Paul went on to elaborate on the inferiority of the gift of tongues that the Corinthians elevated so they would pursue more important gifts. His point was that intelligibleinspired speech (i.e., prophecy) is superior to unintelligibleinspired speech (i.e., tongues) in the assembly. He argued first for intelligible speech for the sake of the believers gathered to worship (vv. 1-25). In this whole comparison Paul was dealing with the gift of tongues without the gift of the interpretation of tongues.
The apostle began this discussion of tongues by comparing it to the gift of prophecy that the Corinthians also appreciated (cf. 12:10, 28; 13:8). He urged the Corinthians to value prophecy above tongues because it can edify and lead to conversion since it involves intelligible"inspired"speech.
14:1 This verse sums up what Paul had just written about love, and it resumes the thought in 12:31 by restating that exhortation. In contrast to some of the milder advice he gave in this epistle, Paul urged his readers strongly to follow the way of love. This imperative then advances the thought by urging the readers to seek the gift of prophesying in particular.
"At the end of chap. 12, where he had been speaking specifically of the giftsthemselves as gracious endowments, he told them, eagerly desire the greater charismata.' Now in a context where the emphasis will be on the activity of the Spirit in the community at worship, he says, eagerly desire the things of the Spirit [ta pneumatika].'"323
14:2 Glossolalia by itself is not edifying to other people, but prophecy is. This statement again raises a question about what speaking in tongues involved.
On the day of Pentecost people spoke in tongues and other people who knew the languages spoken received edification because they heard of God's mighty deeds in their native languages (Acts 2:1-11). Interpreters were unnecessary on that occasion (cf. Acts 10:46; 19:6). Evidently what was taking place in the Corinthian church was different from what took place on the day of Pentecost. In Corinth, and perhaps in other early churches, people spoke in tongues among people who did not understand the languages. An interpreter was necessary for those present to understand and benefit from what the tongues-speaker was saying in a strange language (vv. 5, 13). Paul used "tongues"and "languages"interchangeably in this passage (cf. vv. 2, 10, 11, 13, et al.). This is an important proof that tongues were languages.
Some Christians have suggested another distinction. They have claimed that the tongues in Acts were foreign languages but the tongues in Corinthians were ecstatic utterances, not languages but unintelligible speech.324There is no basis for this distinction in the biblical text, however. The terminology used is the same, and the passages make good sense if we take tongues as languages wherever they occur.325
If someone spoke in an unknown language and no one could interpret what he was saying, the person speaking was not speaking to men. God knew what he was saying even though no one else did including the person doing the speaking. In his human spirit the speaker was uttering mysteries (Gr. mysteria, things hidden or secret from the understanding of those in the church listening). Obviously Paul's concern was the edification of the church. He did not disparage the gift of tongues itself, but he put it in its rightful place.
Note, too, that Paul described the spirit as distinct from the mind (cf. vv. 14-19).
"Contrary to the opinion of many, spiritual edification can take place in ways other than through the cortex of the brain. Paul believed in an immediate communing with God by means of the S/spirit that sometimes bypassed the mind; and in vv. 14-15 he argues that for his own edification he will have both. But in churchhe will have only what can also communicate to other believers through their minds."326
14:3 In contrast to the foreign speech uttered by tongues-speakers, those present could understand what a prophet spoke in the language of his audience. It benefited the hearers by building them up, encouraging them, and consoling them. "Edification,""exhortation,"and "consolation"set forth the primary ways in which prophecy (preaching) builds up the church. Its main purpose as a gift was not to predict events in the future but to build up believers in the present.
14:4 The person who spoke in tongues in church edified himself or herself. He or she praised God and prayed to God while speaking in a tongue. He or she also benefited from realizing that the Holy Spirit was enabling him or her to speak a language that he or she had not studied. This would have encouraged the tongues-speaker, but that one did not edify himself or herself in the sense of profiting from the message the Holy Spirit had given. He did not know what his words meant unless he also had the gift of interpretation, but in this discussion Paul left that gift out of the picture almost entirely (cf. v. 5). Had he known what he was saying he could have communicated this to those present in their language. That is what a prophet did.327Paul's point was that edifying the church is more valuable than edifying oneself. He did not deny that speaking in tongues does edify the tongues-speaker (cf. vv. 14-15, 18-19).
14:5 Paul acknowledged the value of the gift of tongues even though it also required an interpreter. Nevertheless he made it clear that the ability to prophesy was more important. The issue, again, is private versus public benefit. Since Paul depreciated speaking in tongues without interpretation so strongly, it seems very likely that this is what the Corinthians were doing in their meetings. The real issue was not a conflict between tongues and prophecy but between unintelligible and intelligible utterance.
