The apostle Paul, advised the Corinthians to prefer,
Christian charity to all spiritual gifts. Here he teaches
them, which they should prefer, and by what rules they
should make comparison. He begins the chapter; with an
exhortation to pursue charity and earnestly desire spiritual
gifts especially prophesy, the interpreting scripture (v 1).
In verse 2 Paul compares prophesying with speaking with
tongues. It seems, this was the gift on which the
Corinthians valued above all spiritual gifts. They desired
the gift of tongues more than the plain interpretation of
scripture. Paul intends to show the Corinthians the gift of
tongues is more fit to gratify pride, but less fit to
achieve the purposes of the church, unity and edification.
He that speaks in a tongue speaks directly to God and no one
understands him. However, he that prophesies speak for God
directly to man and he who hears him understands what he has
said. Paul’s point is, the one who speaks in tongues edifies
himself, the one who prophesies edifies the church. No good
can come from the preaching of the Word of God if the church
cannot understand what they have heard. Interpretation of
scripture will edify, exhort and comfort (v 3).
He that speaks with tongues may edify himself, he may
understand and be inspired by what he speaks, but others can
reap no benefit from his speech. The purpose of speaking in
the church is to edify the church (v 4), which prophesying,
or interpreting scripture by inspiration or otherwise,
achieves the goal of the principle of edification. The gift
of prophesying is the best gift which best answers the
purposes of charity and does most good; not that which can
edify ourselves only, but that which will edify the church.
Such is prophesying, or preaching, and interpreting
scripture, compared with speaking in an unknown tongue.
Paul’s point in verse 5 is, no gift is to be despised, but
the best gifts are to be preferred. Every gift of God is a
favor from God, and as such is to be valued and thankfully
received; but that are the most valued are most useful.
Greater is he who interprets scripture to edify the church
than he who speaks tongues to edify himself.
In verse 6 Paul tells the Corinthians, speaking in an
unknown and unintelligible language is a vain, unedifying
and unprofitable thing. Paul asks the Corinthians, what
would it profit them if he came to them speaking in tongues?
His coming to them speaking in tongue would not accomplish
anything. If he wants to achieve his purpose in coming to
them, he must speak to them by revelation, knowledge,
prophesying, and teaching. Paul illustrates this by
referring to musical instruments, Paul asks how they could
produce a meaningful melody unless there was a distinction
in tones (v 7). Another important instrument was the bugle,
commonly employed in warfare to broadcast commands to the
troops. If the bugle did not produce distinct notes, the
soldiers would not know whether to advance or retreat (v 8).
To talk in an unknown language in a Christian assembly is as
vain and to no purpose as for a bugle to give no certain
sound in the field or day of battle. The army in one case,
and the congregation in the other, must be all in suspense,
and at a perfect dead end. To speak words that have no
significance to those who hear them is to leave them
ignorant of what is spoken; it is speaking to the air, (v
9). Words without a meaning can convey neither notion nor
instruction to the mind; and words not understood have no
meaning with those who do not understand them: to talk to
them in such language is to waste our breath. In verse 10
Paul compares speaking in an unknown tongue to the gibberish
of barbarians. There are, as he says many kinds of languages
in the world, none of which is without its proper meaning.
However, whatever meaning the words of any language may have
in themselves, and to those who understand them, they are
perfect gibberish to men of another language, who do not
understand them. In this case, speaker and hearers are
barbarians to each other (v 11), they talk and hear only
sounds without meaning.
Having established his point, in the next two verses he
advises the Corinthians to seek those gifts that were most
for the church's edification (v 12), promote Christian
knowledge and practice, and covet those gifts that will do
the best service to men's souls. Paul told the Corinthians,
if they did speak a foreign language, they should beg of God
the gift of interpreting it (v 13). He enforces this advice
with a proper reason. Those who pray in public should not
pray in a foreign language, or in a language that is above
the level of his audience. Language that is most obvious and
easy understood is the most proper for public devotion and
other religious exercises.
Paul enforces the argument with several reasons. Those who
did not understand the language used in a public prayer
could not say Amen to the prayers or thanksgivings could not
join in the worship (v 16). The intention of public
devotions is destroyed if they are performed in an unknown
tongue. He who performs may pray well, and give thanks well,
but not in that time and place, because others are not,
cannot be, edified by what they do not understand (v 17).
Paul warns the Corinthians not to be like children, an
indication of the immaturity of their judgment (v 20).
Their thinking on the gift of tongues typified their
immaturity. Paul turned to a text in Isaiah 28:11 to prove
his point. Before Israel entered the land of promise, God
warned the Jewish people of the danger of disobedience.
Through Isaiah and many other prophets, God had spoken words
of warning to the Israelites in the simplest of words
(Isaiah 28:9-10). The response of the nation was to reject
the messenger and the message (28:12ff.). Because of their
persistent rebellion, God now warned that He would speak to
His people by another means, through “stammering lips and a
foreign tongue” (28:11). This sign was not one that would
bring repentance, however. In spite of this sign, Israel
would not listen nor turn to God (Isaiah 28:12). Paul used
the passage in Isaiah to show the Corinthians foreign
tongues serve as a sign of disobedient and unbelief.
Prophecy, on the other hand, is for believers.
The fact that signs are intended for unbelievers does not
prove that signs save unbelievers, if an unbeliever attends
a meeting where only tongues are spoken, without
interpretation, he will go away convinced that Christians
are crazy (v 23). If, however, the meeting is solely
prophetic the secrets of their hearts will be exposed, they
will be convinced of their sin, and they will declare that
God is present in the meeting (vv 24-25).
Did the Corinthians believe that exercising the gift of
tongues proved them to be more spiritual? Such was far from
the case, according to Paul’s teaching in chapters 12-14.
Did they suppose that the measure of a mature church was the
predominance of tongues? Paul said that the Old Testament
indicated that tongues were proof of carnality, even
unbelief. They spoke not of spirituality, but of impending
judgment.
