Paul has been writing to the church at Corinth concerning some misunderstandings about the issue of spiritual gifts, especially regarding the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12-14). The gift of tongues had originally been given as a way for the truth about Jesus to be communicated to unbelievers who did not speak the same language as the apostles were speaking (Acts 2:1-13). This supernatural gift was being abused by the Corinthians who were mixing the genuine gift with pagan practices of ecstatic utterances. They were declaring that this gibberish was a special language from God, although no one knew what was being spoken. Paul desired to put a stop to this abuse and so he reminded the Corinthian church that spiritual gifts were to be practiced with love (1 Corinthians 12-13) and for the benefit of the entire church (1 Corinthians 14:1-19). In order to understand Paul’s teaching concerning spiritual gifts, the Corinthian believers were going to need to set aside their limited knowledge and receive the true purpose of the gift of tongues (14:20). Paul referred back to the Old Testament where God spoke through the prophet Isaiah declaring, “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me” (14:21; see also Isaiah 28:11-12). This prophecy revealed that God would one day use foreigners and foreign languages as a sign to those in Israel who did not believe. Paul was revealing one of the keys to the gift of tongues – they would be a sign to unbelievers, not to those who already believed (14:22). It is obvious that the Corinthians were misusing this gift as a sign of spirituality within the church, instead of using it so that those who did not believe could hear the truth. Prophecy (speaking the truth) was more desirable than tongues because it had the power to convince an unbeliever of his need for Jesus, whereas tongues only brought confusion to the unbeliever (14:23-25).
In the next few verses Paul provides guidelines for the genuine gift of tongues that the Corinthians were to follow. First, the gift must be used for the benefit of the entire church (14:26). The next guideline was that only two or three were permitted to speak during a service each taking their own turn (14:27a). The last guideline given by Paul was that the language (tongue) must be interpreted for all to understand (14:27b-28). Alongside these guidelines for the gift of tongues, Paul also provided a couple regulations for prophesying: only two or three could speak at a service (14:29a), the prophets should judge what was being said (14:29b), the prophet hearing from God was to receive speaking priority (14:30), and each prophet should speak one at a time (14:31a). Prophesying was to be practiced so that all could “learn” and be “encouraged” (14:31b). Paul also added that the “spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (14:32). This guideline encouraged discernment while practicing any gift so that no one was acting in a bizarre manner or bringing confusion to the listeners (14:33). Another problem which existed in the church at Corinth was that some women were causing disorder by speaking out of turn and asking questions during worship, so Paul commanded them to “keep silent” and “ask their own husbands at home” (14:34-35). Church services were to be conducted “decently and in order” (14:40). Paul concluded this issue of spiritual gifts by reminding them that the words he had written were from God and should not be ignored (14:36-39).
Dear God, may we abide by Your commandments when it comes to worship in the church.
