Purpose is To Bring Unbelievers to Christ
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 14:20-25 (NASB)
20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord. 22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
SUMMARY
Apostle Paul tells Corinthians to be an infant in evil, but be mature in thinking. Paul says tongues are for a sign for unbelievers but prophecy is for a sign to believers. So if the whole congregation gathers to all speak in tongues, the unbelievers and ungifted may see it and question the sanity of the church. However, if the church prophecy, unbelievers and ungifted may enter and be convicted when the secrets of his heart are disclosed.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
There must have been some disorder in Corinthian church when exercising the spiritual gifts. Maybe the Corinthian church lacked the maturity and pursued the gift of tongue without wisdom. The purpose of the spiritual gifts is not to use our gifts for the sake of using the gift, but rather to open the hearts of the unbelievers and the ungifted. Apostle Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:11 to make a point that the gift of tongue may not be effective in getting the attention of the unbeliever or the ungifted, because they are not speaking in a way unbelievers can understand. The gift of prophecy however can draw out what is in the heart of unbeliever and the ungifted so they may worship the Lord. “A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out.” (Provebs 20:5 NASB) The goal is to bring others to Jesus and get them to worship Him, not to have others look up to the one spiritually gifted.
APPLICATION
This passage convicted me that whatever the spiritual gift God had granted me I must use the spiritual gifts to form relationships and to bring them to Christ and if praying and communicating in an exclusive manner in secret language only God can understand does not help to engage the unbelievers and the ungifted, I must be careful not to use the gift recklessly.
In order for me to prophesy I have to go into deep prayer and sometimes it is not easy to wait for the Lord to give me a vision or a bible verse, it is harder to pursue it than the gift of tongue, but I must not give up on it. I realize I need to listen to God more, which is how you receive the prophecy. Then I must speak in a way that engages an unbeliever or an ungifted, I am called as a believer to be the bridge between the unbeliever and God, so the unbeliever may come to repentance and worship the Lord.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord, for giving us spiritual gifts to edify each other and draw people to You. I am sorry I have been afraid to use the gifts You have given us and I have been passive in using my gifts to bring people closer to You. I want to be bold in proclaiming the gospel and if the spiritual gifts can reveal Your power and bring them to worship You I will use them in obedience for that purpose. Please help me to be brave, wise, and proactive in using the spiritual gifts. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
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