Where did this come from? It came from one measly sentence in a short chapter on the New Testament in this really dry book I'm reading for class. Mmm...love it! It says this: "Paul did not instruct the Corinthians to stop speaking in tongues; he simply asked that they recognize the proper place of tongues in worship..."
It reminded me of a class I had while I was living in Colorado Springs...a class designated to debate on the issues that divide the Church. The issue we just skipped over because we were all "pretty much on the same page" was the debate on whether or not all tongues shall cease or the charismatic gifts were meant for today.
I think 1 Corinthians 14:15-17 is a good example to follow:
15 Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.
16 For 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?
17 You will be giving thanks very well, but it won't strengthen the people who hear you.
Charismatic gifts are not a bad thing at all...if in context of what is most edifying to the Body. When we engage in worship God drenches us in His love, and all He asks in return is for us to respond. That could be in our natural tongue or the intimate, supernatural tongue.
Now, if this is not a gift you posses, does that make you any less spiritual? Heck no! That was something I struggled with for a long time. Interning at a very charismatic church where many other interns were very vocal with their prayer languages made me feel small at times. It's not that they frowned upon me for not "speaking their language" but in some ways felt like they elevated themselves.
Spiritual gifts are only effective with Christ in the center of it. Without Him, without love, we are the resounding gongs Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 13:1
1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal
I love this Alleli. What a great way of explaining using scripture. That last verse was a perfect way to end your thought because if we do all of this but not through the love of Christ it means nothing. But I agree the gifts of the Spirit are sometimes scary of weird but when you start developing the characteristics of Christ those things become a part of your life. Not all of them of course but they are all useful for the body. I pray that I am willing and ready to use whatever gifts that will be useful in His kingdom. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI dig your confidence. Early in my life I questioned my spirituality due to the fact that I couldn't speak in touches. I went to a charismatic church and I was the only one not falling put or running around the room in joy. One thing that I have discovered is that we have the ability to be clattering gongs as well as silent hollow vessels that equally produce ill fruit. Fun...
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