Rules for the Use of Prophecy and Tongues in the Church (1 Corinthians 14:26–40)

First he expresses aa) the general law: all for building up (1 Cor. 14:26), then he writes bb) the rules α) for those speaking in tongues (1 Cor. 14:27–28); β) for prophets (1 Cor. 14:29–33); γ) for women (1 Cor. 14:34–36), finally he adds cc) a general exhortation to the fulfillment of what has been said (1 Cor. 14:37–38).

1 Cor. 14:26. What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

“What should be done then?” What follows from all that has been said? How should you act? Here is how! You have gathered in church; each of you has something from God’s Spirit; one has a “hymn”—every kind of prayerful address to God, petition, thanksgiving, praise to God our Saviour in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit; one has “a lesson”—doctrine, moral instruction, counsel, resolution of difficulties; one has “a revelation”—foresight of the future, perception of what is hidden in the present or past, knowledge of the secrets of hearts: “revelation is called prophecy” (Oecumenius, Theophylact); one has “a tongue”—the gift, and all that has been shown speaks in a foreign language; one has “an interpretation”—the gift of explaining what is said in an incomprehensible language. So you have gathered in the church with all this spiritual wealth: here is the general law for its use: “let all things be done for building up”. Remember that no one receives anything exclusively for himself, but everything one receives is received for the whole assembly of believers. One must share it with them, not seeking one’s own glory but fulfilling God’s commission regarding what has been given. In giving the gift, God speaks to each one: take and give away.

Holy Chrysostom says to this: “Do you see the foundation and rule of Christianity? As it is the work of a builder to build, so it is the work of a Christian in every way to benefit his neighbor. One has a hymn, one has a lesson, one has a tongue: but all this, he says, let it tend toward one thing—the building up of one’s neighbor; let nothing be done in vain, for if you come not to build up your brother, why do you come? For me the distinction of gifts is not very important; my care and effort tend only toward one thing—that all be done for building up; then even one who has a small gift will exceed one who has a great gift if he uses it for building up. Gifts are given so that each may receive building up; if this does not happen, then the gift will serve even to the condemnation of one who received it, for tell me, what benefit is there in prophesying, what benefit in raising the dead, if no one receives building up? If then the goal of gifts, which can be achieved also in another way without gifts, consists in this, then do not exalt yourself by signs and do not consider yourself miserable not to have gifts.”

Applying this general law to the cases that might occur in the assembly, the Apostle says:

1 Cor. 14:27–28. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God.

To speak in tongues in the assembly only when there is an interpreter, a translator, and when there is not one, keep silent, speaking to yourself and to God. “Let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn”. This does not mean that two and three can speak at the same time, but that in the whole assembly only one, then another, at most a third should speak, and that not all at once but separately, one after another (Oecumenius). “And speak to themselves and to God”. That is, “speak to yourself, in your mind, secretly and without noise” (Holy Chrysostom); mentally before God go over what you would like to utter in a tongue and ponder on it. “One who speaks in tongues is not sufficient by himself; therefore, if anyone has also the gift of interpretation, let him speak; but if he does not have it and wants to speak, let him do so with an interpreter present. If there is no interpreter, let him keep silent, for nothing should be done in vain and from ambition. You do not gather, he says, to show that you have a gift, but to build up the listeners” (Holy Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 14:29. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

“Prophets”—those who have received from God’s Spirit a revelation, knowledge, instruction, to convey it to the assembly in a language common to all. “Let two or three speak”—one after another. “As before regarding tongues, so here he requires that it be done separately” (Holy Chrysostom). “And let the others weigh what is said”—let them listen to what is heard and ponder it, assimilating what is heard, for only in this way can what is revealed to one or another become the common possession. Or the words “let the others weigh” give a task to those who had the gift of discerning spirits. So blessed Theodoret: “The divine Apostle numbered among the spiritual gifts also ‘the ability to distinguish between spirits’ (1 Cor. 12:10). Here he says that those who have been granted this gift should weigh what is uttered, whether it is spoken by the action of God’s Spirit. For as the devil opposed false prophets to the prophets, so he opposed false apostles to the Apostles; and the Apostle shows this in the second epistle to the Corinthians, saying: ‘such false apostles, deceitful workers’ (2 Cor. 11:13).” Holy Chrysostom means the same: “The Apostle said this as a warning to the listeners, so that among them there should not arise a μαντις, a demon-possessed soothsayer. He ordered them to be wary of this from the beginning, and now he orders them to distinguish and observe the same thing, so that nothing diabolical should creep in.”

