1co01

20. Spiritual gifts IV: Superiority of prophecy (1Co 14:1-25)

Explanation

Context: This passage is a resumption of the teaching in ch.12 on spiritual gifts. The problem is the abuse of tongues in public worship in Corinth. Since spiritual gifts are for building up of the church (v.3,4,5,12,17,26), they should be intelligible (v.1-25) and also used in orderly sequence (v.26-33). Prophecy (and interpreted tongues) is intelligible and can edify while uninterpreted tongues cannnot.

14:1-19 The need for intelligibility in the assembly for the sake of believers

v.1-5 Prophecy is a greater spiritual gift than tongues.

v.6-12 Analogies from musical instruments and foreign languages illustrate that hearers do not benefit at all from what is not understandable.

v.13-19 Since praying in the Spirit means that the understanding is unfruitful, Paul will do both: use tongues as well as human language to pray and praise.

14:20-25 The need for intelligibility in the assembly for the sake of visiting unbelievers

14:1

"Follow the way of love" is a follow-up of ch.13; "eagerly desire spiritual gifts" is the resumption of the argument from 12:31. The greater gift is explained here as prophecy.

14:2-4
Paul says 3 positive things about speaking in tongues:

(a) It is a communing with God through prayer and praise.

(b) The content of tongues is "mysteries" spoken by the (Holy) Spirit.

"Mysteries"means their being outside the understanding of both the speaker and the hearer. They are not the same as "mysteries" in Ro 11:25; 16:25; 1Co 13:2; 15:51; Eph 1:9; 3:3-9; Col 1:26,27; 2:2; 4:3. These verses refer to things that God has hidden but now revealed to his people; such "mysteries" would scarcely need to be spoken back to God.

The mysteries are spoken "by the (Holy) Spirit" or "in the (Holy) Spirit", not "with the (person's) spirit" (v.2,14,15,16).

(c) It edifies the speaker. Although one may wonder how "mysteries" that are not understood even by the speaker can edify. Nevertheless, contrary to the opinion of many, spiritual edification can take place in ways other than through the cortex of the brain.

Despite these positive aspects about tongues, Paul urges them not to speak in tongues in public worship, unless with interpretation (v.5,13,27). The reason is that tongues edifies the speaker but not the church because it is addressed to God; prophecy edifies the church because it speaks to the people. (Prophecy is not a prepared sermon, but the spontaneous word given by the Spirit for edification.)

14:5
If tongues are interpreted, what the person has been speaking to God has now been made intelligible, then others may be edified.

14:10
From the perspective of the hearer, unknown languages do not have meaning. Speaking in tongues would sound like foreigners, thus creating a barrier between believers.

14:12
In corporate worship, besides worshipping God, the focus is the building up of the church, not personal experience in the Spirit.

14:13
It is possible that the one who speaks in tongues also has the gift of interpreting tongues.

14:15
Paul will do two things: one apparently for his own sake (pray and praise in tongues in private devotion), the other for the sake of others (pray and praise in Greek in the assembly).

14:18
Paul's personal devotion was regularly given to praying and praising in tongues. The edifying of oneself in this way is a good thing; just that it is not the focus of corporate worship.

14:20
The childishness of the Corinthians consists of thinking improperly that tongues serves as evidence of their superior spirituality while in fact they evidence all kinds of ethical or behavioural abberations. Paul tells them to cease being childish in their thinking but be as innocent as babies in their behaviour.

14:21
Paul does not make a precise citation from Isaiah 28:11-12. His point is that speaking in tongues by foreigners did not effect belief in Israel; they still did not obey.

14:22
Some believe that the "sign for unbelievers" refers to the event of Ac 2:5-11 where unbelievers saw the work of God through the miracle of tongues. Yet the word "then" links this verse with the quote from Isaiah where the message is that tongues do not effect belief.

In the Bible, sign functions as an expression of God's attitude; signifying either his disapproval or pleasure. In this case, it is his disapproval. Here, uninterpreted tongues function as a negative sign for unbelievers, not to their advantage but to their disadvantage. Because tongues are unintelligible, unbelievers receive no revelation from God. Even worse, by their response of seeing the work of the Spirit as madness, they are destined for divine judgment. Paul tells them to stop the public use of tongues, since it serves to drive unbelievers away.

In contrast, prophecy functions as a sign for believers because unbelievers may be brought to faith and become believers. Its revelatory character functions as the sign of God's approval.

14:23
"Unbeliever" may be translated as seeker or inquirer (see NIV marginal note), someone who is halfway between an unbeliever and a believing Christian.

14:24
Through prophecy, the unbeliever is convicted by all those present, is called to account before God by all those present. The Holy Spirit exposes his/her sins and results in his/her conversion.

Discussion

Are tongues actual human languages?

There are different viewpoints among Christians with regard to whether tongues are human languages or not. Even among linguists who study tongues, the differences still exist.
Biblical evidence is also unclear on this point. In Ac 2:5-11, the tongues were actual human languages. Similarly, the need for interpretation in this chapter probably points to an actual language. Yet, 1Co 14:14 implies that it is not a known earthly language.
Based on evidence from 1Co 13:1 which talks about "tongues of men and of angels", a possible solution is that there are two different manifestations of tongues:

(a) actual human languages but unknown to the speaker,

(b) not a known language but an ecstatic language (angelic language ?) of praise and prayer.

It is possible that both types can be interpreted by the speaker or someone else.

Application

Tongues is a desirable spiritual gift (v.5) although the gift of prophecy is more desirable. To avoid controversy, evangelical churches have stayed away from discussions on tongues. Such avoidance is not necessary. The important thing is to rely on the Bible and put it into proper perspective. We should pray for the renewal of the gift of prophecy as well as tongues in our church.

Charismatics should be warned of not falling into the Corinthian error: believing that tongues is a sure evidence of the continuing work of the Spirit or even the indispensable proof of salvation.