Devotions

edification is spiritual, confusion is not

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 14:10-12

1Co 14:10 There are probably a great many families of languages in the world, and nothing spoken is unintelligible.
1Co 14:11 This means that if I do not have the ability to understand the language, I will be a barbarian to the speaker, and the speaker will be a barbarian to me.
1Co 14:12 For this reason, you also, since you are seeking spiritual things, you should seek to get better at building up the church.

edification is spiritual, confusion is not

Paul’s argument in this section depends on a simple but often‑overlooked observation: the “tongues” he describes are real human languages—languages that exist “in the world,” each carrying meaning for those who naturally speak them. These languages are not mystical sounds or private spiritual syllables. They are communicative tools. When spoken to the right audience, they convey the gospel with clarity and power. But when spoken outside that audience, they lose their function. They become noise. They create what Paul calls barbaroi—outsiders, people left standing on the outside of understanding. In that setting, the speaker becomes a “barbarian” to the listeners, and the listeners become “barbarians” to the speaker. The result is confusion, not edification.

This is the heart of Paul’s concern. The Corinthian assemblies had individuals with genuine linguistic abilities, but these abilities were being displayed in the wrong context. The result was not spiritual enrichment but bewilderment. Confusion, in Paul’s view, is not a mark of the Spirit’s presence. Confusion does not build up the church. Confusion does not reveal Christ. Confusion does not strengthen faith. It only isolates, divides, and distracts.

Edification, on the other hand, is deeply spiritual. Edification requires understanding. Understanding requires intelligible speech. And intelligible speech requires that the message be delivered in a language the listeners actually know. This is why Paul consistently elevates prophecy in the gathered assembly: prophecy communicates. Prophecy strengthens. Prophecy consoles. Prophecy builds up the body because it speaks truth in a form the whole body can grasp.

The principle Paul lays down is both pastoral and practical. If a community desires an atmosphere that reflects genuine spirituality, practices that generate confusion must be set aside. Practices that promote clarity, unity, and mutual strengthening must be embraced. Spirituality is not measured by how dramatic something appears, but by how effectively it communicates Christ and builds up the church.

Paul’s vision is simple: the Spirit’s work is always intelligible, always purposeful, always directed toward the good of the community. Where understanding flourishes, spirituality flourishes. Where confusion reigns, the Spirit’s intention has been lost.

LORD, give us the courage to stop doing things that syfle edification.

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speaking into the air

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 14:7-9

1Co 14:7 Even soulless objects that are used to give off a sound — whether a wind or a stringed instrument — if it does not play the tunes clearly, how will anyone recognise what is blown or strummed?
1Co 14:8 Because, if a bugle gives off an unclear sound, who will get ready for battle?
1Co 14:9 In the same way, if you use your tongue for unclear speech, how will what is spoken be known? Because you will just be speaking into the air.

speaking into the air

In the previous reflection, the claim was made that the common modern idea of “tongues” as an ecstatic, unintelligible utterance does not match Paul’s teaching. That view—once embraced and taught with conviction—still holds a strong place in many Christian circles. Yet the passage under consideration pushes firmly against that interpretation. Paul described speech that cannot be understood by anyone present as “speaking into the air,” a phrase that signals futility rather than spirituality. He did not deny that such sounds might occur, but he refused to classify them as a meaningful ministry of the Spirit. For Paul, a gift that produces no understanding produces no edification, and a gift that produces no edification has missed its purpose.

Paul’s description of the genuine gift is far more grounded and far more practical. The Spirit‑given ability he had in mind was the capacity to proclaim the gospel in a real human language that was not one’s native tongue. This ability had clear missionary value. It allowed the message of Christ to cross linguistic boundaries without delay, enabling the church to reach people who otherwise would not hear the gospel in their own language. In that context—speaking to someone who actually understood the language being used—the gift became a powerful offering to God.

The problem in Corinth was not the gift itself but the setting in which it was being used. When this linguistic ability was displayed inside the congregation, where most believers could not understand the language being spoken, the result was confusion rather than edification. The message might have been spiritually authentic, but it remained inaccessible. Paul therefore urged those with this gift not to showcase it in the assembly. Without interpretation, the words became indistinct sound—real language, but meaningless to the hearers.

