Innocence and Maturity

Posted on by korgrocker

“Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind. It is written in the Scriptures: “I will speak to my own people through strange languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me,” says the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 14:20-21 NLT

The believers in Corinth had become fixated and fascinated by the gift of tongues, using it as something to show off and possibly brag about. Paul was clear that seeking the gift of prophecy was preferable because it would be more helpful to the other believers. Paul made the comparison in a previous verse when he said that he would rather speak five helpful words than ten thousand in a tongue that no one could understand. Paul gently suggested to the believers that they abandon any sort of childish petulance in their understanding of the uses of tongues and prophecy. Instead, he said, “be mature in understanding matters of this kind”. 

Regarding childishness, Paul had already pointed out the Corinthians’ childish behaviour. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, we read, “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” To use any of the Holy Spirit gifts effectively, some degree of maturity is required, and the Corinthians, generally but apparently, lacked it, thereby reducing their effectiveness.

Paul also instructed the Corinthians to be as “innocent as babies” when it came to anything evil. Jesus said to His disciples, referring to the time when He warned them about their future role as Apostles, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). What did He mean by that? The Apostles would soon be sharing the Gospel in a world that was violently resistant to any ideas about Jesus and His mission to planet Earth. Most of the Jews failed to recognise Jesus as their promised Messiah, and tried to close down any thoughts and actions about Jesus being the One they were waiting for. The Greeks and the Romans had a pantheon of gods, and a new one was not welcome to them. Then we have the situation in Acts 19 where a riot was started by the silversmiths who were making idols of the Greek goddess Artemis. Their complaint was, “But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!” (Acts 19:26). Paul escaped this event, but he didn’t in Philippi. “A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape” (Acts 16:22-23). In those days, sharing the Gospel was dangerous work. But those early Apostles innocently entered hostile territory with their eyes open, never counting the cost.

Regardless of the evil practices and idolatry in their communities, Paul reminded the Corinthians that believers were to be innocent of any involvement in them. Just as the early Apostles had to, they were to face into the hostile environment around them, shrewdly analysing the danger but innocently heading into it in faith that God would protect them, in their mission to share the Gospel.

But within their church environment, their innocence had to extend to matters of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, making sure that they did not become cynical and hard of heart. This is easy to do sometimes, as sometimes the same people bring the same messages week after week. A good pastor and teacher will soon bring correction and guidance. Those amongst them of a more mature faith would recognise the dangers in their society, and in the church, and they would understand their own limitations and provide room for the Holy Spirit to minister. But throughout it all, we remember Paul’s teaching on agape love from the previous chapter.

Paul finished these two verses today with the thought that even though “strange languages” might be used in communicating God’s message, perhaps a reference to tongues in Paul’s mind, the message could still be misunderstood or ignored. Being innocent in the face of any accusations of evil, and being mature in the way that they handled the Holy Spirit’s gifts and each other, was Paul’s encouragement and warning to the believers in Corinth, and something we can learn from today.

Dear Father God. We want nothing to do with evil, and instead, we must look to You for instruction and personal growth. Please lead and guide us by Your Spirit, day by day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Singing in the Spirit

Posted on by korgrocker

“Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you.”
1 Corinthians 14:15-17 NLT

With all the tongue-speaking going on, interlaced with the use of other gifts such as interpretation of tongues and prophecy, Paul was trying to teach the Corinthians about the proper application of the Holy Spirit’s gifts. The believers there were obviously making good use of the gift of tongues, but previously Paul had pointed out, “ …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). So, Paul introduced the thought that some degree of balance might be appropriate. Don’t neglect the gift of tongues, he said, but also pray in a language people understood. Paul also introduced another use of tongues that might have caused some confusion – singing the tongues rather than speaking them. This was perhaps also adding to the confusion in their public meetings, because it introduced another dimension – the melody used to support the tongues themselves. Imagine if the minister or worship leader starts the next song or hymn only to find that several people are singing their own song with a different melody, different harmonies, and in a different language. Discordant chaos would be the result. Again, Paul introduced the logic that one person’s spiritual song – good though it might have been for them, being full of praise and gratitude – would have been pointless for everyone else who would not have been able to join in because they wouldn’t have known the lyrics. 

