1
Corinthians 14
Paul continues to speak to
the Corinthians concerning being unified in one mind and not trying to “lord It
over” the others. He speaks of spiritual gifts in this chapter and tells them
they should seek to love. Without love, other actions are shallow. There
becomes a mind-set of self-satisfying with our actions so we are seen instead
of acting for the profit of the person receiving. The first brings glory to the
actor, while, the latter brings glory to God.
Paul carries on with this
thought of love moving from the gifts of the Spirit to the fruits of the Spirit.
It appears obvious that self-serving people crave the “flashy” fruit, for
example speaking in tongues or preaching. Paul speaks to the Corinthians in
this book concerning being unified. A member being self-serving and
self-focused brings disharmony into any group. The person takes a role that draws
attention to him or herself instead of to the group. In the context of a church,
this occurs when a person takes it upon him or herself to be at the center of
attention. In consideration of the gifts of the Spirit, self-focused people
consider the gift of tongues and speaking in groups as desirable because of this
outcome. Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, speaks to just these people. He
states in verse 1, “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy” (New American Standard Bible).
Paul ties the spiritual
gifts to the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. He states firstly
that love should be the guide in using spiritual gifts. Paul’s wish is that
they prophesy. Why is this his wish for them? Consider what he says in verse 3,
“But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation” (NASB). This tells why Paul says for them to crave for and
develop this spiritual gift. As readers in the 21st century, though,
we need to understand what Paul meant by edification, exhortation, and
consolation.
For
the times in which Paul lived and in the century or two after, edification
meant to build up or help another Christian grow in wisdom, piety, happiness,
and holiness. Paul used this term in Romans 14:19 as well. He wrote, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another”
(NASB). Things which brought righteousness, peace, and joy are ways to serve
Christ acceptable by God and men (Romans 14:18, NASB). If our goal is to help
others grow in their faith and wisdom, not only are we edifying them, but we
are building up the body of Christ to which that believer belongs. Prophecy assists
in growing the body of Christ. The goal of prophecy then is not self-serving,
but submission and subservience to the Church and, as a result, to Christ. It
is building upon the foundation laid by Christ with things that will make the
members stronger in their faith, knowledge of God, wisdom, and happiness.
Paul
considers the spiritual gift of prophecy as the highest because its attribute
of exhortation. To us in the 21st century, this means telling others
in a persuasive way of the validity of our cause/principles/vision. During the
early Christian era, exhortation meant calling persons near/summoning them with
entreaties and encouragement to follow the espoused path of the speaker. Paul
uses this nineteen of the twenty-eight times the word occurs in the New
Testament. Paul uses this word to describe Barnabas in Acts 4:36. Barnabas’
name means “Son of Encouragement.” For Paul, the exhortation he is speaking to
the Corinthians is that which encourages others to continue in their walk with
Christ. This encouraging gives believers courage to stand strong in the face of
persecution. It keeps them strong everyday to walk in God’s way. This form of
prophesying is to encourage a follower of Christ to stand strong everyday in
usual business as well as when he or she faces trials for being His followers.
The
final way in which Paul considers prophesying most important is because it
brings consolation. Consolation in this context means to persuade continuance,
arouse strong allegiance, and calm and comfort when encountering trials.
Prophesying for this purpose is profitable for its soothing and driving to
continue on the journey to which Christ calls each follower. In the New
Testament, only 1 Corinthians speaks to this use of prophesying. Paul considers
prophesying highly important since it helps others grow in their faith,
encourages them to continue following during hard times, and calms and comforts
as they are being battered by the spiritual conditions of the world.
Paul
continues in 1 Corinthians 14 by comparing the gifts of prophesy and tongues. Prophesying
is for the building up of the church, the body of believers, and for convicting
unbelievers of their sin. Tongues are desirable only when an interpreter is
present, so mostly for the spiritual life of the believer in commune with God. Tongues
do not build up the body of Christ unless there is an interpreter. Paul says in
verse 2, “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” (NASB). Paul continues in verse 4, “One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church”
(NASB). The church is a
place for sinners, not just the current body of Christ. If a person enters the
church and hears words spoken in another tongue, the outsider is not edified
and considers the people in the church mad. If the person enters the church and
prophecies are occurring, the believer and unbeliever grow, one to greater
knowledge, wisdom, and piety, and the other in awareness of his sin and the
love of Christ. Consider what Paul says,
Therefore, if the whole church assembles and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter; will they not say that you are mad? However, if all
prophesy,
and an unbeliever or an ungifted man
enters, he is convicted by all, he is called
to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed;
and so he will fall on his face and worship
God, declaring that God is certainly
among you. (1
Corinthians 14:23-25, NASB)
Paul does not say tongues
are a gift to which you should not aspire or should not cultivate. Rather, he
says tongues are only useful for the person speaking with God. For it to be beneficial
to others, an interpreter needs to translate so that “Amens” can respond. (“If you bless in
the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen " at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?” vs.16) Paul’s statement most specific in regards to these
two gifts is found in verse 12, “Since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.” Paul acknowledges
their wish to be growing Christians useful to the Lord for His service. He says
that the most important thing to consider is that the building up of the church
and its members should be paramount. Whether we are visible working for the
Lord and receive praise or are not visible and receive only the praise of our Father,
what is of considerable worth is the building up of the body of Christ.
Ultimately, love is the consideration, though. Paul’s
first two words in this chapter speak to this, “Pursue love.” We
want to have spiritual gifts with which to minister with God. The Spirit, by
whom we are seen as Christians, gives us fruit. Paul, in considering both of
these, states that love is the most important. Without love, we are a “noisy
gong and a clanging symbol.” He says in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, 12-13,
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy
in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial
will be done away… now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope,
love, abide these
three; but the greatest of these is love. (NASB)
We each must come to the
point where we are not striving for our own selves, but are choosing the
greater. The challenge comes, are we living in love,
seeking to serve others through the love of God? It gives us pause. Do we want
to be the show or do we want to show Jesus’ love to others?
