Dear Catholic Exchange:
I am a Distance Learning Student in Theology at Franciscan University, and I read with interest your response to the question about the Charismatic Renewal. I have been a Charismatic Catholic for over 25 years. I wonder why you did not reference another very apropos scripture reference, 1 Corinthians 14:1-2. This scripture says: “Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”
This seems to openly call us to desire the gifts, specifically prophecy and tongues. Further, it seems to indicate that the language spoken is not a human language (“no one understands him”), but a true manifestation of the things important to the Spirit (and related to the “vague” scripture you cite, Romans 8:26. That is why we always, without exception, ask the Spirit to give us an interpretation. This is corroborated in the next several lines of 1 Corinthians 14:5-37, where Paul expresses his own desire that people speak in tongues, and even more, prophesy. He then goes on to elaborately describe the place of these two gifts and a few others in community life and building up the Body of Christ, the Church. The underlying assumption here, I think, is that the Spirit was manifesting himself in all the new Christians, praying in them with great power and glory, through tongues within their souls/minds. Paul's cautionary note seems to be that this gift not publicly drown out the more intelligible gift of prophecy, for the sake of the unbelievers among them, that they may be moved to believe by what they can understand with their minds. Once they become believers, no interpretation is necessary for them to be edified within themselves at using the gift of tongues. Only in public is it to be limited, and interpreted.
Will you comment on these scriptures?
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to your mission!
God bless,
Carrie Dean
Dear Ms. Dean,
Peace in Christ! Your question has been forwarded to us from Catholic Exchange. I hope that this response adequately addresses your question.
You requested commentary on 1 Corinthians 14. In the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible on 1 and 2 Corinthians, Dr. Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch comment on this chapter:
“Paul gives pastoral direction on spiritual gifts, building upon the theological and ethical foundations laid in chapters 12-13. He seeks to regulate the Corinthians’ undisciplined exercise of charismatic gifts by stressing the need to build up the congregation (14:3-5, 12, 26). As a rule, gifts exercised in public worship must be publicly beneficial; otherwise disorder and confusion will result (14:33, 40). Vatican II reaffirmed the enduring validity of charismatic gifts. The Council described their function as one of renewing and building up the Church in the Spirit. Following Paul, it is also warned that extraordinary charisms should not be rashly desired (Lumen Gentium 12).”
In verse 37, Paul refers to his God-ordained authority to regulate liturgical affairs. Prophecy or spiritual gifts do not endow one with authority in the Church. In fact, exercising spiritual gifts does not even indicate spiritual maturity. Earlier in chapter 3, Paul had said that the Corinthians were babes in Christ and could not yet understand “solid food.”
In essence, Paul, after having laid down rules and directives for spiritual gifts in public worship, was reminding the Corinthians that if anyone thought they could hear God, they had better be able to hear Him through the voice of legitimate apostolic authority. So if one wanted a prophetic gift recognized in the assembly, he would have to recognize Paul’s authority over the Church at Corinth. This is no different, for example, than St. John writing, “We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 Jn. 4:6). Neither John nor Paul assume authority arbitrarily; it is apostolic authority given them by Christ.
United in the Faith,
Joseph Taylor
Information Specialist
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