The Gift of God's Presence and Power

20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. – 1 Corinthians 14:20-25 ESV

By elevating the gift of tongues to a primary position, the Corinthians had revealed their spiritual immaturity to Paul. They viewed speaking in tongues as a sign of spirituality and pursued and practiced that gift to the detriment of the body of Christ. So Paul called them out and encouraged them to “grow up” in their thinking. It is one thing to be innocent about evil, but they acted like children when it came to the gifts God had given to the church. They were enamored by the more showy, flamboyant gifts and allowed jealousy, pride, and envy to characterize their use of the gifts, rather than for the mutual edification of one another.

One of the most important distinctions Paul makes about the gift of tongues concerns its purpose. He quotes a passage from Isaiah 28 to show that tongues “are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers” (1 Corinthians 14:22 ESV). The context of the Isaiah passage is that God sent Isaiah to warn the people of Israel of the Assyrian invasion. He had been calling them to repent and return to Him as their God, but they had stubbornly refused the prophet's messages. Isaiah had been speaking to them in their own language, but they had refused to listen. So Isaiah warns them that God would send the Assyrians and “by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people” (Isaiah 28:11 ESV). Their unbelief and stubbornness were going to force God to punish them by sending them into captivity, but even then, they would not repent.

Paul is trying to get the Corinthian believers to think logically and maturely about their view of tongues. He even uses a real-life scenario to make his point. “If unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy.” (1 Corinthians 14:23 NLT). In other words, if tongues is the superior gift they seem to think it is and everyone in the church practiced it at the same time, what would unbelievers think when they walked in the door and experienced the chaos and confusion firsthand? They would most likely conclude that these followers of Christ had lost their minds.

Rather than witnessing Christians living and worshiping together in unity, they would walk into a scene of confusion and chaos driven by a spirit of competition. Instead of hearing a clearly articulated and understandable delivery of the gospel message, they would walk away convinced that Christianity was no different than the pagan religions with which they were already familiar. It is important to note that Paul is describing a time of corporate worship, when the body of Christ gathered for worship and mutual edification.

Acts 2 records the scene in which the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, and the disciples received the gift of tongues. After Jesus’ ascension, they returned to Jerusalem and gathered in a room just as Jesus had instructed them. 

Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile.  When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying…They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. – Acts 1:12-13, 14 NLT

Luke records that “120 believers were together in one place” (Acts 1:15 NLT), and that they used this gathering for prayer and mutual encouragement. They had no idea what was going to happen next, but they were faithfully following the Lord’s final words.

“Now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” – Luke 24:49 NLT 

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 NLT

As they prayed and waited, the day came when the promise was fulfilled. 

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. – Acts 2:1-4 NLT

And Luke goes on to record the purpose behind this one-of-a-kind event. 

At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! – Acts 2:5-8 NLT

In this instance, each of the disciples spoke in a different foreign tongue simultaneously. It was a scenario much like the one Paul described in his example. But the reason behind this miraculous event was simple. There were thousands of foreigners who had come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. Luke provides an incomplete list of their ethnicities.

Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. – Acts 2:9-11 NLT

Attracted to the cacophony of the disciples using their newly acquired, Spirit-empowered language skills, each of these visitors to Jerusalem was shocked to hear the familiar sounds of their own language. And because they could hear the message in their own language, they were able to say, “We all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” (Acts 2:11 NLT). 

The pouring out of the Spirit of God created a unique situation that enabled thousands of people to hear the word about Jesus and prepare them for Peter's message. And the result of his impromptu, Spirit-filled sermon was that 3,000 people came to faith in Christ.

On that day, the gift of tongues had a distinct, divinely ordained purpose, directed by the Holy Spirit. But this occasion was not intended to be the norm; it was not a prescribed form of worship for the early church. And yet the Corinthians had childishly elevated tongues to a superior position, misunderstanding its purpose and missing the point behind what God was trying to do in their midst.

Ultimately, Paul was interested in heart change. He compares tongues to the gift of prophecy, describing another scenario in which a lost person attends the corporate worship service. This time, rather than confusion and chaos, they hear the truth being proclaimed through the gift of prophecy. And Paul describes the result of this hypothetical scene.

