Prophecy

1 Cor. 14:1

Pursue love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

Paul makes it clear how important love is. After devoting all of chapter 13 to love, he begins this chapter with a pursue. Why? ...but the greatest of these is love. Love should be our motivation and our manifestation. Then speaking of spiritual gifts, he urged the Corinthians to desire prophecy. However, the Corinthians were all about speaking in tongues. Why? Did it puff with their egos? Did it appeal to their flesh? We can't really say, but we can say that it wasn't edifying to the church. Tongues were for unbelievers while prophecy was for believers [v. 22]. 

Paul made his case by offering a steadfast principle. First, he pointed out that the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation. In contrast the one who speaks in tongues builds himself up. Paul was fine with them speaking in tongues as long as there was an interpreter and as long as they spoke more in prophecy than in tongues. His conclusion: If you desire manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. 

Paul went on to explain. We may sing praise with out spirit, but we must also sing praise with our mind. But if we give thanks with our spirit only, how can other believers say amen when they do not know what you are saying? Paul could say personally, I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Finally Paul said, Do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. The OT law said that by strange tongues and the lips of foreigners, God would talk to this people even though they would not believe. This was not a positive sign but a sign of impeding judgment on the unbelieving. But in Paul's day, if unbelievers came into a body of believers and all they heard were uninterpreted tongues, they would think these believers were crazy and would be seeking a quick exit. But if they heard prophecy, they might be convicted, have the secrets of their hearts disclosed and worship God declaring God was in this place. The chapter continues, but that is for another day.

Father,

Help my words always to be edifying to other believers. Help me to speak gracious words seasoned with salt so that I may know how to answer every person., 

In Jesus name,

Amen