1 Corinthians 14:37

14:34-40 When the apostle exhorts Christian women to seek information on religious subjects from their husbands at home, it shows that believing families ought to assemble for promoting spiritual knowledge. The Spirit of Christ can never contradict itself; and if their revelations are against those of the apostle, they do not come from the same Spirit. The way to keep peace, truth, and order in the church, is to seek that which is good for it, to bear with that which is not hurtful to its welfare, and to keep up good behaviour, order, and decency.

37 . If any man think himself to be a prophet ] Since there were many appointed teachers (see ch. 1 Corinthians 12:28-29 ) who were not prophets, the test of the prophetic character was not ordination, but the possession of the prophetic gift. If any man fancied he possessed that gift, he was required to submit himself to the test of his willingness to obey God’s appointed founder and ruler of the Church. or spiritual ] i.e. possessed of any special spiritual gift. the commandments of the Lord ] i.e. Christ. See ch. 1 Corinthians 7:10 ; 1 Corinthians 7:12 ; 1 Corinthians 7:40 , 1 Corinthians 11:2 .

(37) If any man think himself . . . —The best evidence of the possession of these gifts would be that their conduct was the very opposite of what they seemed to think the possession of these gifts should make it. The Apostle asserts positively that what he is now writing to them are the commandments of the Lord. There could be no clearer or more emphatic statement of St. Paul’s claim to inspiration.

1 Corinthians 14:37 . Προφήτης , a prophet ) The species; spiritual , the genus. The former endowed more than the latter with eloquence.— ἐπιγινωσκέτω , let him perceive [ acknowledge ]) Paul does not allow the question now at last to be raised, whether he be writing correctly.— τοῦ Κυριοῦ ) of the Lord ) Jesus.

37. prophet—the species. spiritual—the genus: spiritually endowed. The followers of Apollos prided themselves as "spiritual" (1Co 3:1-3; compare Ga 6:1). Here one capable of discerning spirits is specially meant. things that I write … commandments of the Lord—a direct assertion of inspiration. Paul's words as an apostle are Christ's words. Paul appeals not merely to one or two, but to a body of men, for the reality of three facts about which no body of men could possibly be mistaken: (1) that his having converted them was not due to mere eloquence, but to the "demonstration of the Spirit and of power"; (2) that part of this demonstration consisted in the communication of miraculous power, which they were then exercising so generally as to require to be corrected in the irregular employment of it; (3) that among these miraculous gifts was one which enabled the "prophet" or "spiritual person" to decide whether Paul's Epistle was Scripture or not. He could not have written so, unless the facts were notoriously true: for he takes them for granted, as consciously known by the whole body of men whom he addresses [Hinds, On Inspiration].

Verse 37. - If any man think himself to be a prophet. Test your pretensions by the capacity to recognize that I have been speaking to you what Christ approves and requires (comp. 1 John 4:6 ). Or spiritual. He has already said that to most of them he could only speak as carnal ( 1 Corinthians 3:1 ). 1 Corinthians 14:37

If there be any amongst you who hath a conceit that he is inspired by God, and from that inspiration understandeth the mind and will of God, he must acknowledge, that I also am an apostle, and know the mind and will of God as well as he; and being so, that what I tell you are the commandments of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 14:37-38 . ἃ γράφω ὑμῖν , in the apodosis, includes, beside the last particular ( 1 Corinthians 14:34 ff.), the other instructions of this Ep.; προφήτης and πνευματικὸς in the protasis recall esp. the directions of chh. 12–14: cf. 1 Corinthians 11:4 , 1 Corinthians 12:1 , 1 Corinthians 14:1 .— δοκεῖ , as in 1 Corinthians 3:18 (see note), is putat, sibi videtur (not videtur alone, Vg[2205]), denoting self-estimation. The term πνευματικὸς includes every one endowed with a special gift of the Spirit; cf. the pl[2206] πνεύματα , 1 Corinthians 14:12 . Hf[2207] and Hn[2208] think however that the disjunctive ἢ narrows the ref[2209] of “spiritual,” by contrast with “prophet,” to the sense of “speaker with tongues”; but this is a needless inference from the part[2210]; the Ap. means “a prophet, or a man of the Spirit (in any sense)”. The adj[2211] πνευματικός (in masc.: see parls.) refers not to spiritual powers ( τὰ πνευματικά , 1 Corinthians 12:1 , etc.), but to spiritual character (= ὁ κατὰ πνεῦμα , ἐν πνεύματι , Romans 8.), which gives insight in matters of revelation ( cf. John 7:17 ; John 8:31 f.).

While the true “prophet,” having a kindred inspiration ( cf. 1 Corinthians 14:29 ), will “know well of the things” the Ap. “writes, that they are a commandment of the Lord” ( Κυρίου ἐστὶν ἐντολή , “are what the Lord commands”; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 , 1 Corinthians 7:40 , and notes, 2 Corinthians 8:3 ), this ability belongs to “the spiritual” generally, who “judge all things” ( 1 Corinthians 2:15 ); being “of God,” they hear His voice in others ( cf. John 8:42 f., etc.; 1 John 2:20 ; 1 John 4:6 ). The “Lord” is Christ, the Head of the Church, who “gives commandment to His Apostles” ( cf. 1 Corinthians 7:10 ; 1 Corinthians 7:25 , 1 Corinthians 11:23 , 1 Corinthians 12:3 , etc.; Matthew 28:20 , etc.).—For ἐπι - γινωσκέτω , cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12 —“judicet atque agnoscat” (Est.); the pr[2212] impv[2213] asks for a continued acknowledgment of Christ’s authority in His Apostle.—“But if any one is ignorant (of this), he is ignored ” ( ἀγνοεῖται )—a retribution in kind. The professor of Divine knowledge who does not discern Paul’s inspiration, proves his ignorance; his character as “prophet” or “spiritual” is not recognised, since he does not recognise the Apostle’s character; cf. Matthew 10:14 f., Matthew 10:41 , John 13:20 , for this criterion as laid down by Christ; the Ap.

If any man think himself to be a prophet - See the note at 1 Corinthians 14:1 . If any man claim to be divinely endowed. Macknight renders it, "be really a prophet." But the more correct meaning here is, doubtless, "If any man "profess" to be a prophet; or is "reputed" to be a prophet." Bloomfield. The proper meaning of the word δοκέω dokeō is to seem to oneself; to be of opinion, to suppose, believe, etc.; and the reference here is to one who should "regard himself," or who should believe and profess to be thus endowed. Or spiritual - Regarding himself as under the extraordinary influence of the Spirit. Let him acknowledge ... - He will show that he is truly under the influence of the Holy Spirit, by acknowledging my authority, and by yielding obedience to the commands which I utter in the name and by the authority of the Lord. All would probably be disposed to acknowledge the right of Paul to speak to them; all would regard him as an apostle; and all would show that God had influenced their hearts, if they listened to his commands, and obeyed his injunctions. I do not speak by my own authority, or in my own name, says Paul. I speak in the name of the Lord; and to obey the commands of the Lord is a proof of being influenced by his Spirit. True religion everywhere, and the most ardent and enthusiastic zeal that is prompted by true religion, will show their genuineness and purity by a sacred and constant regard for the commands of the Lord.