How can we apply 1 Corinthians 14:11 to modern church language and practices? Setting the Verse before Us 1 Corinthians 14:11: “If, then, I do not understand the speaker’s language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and he will be a foreigner to me.” Paul’s concern is simple and timeless: language that is not understood shuts down edification. God’s design is mutual upbuilding, not mutual foreignness. Why Clarity Still Matters • 1 Corinthians 14:9 echoes the point: “Unless you speak intelligible words… how will anyone know what you are saying?” • 1 Corinthians 14:19: “I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.” • The Spirit gives gifts “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). If words are unclear, the common good is blocked. Practical Steps for Sunday Gatherings • Provide faithful, modern-language Bible translations in print and on screens. • Use microphones, clear diction, and reasonable pacing so everyone can track. • Offer live interpretation for multilingual congregations—spoken translation, captions, or sign language. • When a passage uses ancient terms, unpack them briefly on the spot—Nehemiah 8:8 sets the pattern of “explaining the meaning.” • Keep musical worship understandable: – Display lyrics. – Translate songs when multiple languages are present. – Introduce any unfamiliar theological terms before singing them. • Guard the pulpit from “insider shorthand.” Swap “propitiation” without context for “Christ satisfied God’s justice” and then define propitiation. • End every element with application in plain speech—Proverbs 25:11: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Watch Your Vocabulary in Fellowship Spaces • Replace Christianese—“traveling mercies,” “hedge of protection,” “doing life together”—with phrases newcomers grasp instantly. • Encourage small-group leaders to pause and define terms on the fly. • Model Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.” • Text, email, and social posts from the church should mirror the clarity heard on Sunday. Extending the Principle Beyond the Walls • Community outreach: craft invitations and literature at a reading level most neighbors can follow. • Digital ministry: include subtitles on video, transcripts for audio, and multiple language options when possible. • Mission trips: learn key greetings and gospel summaries in the host language—Acts 2:8 shows the beauty of hearing truth “in his own native language.” • When supporting global workers, supply resources in heart languages, not just English. Guarding Motives and Order • Ask of every ministry moment: “Does this help the hearer understand Christ?” If not, reshape it. • Keep “everything… proper and orderly” (1 Corinthians 14:40). Clarity serves order; disorder breeds confusion. • Speak so that “grace to those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29) is unmistakable. A Closing Encouragement God chose words to reveal Himself. When our words are clear, the church ceases to be a room of foreigners and becomes the family Paul envisioned—hearts knit together around a gospel everyone can understand. |
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