Bible Believers' Newsletter #023

"Focus on the PRESENT Truth - what Jesus is doing NOW . . ." We greet you in the wonderful Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and appreciate your fellowship. This newsletter serves those of like precious faith and whosoever will receive the truth is welcome to feed their soul from the waters of the River of Life. Everything presented should e confirmed personally in your own !i le. "#m running way ehind schedule this week$ so " won#t e a le to write much %chat%. !ut " welcome all of our new su scri ers and welcome any &uestions you may have. This little offering is the transcript of a recent sermon. 'od !less you all ...

I Corinthians 12:1-14:17 - Gifts and Callings of God

Joel ()(*$ %+nd it shall come to pass afterward$ that " will pour out ,y -pirit upon +LL flesh. and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy$ your old men shall dream dreams$ your young men shall see visions.% ,ark /0)/12/*$ %+nd these signs shall follow them that elieve. "n ,y Name shall they cast out devils. they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents. and if they drink any deadly thing$ it shall not hurt them. they shall lay hands on the sick$ and they shall recover.% +cts /)3$ %4or John truly apti5ed with water. ut 678 shall e apti5ed with the 9oly 'host not many days hence.% 7n the day of :entecost these prophecies were fulfilled. The gifts were not confined to any one class of people such as the Levites ut e;tended to all classes <'alatians =)(*> in a wonderful diversity of -upernatural endowment. 8nder such e;traordinary circumstances and$ considering the spirit fell upon +LL flesh$ eing that there are genuine elievers$ make2 elievers$ and un2 elievers in every gathering$ it should e of no surprise to us that many disorders arose in that day$ as they have in this. 4or the 9oly -pirit falls on the ?ust and the un?ust 2 saints and sinners. Like + el and Cain$ they each worship 'od$ and like :ope John :aul "" each may have the %initial evidence% of speaking with other tongues. There would e the deluded and the impostors$ some with religious spirits$ and others dissatisfied with their gifts would envy those they felt were more highly favored. -ome may make an ostentations display of the -upernatural. "n pu lic assem lies$ great confusion would arise from so many persons wishing to employ their gifts at the same time. " Corinthians /@)(0$ %9ow is it then$ rethrenA when you come together$ every one of you has a psalm$ or a doctrine$ a tongue$ or revelation$ has an interpretation. Let all things e done unto edifying.% :erhaps you#ve attended a modern impersonation of the :entecostal or Laodicean Church +ge$ either under denominational groups or the Roman Catholic Charismatic movement. "t was the same kind of dis2 order and confusion :aul was working to eliminate. /

:aul wrote three chapters trying to put the gifts in order in the first Church +ge. !rother !ranham restored this order at the close of the Church +ges$ where the :entecostals$ like the Corinthians$ having turned aside from plain faith and practical Christianity$ were employing the gifts of the -pirit for personal gratification and %works%$ without regard for the edification of the whole !ody. They were confusing genuine inspiration on the soul with fanatical e;citement of the mortal spirit. :aul commences y stating$ %Concerning spiritual gifts$ rethren$ " would not have you ignorant% <" Corinthians /()/>. +nd you +RE ignorant concerning their nature and origin$ and influenced y demons concerning the use of these gifts. +fter teaching three chapters of protocols for their operation$ :aul says$ %"f any man would remain ignorant$ let him e so%. Read your !i le as " paraphrase " Corinthians /()(. 6ou know that you were formerly heathens$ in fellowship with demons sym oli5ed y idols that could not communicate$ and were ine;perienced as to the revelation of the living 'od. Therefore you are un&ualified to ?udge respecting these -piritual gifts. 