There has to be order in the church meetings because otherwise they disintegrate into chaos, losing the impact that love and unity between believers is supposed to convey. So in some denominations, we end up with a pre-written liturgy that is religiously followed each service, with the only differences being the hymns chosen, and the prayers specifically allocated for a particular day or occasion. Even in other churches, not bound to a prayer book, there can be the freedom of new songs and spontaneous prayers, but there is still an absence of the spiritual gifts and singing in the spirit. Where is the balance? Well, that was what Paul was trying to teach the Corinthians. Not an easy process for Paul because of his remoteness from what was happening at the time, but it perhaps explains why he was taking such pains to write about the spiritual gifts and how they should be used. 

“Sing a new song of praise to Him“

Singing in the spirit is a spontaneous and corporate time of singing in a meeting with a basic melody over which each person’s tongues can be supported. There is also room for singing a new song, with new lyrics and melodies, with words that are understandable and simple enough for the congregation to pick up. The Psalmist in Psalm 33 wrote, “Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy” (Psalm 33:3). David wrote a Psalm that contains the verse, “He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3). In these verses, tongues, a New Covenant gift, would not have been available then, so the “new song” would have been in the psalmist’s native language.

God has blessed most of His children, if not all, with a gift of music. We pilgrims might be too embarrassed to sing out in public. We might lack the musical ability to construct melodies and harmonies, but we can start with a well-known tune and apply our own words and syllables expressed in our Heavenly language of tongues. That’s all it takes. Perhaps we need to find a private place to practice. Perhaps we need to wait until our worship leader on Sunday provides a musical platform for our new song. But once the effort is made, blessings will follow. Paul said to the Corinthians, “I will sing in the spirit“. For Paul, it wasn’t an optional extra to be enjoyed when he felt like it. It was an act of his will. When problems abound and threaten to overwhelm us, sometimes a simple song in tongues will connect us to the One who cares for us.

Dear Heavenly Father. We know You love us and care for us. Please help us as we take some faltering steps in praying and singing in our Heavenly language, Your gift of tongues. Amen.

Tongues and Interpretation

Posted on by korgrocker

“So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.”
1 Corinthians 14:13-14 NLT

In the last part of 1 Corinthians 12:10, we find that Paul wrote, “ … Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said”. The problem with tongues was addressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:2, “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”. It appears that at the Corinthian church’s public meetings, there was much tongue-speaking, and nobody had a clue what anyone else was saying, and Paul spent much of 1 Corinthians 14 saying why that was less than useful for the believers. But the Holy Spirit had all that in hand, and one of the gifts He supplied was the ability to interpret what a message in tongues was really saying. 

In my early years as a Christian, I attended a Pentecostal church where one man gave a message in tongues at every Sunday morning meeting. Fortunately, there was a lady there who had the gift of interpretation, and the church was able to hear what the message really meant. At the time, I was confused about why this was necessary, since I thought a prophetic message everyone could understand would have been more helpful. So why the need for a message in tongues? But we can never put God in a box of our own understanding; instead, we must be open to the Holy Spirit’s gifts.

“You will receive power when
the Holy Spirit comes upon you“

In Acts 2, on that memorable Day of Pentecost, we read that “all the believers were meeting together in one place”. There were 120 of them present, and I’m sure they weren’t there enjoying a social occasion for Hebrew dancing or joining together for a fellowship meal. Instead, they were there praying, because they remembered what Jesus had said: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you …” (Acts 1:8a). The miraculous manifestations of tongues of fire, rushing winds, and sounds from Heaven were followed by: “And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability” (Acts 2:4). But these “other languages” didn’t need any interpretation because the messages in tongues were in languages that foreign visitors to Jerusalem could understand, because they were given in their native languages. 

In our churches, a message in tongues using a real, understandable language would not need an interpretation. Although such a tongue is not so common today, such a message is still given on occasion. But in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul was writing about messages in tongues, given in a language no one could understand because they were in the Heavenly language, uniquely given by the Holy Spirit to the person giving the message. Such a message would not be able to be translated because no one, not even the person speaking it, would have been able to discern words and sentences within it. In these days of AI and Google Translate, speaking out the message to the computer in front of them would have been pointless because there was no recognisable language involved. However, now we come to the Holy Spirit’s gift of interpretation, a supernatural manifestation that reveals the meaning of an utterance spoken in other tongues. It is not a translation of words, but an interpretation inspired by the Holy Spirit to communicate God’s message to the hearers. 

