Rebecca’s Well: Paul’s Teachings on Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues – Pt. 2

Continued from last week

Spiritual Gifts In the Body of Christ for Ministry and Worship
(I Corinthians 12:1-14:40)

• Word of Wisdom
• Word of Knowledge
• Faith
• Gifts of Healing
• Working of Miracles
• Prophecy (Preaching, teaching, forth-telling the Word of God)
• Discerning of Spirits
• Divers Kinds of Tongues
• Interpretation of Tongues

In Corinthians the gifts are Spiritual Enablements and Capacity for specific service.
Every believer has one or several gifts and as such has a definite ministry. (vs. 7)
The gifts are diverse (vs. 4,5,6, 8-10, 28-30) but all are equally honorable and different.

In Ephesians the gifts are men and women who have such Enablements (Ephesians 4:7-13)

Apostles (those who were eye witnesses to Jesus)

• Prophets
• Evangelists
• Pastors
• Teachers

Divers Kinds of Tongues (Glossolalia, ecstatic utterances or speech)

• New Tongues
(Mark 16: 17)
• Other Tongues
(Acts 2:4)
• Our Tongue (Language)
(Acts 2:8)
• Our Tongues (Languages)
(Acts 2: 11)
• Unknown Tongue
(I Corinthians 14:2)
• Speak with Tongues
(Acts 10:46)

I Corinthians 14:1-5: Paul speaks about the gifts of Prophecy and Tongues.

• For those who speak in tongues speak to God not other people.
• For nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the spirit.
• Those who speak in a tongue build themselves up. Those who prophesy build up the church.
• Now I (Paul) would like for all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy.
• One who prophesies is greater them one who speaks in tongues unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

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Speaking in tongues is a legitimate gift of the Holy Spirit, but the Corinthian believers were using it as a sign of spiritual superiority rather than as a means to spiritual unity.
Tongues are the embodiment of all sounds; and so, it is no wonder “that every man heard them speak in their own language the wonderful works of God.” (Acts 2:6-11)
Tongues are the Divine Message and Interpretation of Tongues, the line of communication.

To Be Continued…