To build a house on a solid foundation is the idea; and the work of prophesying gives people a foundation. In the body of Christ, some of us may indeed have the ministry of the prophet but not ALL of us have it (the other ministries are needed too! The narrower definition describes the role of Old Testament prophets: men who received messages from God, sometimes concerning the revelation of future events, and then relayed them to people. Prophecy: A Superior Gift. Some will contend that the tongues spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14 is this angelic language, and that is why it … Yet they are never applied. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. As 1 Corinthians 14:5 says: 1 Corinthians 14:5 The gifts that God gave for the edification, exhortation and comfort of the body have been replaced by a rigid program that has the form either of a formal liturgy, where one person does the same week after week (catholic / orthodox church), or, in the protestant church, of a program (it is also a liturgy in some way) that says first we sing, then the pastor and perhaps a couple of others pray, then we have the sermon and then the meeting ends. Now, I have also been in some other gatherings, where many of the participants behave in a strange manner. In the first century church, the active and spontaneous participation of the believers (“each of them”) in the meeting was the normal. “Each of you” says Paul. Prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14: definition. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. In most modern church meetings, the church leader speaks to all the people present. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. Paul is saying to the Corinthians that all gifts are worthy and necessary (cf 12:11, 18, 29, 30), but that they should give the gift of prophecy … He is the strengthener of God's people. Love is building up someone else. But prophecy is NOT a sermon or a teaching. 1 Corinthians 14:3, KJV: "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." Prophecy better than tongues (14:1-5) “Follow the way of love, he writes, “and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” Many people are emotionally torn apart because they do not understand that they are new creatures in Christ; they are no longer what they once were. At Corinth people would stand up and speak in these languages, perhaps recognizable as being languages used somewhere nearby (as on the Day of Pentecost), but the people there did not understand the language, and so they could not know what the speaker was saying. 1 Corinthians 14:22, NASB: "So then, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe." 3 But he who prophesies speaks () edification and () exhortation and comfort to men. "Prophecy" in 1 Corinthians 12-14. Prophecy is a wonderful gift, that most of the time - and this is only my personal experience - is either not used (controlling, rigid meetings) or it is abused (meetings full of confusion and people behaving and acting strangely). order. 21 In the Law it is written: “With other tongues    and through the lips of foreignersI will speak to this people,    but even then they will not listen to me,says the Lord.”, 22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. But here, Wimber was conscious that the Spirit was revealing information to him, and he shared the information with the man. Because they still get feelings of being what they once were, they believe those feelings, and they react accordingly. 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