So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everyone is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”  (1 Corinthians 14:23-25).

Wait a minute

Just a couple of verses ago, Paul seemed to be saying that the gift of tongues in the Church was for a sign for the unbeliever, and prophecy was for believers.

Now…

Yep, Beloved…it’s confusing. Just when you thought you understood, you come to the understanding that you do not, in fact, understand.

You’re welcome.

If you give it a minute, though, and maybe think about what I said yesterday, this might make a skosh more sense. God is interested in drawing both believer and unbeliever closer to Himself. He can use both tongues and prophecy–as well as any other gift– to accomplish that. What really matters is how the Corinthians were using those gifts. If their service was chaotic, it was likely to drive people away. If it was orderly, people would see the gifts at work, and the Holy Spirit could work on their hearts. 

And that’s the goal, is it not? That the Holy Spirit might work in people’s hearts. The Corinthians tended to lose sight of that goal.

Let us not.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved