Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 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. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.
- 1 Corinthians 14:1-5
As we transition out of the “love chapter” that we discussed the last two weeks (here and here), we move into a chapter that has become somewhat controversial for the modern church. This chapter of 1 Corinthians 14 deals with prophecy, speaking in tongues, and order in worship.
Just before this, Paul explained that all spiritual gifts, including prophecy and tongues, must be used in love. This is emphasized again in verse 1, where Paul begins by saying, “Follow the way of love.” The Greek verb translated as follow is actually a stronger verb than that; it has the idea of actively pursuing something, almost like chasing it. We are not just to simply follow the way of love but we are to actively chase after it and pursue it in our lives.
The next verb, “eagerly desire,” is not as strong, so the emphasis is on pursuing love. While desiring spiritual gifts is important, it is even more important that we actively pursue the way of love that Paul had just described for his readers. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, we could do great spiritual things but if we don’t have love, none of that is worth anything.
Paul then explains that prophecy is a gift that is to be desired, and he shares why in verse 2. Compared to the gift of speaking in tongues, prophecy is more valuable to the church as a whole. A person who speaks in a tongue is only talking to God, and no one else can understand what they are saying. While that is spiritually valuable to that person, it does not build up the church as a whole.
Paul says that the person speaking in tongues utters mysteries by the Spirit. The phrase “by the Spirit” in this verse is an interesting one. In this NIV quoted above, the word Spirit is capitalized, thus implying that it is the Holy Spirit. However, the original Greek was written in all capital letters, and our more readable manuscripts today are written in mostly lowercase, so the fact that it is capitalized has been added in by a translator at some point. So, some commentators say that this refers to the person’s own spirit, referencing verses 14-15 where Paul talks about his own spirit. Often, the Greek word for “holy” will also accompany the word for spirit for clarity, but here it just says spirit, so that is left to interpretation.
In contrast to a person speaking in a tongue, a person who prophesies speaks to the people and helps them (verse 3). While no one else may understand the person speaking in a tongue, the gift of prophecy is more widely understood and is beneficial to all believers present, not just the one who spoke in the tongue. Prophecy can strengthen the faith of believers, it can encourage believers to keep fighting the good fight of faith, and it can provide comfort in times of distress.
Paul makes this distinction clearer in verse 4: “Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.” The word translated as “edifies” means building up or strengthening. While it literally can refer to building a house or a structure, here it has the figurative meaning of building up one’s faith. It is related to the verbs for encouragement and comfort in the previous verse, which are ways that our faith is built up or strengthened.
Paul summarizes his points in verse 5: “I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.” He is instructing them to speak in tongues, but it is even more important that they focus on the gift of prophesying. It is of greater importance to build up the church as a whole than for one believer to speak in a tongue to God. Paul doesn’t dismiss the spiritual gift of tongues entirely, of course, noting that it’s different if someone interprets the tongue. If someone interprets, then that, too, can build up and strengthen the church as a whole.
Today, there is much debate on whether these gifts of prophesying and speaking in tongues still occur. Many say they do and still experience these gifts, while many say those gifts ended when the Scriptures were completed. But Paul’s point is not to spark debate on these; Paul’s point is that the church as a whole must be edified and strengthened when we come together to worship. When we come together as a body of believers, we should not simply be seeking that our own faith is strengthened but that the faith of all those gathered is strengthened.
For Paul, it’s all about the community, not the individual. Our modern individualistic world has twisted that around and focuses on the individual person. It’s all about our individual tastes and preferences – what we like and are comfortable with, not what is best for the body of Christ as a whole. Going back to the start of this passage, we need to actively pursue that self-sacrificial love that God has for us. We do that by building up the body and glorifying God when we come together, not focusing on our personal preferences and what will help only ourselves.
While this passage does provide instruction for the first-century Corinthian church on the use of the gifts of speaking in a tongue and prophecy, it should also help us refocus our worship time. We are to focus on whatever builds up the body of Christ over our own personal preferences and experiences. The next time you gather together with other believers, seek to glorify God and build up the church through all that you say and do.
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