Following the Way of Love

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

FOLLOWING THE WAY OF LOVE

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

It almost seems that way of love has escaped somewhere. We say that we love each other, and it does show in most marriages where we make every effort to put our spouse before ourselves. But even then, how does that look like when both members of a marriage put the other before themselves? Someone is going to be served and someone is going to serve, although we would think it would always be reciprocal in nature. However, when we come to the whole of the church, how do we follow the way of love? Are we to put all others before ourselves? We do have to refer back to what Paul just gave as the standard for following the way of love. Love is patient and kind and it does not envy, and boast, it is not prideful, rude, and self-seeking, it does not keep a record of wrongs nor does it get easily angered. That is the trick if we can pull it off in regard to every member of the local church. We would think that if we spend our whole life putting others before ourselves, we will never have any time for our own desires or needs. Somehow, love has to be balanced with the life we need to live to supply our sustenance and to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Yet, we need to follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts. Here is where it can get a little dicey in the sense to which spiritual gifts are being referred. Of course, Paul lists some other gifts then he wrote to the Corinthians, in his letter to the Romans. Nevertheless, the point is we should eagerly desire spiritual gifts rather than ignore them. As far as knowing which spiritual gift or gifts the Spirit will give, or manifest within us, is totally up to the Spirit. However, in these verses, Paul says that we should especially desire the gift of prophecy because when the Spirit manifests his gift of prophecy within us, we will speak words that strengthen, encourage, and comfort others. We should consider the difference between speaking tongues and prophecy, which we will get to that difference, but first, we should take a closer look at the result of the gift of prophecy that we should especially desire. One of the ways the Greek word profeeteuoo, which is translated as prophecy, is to break forth in lofty speech under the inspiration of the Spirit, declaring the praises of God. This is thus seen as God speaking to men. When God speaks, His word builds us up, which is a more wooded translation of oikodomee, translated as strengthen. It lifts us up, making us stronger in our walk with him. When God speaks, he exhorts us, or the direct meaning of the word parakleesis is to summons near but can also be used as an admonition. His words also comfort us, as paramuthia has this meaning of stimulating to calmness and consoling. These are ways in which we should desire to speak to each other, allowing the Spirit to work through us with His gift of prophecy. If we spoke to each other to strengthen, encourage and comfort each other we would be following the way of love.