Chapter Fourteen

A comparison of the benefit afforded by the gift of tongues and the benefit received from the gift of prophecy (1–25). Rules concerning the use of spiritual gifts (26–40)

1 Cor 14:1-25. The general thought of this section is as follows: everyone should strive to obtain chiefly those gifts that can above all bring benefit to the Church. The Ap. first applies this basic rule to a comparative evaluation of those two gifts that at the time most occupied the Corinthians — namely, the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy. Since everything that is comprehensible stands above what is incomprehensible, when the question is the edification of believers, the Ap. draws the conclusion that prophecy deserves preference; and as for the gift of tongues, according to the Apostle, its use should not be permitted at all in those cases where there is no means of explaining the meaning of the speech of the one who has this gift.

1 Corinthians 14:1. Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. “Pursue” (διώκετε) — “earnestly desire” (ζηλοῦτε). The difference between these two terms is as follows: the first indicates an activity that is necessary for the Christian, the second only a desirable one; furthermore, the first verb denotes the Christian’s independent, individual activity, while the second denotes activity shared with other Christians.

1 Corinthians 14:2. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:3. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 1 Corinthians 14:4. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Why is the gift of prophecy most desirable for Christians? Because it is more useful than other gifts, and above all more useful than the gift of tongues, for the obtaining of which the Corinthians so yearned. What is the one who speaks in tongues? He is a person addressing himself directly to God in speech that remains incomprehensible to the rest of those present at worship. — “No one understands.” This expression “no one” is a very important argument against the supposition that the speech of the “one who speaks in tongues” was speech in a foreign language. If the Ap. meant such speech, he could not have said that “no one” understands it, since in Corinth there were not a few people from various parts of the world. — “Mysteries.” Here the word “mystery” has the sense of something generally hidden and incomprehensible to the hearers. One person speaks, while for the rest his speech remains incomprehensible, mysterious. — “In the Spirit” — i.e., while in a state of special ecstasy (“in the Spirit” — πνεύματι — a state of specially inspired inspiration in the speaker himself). — “Upbuilding” — this is the strengthening and expansion of faith through new knowledge imparted by the prophet; “encouragement” — this is the special arousal of the will toward the attainment of the goals of the Christian calling; “consolation” — this is the encouragement of a person who has suffered misfortune, the strengthening of hope within him.

1 Corinthians 14:5. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. The Ap. does not at all reject the “gift of tongues”: he even wishes that all Corinthian Christians might have this gift. But he desires even more that the more common occurrence in Christian assemblies should be prophecy. However, if the one who speaks in tongues can himself also explain the meaning of his speech to those gathered, then in this case the gift of tongues rises to the level of the gift of prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:6. Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? The Ap. clarifies the thought about the uselessness of the gift of tongues for the Church in itself in the following way. What would it be if he, coming to Corinth, appeared here only as one who speaks in tongues, without explaining his speech? — “Unless I speak to you” — more accurately: “when, at the same time, I do not address you, do not appear before you as prophet and teacher” (the Russian translation presents the matter as though prophecy and teaching were means of explaining the speech in tongues, whereas in fact these were independent gifts and the “gift of interpretation” served for the explanation of “speeches in tongues”). — “Revelation” — this is an inner act taking place in the soul of a person, as is also “knowledge.” As for “prophecy” and “teaching,” the first is the external manifestation of revelation, and the second is the external result of knowledge. Through revelation, an understanding of some one aspect of God’s dispensation for our salvation is suddenly imparted to a person, while knowledge presupposes a rather lengthy independent work of the human intellect upon the truths of faith communicated by the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 14:7. If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 1 Corinthians 14:8. And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? To clarify his thought about the significance of the gift of tongues, the Ap. draws on cases from everyday life and first makes a comparison of this gift with musical instruments. For the melody of one or another musical instrument to be comprehensible to the human ear, it must be structured according to the laws of tones and rhythm, must be subject to the laws of intervals and time. — “Even lifeless” — more precisely: “even” (όμως) inanimate objects. — “Flute” — a wind instrument; “harp” or cithara — a stringed instrument. These were the two chief instruments used in antiquity at worship and at various occasions of a sad or joyful character. — “How will anyone know” — more accurately: “how will one know what they call for — to weeping or to dancing?” — “Bugle” — a louder instrument than the flute or harp. Yet even it is subject to the same laws. Its signals are understood only when one can distinguish them from one another.

