Paul concluded his discussion about spiritual gifts in a letter written to this church by addressing the core issue that drove the problem that the church at Corinth, and churches today, still seem to have when it comes to spiritual gifts. So let’s begin by picking up where we left off last week, beginning in 1 Corinthians 14:1:
Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.Paul begins this section of his letter to the church of Corinth by commanding the members of the church to pursue love. Paul here is picking up his stream of thought that we looked at last week in that we are to strive to be driven and motivated by love as we exercise and use our spiritual gifts. Paul then continues by explaining to the church that as they strived to understand and use their spiritual gifts that they should strive to prophesy. As we saw a few weeks ago Prophecy was a foundational spiritual gift that was used to deliver new verbal revelation from God as to the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel.
Paul then explains the reason that the church should strive to exercise the spiritual gift of prophesy was for one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. As we saw a few weeks ago tongues was a sign spiritual gift that was used to confirm new verbal revelation from God as to the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel by speaking in a language that the speaker was unfamiliar with. And because of that reality, even the follower of Jesus who exercised the spiritual gift of tongues would not know what he was saying; it was a mystery to him that was only known to God and a person who had the spiritual gift of the interpretation of tongues.
The person who exercised the spiritual gift of prophecy, however, delivered the message of the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel that resulted in edification, exhortation, and consolation. Paul’s point here was that the spiritual gift of prophecy resulted in the building up of others spiritually as followers of Jesus as they grew in their faith. The spiritual gift of prophecy resulted in the encouraging of others in belief and action that resulted in spiritual growth and maturity. The spiritual gift of prophecy resulted in an ability to provide encouragement to one who was depressed or grief-stricken.
Paul then reinforces his command in verse 4 by explaining that while the person who exercises the spiritual gift of tongues at best may only impact his own life, the person who exercises the spiritual gift of prophecy is able to impact many other followers of Jesus in a way that results in spiritual growth and maturity. But why is Paul singling out the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy for such a discussion?
To understand why Paul is singling out these two spiritual gifts, we first need to understand what was happening in Corinth. At the church in Corinth, the members of the church were judging one another’s spiritual maturity based on the spiritual gifts they were given and were exercising. There was a belief in the church that those who exercised the more spectacular sign spiritual gifts were more spiritually mature than those who had other spiritual gifts. So there was pressure within the church to seek to posses and exercise these spectacular spiritual gifts.
So, has anything changed? There are still many streams of Christianity that still measure your spiritual maturity, or whether or not you are even a follower of Jesus, by whether or not you speak in tongues or exercise some spectacular spiritual gift. And in many instances, as followers of Jesus, we can often fall into the trap of measuring spiritual maturity in terms of what spiritual gift we have been given more than how we exercise the particular spiritual gift we have been given.
Paul responds to the situation in Corinth by stating that while he desired that every member of the church had the spiritual gift of tongues, he would rather that every member of the church had the spiritual gift of prophecy so that the entire church would benefit from the spiritual growth that would occur as a result of the exercising of that gift.
In this passage we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us yet another timeless truth that can occur when Christians act unchristian. And that timeless truth is that Christians act unchristian when we desire style over substance in spiritual gifts. In 1 Corinthians 14, we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us four reasons why, as followers of Jesus, we are not to pursue style over substance when it comes to the exercising of our spiritual gifts. We will spend the rest of this week looking at each of theses results that can occur when we desire style over substance in spiritual gifts.
Why do you think there is so much controversy among Christians when it comes to the stylish or spectacular spiritual gifts?
Tongues are often overused that they become seen in a negative light. Often those that are uncomfortable with the concept of the use of them have experienced a group's use of them erroneously. If used according to scripture, they can be edifying to the individual believer. Used correctly should be between believer and God not believer and confused crowd.
ReplyDeleteMankind has always been amazed by the supernatural. Just when you think we've had enough, Hollywood dumps yet another Super-Hero/Vampire/Element Bending/Mythical Hero/
Wizard movie on us. We are simply shaken by the things that can happen that we would never believe could happen. We are especially enamored with the individuals that display "supernatural" abilities. It's no different in the church.
"Hey, the spirit really moves through this guy, look at em fall and all he did was touch their head and say, 'Be Filled'!" The crowd circles the spectacle with no knowledge of the quiet whisper of, "Just let the spirit take you brother," or the even less subtle shove to the forehead. The transcendent one has no real objection to the chicanery either, for the woman sawed in half gets just as much attention as the magician holding the saw. Yet all is lacking substance, while the trick gains attention and emotional release (read: HIGH), no lasting change is elicited from the crowd. No true spiritual conversion. No spreading of the gospel, just another distraction rather to keep us from doing what we should be doing (Matt 28 anyone????). That then begs the question, who is this "spirit" then that supposedly "fills" during these conjurations?