1 Corinthians 14:1

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. FOLLOW AFTER CHARITY - as your chief aim, seeing it is "the greatest" (). AND DESIRE Translate 'Yet (as a secondary aim) desire zealously spiritual gifts with prayer and in AND DESIRE. Translate, 'Yet (as a secondary aim) desire zealously spiritual gifts, with prayer and in submission to the Spirit's will' (; , note); not with "envy" (the same Greek, ) of another's gifts. "Follow after" includes the activity of the will: 'desire zealously' implies entreaty in prayer. But ra...

As he had previously exhorted them to _follow after the more excellent gifts, _(1 Corinthians 12:31,) so he exhorts them now to _follow after love, _(806) for that was the distinguished excellence, (807) which he had promised that he would show them. They will, therefore, regulate themselves with propriety in the use of gifts, if _love _prevails among them. For he tacitly reproves the want of _love, _as appearing in this — that they had hitherto abused their gifts, and, inferring from what goes before, that where they do not assign to _love _the chief place, they do not take the right road to the attainment of true excellence, he shows them how foolish their ambition is, which frustrates their hopes and desires. 1. _Covet spiritual gifts. _Lest the Corinthians should object that they wronged God, if they despised his

1-5 Prophesying, that is, explaining Scripture, is compared with speaking with tongues. This drew attention, more than the plain interpretation of Scripture; it gratified pride more, but promoted the purposes of Christian charity less; it would not equally do good to the souls of men. What cannot be understood, never can edify. No advantage can be reaped from the most excellent discourses, if delivered in language such as the hearers cannot speak or understand. Every ability or possession is valuable in proportion to its usefulness. Even fervent, spiritual affection must be governed by the exercise of the understanding, else men will disgrace the truths they profess to promote....

CHAPTER XIV. _We should earnestly desire spiritual gifts; but prophesying_ _is to be preferred, because it is superior to the gift of_ _tongues_, 1, 2. _Prophesying defined_, 3. _How to regulate this supernatural gift of tongues, in teaching_ _for the edification of the Church_, 4-13. _In praying and giving thanks_, 14-17. _Those who speak with tongues should interpret that others may_ _be edified_, 18-22 _What benefit may accrue from this in the public assemblies_, 23-28....

FOLLOW AFTER CHARITY - Pursue love 1 Corinthians 13:1; that is, earnestly desire it; strive to possess it; make it the object of your anxious and constant solicitude to obtain it, and to be influenced by it always. Cultivate it in your own hearts, as the richest and best endowment of the Holy Spirit, and endeavor to diffuse its happy influence on all around you. AND DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS - I do not forbid you, while you make the possession of love your great object, and while you do not make the desire of spiritual gifts the occasion of envy or strife, to desire the miraculous endowments of the Spirit and to seek to excel in those endowments which he imparts; see the note at 1 Corinthians 12:31. The main thin

EXPOSITION 1 CORINTHIANS 14:1 _The_ _gift of preaching superior to the gift_ _tongues_. 1 CORINTHIANS 14:1 FOLLOW AFTER CHARITY; literally, _chase; pursue. _The word is one of which St. Paul is fond (Romans 9:30, Romans 9:31; Romans 13:13; Romans 14:19;...

FOLLOW AFTER CHARITY,.... The apostle having so highly commended charity, or love, in the preceding chapter, presses here to an eager pursuit after it; that is, to an exercise of it, and after those things which make for it, and will serve to maintain and increase it: and everything he has said in praise of it before serves as an argument, or reason, to follow hard after it, with an eagerness used in hunting, and with such violence as persecutors express in pursuing and laying hold on those they seek after, to which there is an allusion in the word here used: AND DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS: for though he had given charity the preference to them, he did not mean that they should despise and neglect them, or treat them with indifference, and be unconcerned about them; but, on the other hand, that they should be very zealous for them, ambitious of them, and earnestly covet them; since being ri...

RATHER The subject is still the Greek, "pneumatika". Chapter 12 described the gifts and the Body; Chapter 13 described the love which alone gives ministry of gift any value; Chapter 14 regulates the ministry of gift in the primitive, apostolic assembly of saints. (1) The important gift is that of prophecy (1 Corinthians 1:1)). The New Testament prophet was not merely a preacher, but an inspired preacher, through whom, until the New Testament was written, new revelations suited to the new dispensation were given (1 Corinthians 14:29). (2) Tongues and the sign gifts are to cease, and meantime must be used with restraint, and only if an interpreter be present ...

4. PROPHECY AND SPEAKING WITH A TONGUE. CHAPTER 14 _ 1. Prophecy the better gift. (1 Corinthians 14:1 .)_ 2. Intelligibility demanded. (1 Corinthians 14:14 .) 3. Practical instructions for the public use of these gifts. (1 Corinthians 14:26 .) It is evident from the contents of this chapter that the Corinthians had unduly magnified the gift of speaking in a strange tongue. It had a spectacular aspect which they enjoyed. He therefore shows them that the gift of prophecy is more to be coveted than speaking in an unknown tongue. The speaking in an unknown tongue is intelligible to God, but he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, e

1 CORINTHIANS 14. PROPHECY AND SPEAKING WITH TONGUES, THEIR RELATIVE VALUE AND THEIR PLACE IN THE CHURCH GATHERING. Paul now comes to the direct comparison between the two types of ecstatic speech on which his judgment differed from that prevalent at Corinth. Both prophecy and speaking with tongues were genuine expressions of the Spirit's inspiration; Paul himself spoke with tongues more than all (1 Corinthians 14:18), and conceded a certain place to them in the assembly (1 Corinthians 14:27; 1 Corinthians 14:39), but esteemed prophecy as one of the greater gifts to be earnestly desired. Prophecy was inspired preaching (pp. 647 f.); on speaking with tongues, see p. 648....