Today's full reading: 1 Corinthians 14:1-17
"He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified." (1 Corinthians 14:4-5 NIV)
For much of the Church, there is a great deal of mystery and misunderstanding surrounding the spiritual gifts - at least a few of the spiritual gifts specifically prophecy, tongues, and interpretation (Not to mention the gift of healing, but we can talk about that later). Even among some genuine followers of Jesus Christ there sits a great deal of skepticism as to whether or not these gifts even exist. Regardless of where you find yourself in relation to these issues, I want to draw your attention to the text here in 1 Corinthians 14. After carefully reading the text I praise God for revealing the more important aspect to embrace.
Even if you are skeptical, the text points not to whether or not the gifts are real (it assumes that), but that the gifts should be used to edify the Church. The true purpose God had in mind in giving these gifts to his Church was and is to build up the Church. This is why Paul goes on to say, "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue." (1 Corinthians 14:18-19 NIV)
Today, as an act of worship, praise God for giving us everything we need to obey him and build his Church. Ask God for the wisdom to know how to effectively use your spiritual gifts to edify, strengthen, and encourage your fellow believers.
Paul's take-a-way or application step is captured succinctly in 1 Corinthians 14:15. "So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind."
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