OUR FATHER WHO PRIORITIZES LOVE OVER FUNCTION 

In 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verses 1 - 19, the Apostle Paul embarks on establishing the best practices related to the use of spiritual gifts. He begins by setting the order of operations as  1)  - ˋPursue Loveˋ and  2) -  ˋDesire spiritual giftsˋ.

This could be understood to mean that we are to pursue love and then desire spiritual gifts to help facilitate the exercise of that love.

Paul identifies prophesy as the ideal gift to desire because doing so edifies the body of believers while speaking in tongues ( which is the spirit of a man praying) does not edify the body of believers because no one can understand the words being spoken unless there is a person around who has the gift of the interpretation of tongues who can render the mysteries being spoken in an unknown tongue into a comprehensible language.

Paul thus counsels the Corinthian believers, who were zealously seeking spiritual gifts, to make the edification of the church their prime directive when it came to developing their giftings. If some only spoke in tongues, Paul advised them to pray for an interpreter so that the words of direction, confirmation or encouragement could be understood and acted upon.

1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? 7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. 12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.

13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Paul thus concluded that individuals should engage in prayer in the spirit and also in prayer in their understanding and they should also sing in the spirit and sing in their understanding and also bless with the spirit and bless with understanding if their efforst were going to have any benefit for the listeners.

The apostle clarified that even though he spoke in tongues more than all the Corinthian believers, he nevertheless would rather have only spoken a few words in the common language than do so voluminously in an unknown tongue.

Amen.

1