COMMAND RELATE
TO THE ACTS PERIOD
(16.)
The commands in this chapter are ones that relate back, in a special way, to the days church. This will become apparent as you read them. However, some of them could be applicable to today and so might possibly be included in the main body of commands. But I thought it best to put them here. The context in which the command s given was the main factor in this decision. The commands are listed in the order of the epistles.
1a. “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thon standees by faith. BE NOT HIGHMINDED but fear”: Rom.11,20.
“Highminded” means “proud” (used in the New Testament: Rom.11,20: 1.Tim.6,17). The believing Gentiles had a special relationship to Israel that existed only during the Acts period. In Rom.11,17, two olive trees are mentioned: the wild olive tree (believing Gentiles) and the good olive tree (Israel). The believers were grafted into the good olive tree, and because of this special relationship, were commanded not to be proud of this religious situation. This condition passed away after Acts 28 when Israel was set aside God. See Command 10a for further comments.
2a, 3a. “Is any man called being circumcised? Let him not ECOME UNCIRCUMCISED. Is any called in uncircumcision? Let him not BE CIRCUMCISED”: 1.Cor.7,18.
Circumcision presented problems for many people. Because of persecution towards the Old Testament. Jews tried to conceal the fact of being circumcised by covering up the operation. In Paul’s day, Christian Jews tried this, too thinking it would be a hindrance to their Christianity. But Paul told them that circumcision was nothing, that the operation was not necessary anymore as far as religion was concerned. The only thing that mattered was Christ. This verse along with verse 19 prove that the Law of Moses was being set aside by God during this time
4a, 5a..”For if the woman be not covered, let her also BE SHORN, But if it be a shame for a woman TO BE SHORN OR SHAVEN, LET HER be covered”: 1.Cor.11,6.
“ Shorn” means “to shear,” speaking of cutting the hair. A Christian woman was supposed to cover her head when worshipping God. Paul warned those who would object to this by telling them that their hair should be cut short. The glory of the woman was long hair (1.Cor.11,15), and if she had long hair, her head was to be covered.
6a. “JUDGE” in yourselves. Is it comely (becoming) that a woman pray unto God uncovered?” (1.Cor.11,13).
The women in Corinth who didn’t wear a covering on their heads were the unsaved, immoral women. Christian ladies were not to be like them. If a Christian woman prayed with no covering on her head, she is likened to a man (verse 5), and besides, she would look like one of the immoral women.
7a. “Bur COVET EARNESTLY the best gifts. And yet show I nuto you a more excellent way” (1.Cor.12,13.).
“Cover” means “to desire earnestly, pursue,” and is used in 1:Cor.14,1,39. Believers, during the Acts period, were commanded to earnestly the best gifts of the Holy Spirit. This would only be a temporary situation until Paul showed them a more excellent way, which he did-the full meaning of the Mystery in Ephesians and Colossians.
8a, 9a. “FOLLOW AFTER charity (love), and DESIRE spiritual gifts rather that ye may prophesy” (1.Cor.14,1)
This command could have been included in the main section because love is a principle that should always be followed, but since it is linked with the gifts of the Spirit, I have included it here. Believers were commanded to follow after love in the exercise of the spiritual gifts. Without love, the believers were nothing: 1.Cor.13,2, and the gifts ineffectual. The gift of prophecy-telling forth the truth-was to be desired above the rest.
10a. “Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts. SEEK that ye excel to the edifying of the church”: 1.Cor.14,12.
Seeking after the gifts of the Spirit was supposed to be the normal thing to do in the church during the Acts period. It was mentioned in command (1a) that the Gentile believers, as the wild olive tree, were temporarily grafted into the good olive tree., Israel. This made it possible for the believers to partake of Israel’s spiritual things: Rom.15,27., which things were used to try to lead Jews to Christ. What spiritual things? The gifts of the Spirit: 1.Cor.12,1. Paul devoted three whole chapters of :1.Cor.12-14 to the subject of spiritual things or gifts. Twice the gift of speaking in tongues is called a “sign”: Mark.16,17; 1.Cor.14,22. The Jews required a “sign”: 1.Cor.1,22. So the Gentile believers helped in bringing many Jews to the Lord, and also helped in building up the church at the same time..
11a. “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue PRAY that he may interpret”: 1.Cor.14,13.
An interpreter was necessary for the people use of speaking in tongues. The two gifts were supposed to go together. It is possible that one individual have both gifts. That seems to be the sense here.