Paul’s counsel reflects a consistent principle running through the entire chapter: the Spirit gives gifts for the good of others. A gift that does not communicate cannot build up the church. A gift that cannot be understood cannot strengthen faith. The Corinthians had turned a missionary tool into a badge of spiritual prestige, and Paul redirected them toward a better way. The right gift, offered in the right context, becomes a true act of love. The same gift, used for display, becomes empty noise.

Paul’s teaching remains clear: the Spirit’s gifts are meant to communicate Christ, not to obscure him.

LORD, may we be considerate in our ministries, not doing them just for show for those would not benefit from them.

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tongues are for understanding

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 14:4-6

1Co 14:4 The one speaking in another language builds himself us, but the one prophesying builds up the church.
1Co 14:5 I wish all of you spoke in other languages, but I wish even more that you prophesied. The one prophesying is greater than the one speaking in other languages, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.
1Co 14:6 But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in other languages, how will I make you gain from that, unless I speak to you with a revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

tongues are for understanding

Paul affirms that the linguistic gifts in Corinth were real, valuable, and genuinely useful in the right setting. These believers had a legitimate ministry when they used their language abilities to communicate the gospel across cultural and linguistic boundaries. When an unbeliever who spoke one of those languages heard the message, the gift became an offering to God—an act of mission, a bridge built by the Spirit.

But inside the gathered fellowship, the situation changed. Most believers could not understand those languages. A message spoken in an unfamiliar tongue might be spiritually authentic, but it remained a mystery to the listeners. It could not edify, strengthen, or comfort them. Paul’s concern was not the gift itself but the effect it produced. A gift that leaves the church confused rather than nourished is being used out of place.

This is why Paul encourages prophecy in the assembly. Prophetic speech—whether it takes the form of unveiling a mystery, explaining Scripture, offering a warning, or giving encouragement—has one crucial advantage: it is understood. It reaches the mind and heart of the listeners. It builds up the community. And if an interpreter is present, then even a message in another language can serve the same purpose, because interpretation transforms mystery into meaning.

This context makes it clear that the popular idea of Paul referring to ecstatic, unintelligible utterances is a misunderstanding. Paul never suggests that the Spirit gives someone a supernatural ability to speak in a language that no one on earth can understand. That would contradict the entire argument he is making. The Spirit’s gifts are given for the good of others, not for private display. Paul consistently urges believers to use gifts that communicate, gifts that strengthen the church, gifts that advance the gospel.

The principle is simple: love governs the use of gifts. Love asks what will help the listeners. Love chooses clarity over spectacle. Love directs every gift toward the building up of the body. When the Corinthians used their linguistic abilities to impress one another, the gift became empty. When they used those abilities to reach the lost or edify the church through interpretation, the gift became a true offering to God.

Paul’s vision is practical and pastoral: the right gift, in the right context, offered in love, becomes a powerful instrument of the Spirit.

LORD, give us the wisdom to minister to others in such a way as to lead them to understand you.

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chasing love while giving gifts

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 14:1-3

1Co 14:1 You should chase love relentlessly, while still seeking to offer the gifts, especially so that you can prophesy.
1Co 14:2 Because the one speaking in a different language cannot communicate with his colleague, but to God, because no one of his colleagues understands him, but he speaks mysteries by the Spirit.
1Co 14:3 But the person prophesying speaks to his colleagues for their edification and encouragement and consolation.

chasing love while giving gifts

Paul now turns to a very specific problem in Corinth: the misuse of linguistic gifts. The fellowships included believers who could speak multiple languages—and they took great pride in these abilities. The problem was not the gift itself but the way it was being used. When a gifted linguist spoke in an unfamiliar language during worship, the unbeliever who shared that language might benefit, because the gospel was reaching someone who otherwise could not understand it. In that moment, the gift became an offering to God, a tool for mission, a bridge across cultural and linguistic barriers.

