Section 15
not include these gifts in the book of Romans. Paul was both wise and careful, recognizing the fact that the miraculous gifts were helpful to individual Christians. In 1 Corinthians Paul said that speaking in tongues builds up the individ ual who exercises it, but that it does not build up the church (1 Cor. 14:4). He told the Corin thians to care for the building up of the church (1 Cor. 14:12, 26). In the book of Romans his concern was not the building up of a particular individual, but the building up of the Body. Thus, he did not include the miraculous gifts in this book. I know that this word may not be pleasant to those who have had a background of tongue- speaking. Nevertheless, I ask you to be patient and to consider what is best for the church life in the long run. If you mean business to prac tice the church life, you should not appraise the miraculous gifts so highly, but rather pay your complete attention to the gifts of grace in life that will build up the church.
The book of Romans was written soon after 1 Corinthians. Both of these books were written while Paul was on his third journey of minis try. While Paul was staying at Ephesus on his third journey of ministry, information came to him about the confusion and division that were