1 Corinthians 14:13-19: a reflection

13Therefore let him who speaks in another language pray that he may interpret. 14For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15What should I do? 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. 16Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who fills the place of the unlearned say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, seeing he doesn’t know what you say? 17For you most certainly give thanks well, but the other person is not built up. 18I thank my God, I speak with other languages more than you all. 19However, in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in another language.

In writing about spiritual gifts, Paul makes a striking statement about what he values in the assembly: not what is impressive, but what builds others up. In the assembly, he says, I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in another language. He would prefer a few intelligible words that build others up over a flood of impressive but unintelligible ones. His concern was not to display his own gifts or impress, but to edify others, to speak in a way that instructs and builds them up. What builds others up mattered more to him than what merely impressed.

Notice Paul's priority: building others up over impressive display. He could speak in tongues more than any of them; he had the impressive gift. But in the assembly, he would rather speak a few words that others could understand and be built up by, than a flood of words that impressed but did not edify. His measure was not how impressive he seemed, but whether others were built up. What edifies others, instructs them, builds them up, was worth more to him than what merely displayed his gifts or impressed. He valued the good of others over the display of himself. The aim was to build up others, not to impress; and Paul chose the edifying over the impressive.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to value what builds others up over what merely impresses. We can be drawn to what is impressive, what displays our gifts, what draws attention to ourselves; but Paul valued what builds others up over what merely impresses, preferring a few edifying words to a flood of impressive ones. The measure is not how impressive we seem, but whether others are built up. Do not prize what merely impresses or displays your gifts over what builds others up; value the edifying over the impressive, as Paul preferred five instructive words to ten thousand impressive ones. Value what builds others up over what merely impresses or displays your gifts, as Paul would rather speak five words that instruct than ten thousand that only impress; for the aim is to edify others, not to display ourselves, and what builds others up is worth more than what merely draws attention to us.

Lord, in writing about spiritual gifts, Paul makes a striking statement about what he values in the assembly: not what is impressive, but what builds others up. In the assembly, he says, I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in another language. He would prefer a few intelligible words that build others up over a flood of impressive but unintelligible ones. His concern was not to display his own gifts or impress, but to edify others. Show me Paul's priority: building others up over impressive display. He could speak in tongues more than any of them; he had the impressive gift. But in the assembly, he would rather speak a few words that others could understand and be built up by, than a flood of words that impressed but did not edify. His measure was not how impressive he seemed, but whether others were built up. What edifies others was worth more to him than what merely displayed his gifts. He valued the good of others over the display of himself. Take that to my heart, for I do well to value what builds others up over what merely impresses. I can be drawn to what is impressive, what displays my gifts, what draws attention to myself; but Paul valued what builds others up over what merely impresses. The measure is not how impressive I seem, but whether others are built up. Keep me from prizing what merely impresses or displays my gifts over what builds others up; help me value the edifying over the impressive, Lord, as Paul preferred five instructive words to ten thousand impressive ones, seeking to edify others rather than to display myself.