Paul, I don't accept that 14:1 does resume the ZHLOUTE from 12:31.
Remember
ch. 13? Its in between. In ch. 12 Paul argues that there is no hierarchy
of
gifts (or spirituality) every person is important to the body (church)
and the
church can't function properly without each person's contribution. Paul
says
that we all have different gifts but all are important - but the
Corithians
were desiring what they considered to be the 'greater' gifts and also
misusing
their gifts (a point picked up in ch. 14).
In 14:1 Paul is indicating that what the Corithians should be desiring
is to
be spiritual and if they are to desire any gift let it be prophecy
because
unlike toungues etc. prophecy builds up the entire church (another point
picked up in ch. 14). Hence my translation:
"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spirituality (or 'spiritual
manifestations'), especially that you may prophesy."
The thrust of Paul's command is not to eagerly desire prophecy but to
eagerly desire spirituality. The purpose of this command was to
encourage then
to build up eacch other rather than just pushing self - the body
dynamics
of the Corithian church were all wrong and this is what Paul is trying
to
correct. This is why Paul says "especially that you may prophesy"
because
prophesy builds up (He restates this in various ways several times in
ch. 14).
> This would make excellent sense as 12:31 would then be understood in light
> of 13:1-13. 14:1, then, would be synthetically parallel to 12:31 and
> would be the key to properly understanding that verse. This understanding
> would then negate the force of your argument, that is, that understanding
> 12:31 imperativally would seem to go against what Paul had just said.
> This argument fails because it still has to deal with the imperative of
> 14:1.
see above.
> Paul S. Dixon, pastor
> Ladd Hill Bible Church
> Wilsonville, Oregon
>
cheers,
Andrew
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Andrew S. Kulikovsky B.App.Sc(Hons) MACS
|
| Software Engineer
| & Theology Student (MA)
| Adelaide, Australia
| ph: +618 8281 0919
| fax: +618 8281 6231
| email: killer@cobweb.com.au
|
| What's the point of gaining everything this world has
| to offer, if you lose your own life in the end?
|
| ...Look to Jesus Christ
|
| hO IESOUS KURIOS!
+------------------------------------------------------------------------