Today Our Daily Bread 1 Cor 14 & 2 Cor 2:14

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s AsJournalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

As we read through this chapter today, let’s be thinking from the perspective of the chapter that preceded this one, the agape “Love” chapter…. Love being the motivation, love being the reason, the opportunity to love being the guise for everything we’d do or be in Christ.

1 Corinthians 14

The Gifts of Tongues and Prophecy

1Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy. 2For if your gift is the ability to speak in tongues,[a] you will be talking to God but not to people, since they won't be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 3But one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them. 4A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally in the Lord, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

5I wish you all had the gift of speaking in tongues, but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy. For prophecy is a greater and more useful gift than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church can get some good out of it.
6Dear brothers and sisters,[b] if I should come to you talking in an unknown language,[c] how would that help you? But if I bring you some revelation or some special knowledge or some prophecy or some teaching--that is what will help you. 7Even musical instruments like the flute or the harp, though they are lifeless, are examples of the need for speaking in plain language. For no one will recognize the melody unless the notes are played clearly. 8And if the bugler doesn't sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle? 9And it's the same for you. If you talk to people in a language they don't understand, how will they know what you mean? You might as well be talking to an empty room.
10There are so many different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them, 11but to me they mean nothing. I will not understand people who speak those languages, and they will not understand me. 12Since you are so eager to have spiritual gifts, ask God for those that will be of real help to the whole church.
13So anyone who has the gift of speaking in tongues should pray also for the gift of interpretation in order to tell people plainly what has been said. 14For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don't understand what I am saying.
15Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit,[d] and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand. 16For 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? 17You will be giving thanks very nicely, no doubt, but it doesn't help the other people present.
18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19But in a church meeting I would much rather speak five understandable words that will help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.
20Dear 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 and wise in understanding matters of this kind. 21It is written in the Scriptures,[e]
"I will speak to my own people through unknown languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me,"[f] says the Lord. 22So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23Even so, if unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting and hear everyone talking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 24But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin, and they will be condemned by what you say. 25As they listen, their secret thoughts will be laid bare, and they will fall down on their knees and worship God, declaring, "God is really here among you."