12a. “How is it then, brethren? When you come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things BE DONE unto edifying”: 1.Cor.14,26.
13a. “Let all things BE DONE decently and in order (arrangement)”: 1.Cor.14,40.
These two commands go together. When the believers met together in someone’s home, it was very possible that some would start manifesting the gifts at the same time, thereby causing confusion. Maybe quarrels would take place, arguing over who would go first, who was the most important, and so on. Paul commanded them to exercise their gifts decently and in order, which implies Divine arrangement. They were to be testimonies to outsiders (verse 23).
14a. “if any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two or at the most, by theree; and that by course (in turn). And let one INTERPRET”: 1.Cor.14,27.
If spoke in tongues and there was no interpreter present, they received no blessing from it. So someone with the gift of interpretation of tongues had to be present to give the meaning, to explain what was said to the ones who heard.
15a, 16a. “But if there be no interpreter, LET HIM KEEP SILENCE in the church, an LET HIM SPEAK to himself and to God”: 1.Cor.14,28.
This verse shows that if no interpreter was present, then no one is to speak publicly in tongues. He was to speak to himself and to God in private.
The last phrase in this verse is usually the reason given why Christians are to speak in tongues today. But when you realize that Paul wrote this letter to a CARNAL church (3,1-4), and he also told them that tongues would CEASE (13.8,10), I would rather believe that truth that Paul taught than what preachers teach today.
17a, 18a. “Let the prophet SPEAK two or three, and the others JUDGE” : 1.Cor.14,29.
“Judge” means “to discern, to distinguish, make a distinction”. The church was being edified when the prophets spoke forth the Word of God. I don’t believe they spoke brand new revelations of truth butt explained things that had already been taught by Paul. Some also were set aside to discern, to make distinctions where necessary concerning the truth.
19a. “if anything be revealed to another that sixteth by, let the first HOLD HID PEACE”: 1.Cor.14,30.
“Hold his peace” means “to be silent.” If a prophet received inspiring thoughts or spiritual applications as he was listening to one who bringing a message, the speaker was to bring his message to a close and let the next one say a few words. This would give every prophet a chance to testify for Christ.
20a, 21a. “Wherefore, brethren, COVET to prophecy, and FORBID not to speak with tongues” : 1.Cor.14,39.
The emphasis on seeking after the gift of prophecy shows that it was the most important gift. “Forbid” means “to hinder, prevent.” The believers were commanded not to hinder the gift of speaking in tongues. Tongues were to be exercised in the early church. This has made for a lot of confusion among sincere, Bible believing Christians in the church today. But the Bible is very clear in this teaching about the gift of tongues, and the following points should be carefully noticed:
- The Old Testament predicted that God would use tongues to speak to His people-Israel: 1.Cor.14,21; Isaiah 28,11-12.
- There is no unknown tongue. “Unknown” was supplied by the King James translators;
- All tongues were known languages (Acts 2,8). There was no exception.
- Tongues were for a sign, and the Jews required a sign (Mark.16,17; 1.Cor.1,22; 14,22);
- Tongues were for the unbelievers (1.Cor.14,22);
- Those who spoke in tongues and manifested the other gifts were carnal believers (1.Cor.3,1-4). Speaking in tongues are spoken are to be classified as carnal churches. This is a Bibilical and a logical conclusion;
- Tongues could be exercised privately in worshipping God (1.Cor.14,28).
- Tongues were to cease (1.Cor.13,8).The word “case” in verse 8 is in the middle voice, third person plural, future tense, and translated is “they shall cease of themselves,” meaning that they would die out gradually when God’s purpose for Israel Was postponed. Any speaking in tongues today is either because of the influence of demons (1.Tim.4,1), or done in the energy of the flesh. So believers who exercise this gift are out o the will of God.
22a. Now if Timothy’s come, SEE that he may with you without fear. For he worked the work of the Lord, as I also do” (1.Cor.16,10)
The saints at Corinth were to receive Timothy the same way they would receive Paul. He was to be honoured and respected as a servant of the Lord.
23a. “Let no man therefore despise him. But CONDUCT him forth peace, that he may come unto me. For I look for him with the brethren” (1.Cor.16,11).
“Conduct” means “to send on before, accompany, escort.” This command carries on the thought of verse 10. They were to send Timothy to Paul.
24a. “I say again, let no man think me a fool,. If otherwise, yet as fool RECEIVE me, that I may boast a little”: 2.Cor.11,16.
