他講道中的一個錯誤。帕克耐心地聽了對方的批評，然後問道：「你從講道中還得到了什麼？」 這句話讓批評者啞口無言，隨即消失在人群中。我們常常急於評斷講道，卻不願讓神的話來評斷我們。
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，若要進行造就人的屬靈事工，就必須先有理解力：樂器、戰場上的號角聲和日常對話。
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. 如果樂器發出的聲音不清晰，就沒人聽得懂演奏的是什麼。每個人都知道，當演奏者幾乎彈對了音符，卻因為樂器有缺陷或走音而無法演奏時，會是多麼令人難受。大型管風琴必須經常維護，否則簧片就無法正常運作。有一天晚上，我參加教會禮拜，由於大氣條件的影響，管風琴的音調逐漸變化，到禮拜結束時，由於音調發生了劇烈的變化，管風琴已經無法與鋼琴合奏了。
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. 如果號手不確定自己是在吹“撤退！”還是“衝鋒！”，那麼士兵們肯定也不知道該怎麼辦。一半人會衝上前去，另一半人則會退縮！只有清晰的呼喊才能被理解。
But
this fact is also true in everyday conversation. I recall the first time my
wife and I visited Great
Britain London
First
Corinthians 14:10 gives us
good reason to believe that, when Paul wrote about tongues, he was referring to
known languages and not some “heavenly” language. Each language is different
and yet each lan[1]guage
has its own meaning. No matter how sincere a speaker may be, if I do not
understand his language, he cannot communicate with me. To the Greeks, a bar[1]barian
was the lowest person on the social or national ladder. In fact, anybody who
was not a Greek was con[1]sidered
a barbarian. 《哥林多前書》14:10 給了我們充分的理由相信，保羅所說的方言指的是已知的語言，而不是某種「天上的」語言。每種語言都各不相同，但每種語言都有其獨特的含義。無論說話者多麼真誠，如果我聽不懂他的語言，他就無法與我溝通。在希臘人眼中，「蠻族」是社會或民族地位最低的人。事實上，任何非希臘人都被視為蠻族。
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、號手和日常談話者，除非以對聽者有意義的方式傳達訊息，否則他們的意思就無法被理解。保羅闡明了理解的原則後，又將其應用在三個不同的人身上。
Application
(vv. 12–25). Paul first applied the principle of understanding to the speaker
himself (1 Cor. 14:12 –15).
Again, he reminded the Corinthians that it is better to be a blessing to the
church than to experience some kind of personal “spiritual excite[1]ment.”
If the believer speaks in a tongue, his spirit (inner person) may share in the
experience, but his mind is not a part of the experience. It is not wrong to
pray or sing “in the spirit,” but it is better to include the mind and
understand what you are praying or singing. (Note that the word spirit in 1
Cor. 14:14–15 does not refer to the Holy Spirit, but to the inner per[1]son,
as in 1 Cor. 2:11.) If the speaker is to be edified, he must understand what he
is saying. 應用（12-25節）。保羅首先將理解的原則應用在講道者本身（林前14:12-15）。他再次提醒哥林多信徒，造福教會比經歷某種個人的「屬靈興奮」更為重要。如果信徒說方言，他的靈（內在的人）或許會參與其中，但他的理智卻不參與。用「靈裡」禱告或歌唱並沒有錯，但最好還是運用理智，明白自己禱告或歌唱的內容。 （請注意，林前14:14-15中的「靈」並非指聖靈，而是指內在的人，正如林前2:11所言。）如果講道者想要得到造就，他必須明白自己所說的話。
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. 14:27 –28) or that the speaker
