What did Paul mean when he wrote, "for he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men but unto God?" God understands all languages, and since the Tower of Babel men have spoken numerous languages and dialects. God understands all of these languages although someone may not be present that understands a foreign language. For someone to speak Swahili in a group of Americans, it is doubtful that there would be anyone present who could understand Swahili (a Bantu language spoken by people who live in East Africa and the Congo region). If the speaker is a God-called minister he may preach in Swahili which he has learned by arduous study; God would understand Swahili if no one present understood it. Of course, there would be no value in preaching in Swahili if no one present understood it. No one is profited if no one hears (akoues) with understanding. Yeager says of this verse, "The point to be demonstrated is that prophecy is a better medium of communication than a foreign language. Paul now sets out to prove it. The speaker who uses a foreign language is talking to God, who understands him, since He is speaking by means of the Holy Spirit. What he says is not nonesense since there is someone in the world who understands the language that he is speaking, but those people are not present" (Volume XIII, p. 108). H. H. Hobbs states, "In the temple of Aphrodite above Corinth and at the nearby Oracle of Delphi women in an ecstatic state uttered gibberish. So some at Corinth may have pretended to have this gift who did not. Those having it abused it in prideful display" (Baptist Standard, February 18, 1976, p. 13).
Whenever a man prophesies he speaks "to edification (oikodomen), and exhortation (paraklesin) or consolation, and comfort (paramuthian) or counseling." These three words are so closely related they mean almost the same thing. The first (edification) comes from a word used in constructing or erecting a building (i. e., the temple); edification means to "build up;" to prophesy builds up the congregation. The second word (exhortation) comes from the Greek words para and kaleo which mean "to call along side of" and is translated comfort, consolation, entreaty, and exhortation in the New Testament. The third word (comfort) is akin to the second word and can be translated comfort, consolation, counseling. This shows how important these three words were as gift from God. Prophesying is so important in the spread of the gospel. One needs to keep in mind that prophesying was a gift but was phased out when the New Testament was completed as were tongues, however, preaching today is closely akin to prophesying before the New Testament was completed. Prophesying is always intelligent.
Those who speak in a tongue (foreign language) edify themselves only if there is no one present to hear the speech. The one who prophesies, however, edifies the church. The first is self-serving, the latter builds up the church and glorifies God. "To speak to an audience in a language that one knows the listeners cannot understand is a childish public display of one's linguistic virtuosity, unless it happens to be the only language that the speaker can use, in which case he should remain silent" (Yeager, p. 110). Paul states in verse 5 that he wishes that all could speak in foreign languages or were multilingual, but he would rather that they prophesy, for it is far greater than speaking in a foreign language. If someone speaks in a foreign language and has an interpreter (diermeneue) or expounder then and only then can the church be edified. 6 - 12 Doubtless Paul was multilingual, else he could not have spoken to the various audiences he did on his three missionary journeys. Because Paul was well educated in languages as well as the sciences he was able to speak to audiences in their own language. He would speak the language of the area in which he was doing mission work so that there would be profit (opheleso) or advantage; he spoke by revelation (apokalupsei) or unveiling, by knowledge (gnosei), by prophesying (propheteia) and by doctrine (didache) or teaching. Paul would say, "Suppose I return to Corinth speaking to you in a language that you do not understand instead of speaking plainly of some new revelation of truth, or in a message of enlightenment, comfort, consolation, counsel, encouragement or instruction. What benefit would result for you?"
