1 Corinthians 14:13-19 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 14:13-19, which read,
v.13-17 - Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your giving thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.
One of the key elements of spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit to the believer is the edification of the body of Christ. Those spiritual gifts are given for the service of others. Those spiritual gifts, given on purpose by the Holy Spirit to bring glory to God are to care for God's family, the body of Christ, the church. Paul keeps going back to this point about edifying the body to be discernment of something being a spiritual gift and something that is not.
He keeps on the topic of the spiritual gift of tongues or languages. The spiritual gift of tongues needs to be married with the spiritual gift of interpretation so that it can benefit the body of Christ. If the two are not together then what is being displayed is for the one and not the many.
Some type of speaking must have been happening in the church that was not being interpreted. Taking the high road, let's assume this is some type of communication between that single believer and God but no one else knows what is going on. Those outside of that communication cannot say "amen" or "let it be so" because they don't understand it. They cannot "give thanks" because no interpretation is given. Paul's summary of this activity is that it is not the spiritual gift of tongues or languages, even though it might sound like it, but it fails to edify others which a major descriptor of a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit.
v.18, 19 - I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Paul again goes from speaking in a tongue (singular) to speaking in tongues (plural). I think this is Paul's way of distinguishing between what is not a spiritual gift (singular tongue) and what is a spiritual gift (plural tongues). If I use this as a grid then the verse looks like this: "I thank God, I speak with the spiritual gift of tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind, meaning that what is said is understood so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue that is only between myself and God."
In the church, with the body of Christ, one trumps the other. The spiritual gift of tongues and interpretation for the benefit of the body trumps any type of language that is purely between the believer and God in the assembly. Paul's use of 10,000 words indicates that this activity in the assembly had taken over in a big way over the understood instruction to the body of Christ.
This is heavy material to go through but Paul is looking very closely at what is happening in the church in Corinth and helping them to understand what this activity is by Scripture and what it is not. At the core, a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit is driven by love and for the other and not for yourself. This activity of a tongue, singular form, seems to be used in the church excessively and driven by pride and for the purpose of elevating the speaker with no regard to the rest of the body.
"Lord, You are so selfless. You came for us to understand. You came for us. You put Your life on the line and on the cross for others. You will be coming back again for us. Your example for others should overshadow any activity that we do within the body of Christ just for ourselves. May I follow Your example today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.13-17 - Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your giving thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.
One of the key elements of spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit to the believer is the edification of the body of Christ. Those spiritual gifts are given for the service of others. Those spiritual gifts, given on purpose by the Holy Spirit to bring glory to God are to care for God's family, the body of Christ, the church. Paul keeps going back to this point about edifying the body to be discernment of something being a spiritual gift and something that is not.
He keeps on the topic of the spiritual gift of tongues or languages. The spiritual gift of tongues needs to be married with the spiritual gift of interpretation so that it can benefit the body of Christ. If the two are not together then what is being displayed is for the one and not the many.
Some type of speaking must have been happening in the church that was not being interpreted. Taking the high road, let's assume this is some type of communication between that single believer and God but no one else knows what is going on. Those outside of that communication cannot say "amen" or "let it be so" because they don't understand it. They cannot "give thanks" because no interpretation is given. Paul's summary of this activity is that it is not the spiritual gift of tongues or languages, even though it might sound like it, but it fails to edify others which a major descriptor of a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit.
v.18, 19 - I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Paul again goes from speaking in a tongue (singular) to speaking in tongues (plural). I think this is Paul's way of distinguishing between what is not a spiritual gift (singular tongue) and what is a spiritual gift (plural tongues). If I use this as a grid then the verse looks like this: "I thank God, I speak with the spiritual gift of tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind, meaning that what is said is understood so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue that is only between myself and God."
In the church, with the body of Christ, one trumps the other. The spiritual gift of tongues and interpretation for the benefit of the body trumps any type of language that is purely between the believer and God in the assembly. Paul's use of 10,000 words indicates that this activity in the assembly had taken over in a big way over the understood instruction to the body of Christ.
This is heavy material to go through but Paul is looking very closely at what is happening in the church in Corinth and helping them to understand what this activity is by Scripture and what it is not. At the core, a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit is driven by love and for the other and not for yourself. This activity of a tongue, singular form, seems to be used in the church excessively and driven by pride and for the purpose of elevating the speaker with no regard to the rest of the body.
"Lord, You are so selfless. You came for us to understand. You came for us. You put Your life on the line and on the cross for others. You will be coming back again for us. Your example for others should overshadow any activity that we do within the body of Christ just for ourselves. May I follow Your example today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
Comments
Post a Comment