In this whole discussion "prophecy"does not refer primarily to a prepared sermon but to an impromptu word that someone would share in a service in which congregational participation was possible.
Paul illustrated his point that hearers do not benefit at all from what they do not understand. He used musical instruments as examples and clarified more about foreign languages.
14:6 This verse sets the scene for what follows in this pericope. "Revelation,""knowledge,""prophecy,"and "teaching"are all intelligible utterances. These words probably refer to a new revelation (cf. 12:8), an insight into truth, a word of edification, exhortation, or consolation from the Lord (v. 3), or instruction in the faith.
14:7-8 Even the sounds people make using inanimate musical instruments need to be intelligible to profit anyone. This is especially obvious in the case of a call to battle. If the bugler blows a confused tune, the army will not know whether to attack or retreat. The harp and the flute, as well as the bugle, were commonplace in the Greco-Roman world.
14:9 Incomprehensible speech may be personally satisfying to the one talking, but it profits only a little those who are listening. The only profit would be entertainment. For example, when an international student sings a song in his or her native language in chapel, almost everyone enjoys the song but does not receive edification from it.
14:10-11 Clearly Paul was speaking about languages, not gibberish, even though the Greek word translated "languages"(phone) means "sounds"or "voices."The context shows he had languages in mind, either human or angelic. A non-Greek was a foreigner (Gr. barbaros, barbarian) to a Greek. The word barbarosis onomatopoetic, meaning the foreigner's language sounded like so much "bar bar bar"to the Greek. Paul's point was that for communicating, the tongues-speaker who did not have an interpreter was no better than an incomprehensible barbarian. Even though his speech has meaning to the speaker, it has none to the hearers.
I enjoy watching and listening to an opera occasionally. I like to listen to the music for its own beauty even if I cannot understand the words. However, when the foreign words being sung are translated into English with captions above the stage or on the screen, I enjoy it even more. I also profit from learning from the story, which I cannot do if all I take away from the performance is the memory of beautiful sounds.
14:12 In view of this the Corinthians who were zealous for spiritual gifts would be better off pursuing the gifts that would enable them to build up the church. They should value these rather than the gifts that gave them some personal satisfaction when they exercised them but did not edify others. The Corinthians were zealots when it came to spirits (Gr. pneumaton). The translators interpreted this word as synonymous with pneumatikon(spiritual gifts, v. 1), but it is different. Probably Paul meant that they were zealous over a particular manifestation of the Spirit, what they considered the mark of a "spiritual"Christian, namely the gift of tongues (cf. vv. 14-15, 32).
"Utterances that are not understood, even if they come from the Spirit, are of no benefit, that is, edification, to the hearer. Thus, since they have such zeal for the manifestation of the Spirit, they should direct that zeal in corporate worship away from being foreigners' to one another toward the edification of one another in Christ."328
Paul continued his argument by clarifying the effect that unintelligible speech has on believers gathered for worship.
14:13 The Corinthian who already had the gift of tongues should ask the Lord for the ability to interpret his or her utterances so the whole church could benefit from them (cf. v. 5). Note that Paul never said they should abandon this gift, but their practice of it needed correcting.
14:14 Public prayer is in view here, as it is in this whole chapter (v. 16), but some may have been praying in tongues privately as well. While praying in a tongue might give the person doing so a certain sense of exultation in his spirit, his mind would not benefit. He would not know what he was saying. The "spirit"(Gr. pneuma) seems to refer to that part of the person that exercises this spiritual gift. It is separate from the mind obviously (cf. v. 4). The person's spirit prays as the Holy Spirit gives him or her utterance.
14:15 Paul advocated praising and praying to God with both the spirit (emotions) and the mind (understanding).329One reason tongues is an inferior gift is that in it the reason has no control.
Sometimes modern Christians who believe they have the gift of tongues wonder if they should speak in tongues in private even though they do not know what they are saying. Some of them claim that doing so edifies them (v. 4). Let us assume they are speaking some language that they have not studied, which is what the tongues-speakers in the early church were speaking. This, by the way, eliminates most modern tongues-speakers since most modern tongues-speakers simply repeat gibberish.330Paul did not discourage speaking unknown languages in private. Nonetheless the relative value and profitability of such an experience are so minimal that its practice seems almost foolish in view of the more edifying options that are open to Christians. Perhaps the current preoccupation with feeling good, in contrast to having to work hard with one's mind to edify the church, is what make this practice so attractive to many today.