They will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.” – 1 Corinthians 14:24; 25 NLT

When the truth of God is understandable, it results in undeniable heart change. Revelation brings about redemption. Lives are changed when the Word is clearly articulated and understood. For Paul, edification and evangelism were the primary purposes behind the gifts when the church gathered. There was a proper place and time for the gift of tongues, but it had to be Spirit-determined and directed. Choosing to use the gifts because of their apparent spiritual superiority reveals a childish, short-sighted perspective. A more mature outlook views the gifts as given by God and as up to Him to use as He sees fit, with the ultimate purpose of building up the body of Christ.

Father, when we are Spirit directed and empowered, we can accomplish great things. But as soon as we attempt to use the Spirit’s power for our own benefit or to position ourselves as more spiritual than others, we miss the point. You gave these outpourings of the Spirit’s power as gifts to the body of Christ, not individuals. They are all meant to edify others, not to glorify self. When used as You intended, the gifts strengthen the church. But when we attempt to personalize and hijack them for our own benefit, they become divisive and destructive. When we use them for our own glory, we take what is rightfully Yours. Open our eyes to the truth concerning the gifts and help us treat them with reverence and respect. We are simply stewards of the gifts You have given and we want to use them in a way that builds up the body of Christ brings You honor. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Build Up.

If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. – 1 Corinthians 14:7-12 ESV

Paul is not attempting to prioritize one gift over another. He is simply trying to point out the community mindset that should always be dictate the use of the gifts. They are meant for the body of Christ, not the individual. The gift of tongues, if used in a corporate context, but without interpretation, would be useless to those who heard it. It would be unintelligible and, therefore, of little or no value to them spiritually. As Paul mentioned earlier, the unknown language was not the point, but the message it conveyed. God gave the gifts for a purpose: to build up the body of Christ. There was a time and place for each of them to be utilized. To speak in a language no one in the audience understands would be inappropriate and unnecessary. It would have no purpose. In fact, it could end up being confusing. Paul compares it to a military bugler calling the army to battle, but playing a tune no one understands or recognizes. The result would be potentially devastating.

How is anyone going to enjoy a tune being played if the notes themselves are unrecognizable? You will hear sounds, but they will be unknown to you and the tune attempting to be played will go unrecognized. Paul seems to be indicating that there is to be a purpose behind the use of tongues. God is conveying a message through the gift, but if it comes across as unintelligible to the hearers, its value is lost. Once again, Paul is trying to point out the value of the content or message. Look closely at what he says:

Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. – 1 Corinthians 14:7 NLT

All of this reminds me of a contemporary worship service where the music team is playing a song that no one knows and the leader is encouraging the congregation to sing along. But the tune and the lyrics are unfamiliar to them. While the worship band plays and sings with skill and confidence, the congregation is lost and unable to join in with enthusiasm. They become spectators, watching and listening, but failing to participate in the worship experience as intended. Now, imagine being in that same situation, but the band is singing in a foreign language. They are gifted, skilled, energetic and well-intentioned. The song they are playing has wonderful lyrics with a powerful message. But the audience does not understand a word that is being said. How will they benefit from the experience? How will the content of the song being played have an impact if they cannot understand the words being sung?

Paul says, “It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space” (1 Corinthians 14:9 NLT). The objective should always be communication and comprehension for the purpose of edification. When it comes to the gifts, Paul says “seek those that will strengthen the whole church” (1 Corinthians 14:12 NLT). But the New Living Translation actually conveys an unintended message in their translation of this verse. It seems as if Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to seek out or to pursue particular gifts, as if it is somehow up to their discretion, but earlier in this same letter, he made it quite clear that the gifts are given by the Spirit. Back in chapter 12, Paul wrote, “It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have” (1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT). We don’t get to chose our gift, it is given to us by the Spirit of God.

In the original Greek, Paul is essentially saying, “In your eagerness to have a spiritual gift, make sure you don’t forget that their purpose is to build up the church.” The Corinthians were looking at the gifts from a selfish perspective, desiring particular gifts because of the perceived status they carried with them. They desired the more flamboyant gifts. But Paul is reminding them that God’s purpose behind the gifts is the spiritual edification of others, not the prideful elevation of the one with the gift. Three times in the first 12 verses, Paul emphasizes the building up of the body of Christ – the church.

