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The spiritual life

The spiritual life: speak to help us grow.

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[b] but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.

6 Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8 Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.

13 For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer,[d] say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21 In the Law it is written:

“With other tongues

and through the lips of foreigners

I will speak to this people,

but even then they will not listen to me,

says the Lord.”[e]

22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

  1. In these verses, Paul contrasts speaking in tongues and prophecy. Working through these verses, how are the two similar or different?  

    Speaking in tongues  Prophecy 

 

  

  1. How would you explain speaking in tongues? How would you explain prophecy?  

  2. Consider 1 Corinthians 14:4 “anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves”. Maybe you don’t speak in tongues, but you have some other spiritual gift. Have your spiritual gifts helped you personally grow? If you can, think of specific time when you benefited from your gifts.  

  3. Has sin sometimes shut you up so that you don’t help others grow?  

  4. Paul repeatedly tells us to seek the gifts that build others up. See the verses below. Do you or might you spend more time seeking personal gifts? How could I/we help?  

    1. 12:31 “Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.” 

    2. 14:1 “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy” 

    3. 14:12 “Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.” 

    4. 14:39 “be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.”  

  5. We cannot be accused of misusing the gift of tongues in our public worship. Yet the principle of wanting to speak clearly and understandably applies to us. Are there some elements of our worship service that a visitor may not understand? What can we do to help?

The spiritual life: you're part of something greater

  1. Last week I asked you to see if you knew your spiritual gifts. There are 4 different sections in the Bible that speak to spiritual gifts: Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12: 7-10, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Peter 4:10-11. How has the Spirit manifested himself in your life? On further reflection have you realized anything else?  

  2. Does membership in the body of Christ mean much to you right now? Why or why not? 

  3. 1 Corinthians 12:15 and 21 Have you either felt like you aren’t good enough to be part of the body or you don’t need the rest of the body?   

  4. 1 Corinthians 12:24 “But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it”. What parts of the body do you think God is giving greater honor to? Do you equally honor them?  

  5. 1 Corinthians 12:27-30 What role do you have in the body of Christ – both in this congregation and the larger church? How can I and the people around you help you discover your role and live it?  

  6. What is the richness of the picture of the body of Christ? How is it better than the idea of a ‘team’ or a ‘group’? How does the picture of a body fit into God’s narrative of redemption?  

 

The spiritual life: appreciate the variety of gifts in a group of believers

  1. Lots of people try to do spirituality on their own – even people in the church. Why do you think so many people do spirituality on their own?  

  2. 12:3 What is the first thing we need to know about true spiritual gifts?  

  3. 12:3 This verse is so important. Just the other day someone asked me, “How do I know I’m saved?” What are the two parts to that answer?  

  4. 12:4-6 Where is the reference to the Trinity in this verse? How does it change our thinking about spiritual gifts to think about the Trinity behind them all?  

  5. 12:4-6 What truth does Paul point out in verses that makes any selfishness about our spiritual gifts an obvious sin against the Lord? 

  6. 1 Corinthians 12:7ff lists different spiritual gifts that show up in our lives because the Spirit is there. How has the Spirit manifested himself in your life? It might be one of these gifts, it might be something else.  

  7. Are you celebrating the diversity of spiritual gifts in others, missing the spiritual gifts in others, or bothered by the spiritual gifts of others? Any reasons why?  

  8. 12:7ff What great purpose are spiritual gifts to serve? How is that important?  

  9. Are you reflecting the diversity and the goodness of Jesus Christ to the world around you as you use your gifts? What’s one way you might do that?