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SEPTEMBER 4
The companions listen for your voice—
Let me hear it!
THE SHULAMITE
14:1 Pursue love. A command for every believ-
14 Make haste, my beloved, er. Because lovelessness was a root spiritual
And be like a gazelle problem in the Corinthian church, the godly
Or a young stag love just described should have been sought
On the mountains of spices. after by them with particular determination
and diligence. desire spiritual gifts. Love does
Psalm 104:31–35 not preclude the use of these enablements.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure Since Paul has addressed not desiring showy
forever; gifts (12:31) and not elevating one over the
May the LORD rejoice in His works. other (12:14–25), some might think it best to
32 He looks on the earth, and it set them all aside for unity’s sake.Spiritual gifts,
on the other hand, are sovereignly bestowed
trembles; by God on each believer and necessary for the
He touches the hills, and they smoke. building of the church (12:1–10). Desire for
33 I will sing to the LORD as long them,in this context,is in reference to their use
as I live; collectively and faithfully in His service—not a
I will sing praise to my God while I personal yearning to have an admired gift that
one did not possess. As a congregation, the
have my being.
34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; Corinthians should be wanting the full expres-
sion of all the gifts to be exercised.“You”is plu-
I will be glad in the LORD. ral, emphasizing the corporate desire of the
35 May sinners be consumed from the church. especially…prophesy. This spiritual
earth, gift was desirable in the life of the church to
And the wicked be no more. serve in a way that tongues cannot, namely, by
Bless the LORD, O my soul! edifying the entire church (v.5).
Praise the LORD!
Proverbs 24:21–22
tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies
21 My son, fear the LORD and the king; edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with
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Do not associate with those given to tongues, but even more that you prophesied;
change;
for he who prophesies is greater than he who
speaks with tongues, unless indeed he inter-
prets, that the church may receive edification.
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking
with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I
24:21 the king. Loyalty to the king is proper speak to you either by revelation, by knowl-
because he is the agent of the Lord’s wisdom edge, by prophesying, or by teaching? Even
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(Deut. 17:14–20; Rom. 13:1–7). That loyalty things without life, whether flute or harp, when
includes having no part with rebels who seek they make a sound, unless they make a distinc-
to subvert or overthrow him (“change”). Peter
draws on this verse in his call to good citizen- tion in the sounds, how will it be known what is
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piped or played? For if the trumpet makes an
ship in 1 Peter 1:17; 2:17.
uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? So
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likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue
words easy to understand, how will it be known
22 For their calamity will rise suddenly, what is spoken? For you will be speaking into
And who knows the ruin those two can the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of
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bring? languages in the world, and none of them is with-
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out significance. Therefore, if I do not know the
1 Corinthians 14:1–20
meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a
14 especially that you may prophesy. For he foreigner to me. Even so you, since you are
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who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edifica-
but to God, for no one understands him; how- tion of the church that you seek to excel.
ever, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he 13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue
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who prophesies speaks edification and exhor- pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a
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tation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding
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