6ou are not much etter now as you are -pirit a es in need of simple teaching. -o " am going to "N-TR8CT you in the proper purpose and appropriate use of -piritual gifts. <" Corinthians /()=>. Now the first thing to e understood is that no man speaking y inspiration of the -pirit of 'od in prophecy or an unknown tongue will anathemati5e the ,an Jesus. That word in the 9e rew is %cherem% and means to devote to destruction some unclean thing for the glory of 'od. Christians should do a word study on that$ ecause it will open their understanding to serpent seed and the destruction of all that offends 'od#s holiness in the Lake of 4ire. :aul adds that %no man can confess Jesus is ,essiah ut y the REBEL+T"7N of the 9oly -pirit%. This is what Jesus said to :eter in ,atthew /0)/12/*$ %!lessed are you$ -imon son of Jona) for flesh and lood <man$ ooks$ learning> has not REBE+LEC to you W97 " am$ ut my 4ather which is in heaven has REBE+LEC who " am and on this rock of -piritual REBEL+T"7N of the Word " will uild ,y Church. +nd the gates of hell shall not prevail against -piritual REBEL+T"7N of the Word$ or faith%. !rother !ranham said that %no true eliever is any stronger and spiritually healthy and alive than his knowledge of and adherence to the pure Word of 'od% <Church +ges$ //=)/>. This is the true test of a genuine utterance y the -pirit which Charismatics and :entecostal impersonators almost always fail nowadays. REBEL+T"7N y the -pirit. We receive the aptism of the 9oly -pirit which is the new irth$ +4TER we elieve$ y revelation of the Word for 78R day <+cts /D)(. Ephesians /)/=>. Without revelation y the -pirit$ indicating one is a -on of 'od we can only testify an intellectual conception we#ve LE+RNEC from the pastor$ or ooks like the !i le. <" Corinthians /()@21>$ :aul states that there is diversity in the gifts and in their purpose and operation$ ut their ,+N"4E-T+T"7N is for the common profit and edification of the W97LE !ody$ N7T individual gratification of the recipient. When the operation of gifts is perverted for self2e;altation$ it is idolatry. When they are continually mis2used out of order it is carnal ignorance that can neither glorify 'od or -piritual less 9is Church. %"t is more lessed to give than to receive% <+cts (E)(3>. -peaking of his gift of healing$ !rother !ranham said$ %This gift is not for my use%. 9e could not see visions at will or choose the visions he wanted to see. Jesus had the same limitation$ %The -on can do nothing of 9imself ut what the 4ather reveals in a vision) for whatsoever 9e does$ the -on does likewise%. Jesus$ :aul and !rother !ranham were e;amples of men under the preeminence of the 9oly -pirit. The gifts of the -pirit are 'od#s gifts and we should wait upon 9im to use them. +ll too often it is ,+N using 'od#s gifts against the will of 'od. (

Romans /()32D$ %We$ eing many$ are one ody in Christ$ and every one mem ers one of another. 9aving then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us. Let he whose gift is prophecy$ prophesy according to the proportion of faith. "f ministry let him W+"T on his ministering) or he that teaches$ upon teaching. 7r he that e;horts$ on e;hortation) he that gives$ let him do so with simplicity. he that rules$ with diligence. he that shows mercy$ with cheerfulness. Let love e sincere and without pretense%. Too often we see the gifts of the -pirit eing used y man and not y the -pirit ecause the man does not wait upon the -pirit for his ministry. !rother !ranham said %+ gift of 'od is ?ust knowing how to rela; yourself$ get yourself out of the way so 'od can come in and use you. "t ain#t something that you#ve got in your hand$ that you sta around with%. "n " Corinthians /()*2//$ :aul names the manifestations which seem to fall into three general categories)2 ". The capacity to discourse 2 %wisdom and knowledge%. The gift of the Word of wisdom is to understand the Word of 'od y the 9oly -pirit and show the Church where it is standing. The word of Wisdom can e said to e theoretical 2 for e;pounding the faith to the whole !ody. The gift of the Word of knowledge is prophecy which reveals the future from the Word of 'od or some past event or e;perience and has practical application for individual. "". %4aith% is knowing 'od#s will to manifest e;traordinary deeds. "t is the power of energi5ed will to e a le to accomplish what is impossi le with natural powers. :aul said in " Corinthians =)($ %Though " have the gift of faith$ so that " could remove mountains%. ,atthew /1)(E$ %Jesus said unto his disciples$ #..."f you have 4+"T9 as <unadulterated> as a grain of mustard seed <which can not e hy rid> you shall say unto this mountain$ Remove hence to yonder place. and it shall remove. and nothing shall e impossi le unto you#.