So in our church services today, we pray that the Holy Spirit would have the freedom to give the gifts for the benefit of the believers meeting there, and that there would be believers present who will have the courage to use the gifts in any way that God desires. 

Father God. You have given Your children good gifts, for which we are deeply thankful. We take these from You with our open hands, reverently and faithfully, and aware that by using these we can build up the church of which You have made us a part. We thank You for Your grace and love. Amen.

Languages

Posted on by korgrocker

“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. There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me. 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 14:9-12 NLT

There are indeed many languages in the world, and they create barriers between people groups who cannot understand each other. In a sense, it is tragic that the main form of communication between human beings is lost in the articulation of syllables. Paul was writing to the Corinthians, who used a form of common Greek in their everyday lives and when they met together for worship, but because it was quite a cosmopolitan city, other forms of Greek as well as Aramaic and even Hebrew would have been heard. And that is just in one city. In my home city of Dunfermline in Scotland, the predominant language is English with a Scottish accent reflecting Dunfermline’s location in the County of Fife, but other languages can be heard here from immigrants and tourists. And around Scotland, there are other variations on English, with accents in some places almost incomprehensible. In the Western Isles and parts of the mainland, another language is spoken: Gaelic. I recently heard that there are 89,000 Gaelic speakers and a further 132,000 with some degree of understanding. But why so many different languages, and how did we get the situation where, globally, there are over 7,000 of them? To find out, we have to turn to Genesis 11. 

At the time of the Flood, all the inhabitants were destroyed except for Noah, his three sons and their wives, and it was from these that the world was repopulated, as we read in Genesis 10:32, “These are the clans that descended from Noah’s sons, arranged by nation according to their lines of descent. All the nations of the earth descended from these clans after the great flood”. There are, of course, many who believe that the Flood was a local occurrence, and most parts of the earth were unaffected. But then the sedimentary geological formations in most parts of the world, together with their fossil records, have to be explained. For anyone interested in researching further, the film “Is Genesis History” is available on YouTube. 

But over the page from Genesis 10 we read, “At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there” (Genesis 11:1-2). The next few verses explain how the pride and arrogance of the people in the Babylonian region, and their attempts to become like God by building a tower planned to reach Heaven, were frustrated when He confused them with different languages. As a result, the people scattered and eventually populated the earth. Genesis 11:8-9, “In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world”. 

But back to 1 Corinthians 11, and Paul’s analogy of natural languages being as incomprehensible to different people groups as speaking in tongues would be in a church. Such tongues may have meaning, Paul said, but he wrote, “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”. This must have been a stark wake-up call to the Corinthians, bringing with it a generous dose of common sense. The Corinthians apparently overemphasised the gift of speaking in tongues, believing it had a special spiritual significance. But the form of tongues Paul was writing about was the one used for personal devotions. In 1 Corinthians 14:2, Paul wrote, “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”. 

Can I ask you a question, my reader?
Do you speak in tongues?

Can I ask you a question, my reader? Do you speak in tongues? Whether Christians “should” be able to speak in tongues is a matter of theological debate, but many Christians believe it is a valid spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit for today. Some denominations emphasise the importance of the gift, believing it is still available today and a way to strengthen spiritual life and pray according to God’s will. Other Christians believe it is not a necessary gift for all believers and that not everyone receives it, as the Bible teaches that there are different spiritual gifts for different people. Personally, I believe that all Christians have access to the gift of tongues, and those without it should seek God through prayer, but it is possible that they will receive one or more of the other Holy Spirit Gifts, either in addition to or instead of it. Jesus said, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11). In faith, we come to God, asking for His gifts with thankful hearts. He will answer our prayers.

Dear Heavenly Father. We reverently bow before You today with thankful hearts, believing that You give us good gifts. We ask today for a fresh infilling of Your Holy Spirit and for the ability to speak in the Heavenly language that You have provided for each one of us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tongues and Prophecy

Posted on by korgrocker

“But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. 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 14:3-5 NLT