himself had the gift of interpreting. Of course, all of this discussion
emphasized once again the superiority of prophecy over tongues: prophecy needs
no interpretation and can therefore be a blessing to everybody. 那麼，講道者該怎麼做呢？他必須祈求神解釋他所講的信息。保羅假定會有人在場翻譯（林前 14:27-28），或講道者本身就具備翻譯的恩賜。當然，所有這些討論再次強調了預言優於方言：預言無需翻譯，因此可以造福所有人。
Paul
then applied the principle to other believers in the assembly (1 Cor. 14:16 –20). He assumed that they
would listen to the message and respond to it. But if they did not understand
the message, how could they respond? (Apparently, saying Amen! in church was
not frowned on in those days.) The “unlearned” person was probably a new
believer, or possibly an interested “seeker.” He could not be edified unless he
understood what was being said. 保羅隨後將此原則應用在會眾中的其他信徒身上（林前 14:16-20）。他假定他們會聆聽訊息並作出回應。但如果他們不明白訊息的內容，又該如何回應呢？ （顯然，在當時的教會裡說「阿們！」並不被視為不妥。）這位「不懂」的人很可能是新信徒，或是一位感興趣的「尋求者」。除非他明白所講的內容，否則他無法得到造就。
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; 13:11 –13). 這再次反映了優先順序的問題。雖然保羅並不反對說方言的事工，但他確實試圖將其置於正確的視角下看待。關鍵不在於說方言的數量，而是溝通的品質。哥林多人的行為就像孩子玩玩具一樣。在認識罪方面，保羅希望他們像「嬰孩」；但在屬靈的理解方面，他希望他們像成熟的男人一樣（林前3:1-4；13:11-13）。
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屬靈成熟的標誌，但保羅教導說，即使運用這種恩賜，也可能顯得不屬靈、不成熟。
Paul’s
final application was to the unsaved person who happened to come into the
assembly during a time of worship (1 Cor. 14:21 –25). Paul made here another point for the
superiority of prophecy over tongues: a message in tongues (unless interpreted)
could never bring conviction to the heart of a lost sin[1]ner. In fact, the
unsaved person might leave the service before the interpretation was given,
thinking that the whole assembly was crazy. Tongues were not used for
evangelism, neither at Pentecost nor in the meetings of the early church. 保羅最後將這個例子應用在那些在敬拜期間偶然進入教會的非信徒身上（林前14:21-25）。保羅在此進一步論證了預言優於方言：用方言傳達的信息（除非有人翻譯）永遠無法使迷失的罪人悔改。事實上，非信徒甚至可能在翻譯前就離開，認為整個教會都瘋了。在五旬節和早期教會的聚會中，說方言並非用來傳福音。
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，對於迷失的猶太人而言，說方言確實蘊含著一個「信息」：它是上帝審判的標誌。保羅引用了以賽亞書28:11-12，這段經文提到了入侵的亞述軍隊，他們說的「野蠻」語言猶太人無法理解。這種「方言」的出現，正是上帝對這個民族進行審判的證據。上帝更願意用祂的子民能夠理解的清晰語言與他們交流，但他們屢次犯罪，使這一切成為不可能。祂曾經透過祂的使者用他們的母語與他們交流，但他們卻不肯悔改。如今，祂不得不使用一種外語，這意味著審判。
As a
nation, the Jews were always seeking a sign (Matt. 12:38 ; 1 Cor. 1:22 ). At Pentecost, the fact that the apostles spoke in
tongues was a sign to the unbelieving Jews who were there celebrating the feast.