% +nd in ,atthew (/)(/$ %"f you have faith$ and dou t not$ you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree$ ut also if you shall say unto this mountain$ #!e removed$ and e cast into the sea. it shall e done#.% 4or %... The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much% <James 3)/0>. The gift of %4aith% lifts the recipient eyond the realms of mere mortal certainty in the actual reali5ation of things elieved. We have an illustration of faith when !rother !ranham#s caused the eads on the light fitting to rotate in a clockwise direction and then counter rotate. +nd again in the first and second %pulls% of his ministry when he would take a person y the hand$ and diagnose their affliction or when he would discern the thoughts and intents of their heart. '"4T- of %9ealing% is plural. 'od works in many different ways to heal the sick) sometimes y preaching the Word$ sometimes y a neigh or who feels led to lay his hand on you$ or to pray for you. The nine -piritual gifts are in the W97LE !ody. +lthough a person may e anointed to manifest one or other of the gifts today$ they may never e anointed to operate that gift again. This applies to healing$ working of %miracles%$ or %prophecy%. The Word of 'od comes to a prophet ut the '"4T of prophecy is in the !ody. The -pirit might come upon a sister tonight to prophesy$ and may never come upon her for the rest of her life. "t may come on this woman the ne;t night$ may e on this man the ne;t time$ may e on one ack there the ne;t time. That doesn#t make any of them a prophet. +ny such prophecy must not e received until it is ?udged y two or three. !ut one doesn#t ?udge a prophet$ that#s a calling foreordained of 'od to that individual from the foundation of the world.

Then there is %discerning of the spirits% that prophesied) whether they are Civine$ demonic$ or human. %:rove all things$ hold fast that which is good% <" Thessalonians 3)(/>. :eter discerned the spirits in +cts 3 when he told +nanias and -apphira how they had lied to the 9oly 'host. """ -peaking with different %tongues%. Like the operation of the other gifts$ one who speaks in tongues today may never speak with tongues again. !rother !ranham said he spoke with tongues on one occasion a out one year after his new irth$ and on only a out two other occasions. The tongue is not a language intelligi le to the speaker so he can not discourse in the assem ly at will. The strange utterance is inspired y 'od. +nd as the speaker has no idea what he#s saying$ he should hold his peace unless in seclusion with 'od$ he has the gift of interpretation$ or an interpreter is present. "t#s a gift he should surrender to 'od to use if and when 9e chooses. %"nterpretation% of tongues is not learning the voca ulary of men or angels ut like tongues the message is inspired only in English or whatever the local language might e. The interpreter does not translate ut repeats what he has heard. !oth tongues and interpretation are spontaneous and must e ?udged y two or three witnesses with the gift of discernment efore they are released to the general congregation. These gifts should e in every local !ody$ inspired y the -pirit Who anoints the saints individually as 9e chooses. <" Corinthians /()/(2/=>$ the organic unity of the Church is typed y the human ody in the diversity of its mem ers and their functions. !ut the interdependence is such that the diversity is necessary for the unity of one complete !ody. We are all apti5ed into 7ne -pirit y which we are one y faith$ and all made to drink of 7ne -pirit. This cup seals the marriage contract or the New Testament in Christ#s lood <" Corinthians //)(3. D3E3(0.htm %"sraelite ,arriage%>. <" Corinthians /()/@2(0>$ as the !ody is not one mem er$ ut many$ it is as a surd for the foot to complain that it is not the hand as it is for one mem er of the !ody to complain that he is not another. Like the human ody$ the Church also re&uires a diversity of gifts and offices for its e;istence. 'od set these offices in 9is Church and gave them a Civine purpose and 9e set each individual saint in the !ody in sovereign grace %as it has pleased 9im%. -o :aul identifies the more highly gifted as e&ually dependent on those less favored as they are on them. 9e re ukes the more highly gifted as each mem er is indispensa le to the other and must show mutual interest and care. Therefore$ pride is as out of place in the Church$ as is discontent. :aul goes on to apply what has een said concerning the human ody to the individual mem ers of the Church of Christ. " Corinthians /()(1$ %Collectively you are the !ody of Christ ut individually you are mem ers of it 2 each with your own position and function. :aul names the 7ffices of the five2fold ministry and discourages e;clusive regard for particular gifts as diversity or distri ution was necessary so we cannot each possess them all. "t is worthwhile noting from Ephesians @ that the five2fold ministry is N7T for the sinner ut to ring to maturity those who are already saints. !rother !ranham descri ed this ministry in the ,essage$ %Warning then Judgment%. The highest office is the apostle who is a special man sent from 'od to set the things in order. @

