Ungifted Men

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #124i Written 09MAY08 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw

Chapter 14: Part Nine—Ungifted Men

by dave c

First Corinthians 14:23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25 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 (NASV). Where the NASV says “ungifted men”, the NIV translates the phrase as “some who do not understand” and the NKJV refers to these people as “those who are uninformed”.

As discussed in Part 7 regarding 14:16, Paul is quite clearly delineating three groups of people in the above verses from First Corinthians: Believers, ungifted men, and unbelievers. Those whom the NASV describes as ‘ungifted’ are apparently believers who, as other translations describe them, ‘are without understanding’ and/or who are ‘uninformed’. This should lead us to ask, “Believers who are ungifted, without understanding, and uninformed regarding what?” Since the primary subject of Chapters 12, 13, and 14 is spiritual gifts (specifically speaking in tongues, interpretation, and prophesying), it is safe to surmise that the Apostle is referring to believers who, when it comes to sign gifts, are ungifted, who lack understanding, and who are uninformed.

The word being translated as ungifted, or without understanding, or as uninformed is the from the Greek word idiotes (#2399). AMG Publisher’s The Complete Word Study New Testament (1992) [edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D., Chattanooga, TN, U.S.A., p. 911] defines idiotes as: “from idios (2398), one’s own. A common man, as opposite to either a man of power or a man of education and learning (1 Cor. 14:16); a person in a private station, a private or common man (Acts 4:13); uninstructed, unskilled (1 Cor. 14:23, 24); plain in speech (2 Cor. 11:6, in this context, refers both to speech and knowledge). The Eng. word idiot is derived from idiotes, but it has a very different meaning. The Gr. word never signifies, either in the sacred or secular writers, a person deficient in natural capacity for understanding.”

Please note that this lexicon uses 1Co 14:16 and 1Co 14:23&24 as examples of men (in this case, believers) who lack power, who are uneducated, without learning, uninstructed, and unskilled (regarding sign gifts as per the context of Chapter 14). Once again, Paul is appealing to the mature, experienced, Christians within the Church to be considerate of those who do not yet believe and/or those who are immature and inexperienced believers. 1Co 14:22&23 tell us that because speaking in tongues is a sign to unbelievers, and prophesying is a sign to believers, it is essential that not everyone speak in tongues and all at once lest the cacophony make visitors think that the regulars are nuts (so to speak). If there are tongues, they should be limited and there should be interpretations (14:27) for the benefit of unbelievers and the spiritually ungifted who are in attendance—and there should be consistent, constant prophesy as Scriptural forth-telling for the believers.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (Ep 4:4-6; NASV). In the past I have had non-believers express amazement at the fact that a number of Christians of varied backgrounds, ages, locations, and denominational persuasions all had the same thing to say to them regarding fundamentals of the faith. Being used to the situational ethics and relative truths of our culture, visitors to our fellowships are caught off guard by loving, consistent testimony by those who are reading, preaching, praising and being taught the same Word through the inspiration of the same Spirit. In such an environment, those who have not yet made a commitment to Christ and His Church can not help but be convicted by all that they are experiencing in their spirits, in their minds, and in their emotions.

The key, however, to this conviction, to this being called into account, to this disclosure of the heart is held in the word “all”. We, as believers, must all be in agreement on the essentials, we must all be of one accord, we must all place the fruit of the Spirit before the gifts of the Spirit lest we become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (1Co 13:1; NASV). If we do not see the unbeliever or the ungifted fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you perhaps we are in need of more time spent on our faces worshipping God. Perhaps we need to be eagerly seeking the gifts of the Spirit. Perhaps we need to be asking God for that which we lack. "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Lu 11:11-13; NASV). Thank You, Lord, and amen.