Edify, Exhort, Comfort

Alba 3-1-26

EDIFY, EXHORT AND COMFORT

I Corinthians 14:1-19

Two Sunday's ago before the sermon I played the song “This Love is Mine” by the Booth Brothers. Because the sermon was from the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians, the love chapter, it seemed appropriate. Also I like the song a lot. It is a beautiful tune and well done by the Booth Brothers. But I know that some of the words seemed muffled and difficult to understand. Whether it was because of the recording or the player, I'm not sure.

But so that you can have a better understanding of what the song was saying, I will give the words to you now.

“A living flame forever burning, An endless road that has no turning, The love of God will never die, And it reaches to such as I. I can't explain how God could save me. And I can't explain the love He gave me, But still its real. It lives today, And it never will pass away.

“This love is mine I know it, He gave His son to show it. He lifted me from depths of darkness, To walk in light divine. A love that has no ending, All other love's transcending, Forevermore with joy I'll tell it, This love is mine.”

Good words right? Isn't it so much better to understand what you are hearing? That is the main point of the fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Lets look at the first five verses of that chapter. Here is what they say: “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.”

Here we are given a comparison of two spiritual gifts, tongues and prophecy. And while the apostle Paul says, “I wish you all spoke in tongues”, he immediately says that he would prefer that they prophesied. He states that the reason is that to speak in a tongue, that is to speak in another language, people may hear you speaking but have no understanding of what is being said. God will know, but the congregation will not, unless there is an interpretation given.

In verses seven and eight Paul uses the example of musical instruments to make his point. Without a distinction of the sounds, he says, who can tell what is being played. And if an army is waiting for a signal to go to war, an uncertain bugle blast will cause confusion. Then in verse nine he says, “So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.”

In verses 18 and 19 Paul brags a little and says, “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.” And in verse 12 he tells them, “Since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.”

In verse five we are told that edification or strengthening, exhortation or encouragement, and comfort are what gives a blessing to the congregation of believers. And prophecy, not tongues, is what does it. This chapter begins reminding us that everything should be done in love. In verse one it says we are to “pursue love”, run after it, make it our goal. If we do that in the things we do and say, we will bless the church.

After saying “pursue love” it says to “desire spiritual gifts”. And why is that? Well a main purpose for spiritual gifts is for the church to be edified, built up, strengthened. Prophecy provides edification for the church. What does it mean to edify? Well this analogy may help: Think of an edifice. It is a structure, a building, especially one of good size built up giving an impressive appearance. It is not just a run-of-the-mill building. There is purpose to it. It stands out among others. As Christians we are to build each other up to bring the best out of each other. In other words, edify.

This is not the only place in scripture that the apostle Paul deals with spiritual gifts and their purpose.