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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
August 23
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Today's Pathway:
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I Corinthians 14:6-12
- Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
- And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
- For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
- So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
- There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
- Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
- Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
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Paul is continuing with his teaching that speaking in tongues is inferior to prophecy because people are unable to understand what is being said when tongues are in use. He writes in verse 6 that if he came to the Corinthian church and spoke in tongues the church would not profit from his preaching because they would not be able to discern what he was saying. In order for the believers to benefit, he would have to speak in their own language, regardless of whether what he was saying was something God had revealed to him, or something that he already knew, or whether he was simply teaching them. In verses 7-8 he gives an illustration from the battlefield. In previous centuries, before the communication systems that exist today were invented, soldiers in battle received their directions from the sound of a drum, or a trumpet, or a bugle. There was a specific tune that would be played if they were to charge, and another if they were to retreat. However, in the heat of battle, if the bugle player's tune could not be recognized, then the soldiers would not know what they were supposed to do. This could prove to be disastrous to the army because of the confusion that would be caused. So in verse 9 Paul applies this to speaking in tongues. If the hearer does not recognize the words being spoken, then the best outcome can only be confusion, and the worst case scenario is disaster. Paul then finishes verse 9 by stating that a person who can not be understood might as well be talking to the wind.
In verses 10-11 Paul gives another example. He states that there are many different languages in the world and all of them have a purpose. In every language the words have meaning. The vocabulary may be different, and the sentence structures may vary, but the speakers of language are able to communicate information. Paul here is affirming that speaking in a foreign tongue (which is what Biblical "tongues" is) has meaning. He is not disputing that fact. His point is not that the languages don't have meaning, but that they are spoken to the wrong audience when the hearers cannot comprehend it. It is interesting to note that by saying that all languages have significance, he is also saying that there is no such thing as a "non-language", which we might define as "gibberish". Babbling and stringing nonsense syllables together is not a legitimate language, and this is what is being passed off as speaking in tongues in many Pentecostal churches today. In verse 11 he states that if he can't understand what someone else is saying then that person becomes like a barbarian to him, and the same is true for the other fellow. The term "barbarian" does not have a negative or insulting connotation. It simply meant a foreigner who did not speak Greek. So, if a Corinthian in the Corinthian church started speaking in tongues, it would be as if he were Chinese or Danish or Nigerian. There could be no understanding of what he was saying.
In verse 12 Paul shows what is really important about spiritual gifts and spirituality. He tells them that they have zeal about that which is spiritual. This is in response to his statement in verse 1 that they were to desire that which was spiritual. Again, the word "gifts" does not appear in the Greek. He has told them to desire that which is spiritual, and now he is assuming that they have made the decision to do so. He adds that they are to "excel" in edification. The word translated "excel" means "to super-abound". Every gift they had been given to them by God, and was to be used by them, for building up the body of Christ in Corinth. This is true for believers today as well.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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