1 Cor. 14:30. If a revelation is given to another person sitting nearby, let the first be silent.

“What do these words mean? If, he says, while you are prophesying and speaking, the Spirit stirs another, then you be silent. For why should you continue your speech when another is stirred to prophecy? But should not both speak? This would be unseemly and would produce disorder. Should not the first continue until he finishes? This also would be unseemly, for the reason the Spirit stirred the other while the first is speaking is that he also should say something (while the first is silent). Then, for the comfort of the one whom he commands to be silent, he says” (Holy Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 14:31. You can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged.

As if to say: let this newly moved speaker have a turn, and then the one who was interrupted may speak again if he still has something to say. Why such preference to the newly moved speaker? Because his speech tends to be more fervent, more heartfelt, and therefore more effective. Since the Apostle’s aim is that all may learn and all be encouraged, it is fitting to give such a speaker the floor quickly; whereas the one who was speaking before is presumed to have already received good instruction before the gathering, during private prayer and contemplation; consequently, his words are not new but have been repeated in his mind many times and are now being presented more from memory. Yet even this change ought to proceed in order. Theodoret writes: “Nothing should be done in disorder and confusion, for any of you may present a prophecy to those assembled and thereby bring them benefit. This order has remained in the Churches even to this day, and among teachers some speak to the people at one solemn gathering, while others speak at another.”

1 Cor. 14:32. And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

“Do you see how he again brings forth the reason for this command? So that man should not object or resist (excusing himself by the irresistibility of the Spirit), he says that the very gift itself is subject (to the one who received it). By ‘Spirit’ here he means His action (activity). But if the ‘Spirit is subject,’ how much more you, who have received it, have no right to object” (Saint Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 14:33. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

“He proves that this is pleasing to God as well. Do you see with how many arguments he urges silence and comforts the one yielding to another? First, by the fact that he is not excluded in this case: ‘you can all,’ he says, ‘prophesy one by one’; second, by the fact that this is proper to the Spirit, for ‘the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets’; further, by the fact that this is in accordance with God’s will: ‘God is not a God of confusion but of peace’; third, by the fact that this rule extends to the whole Church and that he is commanding nothing new: ‘as’ he says, ‘in all the churches of the saints’ (I command). Can anything be more marvelous than this? The Church then was heaven; the Spirit ordered all things in the people, guided and inspired each of the leaders. But now we have only the signs of those former gifts. And now we speak, but all this is only signs and monuments of what was before. In ancient times they spoke not by their own wisdom, but by the inspiration of the Spirit. But now it is not so; I speak my own thoughts. Now the Church is like a woman who has lost her former wealth, preserving in many places only the signs of her original prosperity and showing the warehouses and storehouses of golden treasures, but not possessing the wealth itself; to such a woman the Church is now likened. I say this with respect not only to gifts—it would not be too grievous if it were only this—but to life and virtue as well” (Saint Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 14:34. Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.

Since the Apostle’s discourse concerns teaching in the church, then here too he is speaking of that same matter. Likely, women also were moved with excitement and, relying on the fact that in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female, would rise in the assembly and speak for the edification of all. Saint Paul finds this inappropriate and forbids it, placing a seal of silence upon their lips by the law of obedience toward their husbands. Saint Chrysostom says: “Having rebuked the disorder arising from tongues and from prophecies, the Apostle turns to the disorder produced by women, and checks their inappropriate boldness. Here he does not exhort or advise, but commands with authority, bringing forth an ancient law for this. What law? ‘Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you’ (Gen. 3:16). Do you see Paul’s wisdom, how he brought such a testimony as commands them not only to be silent, but to be silent with fear, and with such fear as a slave must observe silence? If such they must be toward their husbands, how much more toward teachers, fathers, and the common assembly of the Church. They should listen as is fitting, and about matters of doubt should ask their husbands at home.”

