Hearing the Gospel

Today’s reading: 1 Corinthians 14:1-17

"But the one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them." - 1 Corinthians 14:3

These first seventeen verses of chapter 14 have caused confusion and division among Christians for centuries. Yet there is something that is a common thread among everyone. It is the fact that the New Testament wasn't completed by this point.

1 Corinthians was written in around 53 AD, one of the first letters Paul wrote. This was around 10 years before the gospels were written (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). The church in Corinth couldn't turn their phone on and open their Bible app in these early days of Christianity.

These letters were arriving as they were written -- on scrolls. So you can see why prophecy, speaking in tongues and interpreting the tongues were so important as churches were planted in the first century. They needed to hear the gospel clearly to stay on track.

Will you thank God today for the completed New Testament? Today, all barriers are removed.