The miracle of tongues aroused their interest, but it did not convict their
hearts. It took Peter’s preaching (in Aramaic, which the people all understood)
to bring them to the place of conviction and conversion. 作為一個民族，猶太人一直在尋求神蹟（太12:38；林前1:22）。在五旬節，使徒們說方言的神蹟，對在場慶祝節期的不信的猶太人來說，是一個神蹟。說方言的神蹟引起了他們的興趣，卻未能觸動他們的心。只有彼得用亞蘭語（眾人都能聽懂）的講道，才使他們最終悔改歸信。
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. 14:12 ). 造就的原則鼓勵我們盡力分享神的話語，使教會得以堅固和成長。理解的原則提醒我們，我們所分享的必須被人理解，才能產生益處。私下使用屬靈恩賜或許能造就使用者，卻無法造就教會；保羅勸勉我們「竭力造就教會」（林前14:12）。
But a
third principle must be applied: the principle of order. 但還有第三個原則必須應用：秩序原則。
3. Order (14:26 –40) 3. 秩序（14:26-40）
Two
statements in this section go together: “Let all things be done unto edifying”
(1 Cor. 14:26 ), and, “Let
all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40 ). When a building is constructed, there
must be a plan, or everything will be in chaos. I know of a church that had
terrible problems building their par[1]sonage,
until someone discovered that the lumberyard had a different set of plans from
that of the contractor. It was no wonder that the materials shipped to the site
did not fit into the building! 本節有兩句話是相輔相成的：「凡事都要造就人」（林前 14:26），以及「凡事都要規規矩矩地按著次序行」（林前 14:40）。建造房屋時，必須要有計劃，否則一切都會亂成一團。我知道有一間教會建造牧師住宅時遇到了很多問題，直到有人發現木材廠的圖紙和承包商的圖紙不一樣。難怪運到工地的材料根本裝不進去！
The
Corinthian church was having special prob[1]lems with
disorder in their public meetings (1 Cor. 11:17 –23). The reason is not difficult to determine: They
were using their spiritual gifts to please them[1]selves and not to
help their brethren. The key word was not edification, but exhibition. If you
think that your contribution to the service is more important than your
brother’s contribution, then you will either be impatient until he finishes, or
you will interrupt him. Add to this problem the difficulties caused by the
“liberated women” in the assembly, and you can understand why the church
experienced carnal confusion. 哥林多教會的公開聚會也存在特別的混亂問題（林前 11:17-23）。原因不難理解：他們濫用屬靈恩賜來取悅自己，而不是幫助弟兄姊妹。關鍵不在於造就，而在於炫耀。如果你認為自己對服事的貢獻比弟兄的貢獻更重要，那麼你就會不耐煩地等到他講完，或者打斷他。再加上教會中「解放的婦女」所帶來的種種問題，你就能理解為什麼教會會經歷屬肉體的混亂。
First
Corinthians 14:26 gives us
a cameo picture of worship in the early church. Each member was invited to
participate as the Lord directed. One would want to sing a psalm (Eph. 5:19 ; Col. 3:16). Another would be
led to share a doctrine. Someone might have a revela[1]tion that would
be given in a tongue and then interpreted. Apart from some kind of God-given
order, there could never be edification. 哥林多前書 14:26 為我們描繪了早期教會敬拜的景象。每個成員都被邀請按照主的指示參與。有人想唱詩篇（弗 5:19；西 3:16），有人被引導分享教義，有人可能會得到啟示，用方言說出來，然後由人翻譯。若沒有神所賜的秩序，就不可能造就人。
Note
that the tongues speakers were the ones caus[1]ing the most
trouble, so Paul addressed himself to them and gave several instructions for
the church to obey in their public meetings. 值得注意的是，說方言的人是造成麻煩最多的人，所以保羅專門針對他們，並給教會提出了一些在公開聚會中要遵守的指示。
First,
speaking and interpreting, along with judging (evaluating the message) must be
done in an orderly manner (1 Cor. 14:27 –33).
There must not be more than three speakers at any one meeting, and each mes[1]sage
must be interpreted and evaluated in order. If no interpreter was present, then
the tongues speaker must keep silent. Paul’s admonitions to the Thessalonian
congregation would apply here: “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not
prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:19 –21). 首先，講道、翻譯以及判斷（評量信息）必須有條不紊地進行（林前 14:27-33）。每次聚會中講道者不得超過三位，且每個訊息都必須依序翻譯和評估。若無翻譯者在場，說方言者必須保持沉默。保羅對帖撒羅尼迦教會的勸勉在此同樣適用：「不要消滅聖靈的感動；不要藐視先知的預言。凡事都要察驗，好的要持守」（帖前 5:19-21）。
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. 11:13 –14).