The prophet is a special man to whom 'od#s Word comes first hand. 9is su conscious and first conscious are so close together that he doesn#t go to sleep to dream ut sees visions while he#s awake. That#s sovereignly given y 'od to ena le him to see future events. 9e sees the cup of 'od#s wrath$ full$ efore it is filled. 9e can say$ %T98- -+"T9 T9E L7RC. 'od will destroy the city e;cept you repent.% 'od likens 9is prophets to eagles. +n eagle is a special ird that can fly higher and see further than other irds ut unlike so many of them he is not a scavenger and eats only fresh meat. Likewise a prophet walks in the Light of the :RE-ENT Truth$ not the glare of a day gone y. Bindicated prophets have the Word and signs of 'od. 9is Word is not his own ut 'od#s$ and "t will come to pass. John saw the !ook of Revelation. "t didn#t happen in his day. !ut we see it coming to pass now. Caniel prophesied from his day to the ,illennium. 9e didn#t live to see it. 'od said$ %'o your way Caniel$ -eal up the ook$ you#ll sleep in your lot$ ut at that day you#ll stand.% The evangelist is a special man$ on fire for 'od. 9e runs into a city and preaches his message$ then moves on somewhere else. The pastor is a special person. 9e#s a urden2 earer$ the o; of the team$ uilt so he can confront the fusses of the people. 7ne who can mediate etween two families in dispute$ and reason it out without taking either side$ and ring them ack the sweetness. 9e knows how to take care of things. The teacher is a special man. 9e sits ack under the anointing of the -pirit and is a le to take the Words and put them together y the 9oly -pirit in such a way that the pastor or evangelist cannot compare with him. 6ou cannot mi; two or three offices together at the same time. +nd 'od#s ministers should e isolated persons$ not social leaders ut in the &uietness and :resence of the Lord. "t#s their duty to get the revelation and teach the people$ to solve any dou ts and prove their teaching efore the people without compromise 2 knowing they will answer for those souls on the day of ?udgment. "f 'od has sent a man as 9is am assador$ 9e has to honor 9is Word. +ll the power of 'od stands ehind 9is servants$ as it is written$ %Whatsoever you ind on earth$ 'od will ind in heaven%. "f you can#t respect the man$ respect the office of the man. 6ou must love your pastor whom the 9oly 'host has made overseer. %9e that receives whomsoever " send receives ,e%. +re all Christians +postlesA NoF The 'ifts and callings of 'od are without repentance. Co all -pirit2filled Christians speak with tonguesA 7 viously NotF 'od is sovereign in 9is giving. Jesus said %these signs shall follow T9E, that elieve%. The signs are +,7N' the elievers and will manifest in 'R78:- of elievers. 9e did not declare that every individual will manifest the gifts. The -pirit flows through the 'R78: which will work and worship in harmony) %decently and in order%. When people attempt to force the gifts$ it rings confusion. Though all gifts have their value and are conferred y 'od$ some are more valua le than others. Coes :aul e;hort us to speak with tonguesA NoF 9e says to e 5ealous for and cultivate the est gifts. Which is more importantA -peaking with other tongues or the gift of wisdom to put the Word of 'od together and ring LifeA "n " Corinthians /@)/20 he identifies the % est gifts% as prophecy <revelation> and teaching. Then he says there is a more e;cellent way to o tain gifts$ and that is charity$ which is agape$ which is 'od#s 7wn love we apprehend in the new irth. -o it is possi le to operate the five2fold ministry and all of the gifts without eing orn2again. -peaking with other tongues$ gifts of healing or eing a minister does not mean one is a Christian. -atan can impersonate all of the gifts and the five2fold ministry.