A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. – 1 Corinthians 14:4 NLT

For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened. – 1 Corinthians 14:5 NLT

Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church. – 1 Corinthians 14:12 NLT

Paul emphasized the same thing in his letter to the church in Ephesus. “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12 NLT). Earlier in this letter, Paul wrote a very similar thing:

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,

second are prophets,

third are teachers,

then those who do miracles,

those who have the gift of healing,

those who can help others,

those who have the gift of leadership,

those who speak in unknown languages. – 1 Corinthians 12:27-28 NLT

God the Father has appointed the gifts to be given to the church. But it required the life of His Son, Jesus Christ, be sacrificed before the gifts could be given. And once Jesus was resurrected the Holy Spirit was free to distribute the gifts as He deems necessary, for the good of the body of Christ. As a believer in Jesus Christ, your giftedness is guaranteed. And the objective behind your giftedness is clear: The building up of the body of Christ. When God saved you, He placed you within the body of Christ. He made you part of His family, the community of believers. Your presence within that corporate body is God-ordained, and your mission is clear. You are to use the gift given to you by the Spirit to help build up, edify, encourage and strengthen those around you.

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. – Romans 12:4-5 NLT

Pursue Love.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 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. 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. Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? – 1 Corinthians 13:13-14:1-6 ESV

Now Paul begins to differentiate between the gifts. He is not necessarily making one more important or more spiritual than another, but he is prioritizing them in terms of their particular benefit to the Body of Christ. Remember, he has just spent an entire chapter emphasizing the importance of love. Love is selfless and sacrificial. Those who practice godly love put the needs of others ahead of themselves. And the same should be true when they use their spiritual gift. Now, it seems that the Corinthians had so elevated the gift of tongues that it had become a problem within the church. And their practice of the gift was not in keeping with Paul’s admonition that love be the motivating factor behind all the gifts. For the Corinthians, the gift of tongues had become more desirable than all the other gifts. Evidently, they viewed that particular gift as more spiritual and therefore, more preferable. It was flashy and flamboyant. To be able to speak in an unknown tongue was sure to be an attention-getter. But that was a big part of the problem associated with their pursuit of the gift of tongues. Those who practiced it seemed to do so with the focus on self, rather than on the building up of the Body of Christ.

So while Paul encourages them to earnestly seek the spiritual gifts, he promotes prophecy over tongues. His explanation is simple and direct:

For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. – 1 Corinthians 14:2 NLT

If no one is there who understands what you are saying, no one gets any benefit from your use of the gift. It will all be a mystery, known only to God. And while you may be speaking in the power of the Spirit of God, it will do nothing to build up those around you.

But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. – 1 Corinthians 14:3 NLT

To prophesy meant to reveal truth from God that had not yet been revealed. It was a word from God intended for the benefit of the entire congregation. This gift was evident and necessary in the early days of the church before the canon of Scripture was complete. Those who had been given the gift of prophecy were to speak through the power of the Spirit of God for the benefit of the people of God. But tongues, at least as practiced by the Corinthians, was a more self-centered gift.

A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. – 1 Corinthians 14:4 NLT

The one who speaks in an unknown tongue may receive a blessing from knowing that they are being used as an instrument of God, but if no one can understand what they are saying, the Body of Christ receives no benefit from it. But when someone prophesies, everyone gains from the experience. Remember what Paul said in the previous chapter? “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2 NLT). None of the gifts were of benefit if they were practiced without love. But tongues, because it involved speaking in an unknown language, was particularly troublesome. If you recall, the first time the gift of tongues was manifested in the church was at Pentecost.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” – Acts 2:1-8 ESV

The purpose behind this manifestation of the Spirit of God was the communication and comprehension of the gospel. The disciples spoke in languages they did not know, but for the benefit of the thousands of people who were there from other countries. There was no need for interpretation, because the hearers fully understood what was being said. In Corinth, the use of tongues had become self-centered and self-edifying. There were missing the point. At Pentecost, the people who heard the disciples speak in tongues, or foreign languages, were amazed. They said, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” (Acts 2:7-8 NLT). But look closely and you will see that it was the substance of their message that got their attention, not the style. The very same people reacted, “‘we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.’ And all were amazed and perplexed” (Acts 2:11-12 NLT).

