What's in a Name? (8) Spiritual Prayer Language

The gift of a spiritual language in the church is different from the gift of a spiritual language in private prayer to God. The latter is a manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit with a person. Paul also describes how this works in 1 Corinthians 14. It can be distinguished because it edifies the individual praying and not the church.

For anyone who speaks in a language does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit (1 Cor 14:2).

Anyone who speaks in a language edifies themselves… (1 Cor 14:4)

I would like every one of you to speak in languages… (1 Cor 14:5).

… greater than the one who speaks in languages (1 Cor 14:5)

If I come to you and speak in a language, what good will I be to you (1 Cor 14:6)?

For if I pray in a language, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful… (1 Cor 14:14).

I will pray with my spirit… I will sing with my spirit (1 Cor 14:15)

Otherwise, when you are praising God in the Spirit… (1 Cor 14:16).

They do not know what you are saying. You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified. (v1 Cor 14:16-17).

I thank God that I speak in languages more than all of you (1 Cor 14:18).

The theme of all these verses is that a person speaking in a spiritual language is speaking to God inspired by the Holy Spirit. This edifies the person praying, but does not edify any person in the church who is listening. Paul wants all followers of Jesus to edify themselves by praying in a spiritual language.

However, in the church, he wants followers of Jesus to do things that will build the church.

Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church (1 Cor 14:12).

The roles listed in 1 Corinthians 12:28-30, Ephesians 4:11-12, and Romans 4-8 are roles that “God has placed in the Church” to build it up.

In contrast, what we call the gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 are manifestations of the Spirit in the lives of followers of Jesus in a way that he considers to be appropriate.

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he wills (1 Cor 12:11)

Naming them “Manifestations of the Spirit” would give a better understanding of how they function. They dont belong to a person. They have not been given to a person as a permanent thing. They are signs that the Holy Spirit is active in the person’s life.

This full series can be read at Whats in a Name?