August 3

1 CORINTHIANS 14

¹³ Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. ¹⁵ What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsidersay “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. – 1 Corinthians 14:13-19

1 CORINTHIANS 14 UNITY OF MIND AND SPIRIT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Since our Lord wants us to worship him in truth and Spirit

We need to align our minds and spirits as well to praise Him

When our minds are not in sync with our spirit, we develop confusion

That conflict inside us creates much chaos and division

If you line up your mind to the truth, you will have order

You’ll begin to see lies and then discern right from wrong.

In this letter, Paul brings about a very essential ingredient in a believer. Unity of mind and spirit is crucial to live a peaceful, productive and joyful life. Paul gives the example of the use of the gifts of tongue and interpretation. He says that if you can speak a language that you cannot explain or interpret, what good would that be for the hearers of your speaking in tongues? So, he encourages them to pray for the gift of interpretation or understanding of a certain declaration that they utter in another language. Just like when you are in a foreign place and you do not know the language of that nation, you would need an interpreter of that language in order for you to understand what they are saying. That would be the only time communication can happen. The same way when we have the gift of speaking in another language, we also need to pray for the ability to interpret what we just spoke about. Otherwise, it is of no use for building up the members of the church when we just utter something they don’t understand.

REFLECTION

• What are some of the effects of disunity with the mind and the spirit?

August 2

1 CORINTHIANS 14

⁶ Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? ⁷ If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? ⁸ And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? ⁹ So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, ¹¹ but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. ¹² So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. – 1 Corinthians 14:6-12

1 CORINTHIANS 14 THE GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If you have received the gift of speaking in tongues

You are able to utter another language you’ve never known

The Holy Spirit equips you to speak them so truth can be revealed

It doesn’t focus on your abilities but it aims to have the body edified

It makes one discern what is true and declare such to others

This gift is given to reveal truth, correct or encourage the believers.

According to bibleref.com “Paul never dismisses or discounts the gift of speaking in tongues, but his instructions seem to indicate that the gift was being misused in the Corinthian church services. Apparently, tongues were being used mostly for praying aloud to God in unknown languages. Paul agrees that this may be encouraging to the one who prays, but it is useless in the church service. If nobody can understand what is being said, the church is not being built up (1 Corinthians 14:1–17).”

Paul corrects the Corinthian believer not to misuse the gift of speaking in tongues. I think that all believers should take this reproof very seriously because one can easily edify oneself instead of the body of Christ. It could easily be turned into a self-focused ability or a performance-based act. This isn’t what spiritual gifts are supposed to be. It must not bring up the “self.” It needs to bring God all the praise and glory.

REFLECTION

• What are some ways that some churches have misused the gift of tongues?

August 1

1 CORINTHIANS 14

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. ² For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. ³ On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. ⁴ The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵ Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. – 1 Corinthians 14:1-5

1 CORINTHIANS 14 PURSUE LOVE & DESIRE PROPHETIC GIFT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As you grow in your love for the Lord

Make a conscious effort to resist the world

Seek and chase unconditional love for others

Desire to prophesy so you can build one another

Do not be tempted to edify your own self

It defies the purpose of the gifts you received.

A prophecy is a statement which predicts a certain thing or event that is going to occur in the future. To prophesy is to declare or say what one believes is going to happen. In the bible we can reflect on the different prophets who actually prophesied future events which later on came to pass. Some of these prophets who spoke divine messages to a king or the people were Samuel, Nathan, Elijah and Elisha. Later, some prophets wrote God’s messages to his people. They were Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, and Malachi. In 2 Peter 1:21, it says that ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. These prophets spoke beginning their prophecies with “Thus says the Lord” or “This is what the Lord God said.” They never claim that those messages they spoke are from them. Pastors or ministers are now our prophets because they speak the word of truth to the people so that they can understand God’s word and be built up to give glory to God. Any believer can be a prophet if they declare truth to mature others in their faith.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think Paul values prophetic gift as the highest spiritual gift?

July 31

1 CORINTHIANS 13

⁸ Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.¹³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

1 CORINTHIANS 13 LOVE IS ETERNAL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Like God who is love, love is eternal

All things ends but love prevails

While we are on earth, we will know little

But if we are one with God, all will be revealed

If we walk in love, we will never be misplaced

Hold on to love so you can experience God’s full grace.

In this letter, Paul is giving the Corinthian church a glimpse of heaven as he continues to reassure the believers that the way to eternal life is to walk in love. He wants them to see that only in loving will they fulfill the promise of eternity.