There is a supernatural dimension to being a Christian. Through their relationships with their Heavenly God, Christians, believers in Jesus Christ, have access to a Heavenly toolkit of gifts that are just gobbledegook to a secularist, or an atheist who doesn’t believe that there is a supernatural element to human life at all. The average man (or woman) in the street may have a vague sense that there is another spiritual world, but it is largely inaccessible to them, mainly because they don’t really believe it exists. Such a person may look at a horoscope, or even just for a bit of fun, consult a card, palm, or tea leaf reader at a fair or other event. They may think that a person continues to live in a spirit form after they die, and is now in a place where they can look down on the world they left behind. They may even be fascinated by TV programmes made about ghosts, UFOs, aliens, and other supernatural beings or events. Still, in it all, they don’t really believe that there is a spirit world out there, because they can’t discern what it is by their five physical senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Sadly, there are even people who call themselves Christian, people usually of a more liberal theological persuasion, who deny that there is anything spiritual and who have relegated the Holy Spirit to a vague feeling inside when they do something wrong or when they feel pleasure in a religious event. 

All of this brings us back to Paul’s emphasis on the Holy Spirit gifts, and, in the verses in 1 Corinthians 14 we are considering today, the gifts of tongues and prophecy. In most established denominations today here in the West, there will be no public declarations in tongues or prophecy. The liturgies don’t allow room for it, as the order of service is set out in a prayer book. Prayers are already in place, Bible readings included, and recommended hymns are sung, all to satisfy the demands of a religious day in the annual calendar, with content determined many years before. So what about a spontaneous prophecy or, horror of horrors, a message in tongues? There’s no place for that. But things were different in the Corinthian church, where the use of the spoken gifts of the Holy Spirit was commonplace to the point of excess. So Paul was trying to introduce some common sense and rationality into the proceedings there. 

Paul distinguished the gift of tongues into that which was for personal edification, and that for public hearing, but only if an interpretation followed it. It is clear from what Paul wrote that the more common tongue-gift was for personal use, because he recognised its value. Paul continued to write that he wished “you could all prophecy”, for the simple reason that a prophetic word was of value for building up the church. 

We need more of the
Holy Spirit and His gifts

In our Charismatic and Pentecostal churches today, there is room for the use of public tongues, interpretation and prophecy. Or there should be, because such churches are founded on the Word of God and know about the Holy Spirit’s gifts. More than that, they believe that the spiritual gifts are just as much for today as in the First century AD. But in these days where persecution is on the increase, we need more of the Holy Spirit and His gifts to encourage His church and build us all up, and the gift of prophecy is an important part of God’s plan for His church.

Dear Father God. Thank You for the good gifts that You have given Your children. As we aspire to receive more of You and more of Your gifts, we pray that Your encouragement, liberally laced with Your grace, love, and mercy, is poured out without limit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Faith, Hope and Love (1)

Posted on by korgrocker

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NLT

In the context of the verses we are considering today, we find that love is the essential quality required to enable the spiritual gifts to function. Paul started 1 Corinthians 13 with the thought that no matter how effective a person was in their Holy Spirit gifting, unless they loved others, anything they did, even in God’s name, would be ineffective and pointless. Love of others, true agape love, is the foundation upon which the spiritual gifts are able to function. It is the “glue” that binds believers together and enables God to bring Heaven into our earthly lives. But take away love and the whole Christian faith becomes pointless, indeed no more than a clanging bell peeling from a church tower on a Sunday morning, calling the believers to an empty void in a loveless building. There will come a day, Paul reminded the Corinthians, when the spiritual gifts they enjoyed so much would no longer be required, because once in Heaven there would be no need for them. In Heaven will be found Perfection, and Jesus Himself would eclipse any partial or incomplete experiences of the gifts. Sadly, there are some who believe the Perfect has already come in the form of the Bible, God’s Word, but how can that be possible? There is only One who is Perfect, and He is Jesus Himself. A man-made object, the Bible, even if it contains writings produced under the influence of the Holy Spirit, can never be totally perfect because it, too, only reflects God’s message in a way that is sometimes puzzling and dark. 

Faith, Hope, and Love

There are three eternal qualities that will last forever, even surviving the journey across the Great Divide, death itself. They are faith, hope and love, Paul wrote, and although essential to us pilgrims, they are qualities despised and ridiculed by the secular people around us, who have been prevented from seeing the truth that emanates from Jesus Himself. The devil hates these three qualities, and he will do everything he can to destroy and disrupt, because he knows that once a believer applies them in their lives, he has lost them forever. 

