City Life Starter

The Word: I Corinthians 14:1-5

1Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

2For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.

3But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.

4One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.

5Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.

By Scott Fiddler

These five verses tie together chapters 12, 13, and 14 of I Corinthians, and in doing so they touch on three different subjects: love, prophecy, and the gift of tongues. What struck me as I read these five verses was how casually Paul talks about these three subjects, each of which is as lofty and supernatural as anything in the Bible.

Pursue love. Strive for, learn, incorporate into your life this unconditional love by which God loved us so all around you can experience through their interaction with you what they would experience if they had met Jesus during His earthly ministry.

Earnestly desire to prophesy. Seek, ask God, and want badly to speak the words of God to others so they will be built up, encouraged, and consoled and know that they have not heard from you but from God Himself.

Speak in tongues. Speak in a supernatural language of angels because when you do it builds up your spirit and strengthens you in your innermost being.

The Apostle Paul instructs the Corinthians on these three supernatural acts as if it were entirely ordinary like he was telling them to go out to the market buy meat, potatoes, and vegetables for dinner. And that is the takeaway for this Starter post. Paul is writing to the Corinthians about what it means to be a normal Christian. He is not describing the exception but the rule.

Being a Jesus-follower does not consist merely of subscribing to a set of theological propositions, going to church on Sunday, and trying to live right. The normal Christian life is supposed to be one lived empowered by the Holy Spirit, displaying God’s supernatural love to others, and ministering by the power of God through His gifts so that in interacting with Christians the world can experience God. Anything less is just religion.