Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Psalms 120-127
     New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 14

Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. For the person who speaks in a tongue is not speaking to people but to God, since no one understands him; he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation. The person who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church (1 Corinthians 14: 1-4).

The Corinthian Believers were very interested in obtaining and using a particular gift, that of speaking in tongues. The problem was speaking in tongues rarely edified the church because no one could understand or interpret what they said. The Corinthians were interested in building themselves up, but had little interest in building up their fellow believers. Paul, therefore, urged the people to pray for the gift of prophecy so it would build up everyone present and they would grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Keep in mind that the Corinthian Believers did not sit in the services with Bibles on their laps. The New Testament was still being written, and the Old Testament scrolls were expensive and not available to most believers. God spoke to His people directly through the prophets, and they sometimes gave the message in a tongue. The gifts of knowledge, prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of tongues all worked together to convey truth to the people.

Now that the Biblical canon has been completed the gifts of prophecy and tongues are no longer needed and have ceased. However, the principles taught in this chapter still apply to us today. We can participate in the church in ways that cause other members to focus on our abilities or knowledge, or we can use our God-given gifts to point others toward a closer walk with Christ, equip them in their personal ministry, and encourage their faith.

Spiritual gifts are always for the benefit of others, they are never meant for the self-promotion of the individual. The ministry of the church is to proclaim the truth of God’s Word, encourage the members to faithful obedience, and comfort them in times of trouble. (strengthening, encouragement, and consolation v3.) Our worship services, therefore, must focus on edification and not just entertainment. Christians need to have the Word of God faithfully taught to them so they know what they believe and why they believe it.

Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts (v1), is a command for every believer. When we pursue the Godly love, just described in the previous chapter, we will put others first and be concerned with their spiritual growth. God gives spiritual gifts to each believer and they are necessary for the power to perform various ministries. Our desire for them is not to have an admired gift that you do not possess, but a yearning for each member to fully exercise their gifts to build up the church for the glory of God.