1 Corinthians 14:9. So if with your tongue you speak words that are not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air. Here the Ap. applies to the Corinthians the comparison just made. If they, speaking “in a tongue” — i.e., using the gift of tongues — do not take care that their speech be explained to the assembled Christians, they are speaking as if into the air.

1 Corinthians 14:10. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning. 1 Corinthians 14:11. But if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. Yet another example to persuade the readers: “In the world there are so many kinds of languages (or simply: so many languages — the Russian translation incorrectly renders this as ‘various words’) — and I don’t even know how many! — (the Russian incorrectly adds: ‘for example’) — and there is not one of them that does not have clearly pronounced sounds” (the Russian again incorrectly: “without meaning”). — “The meaning of language” — more accurately: the meaning of sound. — “A foreigner” — more accurately: a barbarian. Among the Greeks and Egyptians, “barbarians” were peoples who did not speak the languages of those nations.

1 Corinthians 14:12. So with you, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. From the example given in vv. 10–11, the Ap. draws a practical conclusion. The edification of the Christian community — this is the main thing to which the attention of all who seek to obtain spiritual gifts should be directed.

1 Corinthians 14:13. Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 1 Corinthians 14:14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 1 Corinthians 14:15. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. For the benefit of the Church, one who speaks in tongues, when praying, should do so with the intention of later explaining the content of his prayer in a way comprehensible to all. The will of a person in the use of gifts always remained in operation. (The Russian translation “pray for the gift of interpretation” does not correspond to the Greek verb placed here — προσεύχεσθαι. If the Ap. were speaking of a request, he would have used the verb αιτεῖν or δεῖσθαι). — “When I pray.” The condition of one who speaks in tongues but is unable to explain the content of his prayer is an imperfect state. — “His spirit,” i.e., his feeling is extremely aroused, but together with this “the mind” or reason “remains unfruitful,” i.e., there is no place for its participation during such strong arousal of feeling, and it on its part cannot serve for the benefit of the Church. — “What am I to do?” Spiritual rapture must find its complement in prayers offered “with the mind,” i.e., while preserving clear awareness, which one can then explain to others. — The difference between prayer and singing is that prayer has as its goal the reception of saving benefits, while singing represents praise to God for blessings received — praise through the recitation of hymns or psalms — new, Christian ones, of course. These psalms were composed by those who had the gift of tongues.

1 Corinthians 14:16. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 1 Corinthians 14:17. For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. The Ap. explains why he considers speech in tongues in itself fruitless. One who “blesses in the spirit,” i.e., speaks in tongues praising God in a state of inspiration, is incomprehensible to the ordinary person — or, more accurately, to a person who cannot penetrate the content of the speech of the one speaking in the spirit. Such a person cannot sympathize with what fills the soul of the one speaking in tongues: he cannot say “Amen” to his thanksgiving or praise which that one addresses to God (Concerning the custom of responding “Amen” to a prayer pronounced by the presider of the assembly, by which the community expressed its agreement with the presider’s thoughts, St. Justin Martyr reports in his Apology). Thus even the beautiful speech of the one speaking in tongues will remain useless for the hearers.

1 Corinthians 14:18. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 1 Corinthians 14:19. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. The gift of tongues in itself deserves respect. The Ap. even thanks God that he is able to speak in tongues more than all the Corinthians. But on the other hand, this gift is undoubtedly more useful for private, solitary prayer. In public worship, however, those gifts that give full scope to “the mind” or reason of the speaker bring incomparably greater benefit — above all the gifts of prophecy and teaching.