In 1 John 4:7-21, the apostle whom Jesus loved was given the revelation of who God is. Those verses say that we love because God gave us that love through his only begotten Son Jesus. That is the greatest love of all because he sacrificed and gave up his only Son to save mankind from the sinfulness that we all have inherited from Adam and Eve. Because he loved us so much, he was willing to sacrifice his own Son for our sake. These verses further talk not just what love is but who love is. God is love. He is “love” himself. It is not just an attribute or characteristic of his. He is the epitome of love. He is all about love. Since God himself has no beginning or no end, we know that anyone who believes in Christ will be transformed to God’s own likeness. The concept of love is deeper and greater than we all humans can fathom. It has no limits and it has no end just like God.

REFLECTION

·       How does verse 13 reiterate 1 John 4:8 which says anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love?

July 29

1 CORINTHIANS 12

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸ And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. – 1 Corinthians 12:27-31

1 CORINTHIANS 12 DESIRE HIGHER SPIRITUAL GIFTS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a member of the body of Christ, you are assigned functions

The Holy Spirit decides what kind of gifts you will be given

For some, he gives apostleship, to others, prophetic vision

While others are given the roles of teachers

Others are administrators or miracle workers

So, ask and desire higher spiritual gifts

Your Father will not deprive you of such a wish.

If you have a loving and godly father, you are assured that if you request anything from him that will be for your own good, you will receive such a wish. How much more if it is our heavenly Father. In this letter, Paul was explaining to the Corinthian church the various spiritual gifts that the Spirit bestows on God’s children. He also proposes to them that they should desire the higher gifts.

According to studylight.com, the Corinthians were focused on gifts that aimed to show how good they are rather than usefulness, hence “the gift of prophecy was neglected while languages sounded forth among them with great show, indeed but with little profit.” Paul wasn’t asking them to choose certain roles to play in the body of Christ, but he tells them to focus on those that will edify each member of the body and not bring much attention to themselves. Because we are fallen in our nature, it is easy to choose performance- based gifts that will also bring some form of glory to ourselves instead of bringing all the praise to our Lord.

REFLECTION

·       What do you think are higher spiritual gifts? Why do you think they are higher?

July 27

1 CORINTHIANS 12

¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

1 CORINTHIANS 12 MANY PARTS BUT ONE BODY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a member of the body of Christ

Each of the part of his body has a role to play

Although each have different functions to do

They are all aiming to give God splendor.

One of the most controversial topics in the church of Christ is the spiritual gifts. Many different denominations focus on certain gifts they like and bring about divisions among the churches. One church puts more importance on one gift than the other or one believer may rank a certain gift as better than the other. They miss the point of unity in the body of Christ. Our sinful nature will always have standards to follow. It is automatic for humans to compete and compare. We miss out on the purpose of God giving us these gifts when we look at it in a worldly manner. We think that these gifts are for our own edification and not for giving God the praise. We begin to classify certain gifts as better and some other ones as lesser.

Paul presents the division stirred by having a worldly mindset in discerning the spiritual gifts. It veers the believer away from the purpose of the gifts to unify all the parts of the body of Christ. It creates disunion and conflicts among the different parts.

REFLECTION

·       How can we minimize the tendency to highlight differences instead of unity?

July 25

1 CORINTHIANS 11

²⁹ For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰ That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. ³¹ But if we judgedourselves truly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplinedso that we may not be condemned along with the world. ³³ So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait forone another— ³⁴ if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. 1 Corinthians 11:29-34

1 CORINTHIANS 11 JUDGE ONESELF SO YOU WON’T BE JUDGED

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As sinful people, it is automatic for us to pass judgment on others

But if we are in relationship with God, we will love our brothers

We must only judge ourselves against the laws of the Lord

We do not use our preferences and the standards of the world

Let us examine our hearts constantly especially when taking communion

It will defile the Lord if we do not prepare for ourselves for this union with him.

Paul continues to guide the Corinthian church with regards to the Lord’s Supper. He explains the consequences of not preparing and examining one’s heart for this very important remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. This was instituted by Christ himself and they were all commanded to meet and remember this holy sacrifice he did on the cross. When we do not examine our hearts before we partake of it, we are putting judgment on ourselves and it can lead to our illness, weakness or even spiritual or physical death. Do all believers take this very seriously? Sometimes it becomes a chore and routine to receive communion without much thought on the process of preparing for it.

Paul talked about judgment here and he admonished them to judge oneself instead of others. It is easy for humans to point fingers at someone else instead of looking into one’s faults, weaknesses or even admit our own sins. When we do this, we deflect and cover up our sins, something we don’t want to do especially before communion. It tarnishes our hearts, it defiles the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to cleanse us from sin.

REFLECTION

• What are we missing when we do not examine our hearts for communion?