Tuesday in Epiphany

1Verse 1. Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2Verse 2. At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife. 3Verse 3. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4Verse 4. And Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5Verse 5. “Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 6Verse 6. And the letter that he took to the king of Israel stated: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7Verse 7. When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!” 8Verse 8. Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let the man come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9Verse 9. So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10Verse 10. Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.” 11Verse 11. But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy. 12Verse 12. Are not the Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not have washed in them and been cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13Verse 13. Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?” 14Verse 14. So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean.

13Verse 13. Therefore, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14Verse 14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15Verse 15. What then shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16Verse 16. Otherwise, if you speak a blessing in spirit, how can someone who is uninstructed say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17Verse 17. You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified. 18Verse 18. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19Verse 19. But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20Verse 20. Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. 21Verse 21. It is written in the Law: “By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.” 22Verse 22. Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23Verse 23. So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who are uninstructed or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24Verse 24. But if an unbeliever or uninstructed person comes in while everyone is prophesying, he will be convicted and called to account by all, 25Verse 25. and the secrets of his heart will be made known. So he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is truly among you!”