Year 2, Week 44, Day 2 Bible Reading Observations

Year 2, Week 44, Day 2

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 12-14.

Today’s reading continues the Book of 1 Corinthians. Paul helped start the church at Corinth while on his second missionary journey. The Book of 1 Corinthians consists of Paul’s response to reports about the church there: “For it has been reported to me” (1Corinthians 1:11); but also in response to a letter that the church had written to him: “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote” (1 Corinthians 7:1a). 1 Corinthians 12 takes on the next matter that the Corinthians sought Paul’s counsel—spiritual gifts: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed” (1 Corinthians 12:1). A spiritual gift is a ministry assignment the Spirit distributes to and empowers in an individual Christian for the common good of others: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). Therein lay much of the trouble within the church at Corinth in reference to spiritual gifts, for the troubling perspective that was prevalent was one that saw spiritual gifts as a means for self-exaltation and not service. Paul’s instructions involve showing that the issue is not so much the spiritual assignment that a person possesses as much as how such an assignment is used for the benefit of others: "All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11). 1 Corinthians 13 adds to the conversation about spiritual assignments by emphasizing the superiority of love: "And I will show you a still more excellent way…So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13). Love is to what controls the ministry empowered by spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 14 applies the preceding instructions about love and spiritual gifts by confronting the church’s immaturity on these matters: “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy…Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:1-20).

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was Paul’s instructions concerning love needing to be the controlling feature behind the use of tongues and prophecy: “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:2-4). Many of the Christians at the church at Corinth were infatuated with the spectacular display of speaking in tongues to the point to ignoring the importance of serving others: “So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12). So Paul admonishes them to serve others and not themselves as they pursue their ministries. The Corinthians were lacking love in their eagerness to speak in tongues. They were eagerly desiring the flashy gift of tongues instead of doing what builds up the church when they meet together. Specifically, Paul instructs thee to pursue love by earnestly desiring to prophesy. Prophecy is more edifying than tongues because it is intelligible. So Paul compares what is unintelligible (uninterpreted tongues) with what is intelligible (prophecy and interpreted tongues). When a Christian speaks in tongues (in contrast to prophesying), that person only builds himself up; no one else is built up because no one else can understand what the person is saying.

Paul didn’t forbid the speaking in tongues at that moment in the life of the church, but he did want to clarify what it accomplishes: “Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up” (1 Corinthians 14:5). The only way that speaking in tongues would genuinely contribute to the building up of others was if the tongues were interpreted so that understanding was established: “Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret” (1 Corinthians 14:13). Therefore, Paul proceeded to provide instructions on how tongues should operate: “If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). Paul established three guidelines to regulate the speaking in tongues. First, only two or at most three people may speak in tongues during a church meeting. Second, they must speak one at a time. Third, someone present with the gift of interpreting tongues must explain what they say. While Paul did not outright forbid speaking in tongues, he did insist that it must be for the purpose of building up others: “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26). And whatever was done for the building up of others, must be done in an orderly fashion: “But all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe