It simply boggles the mind how vain men easily turn God’s glory into vanity fair.
God’s gifts are not for showmanship; they are for edification. Wonderfully enough, the folly of man can never subvert God’s standards.
Here was a very seemingly thorny issue that Apostle Paul had to deal with in the Corinthian Church. Speaking in tongues has been preferred and lifted to a point of making a show of it. To speak in tongue is to speak in an unknown language.
It is unintelligible and makes no sense to an unlearned hearer except it be interpreted and understood. When the disciples first spoke in tongues, it was principally to act as a convincing sign to the unbelievers who became “amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” (Acts 2:7,8).
Words that are devoid of meaning will make no impact upon the mind. To speak in an unknown tongue without due interpretation in an assembly is to reduce both the speaker and the hearer to barbarians.
In churches today, the central objective should be the understanding of every aspect of worship. Obtaining applause for oneself in preference to ministering to the souls of the members, is not a mark of a true Christian. We should rather “speak five words with understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue” “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church” (1 Corinthians 14:4, 19)
Speaking in tongues or even praying in tongues when Christians come together for worship is out-of-place when ministering one to another. Christians today should covet the more earnest spiritual gifts of charity and prophecy. But the gift of prophecy in its use should not be an invitation to confusion.
Prophecy from the Lord should be for the edification of the body of believers. We ought to watch carefully over the gifts we think we have and how we use them. How we need to pray that the Lord will guide us in the use of the gifts He has given us.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A meaningful word is better than ten thousand words without meaning.