Paul concludes his advice on tongues, interpretation and prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:26-40) with some very practical advice. It seems that church services could be a little chaotic at Corinth, with everybody so eager to share that they were all talking at once! Paul advises order and give-and-take in these services. It’s good that everyone wants to participate, which is essential if the body is to be built up: ‘When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.’ (1 Cor 14:26; see also Eph 5:18-20, Col 3:16) However, he urges limitations on messages such as tongues and interpretation and prophecies to two or three and asks that these be given one at a time, not simultaneously! (1 Cor 14:27, 30, 31). Moreover, there is never any sense that the speakers are in some kind of ecstasy which cannot be controlled: he advises the one who seeks to bring a message in tongues to be silent if there is no interpreter present (1 Cor 14:28) and reminds them that the spirit of prophets is subject to their control (1 Cor 14:32). Clearly, the God who brought the whole universe into existence out of chaos (see Gen 1) is a ‘God of peace, not of disorder’ (1 Cor 14:33). Everything should be done in a ‘fitting and orderly way’ (1 Cor 14:40), rather than services being a free-for-all which cause confusion and even fear.
It’s interesting to see that spiritual gifts – often viewed suspiciously and nervously by many because they are, by definition, beyond our rational understanding – are treated in a very practical and matter-of-fact way by Paul. There is something quite prosaic and pragmatic about his approach in this chapter. Casting Crowns talk of ‘reckless abandon wrapped in common sense’ (‘Somewhere In The Middle’), a phrase I believe captures something of Paul’s teaching in this chapter. The God who made us body, soul and spirit knows that every part of us can be used to serve Him. We pray with our minds and our spirits; understanding and reason have their place, but so do spiritual gifts! Getting the right balance is not always easy; hence the need to ‘weigh carefully’ what is said through the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 14:29). Michael Green suggests 7 criteria for judging the gift of prophecy:
(1) Does it glorify God rather than the speaker, church, or denomination?
(2) Does it accord with Scripture?
(3) Does it build up the church?
(4) Is it spoken in love?
(5) Does the speaker submit him- or herself to the judgment and consensus of others in spiritual humility?
(6) Is the speaker in control of him- or herself?
(7) Is there a reasonable amount of instruction, or does the message seem excessive in detail?
These questions again may seem very prosaic, but as we seek to grow in these gifts, we need to be aware that the God of peace will lead us in every step and help us to grow to maturity in ways that are not necessarily extravagant or outwardly ‘special’. Spiritual gifts are indeed supernatural revelation given to build up, encourage, strengthen and comfort the church, but that’s no reason to throw out common sense or reason either. Getting the balance is always the tricky part!