Paul seems to say, "Let us look at some illustrations by the way of simile?" Even a pipe (aulos) or flute or a harp (kithara, from which we derive guitar), which has no life, (they are lifeless instruments) must give a distinction of sounds (a difference in pitch) or no one will know that is piped or harped (kitharizomenon) or played. The flute is the example of the wind instruments and the harp is representative of the stringed instruments. One would not want to hear a symphony that did not play together or played with conflicting sounds. Even the trumpet (salpigx) or bugle must give a certain sound if anyone would prepare to battle. The trumpet is the example of the brass instruments. Yeager puts words in Paul's mouth, "If I come speaking a foreign language...?" "If an orchestra plays indistinctly...?" "If a bugle call is indistinct...?" Then he writes, "Preachers, orchestras and buglers on battlefield had better communicate clearly whatever they have to say" (p. 116). "The sound of the trumpet is a warning call to every able person to prepare himself for battle. But if the trumpeter plays in such a way that the notes cannot be heard, the citizens continue either their daily labors or their nightly sleep. In either case, inaction spells disaster. With these examples taken from daily life, Paul seeks to show the Corinthians the utter futility of speaking in tongues that do not communicate a spiritual message. Because comprehension is lacking, people turn away from the tongue-speaker and leave the church" (Kistemaker, p. 485).
If anyone uses a foreign tongue and the people do not understand he may as well "speak into the air" or entirely in vain. No profit is gained whatsoever. If Swahili is spoken and no one present knows Swahili, the speaking may as well be gibberish. Every language is understood by someone although there are many languages spoken or voices (phonon) or sounds around the world. Each is understood and is not without significance (aphonon) or speechless. The function of speech is to communicate thought; that is, words must be transmitted from the speaker to the hearer, and every language has its own speech or words. Now here Paul uses the word phonon (voices, sounds) not tongues. Paul then says in verse 11, if he speaks in a foreign language and he does not know the meaning of the voice, he speaks like a barbarian (barbaroros) or foreigner and the hearer is a barbarian to him. This word translated barbarian is found in Acts 28:2, 4; Romans 1:14; Colossians 3:11 and here. It means one whose speech marks him of inferior cultural attainment; the stutterer says bar-bar-bar, this is the word from which barbarian comes and may sometimes sound like a babbler. "The Egyptians called all barbarous who did not speak their tongue. The Greeks followed suit for all ignorant of Greek language and culture. They divided mankind into Hellenes and Barbarians" (Robertson, p. 182). "In ordinary conversation there must be one who speaks and one who understands; both must comprehend the signification of what is said. If such comprehension is lacking with either of the two no conversation is possible...If there is no connection between the hearer and the speaker the speaking is of no use" (Grosheide, pp. 322, 333).
"'Two years ago,' writes Russell T. Hitt, 'I visited a church in Dutch New Guinea. On my left was a little Kapauku boy who spoke no English. On my right was a Dutch missionary. The preacher conducting the service in Malay seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. I think he was being edified, but I was a foreigner who could not understand a thing he was saying. I don't know how many thousands of word he spoke, but one barbarian American couldn't understand a thing. Like Paul I'd have preferred him to have spoken five words I could understand" (Sunday School Times, October 19, 1963, p. 14).
In seeking any kind of a spiritual gift, Paul says, be zealous for one which edifies the church; that gift is not tongues (languages) but prophesying. "Here is the 'punch line.' The 'ye' is emphatic and makes the application of all these truths to the Corinthian Christians. 'You,' says Paul, 'are enthusiastic about possessing spiritual gifts. Well then, see that you concentrate on those that really help in spiritually building the church.' The same criterion should be applied to the use of all gifts. They are not for our own pleasure or spiritual satisfaction, but for the enrichment of God's people" (Sunday School Times, October 19, 1963, p. 9).
13 - 17 If anyone speaks in a foreign language he must be sure that he has an interpreter or no profit can come to the congregation. Even though one is fluent is foreign languages, he should use the language only when it is necessary to communicate. Then Paul writes in verse 14, "For if I pray in a tongue (language) my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful." If one prays in a foreign language he can be sure that God knows the language and hears what is said although no one around him knows what is said. Paul wants his praying, his preaching and his exhortation to profit those who hear him, so he will pray, preach and exhort in the language of those present; he wants his work to bear fruit rather than be unfruitful.