1 Cor. 14:35. But if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church.

“It is not permitted to them, he says, not only to speak openly in the church themselves, but even to ask about anything. If they must not ask, then much less are they permitted to speak. Why then does he place them in such subjection? Because woman is a weaker, inconstant, and frivolous creature. Therefore he appoints husbands as their teachers and brings benefit to both: he makes women modest and men attentive, for they must transmit to women with perfect precision what they have heard. Further, since it was considered an honor among them to speak in the assembly, he again proves the contrary and says: ‘it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church’; he proves this first by God’s law, and then by general human judgment and custom, as he did when he spoke with them about hair. And everywhere one can see this manner of his discourse: he convicts not only by Holy Scripture but also by well-known customs. Moreover, he draws the conviction from the agreement of all and from the universality of the commandments, as he does here” (Saint Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 14:36. Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?

“Here he expresses that the other Churches observe the same law, and thus stops the disorder by pointing to an innovation and makes his words more persuasive by referring to the voice of all. He speaks as if to say: you are not first, and you alone are not believers, but (such is the case with) the entire world. You, he says, cannot claim: we were teachers of others and should not learn from others; here alone the teaching of faith has been established, and we should not follow the example of others. Do you see how many arguments he brought in their rebuke? He brought forth the law, showed the shame of the deed, presented the other Churches as an example” (Saint Chrysostom).

Modern commentators join the phrase “as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor. 14:33) with “let your women keep silent in the churches”. Thus both at the beginning and at the end, the imposition of silence on women in the church is protected by the universality of such a law throughout the Church. It was fitting that some disobedience in this matter might be expected, against which the assurance could prevail that in acting thus they would stand apart from all and consequently bring shame upon themselves; for singularity in Christianity brings shame, not honor.

1 Cor. 14:37. If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that what I write to you is the Lord’s commandment.

With this Saint Paul confirms his directives regarding the exercise of the gifts of prophecy and tongues in the Church. So, he says, you who speak in tongues and prophesy, understand well what I write to you and fulfill it exactly, for these are the Lord’s commandments. “God commands this through me” (Saint Chrysostom). I am not proposing this to you as advice, but I give it on behalf of the Lord, as a commandment to be obeyed. “I did not move myself to say this” (Oecumenius). Who is the spiritual one here in the Apostle? Broadly speaking, the spiritual can mean the one “in whom the Spirit of God dwells” (Theodoret), or “who has some spiritual gift” (Oecumenius, Theophylact). But here, in the flow of the discourse, it seems closer to mean one who has the gift of tongues. For the Apostle has been speaking about him together with prophecy throughout, and turns this concluding exhortation to them.

1 Cor. 14:38. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

The thought is rather obscure! If, he says, anyone of those to whom he addresses his discourse does not recognize that these are the Lord’s commandments, let him not recognize them—as if to say: do as you wish, it is your choice, I do not compel you; but you also take upon yourself the responsibility that lies on those who resist God’s will. “I have said what is necessary; let the willing one obey, and the unwilling one do as he wishes” (Oecumenius, Theophylact). And Saint Chrysostom says nearly the same: “Why did he add this? To show that he does not compel and does not wish to contend. And in another place he said something similar: ‘if anyone thinks he is contentious, we have no such custom’ (1 Cor. 1:16). However, he does not act thus everywhere, but only where the offenses were not very great.” Theophylact presents yet another thought. He said earlier: “let the spiritual one understand”; here he says if “anyone does not understand”—the same as if anyone is not spiritual—“let him not understand”—the same as remain unspiritual. Such a manner of speaking will make everyone obey the given directive, so as not to reveal themselves as unspiritual.

CC) Conclusion of all that has been said about the gift of prophecy and tongues (1 Cor. 14:39–40)

1 Cor. 14:39–40. Therefore, my brethren, be zealous to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.

Having begun to discourse on these gifts, the Apostle first proved that the gift of prophecy is better and more useful for the Church than the gift of tongues; now he concludes: therefore be zealous for the gift of prophecy, but when someone is given the gift of tongues, do not forbid him to use it, with the limitations I have laid down. Then the Apostle set forth rules for how to exercise these gifts in the Church; and as a conclusion to this especially applies the words: only let all things be done decently and in order; and how this should be done decently and in order, he has shown in the rules set forth. Saint Chrysostom says: “The Apostle returns to the former subject, which gave him occasion to speak of this. And do you see how he maintains the distinction (between these gifts) throughout, and how he teaches that the first is very necessary, while the latter is not so necessary? Regarding the first he says: ‘be zealous,’ and regarding the latter: ‘do not forbid.’ Then, as if presenting all the rules given together, he adds: ‘let all things be done decently and in order’.” “This order the Apostle made clear in what was said before (that is, in the rules)” (Theodoret).