First Corinthians 14 Part 6 Pray And Sing With The Spirit And Understanding

Speaking in tongues while praying is unfruitful and frustrating. 

1 Corinthians 14:13-14  Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 14)  For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 

Paul showed a more excellent way for the Corinthians to pursue. 

Interpreting what is spoken in tongues is better because Christians are edified and their faith is established. 

Language that is most plain and easy to be understood is the most appropriate for public devotion and ministry within the church.

Praying and singing with the Spirit and with understanding is fruitful. 

1 Corinthians 14:15  What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 

What about worship in the church? The Holy Spirit guided the apostle to provide direction as Paul continued to address the subject of tongues.

Public or corporate worship in church should be structured so as to be understood.

Paul is saying that he will not pray in tongues because no one understands and no one is edified by it.

He will pray with understanding, which means praying in language known by the people.

When Paul sings he does so with the Spirit and with understanding, that is, singing using words that are understood by the congregation.

In like manner when singing hymns and Psalms of worship to God, it must be done with the Spirit and with understanding.

The word "understanding" means our mind and reason to understand spiritual truth. 

New birth begins a new life and it brings a new song into our hearts.

Psalm 40:1-3  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2)  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3)  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 

The word "understanding" refers to our new man in Christ and the Spirit given ability to perceive divine things or discernment between good and evil.

This theme of worshiping God with a new song that He puts in our heart is found consistently in the scriptures. 

David uses the language of salvation and deliverance from sin. 

Jehovah saved David and lifted him out of the miry clay of sin that held him in bondage.

He placed David's feet on the solid rock, which we know to be Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jehovah established David's goings, by showing him from His Word, the path he must walk.  

Jehovah put a new song in David's heart, just as He does for those who are born again.

Much of what is called worship and praise today is not always easy to be understood.

Often the instrumental music sounds like the world's music and its noise overpowers the vocals.   

Many worship leaders use poor diction, improper enunciation and generally sound like they are chewing words while singing.

Such lazy worship obscures the message of a hymn or psalm that is being sung. 

When we sing and worship using words clearly pronounced and melodies that convey a sacred sound then we honor God with our praises.

Be filled with the Spirit of God so that we can worship God aright.

Ephesians 5:18-21  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19)  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20)  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21)  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 

In writing to the Christians at Ephesus Paul describes exactly what he means by singing with the Spirit and with understanding.

We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit of God and the verb Paul used indicates daily or ongoing filling is needed. 

When the Spirit of God fills us what does it look like? We will be filled with praise and worship. 

We will have psalms, hymns and spiritual songs sounding in our heart and it will come out in praise giving glory to God. 

Worship praise must be based upon the scriptures. 

We must allow the Word of God to fill our hearts and minds so that we are full of joy and can offer hearty praise and adoration for God (See Colossians 3:16-17).

Prayer and worship and preaching must facilitate edifying the church.

1 Corinthians 14:16-17  Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? 17)  For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. 

If someone spoke in tongues during prayer an unlearned believer could not say Amen to their prayers or thanksgiving. They could not join in the worship because they did not understand it. 

Paul's question is how could they say "Amen" to prayers when prayers are made in an unknown tongue? 

How could they declare their consent and agreement, for this is what "Amen" means? 

The apostle said a person praying in tongues (A foreign language like Arabic or French) may have prayed well but without interpretation it has no meaning to those who heard it. 

Thus, Paul stressed the need for all things in the church to be done with the purpose of edifying the body and building up our faith in Christ.

Paul was thankful for the gift of tongues during his missionary trips.

1 Corinthians 14:18-19  I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 19)  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. 

Now we come to a favorite text of the that televangelists use to claim the authority to speak in tongues. 

I mentioned previously a gospel tract I saw telling people they must speak in tongues or they are not truly born again.

Verse 18 was cited as proof that we must speak in tongues. Paul exclaimed that he was thankful that he spoke in tongues more than the Corinthians. 

Paul was evidently blessed with this gift several times on his missionary journeys.

Most people estimate that Paul traveled about 10,000 miles on land and sea as he planted many churches. 

He traveled through several Roman provinces and ministered to many different groups of people who spoke in foreign languages that Paul did not know. 

Thus, Paul expressed thanksgiving that he was enabled to preach in the gospel languages that he did not know.

However, Paul is not saying that all Christians must pursue speaking in tongues. 

If you look at end of verse 18, you see a punctuation mark called a colon. A colon connects verse 18 with verse 19. 

Verse 19 makes clear the gospel priority with regard to the gift of tongues. 

Paul states very clearly that he would rather speak five words in language the people understood, than to speak ten thousand words in tongues in the church. 

The problem with Corinthians use of tongues was that they abused the gift. 

They brought in the pagan glossolalia in an attempt to appear to speak in tongues in front of other Christians. 

Pride and being the center attention is what motivated some of the Corinthians.

Paul still has more to teach us about this gift and he is going to do so within the context or orderly worship in the church.

Whatever gift God has given us, let us use it for the glory to God. 

May we read the text below that Paul wrote to the Roman Christians to guide us in our love and ministry to others.

Bob

Romans 12:3-8  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4)  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5)  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6)  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7)  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8)  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.