The only test of Christianity is the Word test. Coes an individual have a clear revelation of the :RE-ENT Truth$ and is "t on display in their lives. We can %pray earnestly for the est gifts% ut the callings or offices of ministry are sovereignly predestinated of 'od <Romans //)(D>$ like Jeremiah$ John and !rother !ranham. :aul egins " Corinthians /= y mentioning the gift of tongues$ as his chief contention was against its e;aggerated merit in his day$ a disorder which repeated in the :entecostal or Laodicean +ge that ended in /D0=. %Though " speak with the tongues of men and of angels$ and have not charity$ " am ecome as a noisy gong$ or a clanging cym al%. %Tongues of men% are known languages. %Tongues of angels% are unknown utterance y which the speaker speaks N7T to other men ut to himself and 'od alone in private prayer. Charity does not mean giving alms ut %agape% love which is 'od$ which is the new irth$ or aptism with the 9oly 'host. Love e;cludes all self2seeking in the possession and use of gifts and is directed e;clusively to the edification of the !ody. "n verse two$ :aul says %though " have the %more e;cellent gifts% like prophecy$ and understand all mysteries$ and all knowledge. and though " have all faith$ so that " could remove mountains$ and have not charity <or the new irth$ Christ in me>$ " am nothing%. 7ne can e right in his doctrine ut without the Life of Christ he has learning without the -pirit. We must e right in our doctrine and right in our spirit$ or teacha le. :aul ne;t descri es the e;ercise of outward forms of love. %Though " estow all my goods to feed the poor$ and though "#m urned alive for preaching the 'ospel$ without Christ 2 'od#s love in me y a new irth 2 it profits me nothing%. "f such self2sacrifice does not spring from 'od#s love and was a parade of heroic endurance or defiance$ " am nothing. -o all of our good works$ our tithes$ :entecostal sensations and the ?oy and peace we have has nothing to do with the !aptism with the 9oly 'host. Those things can all e carnally impersonated. + Christian -cientist can out2smother us with the fruit of the -pirit and deny Christ. The charity we#re considering is 'od#s 7wn love that comes in to us y the new irth. + man who speaks with tongues without eing orn2again has nothing edifying to say and is likely to sow discord. :rophecy is a more e;cellent gift$ yet in the case of !alaam <Num ers ((. "" :eter ()/3> and of Caiaphas when he declared y inspiration of the 9oly -pirit %that it is e;pedient for us$ that one man should die for the people$ and that the whole nation perish not% <John //)@E23@>$ prophecy was worthless without 'od#s love. Let#s not ?udge our spirituality y how much power we have to do miracles. Judas and the seventy e;ercises more power and performed more miracles than you or ". +nd don#t ?udge our lives y how much knowledge we have of the Word 2 check to see whether the Token is on display in our lives today. " Corinthians /=)@21$ %'od#s 7wn love is longsuffering...% We are to suffer$ and e Christlike in doing so. :aul said$ %" now re?oice in my sufferings for you$ and fill up that which is ehind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his !ody#s sake$ which is the Church% <Colossians /)(@>. "n ,atthew 3)//2/( Jesus said$ %!lessed are you$ when men shall revile and persecute you$ and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely$ for ,y sake. Re?oice and e e;ceeding glad) for great is your reward in heaven) for so persecuted they the prophets who were efore you%. 0

%'od#s love is kind. is not envious or ?ealous of others. is not vain or oastful$ not proud or arrogant$ does not display unseemly o trusiveness in the use of the gifts$ seeks not its own rights$ advantage$ or influence$ is not supersensitive and aroused to even a transient passion$ and does not ear in mind the evil done to it ut forgives it%. The 9oly -pirit will never cause you to do anything contrary to the Word. "t will not e angry and will always receive correction y the Word. %'od#s love re?oices not in in?ustice or in the downfall or in?ury of others springing from ill2will$ ut when truth prevails. "t is loyal under all circumstances$ elieves and e;pects the est of every person$ endures suffering and persecution in their defense$ confidently e;pecting the victory of good in others%. 