How Profitable are Style-Driven Spiritual Gifts?

This week, we have been looking at a section of a letter that reveals another timeless truth that can occur when Christians act unchristian when we use our spiritual gifts. 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 see the first reason revealed for us in 1 Corinthians 14:6-14. Let’s look at it together:

But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. 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.

In these verses, we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us the first result that occurs when we desire style over substance in spiritual gifts. And that first result is that pursuing style over substance results in no profit for others. Paul begins by asking a rhetorical question: “if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?”

Paul’s point here is that tongues do not benefit anyone on their own. Unlike other spiritual gifts, which delivered and made known new verbal revelation from God in a way that the members of the church could comprehend and grasp so as to grow spiritually, the gift of tongues was by very nature unintelligible to the rest of the church on its own. Unless someone possessed the spiritual gift of interpreting tongues, what was said made no sense to those who heard.

Paul then uses three examples to reinforce this reality. Paul’s point is that just as a flute, harp, or bugle fails to profit those who hear if the notes of these instruments are not distinct and clear, those who exercise the gift of tongues produce an unclear sound that does not profit others. Paul then transitions from musical instruments to the various languages of the world. Paul is explaining to the members of the church at Corinth, and to us here today, that if we are unable to understand the meaning of what is being spoken when the spiritual gift of tongues is exercised, the spoken words are unintelligible and therefore do not profit those who hear the tongues.

Paul then provides practical application of this principal in. Since spiritual gifts are by nature a God-given inner motivation to meet the needs of others in order to build up others spiritually, these spiritual gifts should be exercised in a way the profits others. First, Paul explains that the members of the church should focus their commitment to exercising their spiritual gifts with a desire that strives for the spiritual good and growth of others.

And to do that, Paul explains that those who exercise the spiritual gift of tongues should pray and ask God that he receive the spiritual gift of the interpretation of tongues, so that the new verbal revelation that they were receiving from God would be made understandable to those listening. Paul then explains the reason for his prayer request is that while the person who only exercises the spiritual gift of tongues may be experiencing the Holy Spirit’s activity in their lives, the exercising of this gift is useless as their minds and the minds of those who are listening are not actively engaged in a way that results in spiritual growth and maturity.

While the person who is speaking in tongues may have an valid emotional encounter with God through the Holy Spirit, they have no way to understand what that experience means, which results in no transformation in terms of their personal spiritual growth or the spiritual growth of others.

We see the Apostle Paul unpack this idea and reveal a second result that occurs when Christians act unchristian by desiring style over substance in spiritual gifts.

So do you exercise the spiritual gifts you have been given in a way that profits others?