by Timothy W. Burnett
"Follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy" (1Corinthians 14:1). The word "gifts" was added by the King James writers. The word "spiritual" is translated from an earlier Greek word that meant spiritual matters. Seek after the love of God and endearingly desire spiritual matters in our lives. But at the same time desire greatly to prophesy.
"For he that speaks in a tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God. For no man understands him, howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he that prophesies speaks unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort. He that speaks in a tongue edifies himself. But he that prophesies edifies the church" (1Corinthians 14:2-4). When we speak in tongues we are not speaking to other people, but to God. This is simply the way God designed it to be. Speaking in tongues is not meant to be understood by others.
We also learn that speaking in tongues involves speaking mysteries, among other things. We might ask how speaking in tongues edifies the one speaking if what is spoken is not understoodl Christians are identified by the spirit of God that is in them. It's God in Christ, and Christ in us (Ephesians 1:27). That unique spirit that we are identified by is actually what is being edified. because our spirit in us is edified, it stands to reason that we will ultimately be edified.
"I would that you all spoke with tongues, but rather that you prophesied. For greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying" (1Corinthians 14:5). The contextual setting is the assembly of believers. Speaking for God, Paul clearly states that all Christians should be speaking in tongues in their personal prayer lives, but in the context of Christian assemblies, he would rather that believers prophesied. For during the churhc gatherings it is better for people to prophesy than to speak in tongues with the exception of those who believe to give the interpretation of the spoken tongues.
"Now brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge or by prophesying or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" What a fantastic analogy! We understand the sound of the emergency horn that announces a fire. What if that horn belted out one loud tone that beeped? Nobody would know what it meant. If not for the pagin system, even the fire fighters would be confused.
During an assembly of believing Christians, everybody would be confused if somebody started speaking in tongues in a disorderly manner without believing to give the interpretation of what was spoken. As it says in verse 9, "So likewise except you utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For you shall speak into the air." The air receives the orderly sound frequencies, but the church receives nothing.
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