Faith we know everything about, because it is through faith that we have become believers. “A biblical definition of faith reaches beyond mere belief—the simple acknowledgement that God exists—into the realm of trust. Genuine faith involves abandoning all human reliance on self-efforts and placing total dependence upon God’s character, His actions, and His promises, as revealed in His Word” (quote from Gotquestions.org). We all know the verse in Hebrews 11:6, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him”. We pilgrims have that faith, I know, because we are believers in Jesus, who died in our place as a punishment for our sins. How can we ever thank Him for that? But our faith extends further as we apply God’s promises in our lives. This world will throw us many situations that threaten to overwhelm us, but through our faith in God, we are overcomers, applying it and affirming that He is who He said He is. 

Dear Father God. Many will ridicule and even attempt to turn us away from You, but we thank You that through Jesus, we have the strength and determination to be overcomers and stay faithful to You. We declare that we have the faith we need to know that You are who You say You are, and we stand on that foundation today and every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tongues and Love

Posted on by korgrocker

“So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all. 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. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3 NLT

“a noisy gong or
a clanging cymbal“

In the Corinthian church, it is believed that the believers there regarded highly all the tongue-speakers and those who could interpret the messages that came through the speaking in tongues. But Paul, at the start of 1 Corinthians 13, pointed out that such a gift was worthless unless it was used in a way that showed love for others. He was saying that no matter how good and accurate the message was, if delivered in a hurtful way that showed a lack of love, then it would not have any useful impact on the life of the church, or for the intended recipient, come to that. In fact, he was saying, it might have the opposite effect to that intended. Paul went further to describe how anyone, even with a perfect understanding of “God’s secret plans” or with a faith so deep that mountains could be physically moved, if they had no love for those around them, then their knowledge and faith were worthless. And he continued to labour his point with a reference to those who did wonderful philanthropic acts or even sacrificed themselves; this was also worthless without love. 

In our churches and fellowships today, there is not the same prevalence of the use of spiritual gifts. For example, it has been some years since I have heard a public message in tongues followed by an interpretation, even though I currently attend a Pentecostal church. However, in the days of the Corinthians, this was apparently commonplace to the extent that messages were coming one after another. There are those, of course, who deny that speaking in tongues today is valid, and a friend of mine who attends a Baptist church told me that should anyone bring such a message in tongues, then they would be closed down straight away. But the gift of tongues did not end in the first century, as some believe. In a place called Azusa Street, in Los Angeles, the Pentecostal movement was birthed, and tongue speaking was a feature of the revival there in the early part of the 20th Century. Since then, tongues in a public setting have been present from time to time, such as more recently in the Charismatic Renewal of the 70’s and 80’s, and should not be discounted. God is sovereign, and He will grant gifts as He sees fit to individuals who are open and willing to obey the move of the Holy Spirit within them. 

Love and the spiritual gifts
go hand in hand

However, the point Paul was making concerned love, agape love, which must essentially infuse our churches and fellowships. Anything else that happened, no matter how spiritual and wonderful it was, was of no good without love. I suppose, though, we could turn this around and equally say that a church with only love and no manifestations of the spiritual gifts was equally impoverished. Before believers can show love to one another, there needs to be a pastor and teacher showing them the why and the how. Biblical teaching is a necessary part of growing in love. Similarly, a prophetic message, whether from the pulpit or through the gift of prophecy, may highlight a situation where a manifestation of love is required. An evangelist is another gift of the Holy Spirit to the church, motivating the congregation to show Jesus’ love to the world beyond the church walls. And of course, we must not forget that the person in a wheelchair or in pain with an illness of some kind needs the love expressed through the Holy Spirit’s gift of healing and miracles. Love and the spiritual gifts go hand in hand and will work together to build up the church, making it more like Jesus intended.

So if we pilgrims were to gauge our prowess in love and the spiritual gifts on a scale of 1 to 10, where would we be? Good question, I’m sure you agree, but perhaps a difficult and painful one to answer. It’s much easier not to ask at all. We pray for God to continue to work in our lives. Yes, we will fall down from time to time. Yes, we will occasionally bottle it when a prophetic word comes to mind. Yes, we will fail to love someone as we should. But God will never give up on us, and He cheers us on when we fall. As we keep close to Jesus, we will find help in our hour of need.

Dear Father God. It is hard sometimes to love the unlovely, but that is what You have asked us to do. Please help us, we pray. Amen.

