1 Corinthians 14

Notes

Ver. 1. Let me therefore earnestly entreat and charge you to cultivate, improve, and exercise this important grace of Christian love; and in subordination to it be zealously concerned to abound in spiritual gifts, provided it be with a view to glorify God and edify your neighbour: and I recommend to you chiefly the gift of prophecy, by which, under the direction of the Holy Ghost, ye may explain and apply the oracles of God, for instructing, edifying, and confirming one another upon the principles and in the exercise of Christian love. 2. For as to the gift of speaking unknown languages, which some of you are so fond of, it is much less useful; for let a man deliver the most important and seasonable truths, under the immediate direction of the Spirit of God, in a language which his hearers understand not, they are nothing instructed or edified by all that he says. 3. But he who explains the Old Testament types or predictions, or publishes articles of gospel truth, in plain language, speaks to his audience in a manner calculated to enlighten their understanding, awaken their conscience, warm and comfort their heart, and direct and excite them to the duties of holiness. 4. He who speaks to an audience in the now disused Hebrew, or any other unknown language, or in a style above their capacity, may express what tends to his own spiritual edification; but he who explains the Scripture, and makes known the will of God relative to the salvation of men, not only profits his own soul, but becomes instrumental in the conversion of new members to the church, or in promoting the knowledge, faith, love, and holy obedience of those formerly converted. 5, 6. I could heartily wish that ye could all speak foreign languages, but much rather that ye were skilful in explaining and applying the doctrines of divine revelation; for it is of far greater use and importance plainly to explain the mysteries and predictions of God than to discourse of his most wonderful works in a language which the hearers cannot understand. 7-9. For (to illustrate the point by similitudes) as a pipe or harp cannot excite the different passions, or direct different motions in mourning or mirth, unless the sound be made distinct and answerable to them; nor can a trumpet direct the march, the charge, or retreat of soldiers in war, unless it be distinctly and answerably sounded; so, your words are all lost unless you speak in intelligible language; and ye might as well speak to the wind if your hearers do not understand you. 10. There are perhaps as many different languages in the world as there are different nations in it, and all of them useful to convey ideas to such as understand them, but to none else. 11. If I then should meet with one who talks in a language which I do not understand, and who understands nothing of mine, neither of us could instruct, or be instructed by, or even sensibly answer one another, any more than if we were wild savages of different nations; and this will be the very case with you, if you deliver divine truths to others in an unknown language. 12. Let me then beseech you who are so zealous to obtain spiritual gifts, to be less careful in speaking strange languages, and more earnest for such gifts as may increase the number and promote the knowledge, faith, and holiness of your fellow-Christians. 13. And if any be still fond of a miraculous speaking of foreign languages, let him supplicate God for ability to interpret what he says to his hearers in their mother tongue, that they may be profited by the discourse. 14. For if I or any other should pray as the mouth of a company who understand not my words, my own heart might be engaged in the prayer, but the impression of what I say on my own mind could be of no use to them who know not the meaning of my words. 15. It is therefore manifestly proper that in leading the prayers and praises of a congregation, not only I myself should understand and be affected with what I utter, but that my language should be plain to all who profess to join with me, that they may with understanding heartily join in the work. 16. Or else if any of you, under the immediate direction of the Holy Ghost, offer thanksgiving and praises to God in a public assembly in an unknown language, he who understands nothing but his mother tongue, and comes to learn by your administrations, can never give his assent or consent, either in heart or voice, because he knows not the meaning of your words. 17. You may have performed this part of worship in a very judicious, spiritual, heavenly, and affectionate manner; but the hearers, who do not understand what you say, cannot be profited by it. 18, 19. For my part, I thank God that, in the extensive course of my ministry, I have been enabled to speak, as occasions required, in many more foreign languages than any, if not all of your teachers. But instead of priding myself in this talent, I had rather utter a few plain words, calculated for the instruction and edification of my hearers, than make ten thousand discourses in a language which they do not understand, and so cannot be profited by them. 20. Never, my brethren, show yourselves weak and childish in affecting novelties or pompous appearances; as, for instance, the speaking of unknown languages. Be like children in the meekness, harmlessness, and humility of your disposition and behaviour, and in freedom from all malicious, proud, and envious designs; but in knowledge, judgment, and discretion, especially in your apprehensions and management of spiritual things, it becomes you to think and act like men grown up to ripeness of understanding. 21, 22. To make you less fond of speaking in unknown languages, and that you may use them only in a proper manner, remember that God threatened to punish his incorrigible people by nations whose language they understood not, as well as to enable his ministers to speak in divers languages, without any happy effects. —The being spoken to in unknown languages is therefore but an occasional mean of punishing obstinate unbelievers, or a miraculous mean of converting heathens to Christ at first, by manifesting the power of God; whereas the explaining and applying the doctrines of the Old Testament is, by the ordination and blessing of God, a standing mean of gaining sinners to Jesus Christ, and of building up saints in holiness and comfort through faith unto complete salvation. 