1 Corinthians 14:1 - 20

Paul encourages his readers to pursue the use of their gifts in a loving manner. Without love for others, the gifts one possesses will not be used in a helpful way. The possession of a spiritual gift is not the pinnacle of blessing; the proper use of that spiritual gift to encourage and build up others to the glory of God is. Paul uses, for an example, the gift of speaking in tongues. What benefit would there be if a person could speak fluently for an hour if none of the words were understood by those hearing them? Paul states that 5 understood words are far better than 10,000 unintelligible ones. The proper use of spiritual gifts is not self-gratification but mutual encouragement and growth.