Tongues And Prophecy
1 Corinthians 14:1-25
When the church gathers together, the pursuit of love through spiritual gifts involves a sincere desire to prophesy. Speaking in tongues is direct communication with God in a language only He understands while prophesying involves direct communication with fellow humans. Prophecies build up, encourage, exhort, and console others without tearing down, discouraging, or causing fear.
Prophecy is more beneficial than speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues only benefits the individual, whereas prophecy benefits the entire church. When Paul states that "the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues," he is not implying superiority but highlighting the greater edification provided by prophecy.
The phrase "unless someone interprets" does not imply that prophecy and interpreted tongues are the same. When someone speaks in tongues using their physical tongue, it becomes incomprehensible to others. It's similar to being in a situation where someone speaks a foreign language that no one in the room understands. Unintelligible words do not contribute to the growth of the church; words that can be understood do.
When people pray in tongues, they genuinely communicate with God but may not understand what they are saying. Praying or singing praise with one's spirit involves speaking in tongues while praying or singing praise with one's mind means understanding the interpretation of what was prayed in tongues. Paul explains that if someone thanks God in tongues, others cannot thank God alongside them because the words are unintelligible.
Before others can be edified, they must first understand. Tongues are a divine gift for which we should gratefully thank God. It might surprise the Corinthians that Paul privately speaks in tongues more than they do. By sharing this information, Paul strengthens his credibility by emphasizing the edifying nature of prophecy over tongues in church gatherings. Speaking five intelligible words is more valuable than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Christians should refrain from gaining personal familiarity with evil. Instead, they should approach spiritual gifts with maturity. Paul reinforces this in verse 20 by referencing Isaiah 28. The unbelieving Israelites may not comprehend the Assyrians' speech, but they will understand that it serves as God's judgment upon them. When not interpreted, the gift of speaking in tongues serves as a sign for unbelievers, indicating God's judgment upon them. On the other hand, prophecy is intended for believers, not unbelievers. Consequently, the second sign differs from the first: while the first sign negatively points to God's judgment upon unbelievers, the second sign positively signifies God's blessings upon believers.
When the church gathers and people speak in uninterpreted tongues while unbelievers are present, it may cause them to think that "you are out of your minds." In this context, "outsiders" or "unbelievers" refers to non-Christians who do not understand the meaning of tongues. However, suppose the church comes together, and everyone prophesies while an unbeliever is present. In that case, God may use that prophecy to convict them, bringing them to account and revealing their innermost secrets. As a result, these unbelieving outsiders might surrender their rebellion against God and acknowledge His presence among the believers, as seen in Isaiah 45:14 and Zechariah 8:23.
Prophecy is more beneficial than speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues only benefits the individual, whereas prophecy benefits the entire church. When Paul states that "the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues," he is not implying superiority but highlighting the greater edification provided by prophecy.
The phrase "unless someone interprets" does not imply that prophecy and interpreted tongues are the same. When someone speaks in tongues using their physical tongue, it becomes incomprehensible to others. It's similar to being in a situation where someone speaks a foreign language that no one in the room understands. Unintelligible words do not contribute to the growth of the church; words that can be understood do.
When people pray in tongues, they genuinely communicate with God but may not understand what they are saying. Praying or singing praise with one's spirit involves speaking in tongues while praying or singing praise with one's mind means understanding the interpretation of what was prayed in tongues. Paul explains that if someone thanks God in tongues, others cannot thank God alongside them because the words are unintelligible.
Before others can be edified, they must first understand. Tongues are a divine gift for which we should gratefully thank God. It might surprise the Corinthians that Paul privately speaks in tongues more than they do. By sharing this information, Paul strengthens his credibility by emphasizing the edifying nature of prophecy over tongues in church gatherings. Speaking five intelligible words is more valuable than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Christians should refrain from gaining personal familiarity with evil. Instead, they should approach spiritual gifts with maturity. Paul reinforces this in verse 20 by referencing Isaiah 28. The unbelieving Israelites may not comprehend the Assyrians' speech, but they will understand that it serves as God's judgment upon them. When not interpreted, the gift of speaking in tongues serves as a sign for unbelievers, indicating God's judgment upon them. On the other hand, prophecy is intended for believers, not unbelievers. Consequently, the second sign differs from the first: while the first sign negatively points to God's judgment upon unbelievers, the second sign positively signifies God's blessings upon believers.
When the church gathers and people speak in uninterpreted tongues while unbelievers are present, it may cause them to think that "you are out of your minds." In this context, "outsiders" or "unbelievers" refers to non-Christians who do not understand the meaning of tongues. However, suppose the church comes together, and everyone prophesies while an unbeliever is present. In that case, God may use that prophecy to convict them, bringing them to account and revealing their innermost secrets. As a result, these unbelieving outsiders might surrender their rebellion against God and acknowledge His presence among the believers, as seen in Isaiah 45:14 and Zechariah 8:23.
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