23. If then, while ye or other churches are met for worshipping God in your public assemblies, and every one that speaks, in preaching, prayer, or praise, is using an uninterpreted language which the audience does not understand, some heathen, who knows not a word of what is said, should come in, would your use of unknown languages be a likely mean of convincing or converting him; or would he not rather contemn you, as a number of frantic enthusiasts, or men possessed by the devil, rather than conducted and influenced by the infinitely wise Spirit of God? 24, 25. But if, where every minister preaches or prays plainly in a well-known language, a heathen or ignorant person come in, he has, in every discourse, a fair opportunity to be, by the Spirit of God, effectually convinced of his sin and misery, and made to condemn himself as guilty. Thus his state and secret dispositions, thoughts, and actions, being exactly laid open to his conscience by the preachers, struck with a reverential awe of God's majesty, he will be constrained, with brokenness of heart, to a deep humiliation for sin and supplication for mercy, and will report to his friends that God attends his ordinances among you with extraordinary power and influence. 26. How absurd is it, brethren, that in your meetings for public worship one of your public teachers should raise a psalm, another tender an instruction or exhortation, another speak in an unknown language, another deliver some immediate inspiration, another interpret what is delivered in an unknown tongue— perhaps all at once, or as if each were fond first to display his talents! Let these gifts of the Spirit, and everything else, be used in such an orderly and seasonable manner as to prevent all confusion, and as may be most effectual for enlarging the church of Christ, and promoting the spiritual growth of every member of it. 27. And if, after all that I have said, some of you will use foreign languages, let it be at suitable times, and in a regular manner, so that there may not ordinarily be above two or three speakers at a time, and they one after another; and let one faithfully interpret what they have said in the vulgar tongue, that all may receive instruction. 28. And if no one present can interpret it, let none use his gift of tongues, as the assembly cannot be profited by it; and let him be contented to use it in his own secret devotions. —29. And with respect to the gift of prophecy, let but two or three of them who have it speak at one of your public meetings, and that in an orderly manner, without interrupting or interfering with one another; and as many false prophets are gone abroad in the church, let everything uttered by one prophet be carefully examined and tried whether it agree with the tenor of Old Testament predictions and New Testament revelations. 30. And if any important intimation of God's mind be made to another prophet who is in the assembly as a hearer and judge, let the speaker, upon a proper signal given, stop, and give him an opportunity to declare it. 31. In this orderly manner all your teachers may have successive opportunities to declare the truths of Christ, for the instruction and comfort of one another and of the whole church. 32. And it is certain that no inspiration of the Holy Ghost can render men frantic or disorderly, as diabolic influences render the heathen priests; but it leaves every one to govern himself becomingly, either as to the matter, manner, or time of his discourse. 33. For that infinitely wise God who inspires them can never be an author, abettor, or encourager of any disorderly, unseasonable, and tumultuous conduct in his worship; but, as the God of peace and order in all the assemblies of sanctified believers, he is the commander, approver, promoter, and author of everything regular, pacific, and edifying. 34. And as for your women, let them never, except in extraordinary cases of inspiration, -speak at all in your public assemblies, but learn, according to the law of God, to discover the utmost humility and modest subjection to the other sex. 35. And if they want more thorough information about anything said in public, let them ask their husbands at home concerning it; for it is unbecoming the modesty of women, except when inspired, to presume to discourse or debate in public religious assemblies. 36. Why should ye indulge practices different from those of all other Christian churches? Ye cannot pretend that ye are the only or even the first planted church from which the truths of the gospel, and an original pattern of conduct, were conveyed to others. Are ye not then equally tied down to the institutions of Christ, the common King and Head both of you and them? 37. If any of your high pretenders to an uncommon share of spiritual gifts think himself authorized to give laws to your church, let him know that the directions which I have given you were communicated to me by the Spirit of Christ, and are founded in the general rules which he laid down in his personal ministry. 38. And if any one will perversely persist in his ignorance, contempt of, or opposition to these rules, let him do it at his peril before God, whose mind I have declared. 39. On the whole, I advise you to be most desirous of the gift of prophecy, which is most useful for general edification; and, nevertheless, I do not forbid nor discourage the regular use of the gift of tongues. 40. But in everything carefully avoid all appearance of childishness, frenzy, or other indecency, in the public worship of God, and labour to perform it in a manner exactly answerable to the commands now given you from Christ, which will most glorify God, honour his doctrines, ordinances, and ways, and edify the souls of his people.

Ver. 34. This prohibition seems to contradict ch. 11. 5, 13, where the prophesying of women appears to be taken for granted. The simplest solution of the difficulty seems to be—that the speaking here prohibited is not praying or prophesying, but asking questions and entering into discussions in the church (see ver. 35)—a custom that prevailed in the Jewish synagogues between the rabbis and the people; which had been thence transfused into the Christian church, and which, under the proper management of humility and love, seems still well calculated for the public edification. C.

Reflections.—What diversified gifts God bestowed upon his Christian church in her infant state! And those gifts which are most useful and edifying ought to be chiefly prized and sought after. What is most showy is ordinarily least useful. And every gift ought to be improved for the good purposes for which God bestows it upon men. It is absurd to preach or pray in a language which the assembly do not generally understand; and both absurd and criminal to preach in an uncertain general manner that can neither distinctly inform the mind nor closely impress the conscience. Those discourses are best which are calculated to penetrate into the hearts and consciences of hearers, the most ignorant not excepted.—The envy, malice, and self-conceit of members, especially of preachers, are highly injurious to any church. But it is very becoming and happy when all are humbly inclined to learn, careful to keep their own station, and zealous in their exact adherence to all the ordinances of God, without any mixture of human inventions.