1. These are perhaps the gifts that contemporary Christians are most familiar with.
2. This makes it all the more necessary to pay attention to the broader context of Scripture and the situation in Corinth in particular.
3. 1 Corinthians is a letter written to correct a series of problems in a local church that have been reported to Paul by members of the congregation (1 Cor 1:11).
4. The Corinthians seemed to have been infatuated with the more spectacular or    mysterious of the gifts, especially speaking in tongues.
5. This accounts for the lengthy treatment in 1 Corinthians 12-14, which corrects this focus by labouring the community context of the exercise of the gifts.  Hence Paul elevates prophecy and places tongues last in the lists, the reverse of the Corinthian emphasis.

B. Prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:10)

1. The essence of New Testament prophecy is that it bears witness to Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God (Matt 16:16- 17; Rev 19:10).
2. Prophecy is a Spirit inspired revelation of naturally unknown things and whose intention is to advance the Lordship of Christ (Acts 11:27ff; 13:1f; 1 Cor 14:24,25,30,31).
3. Where Jesus’ kingdom is the central object of concern the Spirit is poured out with the result that men and women prophesy (Acts 1:3,6,8,14; 2:4,11, 17 -21; 19:6).
4. The purpose of prophecy is to bring about up-building (1 Cor 14:3,5,17), encouragement (1 Cor 14:3; Acts 15:32) and consolation (1 Cor 14:3; Acts 15:32).
5. In doing so it may include conviction of sin (1 Cor 14:24ff; John 16:8ff), prediction of future events (Luke 21:1ff; Acts 11:27ff; 21:10),instruction (1 Cor 14:31; 1 Tim 1:18), direction (Acts 13:1-4; 1 Tim 1:18; 4:14) and correction (Rev 2:1-3:22).
6. Prophets speak from the witness of the Spirit to their spirits rather than simply to their minds (1 Cor 14:6,14 – 16,30 -32; Rev 22:6-7).
7. The usual place for the delivery of a prophecy will be a church meeting.
8. All prophecy needs to be tested (1 Cor 14:29-32; 1 Thess 5:20f).

C. Discernment of Spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10)

1. Pentecostals often interpret this as the ability to discern what particular type of demon is at work in a person.
2. In the New Testament this would fall within the realm of the prophetic gift.
3. There is nothing in the context of 1 Corinthians 12- 14 that suggests Paul has the demonic realm in mind.
4. There are a number of reasons for believing that “discernment of spirits” refers to the ability to properly judge prophecies.  Paul calls for the testing of prophecy (1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thess 5:20-21) and “discernment of spirits” follows immediately after mentioning prophecy, the pairing of tongues followed by interpretation is suggestive of this view and in 1 Cor 14:12,14,32 the “spirits” are the human spirits of the prophets.
5. This position is compatible with other references in Scripture (1 John 4:1 cf. Matt 24:24; 2 Thess 2:9).
6. There are a range of criteria for discernment of prophecy.
7. The test of the gospel of Christ, it must be compatible with the truths about                Jesus’ life and exult him (1 Cor 12:3; 1 John 4:1 -3).
8. The test of love (1 Cor 13).
9. The test of community benefit (1 Cor 14).
10. The moral test of the character of the prophet (Matt 7:15 -22; 12:33-35; 1 Tim 6:3 -10; 2 pet 2; Jude 3 -16).
11. The order test of submission to leadership (1 Cor 14:33,36 -38; Heb 13:17;1 Pet 5:5).
12.  In principle, all believers, as anointed by the Spirit, can at times test prophecy (1 Cor 14:29; 1 John 2:20,27; 1 Thess 5:21; 1 John 4:1- 6)

D.  Different kinds of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10)

1. These are Spirit inspired utterances (1 Cor 12:7,11; 14:2 cf. Acts 2:4).
2. They are unintelligible to the speaker and the hearers (1 Cor 14:4,16).
3. They are spoken from the spirit and not from the mind (1 Cor 14:2,14- 16).
4. They can be regulated and so are not ecstatic or out of control (1 Cor 14:27-28).
5. They are directed basically towards God in what seems to be prayer and praise (1 Cor 14:2, 14-15, 28).
6. They strengthen the speaker in a spiritual manner (1 Cor 14:4).  Presumably,         as inspired by the Spirit, they inwardly affirm the believers position as a child of God (Rom 8:15-16; Gal 4:6).
7. Tongues can function as an affirming entry into the sphere of the supernatural   revelation of God’s Spirit e.g. ‘mysteries in the Spirit’  v.2; ‘blessing with the spirit’  v.16
8. A clear distinction needs to be made between uninterpreted tongues, which are only for private use and benefit (1 Cor 14:2), and interpreted tongues for the benefit of the church (1 Cor 14:5).
9. As with all the gifts, there is no relationship between the ability to speak in tongues and Christian maturity.
10. While the tongues spoken on the day of Pentecost were actual languages (Acts 2:5-11) it is not clear that this was the case for other instances of tongues in the New Testament (1 Cor 13:1).  (Contemporary tongues speaking is not usually an actual language.)

E.  Interpretation of Tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10)

1. This is the ability to put into intelligible words what has been spoken in an unknown tongue.
2. It is for the benefit of the Christian community (1 Cor 14).
3. The interpretation may be given by either the tongues speaker or another person (14:5,13, 27-28).
4. Tongues plus interpretation is of equivalent value to prophecy (14:5).

Questions For Discussion

1. Paul repeatedly exhorts believers to zealously seek prophecy (1 Cor 12:31; 14:1,12,39).  Is this your personal practice?
2. Do you fear rejection or looking foolish or “getting it wrong” in the area of prophesying?
3. Are you part of a community that encourages you to “test all things”  (1 Thess 5:21).  (Look at the context for this command.)
4. Are you emotionally free enough to relate to the Holy Spirit about tongues and interpretation without reacting to the experiences or expectations of other people?
5. Is there anything you need to raise about the gifts of the Spirit in your own     personal life or that of the church you are a part of?