The Better Way

Posted on by korgrocker

So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all. 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. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3 NLT

Paul suggests to the believers in Corinth that they should “earnestly desire the most helpful gifts”. We know that in the previous two verses, he listed apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, those who speak in tongues, and those who can interpret messages given in tongues, but these are not the only gifts necessary to help a local church or fellowship function. So what are the “most helpful gifts”? If we pause for a moment and think of our expectations prior to attending church on a Sunday, what comes to mind? Social interactions? A chance to worship God in a corporate setting? Or something else? One important benefit of going to church is that there we will hear what God wants the people in the congregation to hear. Some helpful teaching that will help us on our journey, perhaps. Or a prophetic challenge to unconfessed sin. Or a directional word from a visiting apostle. Perhaps these are the most helpful gifts. But we mustn’t minimise the other gifts.

“earnestly desire the most helpful gifts”

There may be someone in our congregation who needs a miracle, perhaps for healing or some other reason. But whatever the “most helpful gifts” are, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to “earnestly” seek them. In our churches today, how can we determine which gifts are the most helpful for us individually? We will only find out by seeking God in prayer, persevering until He provides an answer. And we know from the example of Moses, it might be many years before God finally blesses us with a greater gift. A person’s character must be able to handle one of the Holy Spirit’s gifts.

Paul then teased his audience with the thought that there is something else, that is good, or even better. This is “a way of life that is best of all”. We have to turn the page and read one of the most well-known chapters in the New Testament. It’s all about love. Not the sloppy or sentimental “love” that we often find on our screens and in books. Paul used the word “agape” when writing in this chapter, referring to the love that churches need to bind themselves together. A more detailed definition is: “Agape is a Greek term for a selfless, unconditional, and spiritual form of love that seeks the well-being of others without expecting anything in return. It is often associated with the love of God for humanity and is demonstrated through sacrifice, such as the Christian belief that Jesus died for the sins of others. In a broader sense, it refers to a profound love that is not dependent on emotion or circumstance and extends to all people, even enemies”. 

“To love one another“

Paul starts 1 Corinthians 13 with the thought that it doesn’t matter what language we use; if what we say isn’t said in love, then it is just noise. The Apostle John wrote much about love, and we read a bit from 1 John 2:7-8, “Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather, it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining. “To love one another” was at the heart of John’s message to the churches that read his epistle, and that message has resonated with congregations ever since. Many difficulties in churches today can often be traced to a lack of love. Yes, the liturgies can be wonderful. The minister may be a gifted speaker. The worship band and the songs sung can lift the congregation’s spirits right to the rafters. But at the end of the service, and in too many churches, everyone leaves to go to their homes, and none of the issues that a loving church should be dealing with are even considered or prayed about. Hurting people come to church, and the same hurting people leave it at the end of the service, hurt intact and people still hurting. 

And so we pilgrims, look out for those in our churches who may be struggling with some issue or another. We must not rely on their openness, or lack of it, when we mingle with the congregation before and after a meeting. We ask our Heavenly Father to reveal to us those people who He knows have a need, and we remain open to being the ones who meet the need. That’s what the love that Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 13 is all about.

Dear Heavenly Father. We know that attending church is not just about singing hymns and saying prayers. We seek Your heart for those around us, and pray that Your love will prevail through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Diversity

Posted on by korgrocker

“Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!”
1 Corinthians 12:29-30 NLT

Paul finally makes the point that there has to be a variety of gifts in the Body of Christ, a point he earlier made in 1 Corinthians 12:17, using the analogy of a human body. “If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?” For a human body to function, all the different organs have to work together to ensure that the body works as it should. Such a point is so simple that it is often overlooked when applied to the Body of Christ. In my experience, there has been a tendency for certain people, particularly in independent Charismatic churches, to desire an up-front ministry. This seems to be the case with musicians, or aspiring musicians, who think they have a gift for being a worship leader. However, in other examples, there have been some who wish to be an elder, or even a pastor or teacher, when they neither possess the required gifting nor is there a vacancy to fill. Paul reminded the Corinthians that not everyone would have the same gifts, implying that if they did, this would result in a lopsided and dysfunctional church. In fact, Paul’s final word on this issue, in reply to his several “Do we all have ..” questions, was rather scathing – “Of course not!”.

