Are the Loud Churches more Spiritual?
September 21st, 2006 by Stephen
I commented on MinTheGap’s blog yesterday in answer to the question of why did Paul say “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you [Corinthians]“?
I repeat some of the answer here, but it leads to some questions in our own Church life unrelated to the gifts issue that we could perhaps explore.
I think Paul believed that tongues were a language of prayer, and that he who speaks in a tongue speaks only to God (prayer through the agency of the Holy Spirit). This is why he tells the Corinthians that prayer in tongues must be interpreted, so that others may say the amen and agree with that prayer. This is why he speaks of praying with his spirit and also praying with his mind.
If we accept this point, then Paul is actually saying “I thank God that I pray more than you do”!
But why would he say something like that?
It is clear that the Corinthian error was pride and arrogance. They were “puffed up”. They broke into parties, some following Paul, some following Apollos and others saying (perhaps), “we are above all this. We just follow Christ”. This pride led to dissension and disunity, and to puffed up boastful people doing unchristian things (be it approval of immorality, or shouting away in unknown tongues in a church service so that no one could understand what was going on, and probably could not hear - as they seemed to be doing so all at once).
It is hard to imagine the disorder of the Corinthian church service, without having been there - but Paul felt the need to reign in this excess. He has had a report of what is going on, and he writes to the Corinthians. When he comes to this excess he writes (literally):
“Now concerning spirituals, I would not have you ignorant…”
I think Paul is saying “now concerning those of you who think yourself so spiritual, as you shout out in tongues in the Church service in your pride”. He goes on to speak of the gifts of the Spirit, but it is a valid interpretation to say that this is what Paul was saying in 1 Cor 12:1 (the NIV footnotes it for instance).
So Paul seems to be saying that you proud tongues prayers are disrupting the Church service, as you show off your spiritual gifts - but I thank God that I pray in tongues more than any of you. Paul is saying that they are not as spiritual as they think, and that boasting before men is disorderly, disruptive and not glorifying to God.
I trust that the Corinthians heard Paul’s message. Pride in our outward worship is still the very same error. When we sing loudly, pray long, dance or engage in any other demonstrable worship in our Church life, why do we do it? Are we as exuberant and devoted in our private moments? Do we dare pray for a full ten minutes in public, if we would not spend an hour in prayer beforehand?
How much of our church worship (with or without demonstrations of tongues and such like) is done for our own edification, rather than the glory of God? How much “spiritual experience” is nothing more than feeding our own pride and need for significance?
Why do so many people think that the loud churches are the spiritual ones?
I think you’re on to something in the regards of the outside show of ones spirituality versus what’s going on on the inside. We’ve been talking for some time at our church about how much of “what we believe” we actually believe and to what degree.
I think you propose a good test in that why do you do what you do, and you do that in private as well. You’re right when you say that some wouldn’t do the same things at home.
I can certainly see that Paul was using a similar tactic to the one he used in Philippians to talk about how much he suffered for Christ– he goes further than the people believed they were suffering to minimize their pride, and then points them to a different path.
That certainly makes sense here where he would say that he’s glad tha the speaks more in tongues, but I still find it instructive that he says that he wishes prefers not praying in tongues, etc.
There is another way to interpret this, however. We could say that even in the Corinthian church they were not practicing tongues correctly so that Paul could say that he did it authetically more than those at Corinth. In any case, I would be interested in hearing your take on how Paul could make an absolute statement about speaking in tongues more than they if it was only prayer.
Hi Min,
I don’t think Paul says he prefers not praying in tongues. He says:
“I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.”
Which seems to affirm tongues in the Church services, as long as there is interpretation.
I think Paul makes the statement about speaking in tongues more than the Corinthians because he knows where they are spiritually, and where he is.
I think that if the Corinthian tongues had not been true tongues, that Paul would have had no problem in saying so.
Regards,
Stephen