It was the content that was important, not the means by which it was delivered. For Paul, the bottom line was the spiritual edification of the church. The question to ask is, “how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching” (1 Corinthians 14:6 ESV). Speaking in a foreign tongue was of no benefit to anyone unless the message it contained was understandable and from God. We tend to think of the gifts of the Spirit as personal in nature. We seem to believe that our gift was given to us alone. But the gifts are given to individuals for the benefit of the community. My gift is for you. Your gift is for me. The one who received the gift is simply a conduit through whom God pours His blessings on others. As Paul told the Romans, when we practice our gifts in love, all will benefit.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. – Romans 12:6-10 NLT

Strengthen the Church.

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

 And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church. – 1 Corinthians 14:12 NLT

Let love be your highest goal! Those are the words Paul uses to bridge his section on love and the specific application of that love when it comes to the gathering of the Corinthians for their worship services. Love is to be applicable and practical. It is not a feeling so much as it is an attitude and an action. Love must manifest itself in daily life. And for the Corinthians, one of the places where love was missing was their worship assembly. It would appear that they had an obsession with the spiritual gifts – with two of them in particular. Tongues and prophecy dominate this portion of Paul's letter and it was evidently because those were the two gifts that the Corinthians desired and practiced the most. But as Paul had stated earlier, they were doing so without love. Their use of those two gifts of the Spirit were not motivated by love, but out of pride. They had a preference for the two more spectacular gifts: Tongues and prophecy. But they were using them in such a way that they were causing confusion in the worship services. There were those who were speaking in tongues, but without an interpreter; a necessary requirement if others were to benefit from what was being said. All throughout this section, Paul emphasizes the need to build up, edify or strengthen the entire body. Tongues were really for the benefit of the individual or the unsaved. The key was that the hearer must be able to understand what was being said. At Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and they spoke in tongues, they were speaking in foreign languages that none of them knew. But the Holy Spirit was directing their efforts in order to reach those in the audience who were foreigners and unsaved. They each heard the gospel in their own language and were edified. In the case of the Corinthians, they were speaking in tongues, or foreign languages, but to a room full of Greek-speaking people who had no idea what they were saying. So their words were unintelligible and unhelpful. It seems that when an individual spoke in tongues, the language he or she spoke was unintelligible to the speaker as well. They did not know what they were saying. That is why Paul would go on later in this chapter to give parameters or guidelines for the use of the gift of tongues in a worship setting. "No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately" (1 Corinthians 14:27-28 NLT).

Remember, Paul's point seemed to be, "Let love be your highest goal." This concept was to govern even the use of spiritual gifts. To use your spiritual gift in such a way that it failed to build up the body of Christ was unloving. To covet a particular gift because it seemed more flamboyant or "spiritual" revealed selfishness, pride and arrogance, not a spirit of love. Christianity is not a solo sport. It is not about the individual, but is to be about the body. All throughout this letter, Paul has emphasized the need for unity, order, and brotherly love. In this section, he repeatedly emphasizes the non-negotiable need to strengthen the entire church. Self-edification and self-gratification were not to be the goal. Paul was not diminishing the role of the spiritual gifts, but reminding the Corinthian believers that the gifts were given by the Spirit for the benefit and overall edification of the body, not the individual. For Paul, the motivation was always to be the instruction and edification of the body. "But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language" (1 Corinthians 14:12 NLT). Just like the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control), the gifts of the Spirit were always to be other-oriented, not self-centered.

Everything God does has order and purpose behind it. The gifts were given to build up the body, not the individual. When we allow our spiritual gift to become a prideful, self-centered sign of our own spiritual significance, we miss the point and turn what God had intended for good into something destructive and divisive. But if we remember that love is to be our highest goal, the tendency toward self-centeredness will fade into the background as we focus our attention and our gifts on the building up of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Father, we find it so easy to make it all about us. We are inherently self-centered in our outlook and have the unique capacity to make even the spiritual gift You have given us all about us. We fail to realize that even our salvation was not just to save us from sin and secure us eternal life, but to make us ambassadors for the cause of Christ on this planet. Otherwise You would have taken us when You saved us. But You left us here and placed us in the body of Christ, and equipping us with the tools we need to minister to and build up one another. continue to give us a passion for serving and loving one another like Christ had. May love be our highest goal. Amen.