Category Archives: I Corinthians

Appended Mind

Posted by on February 25, 2011 No comments

The central part of the Old Testament teaching was “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength”. Deuteronomy 6:4-5

In the Gospels, to the first and greatest of all the commandments, Christ appends mind — “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength”. Luke 10:27

Echoing this, Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:1 and following, addresses the contrast between those who speak in tongues and those who prophesy. All though he wishes that all would speak in tongues, even more so he wishes that all would prophesy. Why?

Because when a person speaks in tongues, if there is no one to interpret the tongues, only he who speaks is edified. But when a person  prophesies, the entire church is edified.

Paul says that those who speak in tongues do not speak to men but to God. Those who prophesy, speaks to men's edification, exhortation and comfort.

Prophecy takes precedence over tongues because it loves God with the mind. Even though tongues come from the Spirit, they are secondary to prophecy because they remain a mystery to the mind. As Paul says,

2) For the one who speaks in tongues does not speak to men, but to God; for no one understands except in the Spirit he speaks mysteries.
3) But one who prophesies speaks to men edification…
5)Greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets the tongues so that he church may receive edification.
— 1 Corinthians 14:2-5

The value of the spiritual gift is determined by the extent to which it edifies the mind. When the mind is edified we love God with that portion that Christ appended to the command "Love the Lord your God…" In this we love with the mind appended. In this we love God completely.
 

© 2011, VoiceWind. . .Greg Loveless. All rights reserved.

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Know the Things Given

Posted by on October 24, 2010 No comments

In I Corinthians 2:12 Saint Paul writes, "And we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God that we might know the things given to us by God."

If you ask most Christians they would say that the Spirit of God is given to them so they can be saved. But Saint Paul states that we receive the Spirit of God so we can "know, perceive and understand" the gifts that God has given to us. Among these gifts, one of these is of course our salvation.

It is not only important that we actually be saved, but it is just as important that we know that we have been saved and that this is a gift from God.

To be saved and not know it would not allow our lives to be redirected. But to have the Spirit of God teach us what gifts God has given us, then informs our minds and our actions accordingly.

So for Paul, the knowledge the Spirit of God gives to us, gives us a bases to not only redirect our lives, but our very salvation as well. Knowing that our salvation is a gift from God prevents us from loosing our salvation by thinking we can earn our own salvation.

© 2010, VoiceWind. . .Greg Loveless. All rights reserved.

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