But for the rest of the congregation, those same words were unintelligible. They sounded like mysteries—real spiritual utterances, but without meaning for the gathered believers. The gift was genuine, but the context was wrong. It did not edify, strengthen, or console the church. It became impressive noise rather than spiritual nourishment.

By contrast, when a prophet spoke, the entire assembly understood. The message could build up the weary, encourage the discouraged, and comfort the wounded. Prophecy served the gathered church directly because it communicated truth in a way everyone could grasp. Paul is not pitting one gift against another; he is showing that love determines when and how each gift should be used.

This is why he urges them to “pursue love” relentlessly while still seeking to offer the gifts. Love is what teaches a believer to choose the right gift for the right moment. Love asks, Who will benefit from this? Who will understand? Who will be strengthened? Love refuses to use a gift merely to display spiritual status or gain admiration. Love directs every gift toward the gospel’s advance and the church’s good.

The Corinthians had been using their linguistic abilities as bragging rights, a way to appear spiritually elite. Paul redirects them toward a better way: gifts are not for self‑promotion but for service. When exercised in love, even the most spectacular gift becomes a tool for mission. When exercised without love, even the most impressive gift becomes empty.

Paul’s vision is simple and searching: the Spirit gives gifts for the sake of others, and love is what ensures they are used that way.

LORD, show us how to give you our gifts, while not offending each other.

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mystery in the mirror

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 13:11-13

1Co 13:11 When I was a minor, I spoke like a minor, I thought like a minor, I reasoned like a minor. When I became a man, I put aside the things associated with my having been a minor.
1Co 13:12 Because now we see an enigma when we look into a mirror, but later we will see face to face. Now I know piecemeal, later I will really know, just like I am really known.
1Co 13:13 But as it is, these three things last: faith, hope, and love; and love is the greater of these.

mystery in the mirror

Paul brings the Corinthians back to a sober, humbling truth: even the most dazzling gifts they celebrated were only partial, temporary expressions of what God would one day complete in them. Their enthusiasm for gifted leaders and spectacular manifestations had inflated their sense of spiritual maturity. Paul does not scold them for valuing the gifts; he simply reminds them that the gifts are not the finish line. They are early tools, suited for an early stage of growth.

He points them toward a future maturity—a time when the church will no longer see dim reflections but will see Christ clearly. In that future, the gifts they prize will no longer be necessary. Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge all belong to the era of partial understanding. They are good, but they are not permanent. Paul even includes himself in this limitation. He acknowledges that he, too, knows only in part. He cannot yet see himself as Christ sees him. His own identity, calling, and future glory remain mysteries that only full maturity will reveal.

This admission is striking. If Paul, with all his insight and experience, confesses his need to grow, how much more should the Corinthians temper their pride. Paul invites them to shift their focus from the temporary brilliance of gifts to the enduring qualities that mark true maturity. Gifts belong to the present age; virtues belong to the age to come.

So he directs their attention to three enduring qualities: faith, hope, and love. These are not spectacular. They do not draw crowds or create rivalries. They do not elevate one believer over another. Yet they are the qualities that will remain when the gifts have served their purpose. Faith will continue until sight replaces it. Hope will continue until fulfillment arrives. And love—love will continue forever.

Among these three, Paul says, love is the greatest. Not because faith and hope are unimportant, but because love alone belongs fully to both the present and the future. Love is the character of Christ himself. Love is the atmosphere of the coming kingdom. Love is the one virtue that will never be outgrown.

Paul’s message to the Corinthians is clear: pursue the gifts, but do not mistake them for maturity. The gifts will fade. Love will not. And only love can carry the church toward the fullness of what it will one day be in Christ.

LORD, make us more and more like the mature believers that you see, when you look at us through eternal eyes.

