Love And

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

LOVE AND

              

1 Cor 14:1-5

14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.   3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 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.

NIV

There are ideas all over the map as to what all this means and of course, that depends on their denominational bias. There is no question as to the fact we should follow the way of love, and we have spend numerous days delving into how this love is defined and all the traits of love that should be within us as well as evident in us. However, we are also to eagerly desire spiritual gifts, which we also spent quite a bit of time, many days, searching out the truth regarding each one of them. Now, we are told that the gift we should most earnestly seek, above all others, is prophecy. Having spent years in a denomination that firmly believed and practiced these three vocal gifts, tongues, interpretation, and prophecy, we noted that even though they believed them to be for today, for the most part, they did not thoroughly understand the true operation of these gifts. The scripture is quite clear that when the gift of tongues is manifested the speaker of such tongues is speaking to God and therefore the interpretation would be what this person said to God, such as a form of prayer, or exhortation of the greatness of God and not, as we have witnessed, an interpretation that begins with, 'thus says the Lord'. Prophecy, on the other hand, is not just a foretelling of the future, as some might want to think. This is not the office of prophet, who did and would foretell or warn people of what would happen if they did wrong or did not do right. This speaking of prophecy must meet three requirements. It must strengthen, encourage and comfort the church. Everything must be done for the edification of the church. When the Spirit manifests His gift of tongues, he will always manifest the interpretation so everyone in the church is built up regarding something about God. The whole of all of this is about the best for the whole church for it is not about individualism or edifying one person, lifting one up over another. This truth fits into all the truth of scripture, that we are all members of one body with Christ being our head. This would, in fact, be following the way of love as we eagerly desire gifts that edify the church. Thus, in love, we would desire that which builds up. So it is love and.