SCRIPTURE: 1 CORINTHIANS 14
GIFTS OF PROPHECY AND TONGUES (vs. 1-25)
Anyone who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God because no one understands him since he utters mysteries with his spirit. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.
SPEAKING IN TONGUES VS. PROPHESY:
- He who speaks in tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. (v. 4)
- He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. (v. 5)
According to Paul, unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. There are many kinds of languages in the world. But its has its meaning. Unless you know the meaning of what someone is saying, you are a foreigner to the speaker and he is a foreigner to you. If you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.
Anyone who speaks in tongues should pray that he may interpret what he says. He must pray and sing with his spirit and mind. And if he is praising God with his spirit, while those among them do not understand, they won’t be able to say “Amen”.
Paul himself said that he spoke in tongues more than all of the brethren in Corinth. However, he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. He urged the brothers to stop thinking like children. In regard to evil, be infants, but in thinking, be adults.
Tongues are signs not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. So, if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare . So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming “God is really among you!”
ORDERLY WORSHIP (vs. 26-39)
PAUL’S INSTRUCTIONS TO THE BRETHREN:
When you come together with a hymn or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation, all these must be done for the strengthening of the church.. If anyone speaks in tongues, two or at the most three should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
Two or three prophets should speak and the other should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
Anybody who thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. Therefore, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
THOUGHTS:
Prophecy involves the predicting of future events. But its main purpose is to communicate God’s message to provide insight, warning, correction and encouragement.
Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts are beneficial only if they are properly used in the church. It should not be exercised to make someone feel good. Speaking in tongues at the Corinthian church had caused disorder in worship because the believers were using it as a sign of spiritual superiority rather than as a means to spiritual unity.
Paul stressed that speaking in tongue is less important than prophecy and teaching because prophecy (preaching) benefits the whole church while speaking in tongue primarily benefits the speaker. Public worship must be understandable and edifying to the whole church. Paul said that he would rather speak 5 words that his hearer’s can understand than 10,000 that they cannot.
The person who has the gift of speaking in tongues must know how to interpret what he says so that the entire church will be edified by this gift.