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love lasts

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 13:8-10

1Co 13:8 Love never dies out. But if there are prophecies proclaimed, they will be done away with; if languages spoken, they will cease to exist; if a mystery exists, it will be done away with.
1Co 13:9 Because we know things piecemeal, and we prophecy about things piecemeal;
1Co 13:10 but when the time of maturity comes, the piecemeal will be done away with.

love lasts

The Corinthians had been dazzled by the ministries that produced spectacle—prophecies that sounded like secret revelations, tongues that impressed the crowd, displays of supernatural power, and teachers who seemed able to unlock hidden layers of Scripture. None of these gifts were illegitimate. Paul never suggests that the dramatic gifts were imaginary or unimportant. His concern is subtler: the Corinthians had confused what is impressive with what is enduring. They had elevated the temporary above the permanent.

Paul’s corrective is both pastoral and penetrating. He reminds them that even the most astonishing gifts have an expiration date. Prophecies will cease—not because they are false, but because one day everything they point to will be fulfilled. Tongues will fall silent—not because they are unspiritual, but because one day all God’s people will understand one another perfectly. Knowledge—especially the kind that feels like uncovering mysteries—will fade, not because it is untrue, but because one day the full reality of God’s kingdom will be revealed, leaving no room for partial glimpses.

In contrast, love does not belong to the category of temporary gifts. Love is not a tool for a particular moment in the church’s development. Love is not a sign meant only for the present age. Love is the very character of God, and therefore it never becomes obsolete. When the church’s mission is complete, when the gifts have served their purpose, when faith becomes sight and hope becomes fulfillment, love will still be necessary. Love will still define the life of God’s people. Love will still bind the redeemed together in the presence of Christ.

Paul’s argument exposes the Corinthians’ misplaced priorities. They had been chasing the gifts that made them look powerful, insightful, or spiritually elite. Paul redirects their attention to the one thing that will matter forever. The gifts they prized were good, but they were temporary. Love is greater because it is eternal. Love is greater because it reflects the very heart of Christ. Love is greater because it alone gives lasting value to every other ministry.

In a church captivated by the spectacular, Paul calls them back to the essential. The gifts they admired will one day fade. Love will never fade. And only love can make the gifts they cherish truly fruitful.

LORD, show us how to minister to others in love.

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love and conflict

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

1Co 13:4 The love I am speaking of holds its temper, that love functions in a helpful manner, it does not envy, does not brag, does not show off,
1Co 13:5 does not behave disgracefully, does not seek it’s own way, is not provoked, and does not keep score when it is wronged,
1Co 13:6 nor does it celebrate when something unfair happens, but it joins the celebration when the truth prevails.
1Co 13:7 It puts up with all kinds of things, believes all kinds of things, hopes all kinds of things, endures all kinds of things.

love and conflict

What emerges in this section is Paul’s deliberate shift from abstract definitions of love to concrete demonstrations of what love does. The grammar itself makes the point. Every description in the passage is a verb. Love acts. Love responds. Love chooses. Love refuses. Paul is not offering a poetic meditation on the nature of love; he is giving a practical blueprint for how love behaves in real relationships, especially in a church fractured by rivalry. Translating the passage with verbs foregrounds Paul’s intention: love is not something admired from a distance but something enacted in the daily life of the community.

This becomes even clearer when the broader context is kept in view. Paul is not suddenly pausing his discussion of spiritual gifts to insert a sentimental interlude. He is still addressing the same problem that has dominated the letter: the rivalries, factions, and schisms tearing the Corinthian churches apart. The Corinthians were picking sides, elevating certain leaders, competing for prominence, and weaponizing their gifts. Into that environment, Paul introduces a radically different way of relating. Love becomes the alternative to rivalry, the antidote to division, the posture that makes unity possible.

Each verb in Paul’s list speaks directly into the social, political, and ecclesiastical conflicts that plagued Corinth. Love endures instead of retaliating. Love shows kindness instead of asserting superiority. Love refuses to envy the gifts of others and refuses to boast about its own. Love does not behave shamefully, does not insist on its own way, and does not keep a record of wrongs—all behaviors that had become common in Corinthian disputes. Love rejoices with the truth rather than aligning with whichever faction seems most advantageous. Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures—verbs that describe a community committed to reconciliation rather than escalation.

