O Lord Jesus, Amen, Hallelujah
6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
Our speaking should focus on doing these things. Revelation is when the light shines on the word and it removes the veil on our eyes so we can see and that word lights our path. Knowledge is when our jaw drops and we say "wow" that the Lord knew these things 2,000 years ago when no one else on earth knew them. Often this knowledge may be about you personally and you feel like you are being exposed. Both a word of revelation and a word of knowledge are prophesying, so the use of prophesying here emphasizes the "foretelling". Now those three things are great, but doctrine is also essential. Think of a sailboat with two sails, one is Revelation and the other is knowledge. The skipper is sitting at the rudder and he needs to be looking out ahead to know which way to go, that is foretelling, and the thing that keeps that boat sailing straight is the keel, that is doctrine. You need all four.
7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
It is terrifying to get up and speak in front of the assembly. This is why so many Christians sit in the pews as spectators. it is much easier, much safer. But if you strongly encourage all the members to speak one way they will protect themselves is to speak gibberish. I was taught it is better to speak five words: "O Lord Jesus, Amen, Hallelujah" than to speak for five minutes with gibberish. This is a very good principle. Keep it short, sweet and to the point. Praising the Lord is always a good word.
10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. 12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Consider all the spiritual gifts. What could be better than building others up in a way that will remain for eternity? There are a lot of works that look magnificent but in the end will simply make a very big bonfire. They are vanity. But we all know of little words, little gestures that helped us so much. No one else knows about them, no one clapped or cheered for that person but you know when you get to heaven you will seek them out to thank them.
13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
If I understand how to pray it will help me so much. Take the verse that the curse causeless will not land. That is great, pray over that and you can pray over that a hundred times. For example, "causeless", make sure you have repented and confessed and apply the blood to anything that could cause a curse to land. Ask the Lord is there anything you have done that could cause a curse to land? If the answer is no simply speak to those curses that come your way that they cannot land and are to return to sender.
16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? 17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
Do you see there are two goals to our speaking. We want to bless the Lord, but we also want to bless the Lord's people.
18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
Our speaking should focus on doing these things. Revelation is when the light shines on the word and it removes the veil on our eyes so we can see and that word lights our path. Knowledge is when our jaw drops and we say "wow" that the Lord knew these things 2,000 years ago when no one else on earth knew them. Often this knowledge may be about you personally and you feel like you are being exposed. Both a word of revelation and a word of knowledge are prophesying, so the use of prophesying here emphasizes the "foretelling". Now those three things are great, but doctrine is also essential. Think of a sailboat with two sails, one is Revelation and the other is knowledge. The skipper is sitting at the rudder and he needs to be looking out ahead to know which way to go, that is foretelling, and the thing that keeps that boat sailing straight is the keel, that is doctrine. You need all four.
7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
It is terrifying to get up and speak in front of the assembly. This is why so many Christians sit in the pews as spectators. it is much easier, much safer. But if you strongly encourage all the members to speak one way they will protect themselves is to speak gibberish. I was taught it is better to speak five words: "O Lord Jesus, Amen, Hallelujah" than to speak for five minutes with gibberish. This is a very good principle. Keep it short, sweet and to the point. Praising the Lord is always a good word.
10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. 12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Consider all the spiritual gifts. What could be better than building others up in a way that will remain for eternity? There are a lot of works that look magnificent but in the end will simply make a very big bonfire. They are vanity. But we all know of little words, little gestures that helped us so much. No one else knows about them, no one clapped or cheered for that person but you know when you get to heaven you will seek them out to thank them.
13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
If I understand how to pray it will help me so much. Take the verse that the curse causeless will not land. That is great, pray over that and you can pray over that a hundred times. For example, "causeless", make sure you have repented and confessed and apply the blood to anything that could cause a curse to land. Ask the Lord is there anything you have done that could cause a curse to land? If the answer is no simply speak to those curses that come your way that they cannot land and are to return to sender.
16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? 17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
Do you see there are two goals to our speaking. We want to bless the Lord, but we also want to bless the Lord's people.
18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.