God's Word for Me Today
Friday, October 5, 2001
Focus: Our Mission: One Person at a Time
A note about online study
Introduction to God's Word for Me Today
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, I pray that Your love will be my highest goal today. I pray that every ounce of power that You give me through Your Holy Spirit this day will be directed to living Your love in my life. My my words and actions be Yours, and may they make Your Good News real to my family, friends, and all with whom I have contact today! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Some Observations about “Tongues” and “Prophecy”
In today’s Scripture reading Paul addresses the matter of two specific gifts given by the Holy Spirit: the ability to speak in “tongues” and “prophecy.” For many of us the concept of speaking in tongues is something reserved for Pentecostal churches, and thus a minority of Christians around the world. According to ABC’s Barbara Walters 536 million Christians in the world speak or pray in tongues. That is a rather significant “minority.” I have prayed in tongues since I was seventeen. As those of you who know me are aware, I haven’t made tongues a big issue, because as Paul states the gift of tongues most often builds up the individual using it rather than the entire body. As a church, New Life Christian Ministries believes that ALL the gifts of the Holy Spirit given in the early church are still available today. Therefore, we ought to anticipate that God will give them to us and use them through us. Read the following words carefully for they point out that the Apostle Paul spoke in tongues “more than all” the other Corinthian Christians. He isn’t denying or downplaying the use of tongues, only pointing out that in public worship prophecy is more useful in building up the body of Jesus.
Prophecy is a word that many think refers to telling the future. As Paul uses the word, indeed, as the word is used in most of the New Testament, it means proclaiming God’s Word. Sometimes that means speaking of the future, or at least of the consequences of continued sinful living. Prophecy is also instruction. As Paul puts it prophecy “builds up” the church. God’s Word clearly spoken and lived out in faith, always leads to the whole body being “edified” or built up to God’s glory. As we go to today’s reading, may the Holy Spirit give us a special measure of discernment and understanding.
God's Word for Me Today: 1 Corinthians 14:1-19
1Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy. 2For if your gift is the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking to God but not to people, since they won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 3But one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them. 4A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally in the Lord, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.
5I wish you all had the gift of speaking in tongues, but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy. For prophecy is a greater and more useful gift than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church can get some good out of it.
6Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you talking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you some revelation or some special knowledge or some prophecy or some teaching—that is what will help you. 7Even musical instruments like the flute or the harp, though they are lifeless, are examples of the need for speaking in plain language. For no one will recognize the melody unless the notes are played clearly. 8And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle? 9And it’s the same for you. If you talk to people in a language they don’t understand, how will they know what you mean? You might as well be talking to an empty room.
10There are so many different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them, 11but to me they mean nothing. I will not understand people who speak those languages, and they will not understand me. 12Since you are so eager to have spiritual gifts, ask God for those that will be of real help to the whole church.
13So anyone who has the gift of speaking in tongues should pray also for the gift of interpretation in order to tell people plainly what has been said. 14For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.15Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand. 16For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? 17You will be giving thanks very nicely, no doubt, but it doesn’t help the other people present.
18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19But in a church meeting I would much rather speak five understandable words that will help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.
Questions for Reflection
How do you feel when you are around people who are speaking in a language you don’t understand? Why?
Do you ever run out of words when you are praying to God? What would be the advantage to praying “in the Spirit” at times such as those?
Questions for Exploration
According to Paul what is the benefit of speaking in tongues and of prophecy? (14:1-5)
In his analogy of musical instruments, what is Paul’s point? (14:6-9)
Questions for Understanding
Paul summarizes his point in 14:18-19 What is his understanding concerning tongues and prophecy?
Questions for Application
If you pray in tongues, how will you use that gift to God’s glory today?
If you have the gift of prophecy, to whom will you speak God’s Word today?
Whatever your gifts, how will you focus on God and building up His kingdom in such a way that You draw attention to Him and not to Yourself in your dealings with people today?
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