The believers were not to consider Paul a fool. Paul did seem to give them an excuse for thinking he was a fool (to them he probably lived a reckless life. But if some persisted in thinking him a fool, he still asked to be received of them anyway. Paul was an accommodating person.
25a. For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, expert it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? FORGIVE me this wrong”: 2.Cor.12,13.
“Forgive” means “to pardon, show favour.” Paul was a human being, asking for forgiveness for being a burden to the Corinthian church. The next time he would see them, he would not be a burden to them (verse 14). The saints forgiven Paul is a good illustration of obeying the command in Eph.4,32.
26a. “From henceforth let no man (GIVE) troubles (to) me. For I bear my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” Gal.6,17.
The word “give” is not translated into English, and it is the command. It means “to offer, supply, cause.” Paul told the believers that he didn’t want anybody offering troubles. He already had enough as it was.
27a, 28a. “And SAY to Archip’us, TAKE HEED to the ministry which thou received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it”: Cor.4,17.
Some one in the Colossian church was to tell Archip’us to see the ministry Which ha had received in the Lord. Maybe Archip’us was laying down on the job, possibly discouraged and not wanting to continue to serve the Lord. We all feel like that at some time or other, and it takes somebody with a little authority to encourage our souls and get us back on our feet.
29a. “LAY HANDS suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins Keep thyself pure”: 1.Tim.5,22.
“Lay” means “to put on, to place upon.” This verse is supposed to refer to the restoration of sinning church members back into the fellowship of the local church. This was a rite in the early church. Timothy was commanded not to do this hastily. The one who sinned was to be fully convicted of his sin, and then admitted into fellowship. I don’t know if this is done today orr not. Anyway, it is much easier for a Christian to join another church.
30a, 31a. “DRINK no longer water, but little wine for thy stomach’s sake an thin often infirmities”: 1.Tim.5,23.
“Drink” means “be a drinker of water” (used once n the New Testament). The water situation in that part of the world was not always the beast. They didn’t have the know-how to purify water for drinking that we have today. So they were commanded to stay away from water, if a all possible. Today, this command could still be relative to believers in those countries that still have problems with their drinking water. Distilled water is the solution.
Wine was to be used os a medicine rather than as a beverage. Infirmities refers to sicknesses. Back in those days, wine was one of the main remedies used by doctors in the treatment of illnesses. And notice the verse says, a “little” wine. This was emphasized so that the user would not become addicted to it and turn into an alcoholic.
32a. “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and BRING him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministery”: 2.Tim.4,11.
“Bring” means “to lead, guide, direct, conduct.” Timothy was commanded to bring Mark with him on this way to see Paul. Mark was a useful Christian for the Lord
33a. “DO THY DILIGENCE to come shortly unto me: 2.Tim.4,9.
34a. “DO THY DILIGENCE to come before winter. Eubulus greeted thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren”: 2.Tim.4,21.
35a. “When I shall send Artemas unto thee or Tychicus, , BE DILIGENT to come unto me to Nicopolis. For I have determined there to winter”: Titus 3,12.
“Diligence” means “to be zealous, to exert one*s self, endeavour, make haste.” It is translated “study” in 2.Tim.2,15. Those commands are largely self-explanatory.
36a. “The cloke that I left at Troas with Corpus, when thou comets BRING with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments”: 2.Tim.4,13.
“Bring” means “to carry, bear.” This command speaks for itself.
37a. “But withal PREPARE me also a lodging. For I trust that trough your prayers I shall be given unto you”: Philem.1,22.
Paul told Philemon to prepare him a place to stay when he came to him.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Analytical Greek Lexicon to the New Testament. London: S.Bagster and Sons, n.d.
Berry, Gerorge Ricker, The Interlinear Gereek-English New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishng House. 1958.
Greene, Oliver. Commentary on First Corintians. The Gospel Hour, Inc.
Nestle, D. Eberhard. The Greek New Testament. Printed in Germany for the American Bible Society.
Thayer, Joseph Henry. Greek-English Lexion of the New Teatament. Grand Rapids,Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House., 1956.
Trench, Richard C. Synonyms of the New Teatament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eredmana Pub. Co., 1960.
Vincent, M.R. Word Studies in New Testament. Wilmingtn, Del.: Associated Pub. & Authors, 1972.
Williams, Herorge. The Student’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Pub., 1971.
Wuest, Kenneth S. Romans (Book 8); Ephesians and Colossians (Book 10); Philippians (Book 11); Pastoral Epistles (Book 12=. World Studies in the Greek New Testament, for the English Reader (in 16 Books). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Pu. Co., n.d.
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