Edification.

Take 20

Tongues and Interpretation

Paul spends real time on tongues in this passage — the most unique, and to many the strangest, of the spoken gifts. He describes speaking in a language you don't naturally know, sometimes to build up your own spirit in prayer, and sometimes spoken publicly and paired with interpretation so the whole church can understand and be built up together. Paul isn't embarrassed by this gift; he says he's thankful he speaks in tongues more than anyone, even while prioritizing gifts that build up the church when believers gather. The takeaway isn't that every believer's experience will look identical — it's that the Spirit still gives gifts for real purposes: to strengthen your own spirit in prayer, and, when interpreted, to strengthen the whole body. Don't let the strangeness of a gift make you dismiss what the Spirit might still want to do.