A Call to Orderly Worship

26Well, my brothers and sisters, let's summarize what I am saying. When you meet, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in an unknown language, while another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must be useful to all and build them up in the Lord. 27No more than two or three should speak in an unknown language. They must speak one at a time, and someone must be ready to interpret what they are saying. 28But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.
29Let two or three prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. 30But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop. 31In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. 32Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can wait their turn. 33For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the other churches.[g]
34Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. 35If they have any questions to ask, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings.[h]
36Do you think that the knowledge of God's word begins and ends with you Corinthians? Well, you are mistaken! 37If you claim to be a prophet or think you are very spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself. 38But if you do not recognize this, you will not be recognized.[i]
39So, dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don't forbid speaking in tongues. 40But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Corinthians 14:2 Or in unknown languages; also in 14:4, 5, 13, 14, 18, 22, 28, 39.
b. 1 Corinthians 14:6 Greek brothers; also in 14:20, 26, 39.
c. 1 Corinthians 14:6 Or in tongues; also in 14:19, 23, 26, 27.
d. 1 Corinthians 14:15 Or in the Spirit; also in 14:15b, 16.
e. 1 Corinthians 14:21 Greek in the law.
f. 1 Corinthians 14:21 Isa 28:11-12.
g. 1 Corinthians 14:33 The phrase as in all the other churches could be joined to the beginning of 14:34.
h. 1 Corinthians 14:35 Some manuscripts place verses 34-35 after 14:40.
i. 1 Corinthians 14:38 Some manuscripts read If you are ignorant of this, stay in your ignorance.
~Lena’s Journalin~
I see people who’ve been influenced by religious, law enforcing church goers and also those of us who have seen some crazy out of there Charismatically expressed things saying, “see”, you don’t HAVE to pray or speak in tongues, it is a gift!
These thoughts and statements are true, very true, we do not “have to”, it IS a gift. A gift God gives and desires us to have, just like he desires us to have salvation and accept the sacrifice His Son made for all of us by shedding His blood. We don’t have to accept or live out faith in that accomplishment and victory over the strongholds of sin either. God is such a “gentle-“man”, He gave each one of us a freewill and is not forceful in nature AT ALL, He will not force us to receive salvation, nor will He force us to take any gift that He wants to give us or wants us to have. He does not act as men act, He is God and a very, very loving Father.
The point in the 1st 4 verses is, what would be more important in our spiritual lives, talking to men? That is extremely important. How would God’s message get to other men if we did not talk to men about Him, right? Or is it more important to speak with and to God? Oh, wow, yeah, that is very, very important. In fact that could be likened to a couple getting married and having children. If the couple never had face to face intimacy, there would be no children. If we try to talk to people about God, but don’t know Him well or know Him intimately, who’s children are they? His or ours? “His, mine or ours”???? Do you think one can do a good work of God without talking to God about His work, he desires done? I know this answer is quite amazing, but we can. That’s called religious works. We know that if we do a certain work for God, it will be a good work and so we go and do it, knowing it is good, but if we have not specifically talked to God and gotten His mind on the matter and His specific will on our part of His plan, we are working for Him and not specifically with Him as he wills it. just because something good worked beforehand and went well, does not mean it is what or how God would like it done this time either. I’ve seen many many good Christian people worn out by the “work of God” (myself included) and I’ve come to know that when man even does the work of God on his own strength and ideas, he becomes lame, sick, weak, torn down, etc, just like any other labor he does! God is not looking for workers, he’s looking for friends who love Him enough and speak with Him enough, that they’d do anything he asks because of that love relationship and through the strength of that relationship that comes through the empowerment of HIS SPIRIT, not my own strong willed human spirit.
So back to “see, not everyone has the gift of speaking in tongues”. This is so true, not everyone receives every gift God desires to give them. It is up to each individual who has been given the offer, whether they are brave or trusting or confident in God’s gentlemanly nature, enough to receive it. Whether they believe he would want them to have it and why. God wants us to gain understanding of things so that faith can arise in us to receive what He has provided for us. Once a certain amount of understanding comes, the Lord wants us to believe in Him and trust Him. James 1:17 says, every good and perfect gift comes from God and the father above. Luke 11 says if we ask god of his spirit, would He give us a snake? What is His nature? That of natural hurt inflicting worldly fathers, who kid and joke around? Or that of an enemy who would trick us and hurt us. NO, not of either of these, remember His intent, motivation etc is LOVE and a deeper more intimate fellowship with each one of us.
I know this is a bit lengthy, but please bear with me (I’m being led of the Lord) Let’s try to read this from the possible perspective of Paul, a man who encountered God the Father