If Paul prays, if he sings he wants to pray and sing with understanding (noi) or mind (the faculties of perceiving and understanding). Yeager says, "To pray and sing with a lyre or harp is good even if the words are strange, but it is better to pray, sing and play with an intelligent grasp of what is being said, as this engages the mind of the Christian with the mind of the Spirit of God" (p. 124). If those present cannot discern what is being said, how can they enter into worship and say "Amen," to the praying or the preaching (I Chronicles 16:36; Nehemiah 54:13; 8:6). Saying "Amen" means to approve what is prayed or preached. If someone is preaching in Swahili, the foreigner does not know when to say "Amen" and when to refrain. If the speaker of Swahili is saved and preaching the gospel, the foreigner may feel the power of the Spirit, even though he may not know what is sung, prayed or preached. What the speaker says may be good and edifying but it is only edifying to the one who knows the language. The speaker may be giving thanks with beautiful and eloquent words, but if the language is not understood no one else is edified.
18, 19 Then Paul states that he thanks God that he speaks with tongues more than any one person in the congregation of the Corinthians. His multilingual skill gave him a decided advantage as he was used of God in his missionary work. "Paul uses his own example as an object lesson, and he does so with great prudence...every gift is one of grace so that boasting is ruled out" (Grosheide, p. 327). He states, however, that he would rather speak five words with his understanding that he might reach others than to speak ten thousand (murious) or innumerable words in a foreign language that could not be understood by his hearers. "Think of that -- five words: 'It is Christ that died.' That is an illustration from Paul's own writings. He would rather say that to others definitely, positively, with the gift of prophecy ..." (Morgan, p. 175). When the ratio of one to two thousand is realized, these are outstanding odds. If there were no communication between Paul and his congregation there was no witness for Christ. The reader of the epistle can rest assured that Paul would never speak in a language that the congregation did not understand.
20 - 25 In verse 20 Paul draws a parallel - be not children in understanding (phresin) or thinking: howbeit in malice be children, but in understanding be men." When it comes to malice (kakia) or evil be children (nepiazete) or babes, for children recover from hatred in a few minutes; they are so forgiving. In understanding, however, be like men (be mature or full-grown). Really Paul uses the imperative, "Do not go on being a child," meaning to grow up in your intellectual development. "If one wants to be childishly naive, let him be a babe in malice (Romans 16:19; Ephesians 4:14)" (Grosheide, p. 329).
The writer cites Isaiah 28:11 which reads in the N. I. V. , "Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners (God) will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." Paul uses the word heteroglossois, from heteros and glossa meaning a tongue of another kind or strange tongue. God will speak by men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers, i.e., by non-Israelites, in this case the Assyrians. "The quotation does not speak of glossolalia but of foreign languages...Isaiah is referring to other sounds, i.e., sound distinct from ordinary sounds...Although Isaiah refers to foreign languages and glossolalia is of quite a different nature, the middle term of the comparison is that in both 'other' sounds are uttered. The judgment upon Israel was that if, after it had heard the voice of the Lord, delivered by the prophets, they would not listen even if the Lord spoke through foreign nations. This speaking of God was intended as a new token of His grace thereby to arouse the attention of the people. But Israel disregarded this grace of God" (Grosheide, pp. 430, 331).
In verse 22 Paul writes, "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not; but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them which believe." Yeager says of this verse, "The miracle that occurred at Pentecost (Acts 2:1 - 13), at Caesarea (Acts 10:44 - 46) and at Ephesus (Acts 19:1 - 7) was for the purpose of convincing those present that the message which had been preached, to which the Christians were committed, was genuine...Thus the practice of speaking in a foreign language in a church service where all present are Christians is out of place...The ability to speak languages which they had never studied nor had ever spoken was not a sign to the Christians. It was a sign to the unbelievers" (pp. 131, 132).
Paul asks the question, "If tongues are spoken in the church and the unlearned or unbelievers come into the church, will they not say the congregation is mad?" Of course he expected an affirmative answer. If this ever happens, one could not imagine the uproar, confusion and bedlam. If all prophesy in the church, however, those coming in either unbelievers or the unlearned, they will be convinced and judged of all. What makes the difference between tongues and prophesy." The difference is that the unbelievers and the unlearned will hear the gospel message from the inspired Word of God that makes sense and may be convinced (elegchetai) or reproved of their sins and may be examined (anakrinetai) or called into account.