1 Corinthians 14:20. Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. In concluding his explanation, the Ap. says ironically to the Corinthians, who, like children, were interested only in what glitters: “If you want to be children, then be so with respect to all that is ‘evil’ (i.e., be ignorant of evil). But when it comes to reason, you ought to be adults.”

1 Corinthians 14:21. In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people; and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord. Up to this point the Ap. has been speaking about the relationship of the gift of tongues to the matter of edifying Christians who gathered for worship. Now he speaks of what impression this gift should produce on those Corinthians who had not yet converted to Christianity but who sometimes visited Christian worship. — First of all, the Ap. refers to a passage from the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 28:11). At first glance, this passage seems to have no relation to the gift of tongues under consideration: the prophet was here foretelling the Assyrian invasion of Judah, which would be a punishment from God upon the Jews who had not wished to turn to the Lord when He called them to Himself through His prophets. But still, one can find the reason why the Ap. cited this prophecy. Undoubtedly he wished to say that just as the speech of the Assyrians, who came to Judah, was a punishment for the Jews by its incomprehensibility, so also the incomprehensible speeches of those speaking in tongues that now resound in worship assemblies testify to a separation existing between them and God. How unreasonably, therefore, do the Corinthians act when they strive to “speak in tongues” in worship assemblies! — “In the Law it is written.” The Ap. calls the book of Isaiah “the Law” following the custom of New Testament writers (cf. John 7:49).

1 Corinthians 14:22. Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. From the cited prophecy of the prophet Isaiah, the Ap. draws the conclusion: “tongues are a sign for unbelievers.” — God speaks with unbelievers in such a way as to show that He is angry with them for their unbelief in His clearly stated revelation. Thus also the Lord Jesus Christ, after the Jews did not heed His simple and clear preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven (such as, for example, the Sermon on the Mount), began to speak to them in parables incomprehensible to them (Matt 13:11 and following). — “Prophecy is not for unbelievers.” Following the construction of the first part of the verse, here too after the words “prophecy is” one should add “a sign.” But prophecy will be a sign of a different kind than the gift of tongues. If the first served as a sign of God’s wrath, then the latter is a sign of God’s mercy toward those who have already begun to believe (τοῖ πιστεύουσιν), but who are in need of spiritual strengthening in order to become fully firm in faith.

1 Corinthians 14:23. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? The Ap. takes the case where only those who speak in tongues appear in the worship assembly. If at this gathering there are “outsiders” (ιδιῶται) and “unbelievers” (άπιστοι), it will seem to them that all the Christians have lost their minds! — The distinction between “the outsider” and “the unbeliever” is that, although both of them are not yet members of the Church (this is evident from their being set in contrast to “the whole” Church), the first nonetheless has some connection with the Christian community (he simply does not know all its customs), while the second is a genuine non-believer — a pagan, hostile toward the Church. There is some probability in the supposition that here by “outsider” the Ap. meant a catechumen, not yet initiated into the circle of the truths of the Christian faith.

1 Corinthians 14:24. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 1 Corinthians 14:25. and so the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and falling on his face he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. In the previous verse the Ap. showed what the gift of tongues without the gift of prophecy represents. Now he depicts the reverse case, when only prophets appear in the worship assembly. — “All prophesy” — of course, not simultaneously, but in turn. — “An unbeliever or outsider.” Here the Ap. speaks of the impression a person who is not a member of the Christian Church will receive. The impression from the speeches of Christian prophets or teachers of faith will be powerful even for a pagan, and still more powerful for a person who stands in some contact with the Church (“outsider” — see v. 23). — “He is convicted by all,” i.e., every teacher of faith can point out to such a visitor the sinfulness of his deeds. — “He is called to account by all” — an expression close to “he is convicted by all,” but containing the thought of predicting the terrible fate awaiting the sinner. — “The secrets of his heart are disclosed,” i.e., the person begins to understand clearly his own position and the entire state of his soul. — “Falling on his face,” i.e., he acknowledges his guilt before God and will want to become a member of the Christian Church, because only there can he enter into communion with God. — “Really” (όντως), i.e., in fact Christians are in a state of divine inspiration. Such a result — such a conviction arising in a person who is a stranger to the Church — is precisely the opposite of what was produced in such a person when attending an assembly where only those who spoke in tongues appeared (“you are out of your minds” — v. 23). 1 Cor 14:26-40. The Ap. now gives rules for the use of spiritual gifts. First he prescribes to those who speak in tongues that they appear in assemblies in a number of two or three, and then one at a time, and their speeches must be interpreted. As for prophets, they too should in each assembly speak only in pairs or groups of three, while the others should hold back their impulses toward prophesying. Finally, women must be present at worship in silence.

