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Chapter 14
- 1 Pursue in the sense of keep on seeking. Having discussed the supreme spiritual gift of love, Paul now turns to other
spiritual gifts, emphasising the gift of prophesy. Not quite what the Corinthians may have expected, since they
appear to have been rather proud that the gift of tongues was much used in their assemblies.
- 2 Paul points out that when speaking in tongues they cannot be understood by other people, although presumably God
understands them. For the Corinthians speaking in tongues appears not to be the same as in Acts 2, ie speaking so as
to be heard by everyone, whatever their native tongue. Here noone can understand them. Moreover, they are
speaking to God, not to others present.
- 3 But those who prophesy can be understood by others present, to whom they are speaking. Prophesy appears to be
not quite the same as preaching - to unbelievers, nor as teaching - believers. Perhaps applying the truths of scripture
to current life? What is important is that prophesying - and other spiritual gifts should be used for the benefit of the
Christian community, ie for building it up, encouraging it and consoling it - same word as used for the Holy Sprit:
advocate or comforter.
- 4 Tongues can only benefit those who utter, but prophesy can benefit the whole church.
- 5 Prophesy is greater than tongues, because it benefits the whole church. Although it would be good if all could
speak in tongues, speaking in tongues has no value at all unless it is interpreted. The interpretation can either be
translating or explaining, and it can relate to either what is being expressed in tongues to God, it God’s response - but
who hears this?
- 6 If Paul speaks to the Corinthians in tongues there is no benefit to them - since they cannot understand. They can
only benefit if he speaks revelation, knowledge, prophesy or teaching to them.
- 7 The simile of musical instruments is clear - unless a clear tune is played, it is meaningless jangle of sound.
- 8 Even more telling is the comparison with a bugle - unless the army hears and recognises the tune, they will not
know whether to advance or to retreat.
- 9 So speech that is not intelligible is useless.
- 10 No communication without sound - and there are very many languages.
- 11 If I do not understand the language, we are foreigners to each other - barbarians, who to the Greeks were
uncivilised.
- 12 So strive to develop spiritual gifts which will buld up the Church.
- 13 And those who speak in tongues should pray for an interpreter - either do it themselves, or get someone else to do
it.
- 14 The Greeks distinguished between mind and spirit: mind should be in control. Praying in tongues is praying with
the spirit only. Like ecstatic utterances, the mind is not in control - it is then merely like the ecstasy of the priestesses
in the pagan temples. It has no effect.
- 15 So engage the mind also: pray with mind and spirit; sing praises with mind and spirit. So we should let our mind
dwell on the words of prayers and hymns, not just enjoy the lulling murmur or pretty tune.
- 16 Else if the prayer cannot be understood, how can anyone - especially an enquirer - be able to say Amen to it? Paul
here seems to be referring to someone already interested in the Christian faith, not yet a believer but not still an
unbeliever. So such enquirers were welcome to at least some of the Christian assemblies.
- 17 If the others do not understand, and cannot say Amen, they are not built up. Again and again Paul emphasises that
the purpose of spiritual gifts is to build up the community and other individuals.
- 18 Paul has many gifts, including speaking in tongues.
- 19 But thousands of words in tongues are less useful than a few that can be understood.
- 20 By all means respond to evil with a simple cgildish ‘no’, but make sure your ‘Yes’ to good is as mature adults.
- 21 Isa 28:11ff is condemning the Israelites for not listening to him, which will result in them being conquered by the
Assyrians speaking a foreign language.
- 22 Tongues may be a sign to unbelievers that something significant is going on, but believers need to understand
what is being said.
- 23 If everyone speaks in tongues, enquirers or unbelievers will think you are out of your mind.
- 24 But if all present prophesy, enquirers or unbelievers will learn from it may even be converted. Applies too to our
services - are they so much jargon that strangers would find no sense or attraction in them?
- 25 Meaningful utterances can unlock an unbeliever’s heart and lead him to worship God, recognising God among the
assembly.
- 26 The key is that when they assemble together as church, everything that is done should be for building up the body
of the community. This is the earliest indication of the content of early Christian services: each person contributes
with a hymn, a reading, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.
- 27 So Paul now gives specific instructions: only 2 - or at most 3 - should speak in tongues during an assembly. And
they should do it in turn, not all at once, competing with each other in a meaningless jumble. And there should be an
interpretation of what is said.
- 28 If there is noone to interpret, then they should not speak in tongues at all.
- 29 Similarly with prophesy: 2 or 3 only, and others should consider what is said, ie not necessarily accepting it just
because it has been uttered in a special manner.
- 30 Again take it in turns, deferring to others.
- 31 Each can contribute, so all can learn and benefit, and be encouraged.
- 32 Again spirits of prophets are not to be followed without careful consideration: the mind must rule the spirits even
of prophets.
- 33 Discerning what is true prophesy is helped by remembering that God is God of peace, so if there is disorder and
unruliness, it is unlikely to be God speaking.
- 34 This contentious statement needs to be read in context. It may be that Paul is quoting what the Corinthians have
said to him, which he answers in v.36. Women in these times were not expected by Jews or by Greeks to be educated
or to take part in public meetings. Christians were preaching that men and women are equal, and some women may
have gone overboard and expressed opinions without adequate knowledge or learning. Church assembles were
usually in private houses, and some women may have behaved as they would when receiving visitors in their home,
not sufficiently realising that the church assemblies were public meetings and so women would be expected to take a
subservient role.
- 35 Within that culture women were expected to seek knowledge and express opinions through their husbands, and not
in public. Speaking in church about matters they do not understand would bring shame on the church and on
themselves. This clearly contradicts what Paul says elsewhere about women contributing to Christian services
providing they were suitably dressed, etc.
- 36 This is most likely Paul’s robust response to those men who wished women to ‘stay in their place’ and not
contribute to assemblies. The Corinthians did not receive special revelation which enabled them to be4 superior to
women in services.
- 37 Here Paul states clearly that he is laying down the law, he is giving them a commend.
- 38 Anyone who does not accept this command from him, should not be seen as a Christian.
- 39 Tongues are fine, prophesy is better.
- 40 But the overall criterion is that all should be done decently and in good order - God is the God of order. Again
love underlies this - do all for the good of the community.