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Of Tongues and Prophecies

Writer's picture: Allison WilcoxAllison Wilcox

Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts and especially that you may prophesy. For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God, for no one understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. But those who prophesy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church. Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. ~ I Corinthians 14:1-5


I admit that I always thought speaking in tongues was strange and weird.


And not real. I mean, anyone could just blather on a made up language and say they were talking to God, right?


But then one night, my mom and I were at a church conference and in the middle of the night, she woke me up because she was...


Speaking in tongues. She was asleep, so pretty sure she didn't know she was. But the words out of her mouth weren't words that I could decipher. (And she sounded quite confident as she said them in her sleep)!


Now, I'd argue with Paul here that I don't think my mom was building herself up. And it isn't for me to decide just what she was saying - or if God understood her and approved.


I'd also argue that not everyone who prophesies is actually prophesying something worthwhile to God either.


And discerning the difference can be really hard.


But maybe one way to tell whether speaking in tongues or speaking words of prophesy is "of God," is to see the fruit they bear.


What or who is being built up?


The community? The individual? God?


I'm guessing you and I won't be speaking in tongues anytime soon. But whatever words we use, may they be word that point not to ourselves, but to the good news.


News that is good enough to share!



Holy One, help me to mind my words so that they build up your people and point always to you. Amen




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