Gifts
SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 14:20-33 
Read the passage
BIO: Anonymous
KEY VERSE: 1 Corinthians 14:26,33 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
CENTRAL TRUTH: What is the context for which tongues and prophecy should be uttered? Many are mystified and amazed by these gifts of the Spirit, others find them to be obsolete or a self-generated form of expression that should no longer be practiced. Balancing the gifts is what Paul encourages here.
DEVOTIONAL: Have you ever heard someone speak in tongues? No. Well I must say it is an interesting thing to hear. Kinda freaked me out the first time I heard it. No lie! Some churches view this manifestation of the Spirit as a normal part of worship. Others quite frankly outlaw it. Some say if you don’t speak in tongues or prophesy you aren’t really a Christian. Others say these gifts have passed because the revealed Scriptures now lead us in this age. Let me say it plainly. I believe God still uses these gifts for His glory, (Heb.13:8) but many abuse these gifts or use them improperly. The Corinthians were an unusual Church, blended by the society around them, and inclined to the sensational. They were using these gifts in ways that were causing confusion and isolation within their Church. They had routinely allowed too many people to interrupt the worship of God with the manifestation of gifts. Paul is saying, "The chaos has to stop! You are confusing people"! Paul even addresses how spiritually immature they are by saying, "quit thinking like children". Paul does not deny these gifts as neither should we, but he does demand that they be used properly, and in an orderly manner. There is a right time and a wrong time for the use of such gifts. We are to be wise in the use of them. My last pastor of a conservative evangelical Presbyterian church had a "prayer language". He helped me by saying, "My prayer language is mostly private and it only manifests in me under extreme duress or in times of great joy. I don’t use it in front of the church, because I haven’t been impressed of the Lord to do so." That was a good balance for me. This was sensible, orderly, and represents what this passage is about and how God operates.
QUESTION 1: What is your opinion on these gifts? Do you tend to lean one way or the other regarding this topic? One extreme often exalts the human heart, the other denies.
QUESTION 2: What are some other things we should recognize in the church that cause confusion or that are done in a disorderly manner? How do we address it?
QUESTION 3: Do you think of yourself as a sub-par Christian because you don’t speak in tongues or prophesy? You shouldn’t. God has given us all the exact gifts we need for the edification of the church and his people.
Share