The listeners would test the message, then, by Old Testament Scriptures,
apostolic tradition, and the personal guid[1]ance of the
Spirit (“discerning of spirits,” 1 Cor. 12:10 ). 為何要評估資訊？為了確定講道者是否真正透過聖靈傳達了神的話語。講道者有可能受自身情緒的影響，誤以為神在對他說話，或透過他說話。甚至撒但也可能偽造預言信息（參考林後 11:13-14）。聽眾會用舊約聖經、使徒傳統以及聖靈的個人引導來檢驗信息（“分辨諸靈”，林前 12:10）。
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. 如果一個人在講道時，神又向另一個人啟示了新的信息，那麼講道者必須保持沉默，直到新的啟示被分享。如果神掌管一切，訊息中就不會出現競爭或矛盾。然而，如果不同的講道者「人為地」編造訊息，就會出現混亂和矛盾。
When the
Holy Spirit is in charge, the various min[1]isters will have
self-control; for self-control is one fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23 ). I once shared a Bible confer[1]ence
with a speaker who had “poor terminal facilities.” He often went fifteen to
twenty minutes past his dead[1]line,
which meant, of course, that I had to condense my messages at the last minute.
He excused himself to me by saying, “You know, when the Holy Spirit takes over,
you can’t worry about clocks!” My reply was to quote 1 Corinthians 14:32: “And
the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” 當聖靈掌管一切時，不同的傳道者會保持自製；因為自製是聖靈的果子之一（加 5:23）。我曾經與一位「終端設備不好」的講道者一起進行聖經研讀。他經常超時十五到二十分鐘，這意味著我必須在最後一刻壓縮我的訊息。他向我道歉說：“你知道，當聖靈掌管一切的時候，你就顧不上時間了！”我回答說，引用了哥林多前書14章32節：“先知的靈是順服先知的。”
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 3:13 –18). When the Spirit is leading, the
participants are able to minister “one by one” so that the total impact of
God’s message may be received by the church. 我們自身的自製力正是聖靈在聚會中動工的證據之一。聖靈的事工之一就是從混亂中帶來秩序（創世記1章）。混亂來自撒旦，而非來自上帝（雅各書3章13-18節）。當聖靈引導時，參與者就能「一個接一個」地服事，使教會能完全領受上帝的信息。
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. 既然我們今天沒有新約先知，但我們有完整的聖經，我們該如何將這條教導應用到教會中？首先，我們必須用上帝的話語來檢驗我們所聽到的每一個信息，並祈求聖靈的引導。世上有假教師，我們必須警惕（彼得後書 2；約翰一書 4:1-6）。但即使是真正的教師和傳道人也並非無所不知，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所聽的訊息，並將其應用到自己的生活中。
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. 如今的公開聚會比早期教會的聚會更正式，因此我們不必過度擔心聚會的秩序。但在我們較非正式的聚會中，我們需要彼此體諒，維繫秩序。我記得曾參加過一次見證會，一位女士花了四十分鐘講述一段枯燥乏味的經歷，結果破壞了聚會的氣氛。
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. 福音佈道家D. L. 當穆迪主持聚會時，請一位男士禱告。這位男士抓住機會，滔滔不絕地禱告。穆迪意識到這禱告非但沒有祝福聚會，反而破壞了氣氛，於是開口說道：“趁著這位弟兄禱告完畢，我們來唱首讚美詩吧！” 主持公開聚會的人需要有辨別力，也需要勇氣。
Second,
the women in the meeting were not to speak (1 Cor. 14:34 –35). Paul had already permitted the women
to pray and prophesy (1 Cor. 11:5), so this instruction must apply to the
immediate context of evaluating the prophetic messages. It would appear that
the major responsibility for doctrinal purity in the early church rested on the
shoulders of the men, the elders in particular (1 Tim. 2:11 –12). 其次，聚會中的婦女不應該發言（林前14:34-35）。保羅之前已經允許婦女禱告和說預言（林前 11:5），因此這指示必定是指評估先知信息的直接脈絡。早期教會教義純正的主要責任似乎落在男性身上，尤其是長老（提前 2:11-12）。
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. 這項禁令的上下文表明，會眾中有些婦女透過提問甚至引發爭論來製造問題。保羅提醒已婚婦女要順服丈夫，並在家中尋求解答。 （我們假設未婚婦女可以與長老或家中其他男性商議。）令人遺憾的是，在當今許多基督徒家庭中，妻子不得不替丈夫回答問題，因為她們對聖經的理解更透徹。
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？很可能是創世記 3:16。 （「律法」一詞是舊約聖經的同義詞，特別指前五卷書。）保羅在哥林多前書11章中已經討論過教會中男女的關係，因此無需贅述。
Third,
participants must beware of “new revelations” that go beyond the Word of God (1
Cor. 14:36 –40). “To the
law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is
because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20 ).