Paul is not offering an abstract ideal. He is giving the Corinthians a practical strategy for healing their divisions. Their method had been to choose sides and attack opponents. Paul’s method is to cultivate a community where every action is shaped by love. Love does not eliminate differences, but it transforms how differences are handled. It refuses to let conflict become contempt. It refuses to let giftedness become competition. It refuses to let disagreements fracture the body of Christ.

By turning love into a series of verbs, Paul shows that unity is not achieved by accident. It is achieved by choosing, again and again, to act in ways that reflect the character of Christ.

LORD, show us how to love, and stop conflict in its tracks.

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special ingredient

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

1Co 13:1 If I speak in the human languages and the angelic ones, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And if I have a prophecy, and I know all the mysteries and all the secret knowledge; and if I have all the faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And if I give everything to feed others, and if I can brag that I even hand over my body, but do not have love, it gains me nothing.

special ingredient

Paul now presses the Corinthians to face the uncomfortable truth that even their most impressive ministries could be hollow. They had been blessed with what he called the “greater gifts”—the mission‑shaping ministries that plant churches, strengthen believers, and extend the gospel. They were exercising those gifts with energy and confidence. Yet Paul warns them that it is entirely possible to do all those great things and still accomplish nothing of lasting value. The missing ingredient, the one element that determines whether any gift bears fruit, is love.

Paul’s language is intentionally extreme. He imagines the most gifted communicator—someone who can speak with the eloquence of angels, someone whose words can move crowds and cross cultures. Without love, that person’s voice becomes noise. The content may be brilliant, the delivery flawless, the audience vast, but without love it carries no spiritual weight.

He imagines someone with extraordinary knowledge—someone who understands mysteries hidden from others, someone whose insight seems almost supernatural. He imagines someone with faith so strong it can move mountains. Yet even these astonishing capacities amount to nothing if love is absent. Knowledge without love becomes arrogance. Power without love becomes manipulation. Faith without love becomes self‑promotion.

Paul then imagines the most sacrificial acts a person could offer. Someone might give away every possession, emptying their life for the sake of others. Someone might even surrender their own life in a final act of devotion. Yet even these ultimate sacrifices can be hollow if they are not rooted in love. Without love, generosity becomes a performance, and martyrdom becomes a monument to self.

Paul’s point is not to diminish the gifts. He has already affirmed their value and urged the Corinthians to keep seeking them. His point is that love is what makes every gift effective. Love is what turns speech into ministry, knowledge into wisdom, power into service, and sacrifice into worship. Love is the atmosphere in which the Spirit’s gifts accomplish their true purpose.

With love, every gift matters. Without love, none of them do.

Paul is preparing the Corinthians to see that love is not merely another gift on the list. It is the greatest gift, the one that gives meaning to all the others, the one that every believer can offer, and the one that reflects Christ most clearly in the life of the church.

LORD, whatever gifts we present to you, may they be seasoned with the special ingredient.

Posted in knowledge, leadership, love, ministry, spiritual gifts | Tagged 1 Corinthians 13 | Leave a comment

great, greater, even greater

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 12:29-31

1Co 12:29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not ministering miracles, are they?
1Co 12:30 All do not have gifts of healing, do they? All do not speak in other languages, do they? All do not translate, do they?
1Co 12:31 But you should be seeking to offer these greater gifts. And I will show you a way to be even more effective.

great, greater, even greater

Paul brings the argument to its climax by reminding the Corinthians of the remarkable beginning they had experienced. Few churches could claim the privilege of having Paul himself as their founding missionary. They had been planted by an apostle, nurtured by a gifted team, and enriched with what Paul calls the “greater gifts”—those mission‑oriented ministries that enable a church to reproduce itself and extend the gospel outward. These gifts were not merely impressive; they were essential to the church’s calling. They made the congregation capable of sending, supporting, and sustaining new works. Corinth had every reason to be grateful for such a beginning.

But Paul also knew the danger that accompanies early success. The Corinthians had begun to idolize the very leaders whose gifts were meant to serve Christ, not overshadow him. They had elevated the missionaries, prophets, and teachers to a status that distorted the purpose of their gifts. Instead of seeing these ministries as tools for building and multiplying the church, they treated them as marks of spiritual superiority. The result was pride, division, and a subtle shift in focus from Christ to the gifted individuals themselves.

