Whereas tongues communicate nothing to the church, prophecy communicates messages from God. Prophecy (and, by inference, every form of intelligible speaking in the worship service) has a threefold aim: upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation. God’s Word teaches God’s people to know and serve him (upbuilding
and encouragement
), but it also sustains them in times of hardship (consolation
).
3 Celui qui prophétise, au contraire, parle aux hommes, les édifie, les exhorte, les console.