This passage is closed out with verse 25, when the secrets (krupta) or the hidden things of the hearts of sinners is manifested (phanera) or known, then he can report (apaggellon) or declare that Jehovah is truly God and will worship Him. "Here is a picture of complete submission to God Almighty; a prostrate sinner lying facedown before his God. This means that he now repudiates all other gods and acknowledges only Jesus as his sovereign Lord. Prostrate posture also depicts a person's unworthiness when God himself is present (I Kings 18:39)...Once more Paul turns to the Old Testament Scriptures and quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah (45:14). The person who is convicted of sin, has turned in faith to God, and lies flat on the ground exclaims: 'God is truly among you.'" (Kistemaker, p. 503).
Under the caption of edification the aim of Christian speech, C. H. Spurgeon relates this story. "When Handel's oratorio of the 'Messiah' had won the admiration of many of the great, Lord Kinnoul took occasion to pay him some compliments on the noble entertainment which he had lately given the town. 'My lord,' said Handel, 'I should be sorry if I only entertained them; I wish to make them better.' It is to be feared that many speech makers at public meetings could not say as much; and yet how dare any of us waste the time of our fellow immortals in mere amusing talk! If we have nothing to speak to edification, how much better to hold our tongue!" (B. I. Volume XLIII, p. 366).
If some were gifted with a language he should control himself and only two or three speak at a time (in any one service), but they must have an interpreter if anyone speaks in a tongue. Yeager says, "Paul is assuming that some one present will wish to show off his linguistic capabilities...At least the practice must be regulated...the ground rules must be as follows: (1) not more than three (preferably two, one or none) will participate, (2) they should speak one at a time (ana meros) - never two or more at the same time, (3) after one, two or three have spoken, each in his turn, a translation shall be given" (Volume XIII, pp. 138, 139). If no interpreter (diermenetes) or translator is present then the linguist must keep silent; no one present can be edified. If the linguist must speak let him to so to himself and to God.
29 - 33a Even the prophets are to be under self-control; each taking his turn. They are to speak two or three in succession, and let the other judges (diakrintosan), discern or analyze what is said. "Even if a prophetic utterance is correct, inspired by the Spirit of God, the congregation has the duty to 'discern' what must be done with such an utterance, namely whether it is of value for the church" (Grosheide, p. 338). H. H. Hobbs wrote, "If something is revealed of God to one sitting by, the one speaking should be silent while he delivered the revelation (verse 30). This depicts one preaching but not saying much. He should step aside in favor of one who has a message from God. Come to think of it, this would not be a bad idea to follow today. Baseball teams have 'bull-pens.' If a pitcher loses his stuff, a substitute takes his place. This might result in better preaching from the starting preacher" (Baptist Standard, June 2, 1976, p. 13).
If anyone received special inspiration (apokalupsthe) or revelation while the one is talking, he should remain quiet until his friend is finished with his declaration. "The Greek has no subject (in this verse), the meaning is: if another received a revelation. Here we have another case of a sudden revelation which expresses itself in prophecy. In such a case the first prophet must keep silence, obviously because God Himself gives a new revelation at the very moment the other prophet is speaking. This also rules out the possibility of a prophet receiving a revelation while the third prophet is already speaking (verse 29). God Himself has commanded that no more than three prophets shall speak. God, who gives prophecy, also controls it" (Grosheide, p. 338). "The Holy Spirit is the Director of the worship as He orchestrates the symphony of divine revelation (Yeager, p. 143).
All may speak but only one by one that all may learn (manthanosin) or understand and be comforted (parakalontai) or exhorted from the exposition. The prophets should control their spirits and submit to subordination one to the other that order may be maintained and the congregation edified. "Because God desires peace He Himself subjects the prophetic spirits, lest the one work the destruction of the other. Confusion in the services will thus be prevented" (Grosheide, p. 340). God is not the Author of confusion (akatastasias) or commotion but of peace (eirenes) or tranquility. "Orderly reverence is a mark of the churches" (Robertson, p. 185).
