1 Corinthians 14:1-25

About the Text

1) What are "spiritual gifts"? Special abilities that God gives to believers for the purpose of serving God and others in the church.

(1) What kind of "prophecy" was Paul writing of? Judging from the context, it was the general meaning of prophecy - the intelligent communication of God's truths. The narrow meaning of prophecy - the foretelling of the future - is not the issue here.

(2) What is speaking in "tongues"? It is the supernatural ability to pray in a language previously unknown to the worshipper. The problem in the ancient church of Corinth, as it often is in some churches today, is that no one understood the language spoken. Therefore, while it put the one praying on a spiritual high, the rest of the congregation heard only gibberish.

(20) Why did Paul tell them to stop being like children, then in the next sentence tells them to be "infants"? He told them to be well-developed (like "adults") in their thinking, but least-developed in evil. Simply put, he was telling them to be more godly.

(21) What was the point of this quotation from the Old Testament? This quotation is from Isaiah 28:11-12. Paul saw the phenomenon of tongues as the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy which foretold that the speaking in unintelligible languages was a sign of judgment to those who would not believe.

(22) How is tongues a "sign... for unbelievers" when Paul states in the next verse that it doesn't help them at all? Scholars offer a variety of interpretations of this verse. The one I hold to is that Paul meant tongues as a "sign of judgment" to unbelievers, in reference to the preceding verse. In other words, when a congregation speaks in tongues in front of an unbeliever, the strange phenomenon will keep the visitor in his unbelief. Although there are differing explanations for this verse, the next verse makes the point of the passage clear: the practice of tongues turns off the visitor, the intelligent teaching of God's Word leads him to conversion.

Insights

• Christ moves believers to love in such a way that they are more concerned with other people's conversion and growth than their own personal spiritual experiences.

The Bottom Line

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 1 Cor. 14:1 A pastor asked a group this question: "If you knew Jesus were coming back tomorrow, what would you do?" One member replied, "I would mount a bullhorn on top of a truck, and announce His arrival." Another said, "I would take out an ad in the newspaper." Still another said, "I would contact the 6 o'clock news." But the last member remarked, "I would wait for Him on top of a mountain." Sometimes, it is a temptation to turn all our energies inward, like the man who waits on top of a mountain. It is good to have a personal quiet time with the Lord, but that is not all there is to the Christian life. Even six of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to our neighbor. If we put on the kind of love explained in the previous chapter, our energies become directed outward. We want to reach out to others and build them up. No longer are we concerned only with our own individual spiritual enrichment, but we are also concerned with the enrichment of others. This is the secret of Christians who make the greatest impact on the world for Christ. The most effective spiritual leaders and evangelists reach millions for Christ, not because of their tight administration or slick advertisements, but because they love those who are lost in Christ. Also, the most effective pastor loves his congregation. The most effective teacher loves her students. The most effective greeter loves visitors. Love, in other words, is the Christian's radar. It makes us aware of others in the room. The Christian who so loves, says Paul, halts his speaking in an unknown tongue, then opts to speak in an intelligible language for everyone else's benefit. Likewise, the Christian might also curb his use of "thee's" and "thou's," the use of scholarly theological terminology in the presence of children, and the high pressure for donations in the presence of unbelievers. With this loving awareness of others, Christ's church is built up.

PRAYER

Dear Lord, open my eyes so that I may see the world as Jesus does. Forgive me for being selfish about my own spirituality, and help me to be concerned about others in my midst, so that I might edify them. In Jesus name, Amen.