The church had the Old Testament as well as the oral tradition given by the
apostles (2 Tim. 2:2), and this was the standard by which all revelations would
be tested. We today have the completed Scriptures as well as the accumulated
teachings of centuries of church history to help us discern the truth. The
historic evangelical creeds, while not inspired, do embody orthodox theology
that can direct us. 第三，參與者必須警覺超越神話語的「新啟示」（林前14:36-40）。 「當以律法和見證為準；他們所說的若不與此相符，必是因他們心中沒有光」（賽8:20）。教會擁有舊約聖經以及宗徒們所傳的口傳傳統（提後2:2），這是檢驗一切啟示的標準。今天，我們擁有完整的聖經以及幾個世紀教會歷史累積的教導，幫助我們辨別真理。歷史上的福音信經雖然並非受聖靈默示，但確實體現了正統神學，可以指引我們。
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. 14:37 ). 在這些經文中，保羅是在回答教會成員可能會說的話：「我們不需要保羅的幫助！聖靈向我們說話。我們已經從神那裡領受了新的、奇妙的啟示！」這是一種危險的態度，因為這是拒絕神的話語、接受偽造啟示（包括魔鬼的教義，提前4:1及以下）的第一步。 「神的話並非源自於你們的教會！」保羅回答。 「真先知的記號之一就是順服宗徒的教導。」保羅在此聲明，他所寫的確實是受聖靈默示的經文，「主的誡命」（林前14:37）。
First
Corinthians 14:38 does not
suggest that Paul wanted people to remain ignorant; otherwise, he would not
have written this letter and answered their questions. The New International
Version translates it, “If he ignores this [Paul’s apostolic authority], he
himself will be ignored [by Paul and the churches].” Fellowship is based on the
Word, and those who willfully reject the Word automatically break the
fellowship (1 John 2:18 –19). 哥林多前書14:38並沒有暗示保羅希望人們繼續無知；否則，他就不會寫這封信並回答他們的問題了。 《新國際版聖經》將其翻譯為：「如果他忽視這一點（保羅的使徒權柄），他自己也會被忽視（被保羅和教會忽視）。」團契建立在神的話語之上，那些故意拒絕神的話語的人，自然就破壞了團契（約翰一書 2:18-19）。
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. 保羅在哥林多前書 14 章 39-40 節總結了該章的主要教導。預言比說方言更重要，但教會不應禁止正確地運用說方言的恩賜。屬靈恩賜的目的是造就整個教會，因此，恩賜必須以合宜的方式運用。公開敬拜必須「合宜地」進行，也就是說，要優美、有序，並具有屬靈的動機和內容。
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，或許有必要先總結保羅關於說方言恩賜的論述。說方言是神所賜予的能力，使人能夠用一種說話者之前並不熟悉的語言說話。其目的不是為了贏得失喪的人，而是為了造就已經得救的人。並非每個信徒都擁有這種恩賜，這種恩賜也不是屬靈的標誌，也不是「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，而且必須按順序進行，並且有翻譯。如果沒有翻譯，他們就必須保持沉默。預言是較尊貴的恩賜，但若方言的使用符合聖經，也不應被輕視。
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. 當使徒和先知的奠基工作結束後，知識、預言和說方言的恩賜似乎也就不再需要了。 「說方言的人終必停止」（哥林多前書 13:8）。當然，如果神願意，祂今天仍然可以賜予這種恩賜，但我並不認為每一次說方言都是出於神的感動。我也不會斷言所有的說方言都是出於撒旦的誘惑或出於自身。
It is unfortunate when believers make tongues a test of fellowship or spirituality. That in itself wouldalert 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. 令人遺憾的是，當信徒把說方言當作衡量團契或屬靈能力的試金石時，這本身就足以讓我警醒，聖靈並沒有在他們裡面動工。讓我們保持正確的優先順序，專注於贏得失喪的靈魂和建造教會。