33b - 35 Most commentators think that the later part of verse 33 begins a new thought. "As in all churches of the saints, let the women...." Since "the original autographs were uncial and there was neither space between words nor accent and breathing marks" it is up to the editor to make the decision (Yeager, p. 146). In Corinth, at least, the women were to be quiet (sigatosan) or hold their peace in the church services and not permitted (epitrepetai) or given liberty to speak publicly. They were "commanded to be under obedience (hupotassesthosan) or be in subjection, as also saith the law." No doubt Paul's reference to the law referred to Genesis 2:21 - 23 where the wife is to honor her husband for his leadership ability as she serves him as helper. Since Corinth was a city of pagan priestesses, it is possible that Paul was laying down some strict rules for the Christian women, thus protecting their influence for Christ. It is possible that this restriction was temporary and confined to a localized situation.
If the women wanted to know anything about a subject discussed at the church, they were to ask their husbands when they got home, for it was a shame (aischron) or disgraceful for a woman to speak in church. " For some reason some of the women were creating disturbance in the public worship by their dress (11:2 -16) and now by their speech...In church the women are not allowed to speak nor even to ask questions. They are to do that at home...Women do most of the teaching in our Sunday schools today" (Robertson, p. 185). "Pagan prostitutes held forth with eloquence and exercised great authority in the pagan temples. Social control in Corinth thus demanded that Christian women should behave otherwise. If Paul were directing instructions to a modern church where no such social control existed, while he would still insist upon the Christian woman's subordination to her husband, in the spirit of Ephesians 5:22 - 25, he would not insist on silence at church. In fact he did not insist upon total silence, even in Corinth" (Yeager, p. 148).
36 - 40 "What? Came the word of God out from you? Or came it unto you only?" Paul must be somewhat sarcastic here; the Lord was not made incarnate in Corinth, nor did He visit Corinth at any time during His personal ministry, nor did any of the Corinthians write the New Testament. Rather than prideful exaltation, Paul wants the Corinthians to recognize that he has a commandment of the Lord. Paul was not exalting himself except to show the Corinthians that he was the mouthpiece from the Lord; he claims inspiration for his position. They must acknowledge (epiginosketo) or understand that his commission is to give instructions to the congregation. If the troublemakers want to challenge him, he will accept the challenge.
Paul wants those who will not accept his rulings let him remain in his ignorance. The R. S. V. translates this verse, "If any one does not recognize this, he is not recognized" (by the church? by God?)" Moffat translates it, "Anyone who disregards this will be himself disregarded." Paul's admonition is to "covet (zeloute) or earnestly seek to prophesy and forbid (koluete) or hinder not to speak with tongues." Yeager says, "There is no reason to translate glossa as heavenly language that no one on earth has ever spoken, or as the result of ecstatic loss of control, or as the gibberish that is heard in the typical 'tongues' meeting. The concept 'foreign language,' - one that is spoken somewhere, but not spoken locally, and thus not understood by those present - fits every context where the word occurs" (p. 151). "Let all things be done decently (euschemonos) or respectfully and in order (taxin) or in alignment." Everything must be done under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Aaronic priesthood did their duties in course (Luke 1:8 where the word is first used), so the worship of the church must be done in alignment.
Yeager quotes Doctor Wilber T. Dayton who wrote, "It must be admitted that many do not agree that Paul used glossas literally to mean 'languages' in the Corinthian Epistle. But it is a growing conviction with the present writer that Scriptures require it. It is a fundamental rule of hermeneutics that the literal rendering of a word is the correct rendering when the concept is possible. When the literal is not possible, the inconsistency points the way to the correct figurative use...This is not to deny that historically there may have been bizarre emotional or even frenzied accompaniments of the use of languages in Corinth. There could have been swooning and trances as some stained for effect...And it is certain that abuses of language have been perpetrated in many places since apostolic times" - from Charismatics and the New Testament, pp. 23, 24 (pp. 155, 156).
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