Pray Psalm 103.1-6.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The LORD executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.

Sing Psalm 103.1-6.
(Old 100^th: All Creatures that on Earth Do Dwell)
O my soul, bless the LORD’s great Name! His many benefits proclaim:
He pardons sins and heals disease, and from the pit grants us release.

With mercy rich and steadfast love He satisfies us from above,
revives our youth, works righteousness, and justice serves for the oppressed.

Read 1 Corinthians 14.1-19; meditate on verses 6-19.

Preparation
1. Why does the Spirit give the gift of tongues?

2. What is the relationship between tongues and understanding?

Meditation
We can summarize Paul’s teaching succinctly as follows: Tongues are known languages (cf. Acts 2.1-12). Speaking in tongues—in languages that one has not learned but which, by the Spirit, one is able to employ—is a spiritual gift (1 Cor. 12.8-10). Not everyone will receive this gift, however (1 Cor. 12.30, where the construction in the Greek requires a negative answer). All speaking in tongues must be for edification or instruction, that is, for building-up others and the church in Christ (1 Cor. 14.12, 17, 19). Private use of tongues, for self-benefit only, is contradictory to the Spirit’s purpose in giving gifts (1 Cor. 12.4-7). Thus, any speaking in tongues in the assembly of God’s people must be with interpretation, either by the speaker or another interpreter (1 Cor. 14.13). In the absence of an interpreter, those who have the gift of tongues should be silent (1 Cor. 14.27, 28).

It does not surprise us that the Corinthians had managed to use this gift with confusion and boasting. After all, they were babes in Christ, childish in their understanding (v. 20). It appears some in the churches in Corinth were misusing this gift as a way of vaunting their supposed spirituality. The result was neither worship nor edification but confusion and division.

He commended them for being zealous for such spiritual gifts (v. 12); but he reminded them that the edification of the church—not the mere satisfying of self, and much less the vaunting of self—is the only proper use for any of the gifts of the Spirit. Lose that focus and what the Spirit intended as a gift can end up being an ego-booster and a stumbling-block.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
“For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?” (1 Cor. 14.8).

Can you imagine what would’ve happened if the folks standing around Jericho hadn’t blown their horns and trumpets as instructed? Here is what they were told to do: “It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat” (Josh. 6.5). What if, instead of a long blast, it had been merely a little toot? The walls of Jericho might still be standing.

The sound emanating from the Church today doesn’t seem to be rallying the troops. Could it be that we are speaking in uncertain terms, in tongues misunderstood?

God gave a tutorial on how to be understood:
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain!”
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly;
gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders,
gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
and the bride from her dressing room.
Let the priests, who minster to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar;
let them say, ‘Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not give Your heritage to reproach,
that the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2.1, 15-17).

Our message is the quintessential message; it must be understood correctly, else why give it?

On the Day of Pentecost, when this gift first appeared as a sound of rushing wind in the form of divided tongues as of fire “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave the utterance” (Acts 2.4). Suddenly and with great power. It most definitely was not some mediocre mumbling of gibberish with much self-aggrandizement. It was the Holy Spirit infusing Himself into, then bursting out of the people of God, for His glory and the benefit of others.

We, the body of Christ, must be at the forefront of speaking certain and sure sounds.

Perhaps God’s word to us through Joel is a good start: Blow the trumpet clearly, consecrate a fast of repentance, call for a sacred assembly of believers, gather all the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the leadership to corporately ask for forgiveness and restoration, and pray that God, in His mercy, will let our voices be raised together, fully understood, to share the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. And to clearly proclaim the additional Good News of the gift of His Holy Spirit, Who gives us understandable utterances for God’s glory and the good of others.

Henceforth we, like Paul, would rather speak clearly five understandable words than ten thousand words of uncertainty (1 Cor. 14.19). Give us utterance, Lord, with power—not a toot.

For reflection
1. Scripture insists on understanding as part of faith. What is understanding?

2. What opportunities for “speaking certain and sure sounds” will you have today? How should you prepare for these right now?

3. Whom will you encourage today to be faithful in their calling as a witness to Jesus?

Paul concludes that the gift of tongues has not been conferred with the view of giving occasion of boasting to a few, without yielding advantage to the Church. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on the 1 Corinthians 14.12

Pray Psalm 103.17-22.
Pray that, as you grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, you will grow in love for your fellow church members, and that you will seek only to edify and encourage them in all you do or say.

Sing Psalm 103.17-22.
(Old 100^th: All Creatures that on Earth Do Dwell)
But evermore to those who fear the LORD brings lovingkindness near;
His righteousness to them extends and to their children without end.

He rules upon His throne in heav’n; His sovereign rule o’er all is giv’n.
You angels, bless the LORD, rejoice, who live in strength to heed His voice.

All you who serve Him, bless the LORD, all you who heed His righteous Word!
Let all throughout the cosmos whole unite to praise Him, with my soul!

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available by clicking here.