Inglorious spots that hinders results
There will be no justice done to our discussion on praying to yield results with emphasis on praying in other tongues without highlighting the grey areas Paul took time to shed light on in I Corinthians 14. He addressed the problem of misconception that trailed the manifestation of the Spirit in the church at Corinth. The bulk of the abuse was on speaking with other tongues and lots of controversies were generated. His core message was on the purpose of praying in other tongues bearing in mind that whenever purpose is not well defined abuse becomes inevitable.
In I Corinthians 14, Paul dedicated the whole chapter to Praying in other tongues and prophecies in the church, stressing the need for church edification. He never meant to insinuate that praying in other tongues was less superior to prophecies only that he drew a comparison between the two in view of church edification. As a matter of fact, if he meant it was less superior, then he would not have said in vs. 18 that he thank God because he prays in tongues more than all of them in the Corinth church. For this same purpose of church edification, he said in verse 5 ‘I would prefer that you prophesy than pray in tongues because greater is he that prophesies than he that prays in tongues’. Though he had earlier stated in verse 4 that, he who prophesies edifies the church but he who prays in tongues edifies himself. On this very note, he then reiterated in verse 12 that everyone should endeavor to edify the church. His opinion was that prophecies will edify the church congregation rather than when someone comes out and all he is doing is to speak in an unknown language. This will definitely turn such individual to a statute to behold because the entire congregation will most likely be lost.
However, Paul admonished that if it becomes unavoidable that someone speaks in tongues during a church meeting, the interpretation of tongues as mentioned in verses 13 & 27 becomes necessary for the purpose of church edification. Notwithstanding, in the case where someone speaks in tongues while the church listens and no one interprets, then it means he is actually communicating to God and himself in which case the church members listening to him will obviously be lost. It is the same scenario he likened prophecies to in verse 19 that teaching through prophecies would not need an interpretation though it could be said in five words rather than a thousand words in tongues.
In I cointhians.14: 21-22 the idea of tongues being a sign for them that believe not is that through that they will hear some things that they naturally would not have expected to hear from such individual (i.e. what is being said in strange language is understood by the unbeliever); which implies that it is a medium for them to be blessed by the messages communicated through tongues. But prophesy is a sign to be manifested for the purpose of believers who upon hearing the messages being passed across find the relevance of such to themselves. In a similar development, while fellow believers are being exhorted by prophesies, any unbeliever that comes in and hears this same message, gets convicted because of the secrets of his heart that are made manifest. This was further stated as a continuation in verses 23-25.
His summary to cap the addressing of these misconceptions is that all things be done decently and in order, stressing the fact that when it has to do with congregating, seeking to edify the church should be the priority. All these he emphasized in verses 39 & 40 that they should covet to prophesy and also forbid not to speak with tongues. If we must pray in a church setting where people are gathered to worship then it is most appropriate to pray in our understanding i.e. pray in a language people will understand so that they can say amen when appropriate. This is the very reason Paul said I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also…I Corinthians 14: 15.
– adeyiga awomuti
