Listen and learn

In the church today, there are a number of things people argue over. The wide range consists of music, liturgy, doctrine, pastors, deacons and anything that can be argued over. Because if it can be argued, it will be argued when you get a group of people in the same room enough times. One of the hot button issues is of course, tongues. I'm not going to get into the theology of tongues because it is a waste of time (i speak english, thats enough for me). But the Corinthians had a different view on it. The Corinthian church (who the apostle Paul wrote to on two occasions) was very distracted by the things of this world. All throughout 1 Corinthians, Paul is rebuking and instructing the Church at Corinth for adultery among leaders, causing strife, refusing to discipline a member among other things. But to me the most interesting is his instruction to them on the subject of spiritual gifts, specfically tongues. Evidently the Corinthians had been inquiring about tongues (most likely due to the fact that the events at Pentecoast had by now been known for some time) and how they could be able to speak in tongues. In chapter 14, Paul responds by informing them that the gift of prophesy is a much greater gift, because the prophet speaks truth directly to the people and unless a speaker of tongues has an interpreter, no one understands them but God. He goes on about this for a while, because the church at Corinth was in shambles, and was focused on the completely wrong thing. They were so enveloped by the romantic and fascinating idea of speaking in tongues, that they were ignoring the fact that they really just needed to hear truth. If any of them would have practiced prophecy, and rebuked those living in sin and the church that accepted it, they would have been able to move onto becoming a productive vessel of the Gospel. Instead, Paul had to do it for them and as a friend of mine calls it, "Bible smack" them. He references Isaiah and tells them of when the Israelites refused all the prophets teaching and went on living in sin. God allowed the Assyrians ("Men of foreign tongues") to come and conquer them. The Israelites did not listen to their own prophets when they spoke because they did not believe it to be abything special and that the way they were living was completely alright. Paul uses this reference to show the Corinthians that they did not need men who speaks tongues, but to just listen to those speaking the truth with them! If only we, as the modern church, would stop listening to those who speak heresies and weak doctrine. The people who stand up and say sin is alright because Christ died for all. Listen to the prophets among you, who are pointing you towards the Lord. Do not wait for the fantastic sign from God (i.e. tongues) to rebuke you. From my point of view, it is a fantastic sign from God that there is anyone who knows the truth anymore, that has not been morally defeated by our sinful and infective culture. We need to correct ourselves, and keep our eyes focused on the example Christ set for us. We won't get many chances to listen. The number of men willing to stand up and speak the truth is only going to get smaller. Make sure that when you hear one, and hopefully you'll know them by their love and speech, you try and apply what they say to your heart. I know, that when I finally face God, I don't want to have to tell Him that i heard the truth hundreds of times, but never took the time to listen, because I was waiting for something more "fantastic". The only thing He could say in response is that nothing, will ever be more fantastic than the truth.


1 Corinthians 14:20-21 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. In the Law it is written, "BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME," says the Lord.