November 30, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Numbers and 1 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Corinthians 14 (NIV)
Intelligibility in Worship
1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue 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.……Continue Reading
“Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.”
The gift of tongues and prohecy are very real and Paul makes that clear, however, importance of how they are used is what he shares here. If all our gifts are to be used to build up the church their use comes into question when there is no interpretation of them. I grew up in a church that operated regularly in these gifts, and while it can be a powerful thing to see it is often misused by people “feeling” more than actually hearing from God. So I appreciate being in a church that respects these gifts enough to know it should not just be an open opportunity for people to use them anytime they want.
I do always read the woman not speaking in church section like nails on a chalkboard, but I respect that this was a different time and also feel blessed that God has moved the position of women to a place where we are able to learn and be heard which was not the case at this time.