In a big way, this man went from being a Christian tormentor, to a lover of God and men, all men. He was completely changed by the spirit of Christ inside of him, he was transformed. Some say after this encounter, he went away for several years and was taught the word of God and was in constant one on one fellowship with God’s spirit through His word and in prayer. He’d found that God’s presence was the best place in all of the world to be in, that there was no other place like this. Yet by being in the intense presence he was in, he was called from that place to go and preach, to go and share the good news and to spread it far and wide. As with many who really come to know God intimately and know who He is and what His presence is like, Paul possibly had a hesitancy to go into the world and preach a gospel to and with peoplehe’d so greatly persecuted. He may have had a few conversations with the Lord, “Are You sure, we could just stay here in this wonderful presence, just You and me alone, here. I like this here, there’s lots of peace etc…” But God’s holy awesome presence was what had changed him and was what was prompting him to go elsewhere. In that presence he had the ideas of God become his ideas, their ideas were becoming the same. Paul wanted to have this presence go with him in working the ministry also. How could he do that, while working, be in God’s presence too. How could he have God’s ideas abounding in his own mind as he had in the place of solitude? By praying, by praying in an intimate uninterrupted by human will way, by praying the same words God would pray, having the same ideas God would have, the same utterance God would give to Paul and to the world. The only way to have that was to come into the “throne room” the intimate place where we speak the same as God. Not where God speaks the same as us. We’re not asking God to bless our ideas and thoughts in this place. We’ve experienced His presence, intimacy with Him, we’ve encountered Him and have come up into a higher, deeper place of fellowship, where we are asking Him what His thoughts are and how we can help implement them for Him. WOW.
We have children’s pastors in our church. He is from Cuba and she is from Brasil, but they both live here in the good ol’ USA. When they met, he spoke Spanish, she spoke Portegese. They ended up getting married and worked through communication barriers as their intimacy and desire for one another increased.
She (think of the church as being the female in this love relationship with the lord) adjusted her speech more than he did in this instance, she began to speak His language more than he spoke hers (we’re still referring to God’s language here- tongues is god’s language). Then they moved to the USA and they both spoke Spanish to one another, but needed to hone in on their English to be able to speak to al of us. It was even a matter of respect to us that if they were gonna be able to communicate with us, they’d begin to learn how we speak, take on our native language and in so doing our fellowship would and has increased. Listen to this, this is very key, very key- it has to do with respect and intimacy of fellowship and unselfishness…..
When they are desirious of speaking only with one another, they go back to speaking in Spanish, that is their love language with one another. They honor us and speak English, this is their love language with us……..(RU hearing what the Spirit of Christ and God are saying right now?)
Speaking in tongues is only a matter of respect for the deeper intimacy with God’s Spirit, and mind. We do not have to, and yes people do things out of order, but their disorder does not have a bearing with our intimacy with God, our one on one time. Just like if someone speaks unkind or curses in Spanish, that does not take away from our children’s pastors using it as their own intimate language with one another. When someone abuses something that will be between them and God when they account. When we give account, we will never be able to bring those abusers in to God’s presence with us as excuses as to why we refused to believe or receive his gifts available to us to bring us to the place where we do his work with His will and strength.
When we speak with tongues we speak to God and not to men. Is that good? Yes. Is it also good to speak as men speak? Even in prayer? Yes! There is a time for every use. Is it disrespectful to come in front of a congregation of people and zone out and only speak to God aloud for the whole time we are together gathered to help one another grow up in what God has already shown each of us in the intimate places we’ve all already been with God? Yes! What Paul was trying to express here is that he has his times of intimate prayer and he loves it so much that he could do that everywhere else he has to go and in every situation, but just like if our c pastors were to speak in Spanish around me every time they speak in my presence, I’d feel excluded somewhat, I’d feel disregarded somewhat, it would be better to speak in understanding words, so I’d feel included. Yet paul also said it would be a sign to those who don’t believe if they heard tongues in the church, then if they heard the tongue interpreted too that would even bring more understanding and in bringing understanding edification would come to everyone present and that would be even better in that setting.
He was not saying never speak in tongues corporately in church! He was just pointing out what would be of more benefit in that setting. But can you imagine in your spirit times when all of the people of God only wanted to hear the voice of God and not human voices? When a corporate people desired to speak to God as he speaks in His “native” love language, singing spiritual songs unto Him? How would that make god “feel” when 50-100-1000 people were all in one accord in one place with the same mind of pleasing His heart and thinking His thoughts all at once? Wow. I think he longs for that.
I think Pastors & people like Paul know He longs to hear our hearts beating for His heart, His heart beat His heart’s cry. If one people would lay down their differences of opinion, and all of the different ways we all speak, Portegese, Spanish English, Christian-ese, opinionated, confrontational, striveful speech all became one speech, the language of God! We all stopped what we thought we should do and accomplish and decided to seak as one, in the love language God knows and wants- the language of His spirit. Wow!

(daily repetitive verse)
2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.