1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
Spiritual gifts are not meant to be passively given without any effort from us. They must be sought and developed. At the top of the list is love. Love as the greatest gift from the Holy Spirit is universally given to all believers. The seed is planted in our lives, but we must water that seed and help it grow. The Holy Spirit will help us love by drawing us closer to God and reminding us of the things Jesus has commanded us. Love must be our goal in all our interactions and relationships. Since it is God’s character, and we have been created in God’s image, love must become our character also.
Other spiritual gifts come through the Holy Spirit’s working within us but they are also something we can desire and seek to nurture in our lives. Verse 1 indicates Paul’s goal for the Corinthians. They had elevated speaking in tongues and used it as proof of their spiritual maturity. But it was only further evidence of the division and selfishness. Paul will turn the tables on them in this chapter and show that prophecy should be the much more desired gift because it can lead people to faith in Jesus Christ. Prophecy is “speaking forth” the gospel of Jesus Christ and calling people to repentance.
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