1 Corinthians 14:26. What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. Every gift should serve for the edification of those present at worship — this is the basic rule for the use of gifts. — “Each one of you,” i.e., one person has one gift, another person another. The Ap. then enumerates five types of inspired Christian creativity: 1) a hymn or song that a Christian composed under the influence of special inspiration — this was improvisation, as the very expression used here by the Apostle shows (ψαλμον έχει); 2) a lesson (διδαχή) — this too is the word of wisdom or knowledge (1 Cor 12:8); 3) a tongue or speech in tongues (1 Cor 12:10); 4) a revelation or “prophecy” (1 Cor 12:10); and 5) “an interpretation” (1 Cor 12:10).

1 Corinthians 14:27. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 1 Corinthians 14:28. But if there is no one to interpret, let him keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. Concerning those who speak in tongues, the Ap. gives three rules: 1) their number in each assembly should be no more than three; 2) they should speak not together but one at a time; and 3) they may speak only when a person is present in the assembly who possesses the gift of interpreting their speeches. Such persons were evidently already known in Corinth. However, sometimes the one speaking in tongues simultaneously possessed the gift of interpretation as well. — “Speak to himself and to God,” i.e., do not speak aloud in the church, but pray to yourself — even better at home.

1 Corinthians 14:29. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 1 Corinthians 14:30. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. Concerning those who prophesy, the Ap. likewise gives three rules: 1) the number of prophets speaking at the assembly should also be small (two or three people); 2) prophecy stands in need of supplementation, just as the gift of tongues does. Such supplementation is provided by “weighing” — i.e., the consideration of the new thoughts expressed by a prophet, as to how far these thoughts accord with the foundations of the Gospel (1 Cor 12:1-3; cf. John 16:13 and following). This consideration was carried out by other (“the others”) Christians present at the worship service who were capable of doing so — i.e., primarily teachers of faith who had a special gift from the Holy Spirit; 3) if, during the speech of one prophet, inspiration falls upon someone else, the first must fall silent and yield the floor to the new speaker, who has evidently received a new revelation supplementing that which had already been communicated by his predecessor. — It is evident from this that all those present at the worship service were seated, and only those persons who were taking an active part in the service would stand.

1 Corinthians 14:31. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. 1 Corinthians 14:32. And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets, 1 Corinthians 14:33. for God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, The prophetic state does not deprive a person of the power of the will. He can restrain the surge of inspiration while another prophet has not yet finished speaking, or else yield the floor to a new speaker. Through this “all” present at the worship service will receive instruction and edification: if one prophet occupied all the time with his speech, he would give no opportunity for another to appear, whose speech might perhaps be far more comprehensible to certain hearers. And this restraint of one’s impulses is entirely possible, because the “spirits” (πνεύματα) of the prophets — i.e., the various revelations received by the prophets — are at the disposal of the prophets, do not deprive them of freedom and deliberation. And God could not have permitted the contrary — He is a “God of peace.” Finally, such an order exists in other “churches” (in the assemblies of holy persons — εν εκκλ[ησίαις] τῶν αγίων) — why should not the Corinthians observe it too?

