The most Excellent Way of Love

The Gospel for Life

Geoff Thomas: The Holy Spirit – Chapter 16: “The most Excellent Way of Love”
Opening verses: 1 Corinthians 13-14
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GIFT OF LOVE Pg. 177-180
“Love is the supreme grace given to every believer. If the church is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, it is also the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God. It is the community in which our delight is to keep the greatest commandments to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves, because we are full of Christ’s grace. To fall short of love is to break the greatest of all commandments.” Pg. 177
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GIFT OF PROPHECY
The goal of prophecy, according to verse 3, is to strengthen, encourage, and comfort others. Pg. 180-181
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GIFT OF TONGUES Pg. 181-
The gift of tongues appears to be a lesser gift because Paul says, ““I wish all of you spoke in tongues, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets
so that the church may be built up.”1 Corinthians 14:5, CSB vs. 5 Pg 181
1. What exactly is this gift? Acts 2 is the first place in the New Testament where we read of the gift of tongues. Under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit, this gift allows believers to speak in languages they have not previously known.
The gift of tongues actually has three aspects:
I. the gift of speaking an unknown language,
II. the gift of the speaker to understand and interpret what he says,
III. and the gift of people who can deliver the correct interpretation of those words to others
1. To whom is this gift directed? The gift of tongues is directed to God (v. 2), Paul says, and declares how great God is in creation and redemption. The gift of prophecy is directed to people. The strength of prophecy is that everyone in
the church may hear it, understand it, and be edified by it (v. 4), whereas the words of a foreign language spoken by a person with the gift of tongues are limited in usefulness, particularly if no one understands them.
2. How do unbelievers respond to this gift?
If unbelievers come to a worship service in Corinth where everyone
speaks in tongues at the same time, they might conclude that believers are out of their mind, Paul says (v. 23). The doubts of visitors about Christianity might only be confirmed by what they see. By contrast, how different their response might be if one by one people in the church prophesy to one another (cf. v. 31), praising God for His goodness to them.
3. What part do tongues play in a worship service?
“Paul introduces guidelines for the exercise of spiritual gifts in worship. Two people (well, maybe three) may speak in tongues, and that is it. No more. Then the person with the gift of interpretation must speak. If a person with that gift is
not present, the tongue speaker must be silent.
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GIFT OF THE WORD Pg. 186 - 187
Did the Word of God come from you?
Did the word of God come to you only?
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