I love being Pentecostal. I love the freedom of Pentecostal worship, I love the power of good Pentecostal preaching, and I love the joy of Pentecostal fellowship. But sometimes we Pentecostals get things out of order, and speaking in tongues is one of those things. Speaking in tongues isn't the reason we are Pentecostals although it is a spiritual distinctive that we embrace and enjoy. Paul does a masterful job of explaining that the speaking in tongues has a profound effect on the believer, but it is not effective in evangelizing. If the message can't be understood by the listener it doesn't help anything. Paul makes it clear that speaking in tongues is a vital part of his prayer time, but that the real work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to make us more bold and effective witnesses of the salvation power offered by Christ's death and resurrection.
The resurrection is a much bigger deal in salvation and evangelism than speaking in tongues. If we don't believe that Jesus was resurrected and that we will resurrected when He returns, there is not much point in any of the rest of it. So if we believe in resurrection, the rest falls into place. That's why Romans 10:9 calls for us to confess that Jesus is Lord, but to believe that God has raised Him from the dead. We serve a risen Savior. Knowing and believing that is essential to Christian faith. I am amazed at the force and clarity of Paul's writing as he gives this great defense of our spiritual foundation.
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