8nlike -piritual gifts$ these attri utes of love are permanent. The :R774 of 'od#s love is in election 2 ecause we are in Christ. We can know this ecause 9e said so. We prove our love to 9im y elieving what 9e said and y conducting ourselves with ?oy amidst the trials that 9e in 9is wisdom allows to come to pass. " Corinthians /=)*2/E$ %'od#s 7wn love is eternal and can never e e;tinguished) ut all gifts and powers like prophecies$ tongues or knowledge shall vanish away. Even with the gifts our knowledge is in part$ and our prophesy <inspired teaching> is incomplete. !ut when that which is perfect is come$ then that which is in part shall e done away%. +ccording to !rother !ranham$ %" Corinthians /= says this) #When that which is perfect is come$ that which is in part shall e done away with#. -o all these little things of ?umping up2and2down like a kid$ trying to talk in tongues$ and all these other things$ when that which is perfect... +nd we do have today$ y 'od#s help$ the perfect interpretation of the Word with Civine vindication. Then that which is in part is done away with. #When " was a child$ " spake as a child$ " understood as a child. ut when " ecome a man$ " put away childish things#. +men% <C7C$ /EE3)30>. Curing the Church +ges when the !i le was sealed with -even -eals we had only :+RT Word and Christ was a ,ediator in ehalf of our ignorance of the sealed mystery. The revelation of the -even -eals rought 9im ack to earth in W7RC form) %That which is perfect% is Christ$ the 4ullness of the Word. -ince we now have the fullness of the Word$ :+RT Word and a ,ediator is done away$ and the operation of the nine -piritual gifts is diminishing as we grow into the unity of the faith or maturity for the manifestation of the -ons of 'od and the translation. We#re living in what !rother !ranham called the %Capstone +ge%. "f you recall "saiah prophesied that %the Lord would e as a stone of stum ling and for a rock of offense to oth the houses of "srael$ for a trap and a snare to the inha itants of Jerusalem% <"saiah *)/@>. :aul teaches that this was fulfilled in their re?ection of Jesus Christ ecause they sought to apprehend 9im y their carnal works without faith <Romans D)=/2==>. Jesus and :eter taught that the -tone the uilders disallowed is made the head of the corner. the -tone from which the structure is measured and without which the !uilding can not e completed. The !uilding is the !ody of Christ represented y !rother !ranham as the 'reat :yramid upon which the Capstone was never placed. The structure eneath the Capstone represents :entecost and the -even Church +ges that followed. The Capstone "tself is the fullness of the Word$ Christ$ now ecoming incarnate in 9is end2time !ride as she comes under preeminence to the fullness of the Word. +s the !ride grows y understanding the fullness of the Word$ into the unity of the faith and maturity$ she knows who she is and does not need the consolation of childish gifts that are passing away.

" Corinthians /=)//2/=$ %When " was a child$ " spake as a child$ " understood as a child$ " thought as a child) ut when " ecame a man$ " put away childish things. 4or now we see a dim reflection of reality as through a mirror. ut when that which is perfect is come we will see face to face) now " know in part. ut then shall " know even as also " am known. <4or the Word is a discerner ...> +nd now faith$ hope$ and 'od#s love a ide$ these three. ut the greatest of these is agape love%. %Love% is what the end2time !ride together will e. 'od#s Love is eternal and the ultimate grace. "t is the fullness of the Word and Life that makes the Capstone !ride who crowns the !ody. Therefore she will not see death in the flesh$ whereas the Church +ge saints were all apti5ed into the :+RT2Word ma?ority of the !ody. !ecause it was hy rid with '8E--W7RG$ :+RT2Word was N7T Life so the Church +ge saints$ like the gifts of the -pirit$ all die. They enter the :resence y resurrection from the grave. Regarding the gifts$ !rother !ranham said$ %#That which is in part will e done away with when that which is perfect is come$# or when that which is perfect is ,+CE GN7WN%$ in the revelation of the -even -eals <C7C$ /E/1)D1>. We are not to play with the gifts ut let 'od use them and move up into perfection or maturity as 9is Capstone !ride. The veil of flesh is what prevents us from seeing the -upernatural face to face and keeps us physically out of 9is presence. !ut in this +ge we will see 9im face to face after we are changed in the atoms. We will egin to reak into the other dimension at the time of the !ody Change when we recogni5e the resurrected saints. Ephesians @)//2/0$ %9e gave some$ apostles. and some$ prophets. and some$ evangelists. and some$ pastors and teachers. to ring the saints to maturity for the work of the ministry <witnessing to others how our candle was lit>$ and for the edifying of the ody of Christ) Till we all come in the unity of the faith$ and of the knowledge of the -on of 'od$ unto a perfect man$ unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ) <,+T8R"T6 in the Capstone manifesting the Token which is the Life of Jesus Christ$ 'od#s 7wn love manifest>. That we henceforth e no more C9"LCREN$ tossed to and fro$ and carried a out with every wind of doctrine$ y the sleight of men$ and cunning craftiness$ where y they lie in wait to deceive. !ut speaking the truth in love$ may grow up into him in all things$ which is the head <or Capstone>$ even Christ) 4rom Whom the whole !ody fitly ?oined together and completed y that which every ?oint supplieth$ according to the effectual working in the measure of every part$ grows to maturity uilding "tself up in love%. +s a natural ride is to reflect the character of her hus and$ who is her head$ the !ride of Christ will together e the Capstone or 9ead of the corner incarnate. +nd what she says in the time of the manifestation of the -ons of 'od 9e will do. :artial and immature reali5ation is passing away to e swallowed up in perfect reali5ation. "n " Corinthians /@)/23$ :aul turns to the proper management of the gifts and e;horts us to pursue the aptism of the 9oly 'host as our goal in life and e especially 5ealous that we may prophesy <or declare the Word under inspiration>. Then he e;plains why) %4or he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men$ ut unto 'od) for no man understands him ecause what he speaks in the -pirit is unintelligi le%. +ccording to !rother !ranham$ %-peaking in tongues comes in such a com ustion that the person arely knows what they#re saying% <C7C$ /E10)0=>. What he says in T7N'8E- imparts nothing the hearer can understand or profit y. 9e speaks for his own emotional comfort and to 'od.

" Corinthians /@)=21$ %9owever he that :R7:9E-"E- <or speaks under inspiration>$ edifies$ e;horts and consoles others. 9e that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself. ut he that prophesies edifies the whole Church$ promoting its growth in wisdom$ piety$ holiness and ?oy. " wish that you +LL spoke with tongues$ <you see$ %all% Christians do N7T speak with tongues> ut would prefer that you prophesied) ,7RE 8-E48L is he who prophesies than he who speaks with tongues$ unless he interprets what he has said so the whole Church may enefit. Now$ rethren$ if " come unto you speaking with some language you can#t understand$ how would that help youA !ut if " plainly share what 'od has revealed to me$ or what " know$ or prophesy$ or teach doctrine$ " will help you. Even inanimate musical instruments like the flute or the harp$ must have some intelligent modulation so that the listener may understand what is played%. Even the trumpet$ so strong and unmistaka le in its character has an intelligent order to give distinction of meaning to its notes. %4or if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound$ who shall prepare himself to the attleA -o likewise you$ if the unknown words are unintelligi le$ how will anyone understand what you are sayingA 6ou#ll e speaking into the air. There are so many kinds of languages in the world unknown to us$ and none of them is without e;pression of meaning. 9owever if they are meaningless to me " shall seem a ar arian to the speaker$ and he shall seem to me a ar arian$ <or outside the sphere of 'reek language and thought>. !ut since you are so an;ious to receive the gifts of the -pirit$ ask 9im for those that will e of genuine help to the whole Church. +nd let he who speaks in unknown tongues pray that he may also know what he has said so that he can afterwards tell the elievers plainly% <" Corinthians /@)*2/=>. "f the speaker in tongues does not have this gift$ or there is no interpreter present$ he is not at li erty to e heard in the Church at all 2 not even in the little room efore the service <" Corinthians /@)(*>. !ecause %if " pray in an unknown tongue$ my spirit prays$ ut my understanding is 8N4R8"T48L%. 7n the day of :entecost those who came from the upper room were speaking 'alilaean yet everyone 9E+RC in his own native tongue. -o the miracle was not -:E+G"N' with unknown tongues ut 9E+R"N' or 8NCER-T+NC"N' them in one#s own language <+cts ()*2//>. " Corinthians /@)/32/1$ %" will oth pray y the -pirit within me$ and " will pray intelligi ly with my mind in a language everyone understands) " will sing y the -pirit within me$ and " will sing intelligi ly with my mind and understanding also. Else when " less and give thanks with the -pirit$ how shall the outsider say #+men# to my thanksgiving$ seeing he doesn#t know what " am sayingA Cou tless " gave thanks well$ ut the ystander hasn#t a clue as to what "#ve said%. Christ#s uilding 9is Church upon %4aith# or a clear understanding of the revealed Word of 'od. D*E3/=.htm