This chapter brings us to another aspect of the problem of disorder in the worship of the church at Corinth. The problem is that of a misuse of the gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit, particularly the gifts of tongues. Paul's words serve to give us an explanation of the working and of the purpose of the power of Pentecost.

Notice immediately . . .

I. IGNORANCE PLAYS NO PART IN THE PURPOSE OF GOD FOR HIS PEOPLE

Indeed, ignorance is the chief culprit in the disorder surrounding the employment of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1. Ignorance is where sin left man. Natural man is blindly ignorant about virtually all matters. The meaning and purpose of life, the soul, eternity and, above all, God, are outside the knowledge of mankind. Ephesians 4:17-19.
2. The gospel is God's instrument of enlightenment. The Lord Jesus, the subject of the gospel, is the Light of the world, John 8:12, Matt 4:12-17, II Cor 4:4.
3. Ignorance is a source of much trouble in the church. It required particular addressing, I Cor 10:1, I Thess 4:13, I Peter 1:14, II Peter 3:16.

II. THE BLIND IRRATIONALITY OF PAGANISM STANDS IN CONTRAST TO THE ENLIGHTENED RATIONALITY OF THE RELIGION OF CHRIST

As pagans, the Corinthians had been:—

1. Carried away. It means lead away as a captive, Matt 26:57. They were being carried away from God and truth.
2. Carried unto dumb idols. This is where they were carried to. They were brought under the rule of dumb idols.
3. The deceitful influence behind this carrying away was the devil. I Cor 10:20, Eph 2:2,

It was common for the pagan philosophers to believe that the more the influence of the divine spirit deprived a man of his self-consciousness and threw him into an ecstasy, the more powerful was the influence and the more sublime the state to which it raised the man. The writings of Plato and Philo make this clear. We have echoes of that thought in the antics of those involved in the charismatic movement.

What a difference there is with the workings of God's Spirit, Mark 5:15, I Cor 14:40, Col 2:5.

III. THE TEST THAT SEPARATES THE SPIRIT OF GOD FROM ALL FALSE SPIRITS

Here was a rule to use when seeking to distinguish between false and true.

1. What the Holy Spirit will never do. Call Jesus accursed. No man without exception will speak so under the influence of the Holy Spirit, John 16:13-14.
2. What the Holy Spirit alone can do. Enable a man to own Christ as Lord. This is a statement in which the Jesus is acknowledged as Jehovah, that He is God manifested in the flesh, Matt 16:17; I John 4:2-3, 15. Thus we can decern who is a true believer and those who are true servants of God. Any who teach otherwise are accursed, Gal 1:8.

These foundational truths Paul lays down before embarking upon a detailed study.