"It is, of course, impossible for anyone to prove experimentally that speaking in tongues cannot occur today. It may be demonstrated, however, that speaking in tongues is not essential to God's purpose now, and that there are good reasons to believe that most if not all the phenomena which are advanced as proof of modern speaking in tongues is either psychological or demonic activity."331
14:16-17 Paul used the word "bless"for pray here. When we praise God in prayer we say a benediction on Him, a word of blessing. Those believers (Gr. idiotes) who do not understand what the person praying in tongues is saying are unable to add their affirmation at the end of the prayer. "Amen"means "so be it."Whenever we lead in public prayer we should do it so the other people praying can join us and affirm our words. It is clear in verse 16 that Paul was speaking about a public worship situation. Giving thanks in public worship is important even if no one else joins in, but it is even more important that other believers can join in.
14:18-19 Corinthian tongues-enthusiasts could not reject Paul's instruction because he did not have the gift himself and so failed to appreciate its value. He believed in the validity of the gift but did not value it highly.332He almost deprecated it. Edifying instruction was 10,000 times more important than personal private exultation for the building up of the church gathered for worship. The edification of the body is, of course, God's great purpose for Christians today (Matt. 16:18).
Paul affirmed the gift that the Corinthians apparently regarded as the sign of genuine spirituality, but he did so by correcting their thinking about what was really important in their meetings. Worship should never be selfish, but it should always be intelligible.333
Uninterpreted tongues did not benefit visiting unbelievers any more than they edified the believers in church meetings. Prophecy, on the other hand, benefited both groups.
14:20 Thinking that tongues-speaking demonstrates spirituality evidences immaturity.
"Children prefer what glitters and makes a show to what is much more valuable; and it was childish to prefer ecstatic utterance to other and far more useful gifts."334
There is a sense in which it is good for Christians to be childlike, namely in our innocence regarding evil. Still in understanding, we need to be mature (cf. 3:1-2). The Corinthians were not innocent in their behavior any more than they were mature in their thinking.
14:21 The Law refers to the Old Testament here since the passage Paul cited is Isaiah 28:11-12. The context of this passage is the Israelites' refusal to accept Isaiah's warnings concerning the coming Assyrian invasion. God said because they refused to listen to the prophet's words He would "teach"them by using their foreign-speaking invading enemy. Nevertheless even then, God said, they would not repent. Isaiah preached repentance to the Israelites in their own language, but they did not repent. Then God brought the invading Assyrians into Israel. Still His people did not repent even though God "spoke"to them of their need to repent by allowing them to hear the foreign language of this enemy.
14:22 The "then"in this verse anticipates what is to come rather than drawing a conclusion from what has preceded.
Tongues-speaking in the church signified to visiting unbelievers that the Christians were mad (v. 23).335Prophecy signified to the believers that God was present and speaking.
14:23 Paul painted a picture of the Corinthian church assembled and engaged in a frenzy of unintelligible tongues-speaking. Two types of individuals walk in. One is a believer untaught in the matter of spiritual gifts and the other is an unbeliever. To both of them the worshippers appear to be insane rather than soberly engaged in worship and instruction. The church meeting would resemble the meetings of a mystery cult in which such mania was common.
"It was strange that what the Corinthians specially prided themselves on was a gift which, if exercised in public, would excite the derision of unbelievers."336
14:24-25 If, on the other hand, the church was practicing prophesying and was receiving instruction, both visitors would gain a positive impression from the conduct of the believers. More importantly, what the prophets said would also convict them (cf. 2:14-15). Paul's description of their response came from Isaiah 45:14 (cf. Zech. 8:23) and contrasts with the unresponsiveness of the Israelites to messages God sent them in foreign languages. Prophecy would result in the repentance of visiting unbelievers, but tongues-speaking would not. These verses summarize the effects of good Christian preaching on unbelievers.
"The gift of prophesying, however successful, is no glory to the possessor of it. It is the Spirit of God, not the preacher's own power, that works the wonderful effect."337
Paul did not mean that every individual in the church would either speak in tongues or prophesy (cf. v. 23). He meant that if one of those gifts dominated to the exclusion of the other the stated results would normally follow.
"The Corinthians tend to shut their ears to prophecy because they gain more satisfaction from listening to tongues than from hearing their faults exposed and their duties pointed out in plain rational language."338
Paul permitted only intelligible utterances when the church gathered for worship because they edify believers and bring the lost to conviction of their need for salvation.