1 Corinthians 14:34. The women are to keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 1 Corinthians 14:35. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. In summoning women to silence in worship assemblies, the Ap. grounds this requirement in a reference to “the Law” or to the Word of God in general, in which the wife is placed under the authority of the husband (Gen 3:16). If the wife is in general to be in submission to her husband, then she should not violate this submission during worship by appearing as a prophetess or teacher: for such an appearance would testify to her intention to guide her own husband, who would find himself among the hearers of her speech.

1 Corinthians 14:36. Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 1 Corinthians 14:37. If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 14:38. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. Anticipating that his prescription will displease many Corinthians, the Ap. again points out that the Corinthian Church is only one part of the universal Church and should not establish its own customs. The teaching of Christ (or the “Word of God”) must be one and the same for all Christians, and the Corinthian Church could not have received any separate prescriptions from God. If some appeal to the fact that they act in their own way as persons inspired by God, then again this argument is not well-founded: precisely a Christian inspired by God should recognize in the words and prescriptions of the Apostle “the commands of the Lord,” because the Ap. too speaks by inspiration. — Of course — the Ap. concludes — there will still be found among the Corinthians stubborn, disobedient people, but let that stubbornness fall on their own heads!

1 Corinthians 14:39. So, brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:40. But all things should be done decently and in order. The Ap. here makes a brief summary of the thoughts developed above about the comparative significance of the gift of prophecy and the gift of tongues. Note on the gift of tongues. Chapter 14 provides more data for determining what the gift of tongues was. First, the Ap. says that the one speaking in tongues “no one understands” (v. 2) — neither his own countrymen, nor people of another tribe who understand only their own language. Second, the one speaking is in a state of such ecstasy (v. 2 — “in the Spirit”) that even he himself cannot afterward coherently convey what had stirred his soul (“he utters mysteries” — ibid.). Third, the one speaking in tongues had no “revelation” (cf. v. 6), i.e., he did not penetrate into the essence of what was being produced in him by the action of the Spirit. Fourth, the glossolalia of unbelievers not only fails to bring them to faith in Christ, but on the contrary gives them occasion to mock Christians and to justify their unbelief by pointing to the disorderliness of Christian worship assemblies (vv. 22–23; cf. Acts 2:13: “they” — i.e., those who had spoken in tongues on the day of Pentecost — “have had too much sweet wine!” said those who heard those speaking in tongues). God in this way carries out His judgment upon unbelievers, allowing them to see what may further strengthen them in unbelief (cf. 1 Cor 1:18 and following; 2 Cor 2:15 and following). It is clear that glossolalia produces such an effect on unbelievers as cannot be desirable even for the Church itself. Finally, glossolalia is compared (vv. 10 and following) with the use of foreign languages. From all of this (cf. also 1 Cor 13:1 — where there is a discussion of the loud speech of the glossolalist, which is thereby compared with the ringing of bronze) one may draw the following conclusion: glossolalia was a loud speech that produced in unprepared hearers the impression of some confused, disorderly babbling, while in essence it was an outpouring of deep inner feeling not clearly apprehended by the very one who uttered it, so that the person was, one might say, a simple instrument of this higher spiritual vital force acting within him. Yet the person who spoke in tongues did not lose the ability to govern himself and was not in an unconscious or delirious state. He simply could not express his feelings in coherent and sequential speech, calmly and in a controlled manner: only the interpreter could explain his loud, fragmentary exclamations. More cannot be said about the essence of this gift. The question of its similarity to the phenomenon that took place on the day of Pentecost is in most cases resolved affirmatively. — As for the term itself, “to speak in tongues,” this too constitutes a subject of disputes. Most probably, this term was taken from the “tongues” that rested on the day of Pentecost upon the believers gathered in the upper room (Acts 2:3 and following). * * * The Ap. says that a simple Christian in such a case occupies a position that equates him with one ignorant of the truths of the faith (ιδιώτης).