Friday, September 2, 2011
I Corinthians 14: 3-5
He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spoke with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied; for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh in tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
At the beginning of this week, I defined the words "comfort", "exhortation", and "edification": Comfort means to bear one anothers burdens; Exhortation means to call forward; Edification means to build up and increase. These terms are vital in the Christian life, because they are the core of the life and teachings of JESUS. JESUS came to comfort, to call forth and to instruct humankind in the ways of GOD. We have been commissioned by JESUS to go and to do likewise.
The heavenly language, or tongues, edifies the individual with wisdom from GOD, so that he may comfort, exhort and edify in the way of GOD. Prophesy, then, becomes the interpretation of tongues spoken forth, to bring all hearers into living a Godly life. Vain and false prophets speak what they hear others speak or what they conclude from their own thinking; the GODLY prophet knows the mind of Christ and speaks from that mind.
The Apostle Paul is very clear that we should all pray to prophesy for the edification of the Church. We should also pray to speak to the LORD in His language, so that the edification be of GOD and not of ourselves.
TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT IS PROPHESY
I Corinthians 14: 3-5
He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spoke with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied; for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh in tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
At the beginning of this week, I defined the words "comfort", "exhortation", and "edification": Comfort means to bear one anothers burdens; Exhortation means to call forward; Edification means to build up and increase. These terms are vital in the Christian life, because they are the core of the life and teachings of JESUS. JESUS came to comfort, to call forth and to instruct humankind in the ways of GOD. We have been commissioned by JESUS to go and to do likewise.
The heavenly language, or tongues, edifies the individual with wisdom from GOD, so that he may comfort, exhort and edify in the way of GOD. Prophesy, then, becomes the interpretation of tongues spoken forth, to bring all hearers into living a Godly life. Vain and false prophets speak what they hear others speak or what they conclude from their own thinking; the GODLY prophet knows the mind of Christ and speaks from that mind.
The Apostle Paul is very clear that we should all pray to prophesy for the edification of the Church. We should also pray to speak to the LORD in His language, so that the edification be of GOD and not of ourselves.
TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT IS PROPHESY
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