At this point Paul introduces what he calls one of his “ways in Christ”—a principle he had lived, taught, and modeled across all the churches. This principle has the power to correct the Corinthians’ imbalance and make the entire congregation more effective than ever. The church should indeed continue to seek and exercise the greater gifts. Paul does not diminish their value. But he reveals that there is something even greater, something that surpasses the most powerful missionary gifts and is available to every believer without exception.

That something is love.

Paul’s argument is not sentimental. He is not contrasting love with ministry, as if the two were in competition. Instead, he is showing that love is the only environment in which the gifts can accomplish their true purpose. Without love, the greatest gifts become empty performances. Without love, the most gifted leaders become clanging symbols. Without love, the missionary cycle breaks down, and the church becomes self‑absorbed and unproductive.

Love is the one gift every believer can offer. It is the one ministry that cannot be counterfeited, the one virtue that reflects Christ most clearly, and the one power that can unite a fractured church. By placing love above all gifts, Paul redirects the Corinthians’ attention from the prestige of ministry to the heart of Christ himself.

LORD, thank you that in your wisdom, you have given us all the most effective means of worshipping you and demonstrating your presence. Thank you for the gift of love.

Posted in church, leadership, ministry, missions, spiritual gifts | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12 | Leave a comment

the missions gift list

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 12:26-28

1Co 12:26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it. If a part is respected, all the parts celebrate with it.
1Co 12:27 But you all are the body of Christ, and each is a part of it in some ways.
1Co 12:28 And God has arranged these parts in the church: first missionaries, second prophets, third teachers, next those ministering miracles, then those with gifts of healing, assisting, leading, communicating to different families of languages.

the missions gift list

Paul’s final movement in this section draws the whole argument together by showing how the Spirit’s gifts function within the larger mission of the church. The New Testament contains several gift lists, and none of them are identical because each serves a different pastoral purpose. Here, Paul seems to be sketching the sequence of gifts that typically emerge in the work of planting and establishing a new church. His list is not random; it reflects the natural progression of gospel expansion.

Missionaries come first. They enter unreached places, proclaim Christ, and gather the first cluster of new believers. Once that core exists, prophets are needed—those who can speak God’s word directly into the new community’s situation, calling them to break with old loyalties and align themselves with Christ. As the group stabilizes, teachers arise who can ground the believers in the full counsel of Scripture, giving depth and clarity to their faith.

Then come the supernatural signs—miracles and healings—which serve as divine confirmation that God is truly present among this new people. These manifestations strengthen faith and validate the message in contexts where the gospel is newly introduced. As the church matures, leaders emerge who can shepherd, organize, and guide the community toward stability and growth. Finally, language‑related gifts appear, enabling the church to cross cultural and linguistic boundaries so that it can send out its own missionaries and begin the cycle again.

Paul’s point is not merely descriptive. He is addressing the Corinthians’ habit of over‑stressing a few dramatic gifts while neglecting the rest. When a church fixates on only one or two gifts, the entire missionary cycle collapses. A congregation becomes inward‑looking, self‑absorbed, and spiritually stagnant. The gifts that should propel the church outward are sidelined, and the ministries that should build depth and maturity are overshadowed.

Paul’s vision is expansive. The Spirit equips the church not simply for internal enrichment but for ongoing mission. Every gift plays a role in that movement—from planting to strengthening to sending. When the full range of gifts is honored, the church becomes a living, multiplying body. When only a few gifts are celebrated, the church turns inward and loses its purpose.

Paul calls the Corinthians—and every church—to embrace the whole spectrum of the Spirit’s work so that Christ’s mission continues unhindered.

LORD, create in our churches an atmosphere where all the missions gifts can grow unhindered, so that we can reach the lost around us with your gospel.

Posted in church, cooperation, evangelism, missions, spiritual gifts | Tagged 1 Corinthians 12 | Leave a comment