There was an occasion when the mother of two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, asked Him a favour. ““What is your request?” [Jesus] asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honour next to you, one on your right and the other on your left”” (Matthew 20:21). Jesus used this as a learning example to teach His disciples about servanthood. He went on to say, “ … “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave” (Matthew 20:25b-27). In John 13, we read about the occasion when Jesus taught His disciples about servanthood by washing their feet. We know the story well, and He finished by saying, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:13-15). 

We return to the Holy Spirit’s gifts of ministry, as listed by Paul. There is an attitude of heart behind each one of them that starts with servanthood, with the understanding that a particular ministry is not for the person’s benefit, but for the benefit of the church. And in the act of service, there is a need to put others before oneself. With a diversity of gifts, the church is able to function, but then only with the right attitude of serving the body in the best way possible. 

“God does not call those who are equipped; He equips those whom He has called.” 

Smith Wigglesworth

We pilgrims must ask ourselves what our particular gifts are, and couple this with what God requires for the place where He wants us to be. There may not be a position vacant for the particular gift we think God has given us, but there may be a place where we can serve. I always remember the story of Smith Wigglesworth, a Pentecostal evangelist active in the first half of the twentieth century. He spent many years giving out hymnbooks before he was called to the ministry, in which he was so effective. Moses spent forty years caring for his father-in-law’s sheep before, at the age of eighty, God called him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelite slaves to the Promised Land. Sometimes we have a tendency to get ahead of God, when instead He wants us to develop our character to the point where our gifting will become effective. So we pray and ask God to lead and guide us in His ways, always in the knowledge that He knows what is best for us.

Dear Father God. We thank You for the diversity of the gifts that populate Your church. Please help us find the place where You want us to be an effective member of Your Body. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tongues and Interpretation

Posted on by korgrocker

He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”
1 Corinthians 12:10-11 NLT

Of all the spiritual gifts, “tongues” is arguably the most contentious, both to unbelievers and even other Christians. Some people question why such a gift is of any use. Others say that it can’t be valid because all the gifts died out at the end of the Apostolic age. Still others ridicule tongue-speaking Christians as being deluded and even possessed by an evil spirit. But those believers of a Pentecostal persuasion know the benefit of this gift today, putting it up there in a prime position with which they can worship and praise God. Today, in many churches, the gift of tongues will be heard, either in a public setting or on the lips of believers in their private devotions and prayers. 

There are three manifestations of the Holy Spirit gift we call “tongues”. The first is the gift of being able to speak in other world languages. On the day of Pentecost, we read what happened in that Upper Room in Jerusalem. Acts 2:2-4, “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”. In this very public setting, the Holy Spirit’s gift of tongues was indeed miraculous, granting the believers the ability to communicate with other Jews in their native language. We read in the next few verses, “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! Here we are—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. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”” (Acts 2:5-11). There are two things to note about this gift of tongues: firstly, it was manifested as a valid language, such as English, French, Urdu, and so on, enabling communication between people who would otherwise have had no clue what each was saying. Secondly, the messages spoken in these languages communicated “the wonderful things God has done”, giving God the glory that He deserves.  

The second use of the gift of tongues is in a public setting, where believers have a gift of bringing a prophetic message in a language or tongue that would be incomprehensible unless someone had a gift of interpretation. The use of this manifestation of tongues seemed to be misunderstood in the Corinthian church, as we read in 1 Corinthians 14. In verse 9 of this chapter, Paul wrote, “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”. In verse 13, Paul wrote, “So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said”. Regarding the public use of tongues, Paul wrote, “So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. … ” (1 Corinthians 14:22a). 

The third use of the Holy Spirit’s gift of tongues is for personal edification. We read in 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4, “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. … A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church”. Speaking in tongues as part of a believer’s personal worship will edify them, being as it is a spirit-to-Spirit form of communication. The believer’s spirit talks to God through tongues that bypass the believer’s thought processes. Romans 8:26, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words”. 

There are benefits, public and personal, in the Holy Spirit’s gift of tongues that many believers are missing out on. All believers have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, as we read in Acts 2:28, and that enables them, amongst other things, to speak in tongues. But the public manifestations of tongues are given to believers as one of the nine 1 Corinthians 12 gifts, to be used for the edification of the church. We thank God for His many gifts, for His love and kindness, and for equipping us for life in this outpost of His Kingdom on Planet Earth.

Dear Father God. We do indeed thank You for all the good things that You have provided for us. We worship and praise You today. Amen.