If you pick up your Bible right now and read 1 Corinthians 14 you will see that Paul spends a lot of time talking about the gifts of the spirit, primarily speaking in tongues and prophecy. I could spend these next paragraphs explaining (as best I could) what the gift of tongues or the gift of prophesy mean. But, over the years, I have learned how “controversial” these two gifts can be. Instead, of trying to convince you of what to believe, I challenge you to spend some time reading and delving into scripture to find what God is speaking to you about the gift of tongues or prophecy in your own life.
Because, even though these gifts are the main topics of our reading today, they are not the point of this chapter. The main point of 1 Corinthians 14 is that when it comes to corporate worship (a Church Service) Paul places the good of the congregation as a whole over the needs of the individual. Paul wants to insure that our worship servics create an environment where God can move and everyone can be blessed and built up. Some people like to use this chapter and these verses to create such confusion and perplexity that people pull away from God. But we read in this chapter that God is NOT a God of confusion.
For God is the God of harmony, not confusion, as is the pattern in all the churches of God’s holy Believers.
I Corinthians 14:33
The church services in Corinth were confused, chaotic, and hard to understand. There were no limits on who said what or when. Paul says that confusion is not in line with the character of God. God’s character is not confused, chaotic, or disorderly. Confusion and chaos do not express who He is and is not characteristic of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s final instruction in this chapter is his plea for balance.
So, beloved friends, with all this in mind, be passionate to prophesy and don’t forbid anyone from speaking in tongues, doing all things in a beautiful and orderly way.
I Corinthians 14:39-40
When the people of the Church come together, it is is a wonderful thing. It strengthens and encourages believers in their faith. The purpose of the Church is to unite us as believers, not to cause confusion and destruction.