Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveC519
Hello TRFrance,
Brother, I have a question: when you are referring to "praying in tongues" (prayer language), are you referring to that activity which the believer does between himself and God, which is not broadcast to the assembly, or are you referring to a message in tongues, as in "tongues and interpretation", which is broadcast to the assembly?
If the former (private prayer), then how does this qualify as a gift of the Spirit, seeing as Paul instructed that the gifts of the Spirit were for the edifying of the entire Church ( 1Cor 14:12)? |
There is no contradiction or inconsistency at all, brother.
If you look carefully at what Paul says in that chapter, (I've quoted the relevant verses multiple times already on this thread, so I'll just speak generally here
1/ Paul makes it quite clear that he is discussing spiritual gifts (1 cor 12:1, 14:1). And he speaks of private prayer in tongues("prayer language") in that very context/setting, right alongside his explanation of the other spiritual gifts (why? clearly because private prayer in tongues is itself a manifestation of a spiritual gift), but also
2/ He specifically says that the gift tongues edify only the individual, and only edify the rest of the body if it is manifested in conjunction with the gift of interpretation.
Yes, all sipritual gifts, including the gift of tongues (whether in private prayer, or with interpretation ) are for the edifying of the body of Christ. Just because the other hearers in the church gathering are not edified, doesn't mean the body of Christ is not being edified. It is, in the sense that the individuals within the body are benefitting because their spirits are being edified; But Paul is saying that others around them are not getting the benefit of what they're hearing unless there is an interpretation, and that's why he discouraged speaking in tongues in the congregation without the speaker or someone else in the congregation having the gift of interpretation in order to give word that would bless the other hearers.
( But just because it primarily benefits the speaker instead of the hearer doesnt make praying in tongues NOT a manifestation of the spritual gift of tongues. )
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