To Build Up

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

TO BUILD UP

1 Cor 14:6-12

6 Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8 Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

NIV

It does appear there were a lot of things getting out of control in this church in Corinth, and one of them was this speaking in tongues. This may be why so many churches today make it such a point to be non-Pentecostal in their theology. But that is not what Paul is saying at all. The fact remains that the Spirit is not out of control and everything the Spirit does is orderly. These people may well not have been operating in the Spirit but in the flesh. It is easy to make up any gibber gabber that sounds like, but is not, the manifestation of the Spirit. What good would it serve if everyone in the church was speaking some other language than their native tongue? That is the meaning here. There is more about this that follows, but for now, we need to see this concept that it is everyone’s responsibility to do and say that would build up the church. We are not sure who made up the idea that if you don’t have something good to say, don’t say anything at all, but that makes perfect sense. Because we follow the way of love, it would not be consistent to say anything that was not helpful in building up the church. So it is with how we speak to each other, rather than some jibber jabber, we need to speak intelligible words to each other. This does not prohibit the gift of tongues, as no man is able or should attempt to be able to control the Spirit, which would be quashing the Spirit. But the Spirit is orderly, which Paul gets to eventually, and there should be order as to how tongues and the interpretation are manifested. There is no good in everyone speaking in tongues if there is no interpretation, and even then, it is man speaking to God, and thus some form of prayer, which Paul gets to also. That is not to say the prayer does not build up the church, but it must be understood by all in the church. So it is that this portion of this letter indicates. We should be eager to have spiritual gifts, rather than to resist them, but the gifts we should be most eager to have are those that build up the church. One of the main reasons for the Spirit is to lead us in all truth, and truth will always prevail in building up the church.