How to Use the Gift from God

Edifying Each Other in the Church

Some of the problems that happened in the Corinthian Church were caused by the things that supposed be blessing to the church. These thing brought the disruptions to the church instead of blessings. Paul wrote in chapter 11 that these problems appeared especially within the Lord’s supper. And in chapter 13 and chapter 14, Paul wrote specifically about the prophecy and tongues. Because these spiritual gifts from God have to be used in the right way in order to edify others.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

To Pursue the Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

What Paul emphasized in his explanation about prophecy and tongues is to pursue love. Because even if someone have the gift of prophecy or the gift to speak in a tongue, if the person have no love, there is no point of prophesying or speaking in tongue. Paul described these “gift with no love the noisy gong and the clanging cymbal.

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:1

Using the Gifts from God for Wrong Purpose

As Paul wrote in these chapters, there were some people in the church that had the gift of prophecy and the gift of speaking in tongues. So Paul taught them the right way to use these gifts and talents, so that it will not cause the whirl in the church. Paul explained these in details and taught them to have few people speak in tongues, one by one and to have someone interpret the unknown tongue. So it is clear that the unknown tongues were not restricted in the church, but Paul had to teach them the right purpose of it in order to bring unity in the church.

“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:26-27

How to Use the Gift from God

If the people in church do not use their gifts and talent from God for right purpose, these things can split up the church. So it was the same as the problem that they had about the Lord’s supper in the church. Because there were some people in the church that were drunk or starve during the Lord’s supper. The Lord’s supper is the ceremony for remembering the love of God, but some people used it for their own lust. So Paul taught the church not to use their gifts for their lusts.

“So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:12

What is Love?

What Paul said about the gifts of prophecy and tongues that they are nothing without love, can also be applied to other gifts and talent. Because God gave people many kinds of talents, like teaching and giving. So in chapter 13 and 14 Paul taught the church to use these gifts with love to edify each other.

Paul also taught them to pursue love. And the love is explained in details in chapter 13, from verse 4 to 7. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7