1 Corinthians 14 - Introduction

Prophesy is commended, and preferred before speaking with tongues, by a comparison drawn from musical instruments. Both must be referred to edification, as to their true and proper end. The true use of each is taught, and the abuse censured. Women are forbidden to speak in the church.

Anno Domini 57.

FROM the things written in this chapter, it appears that the brethren at Corinth had erred in their opinion of the comparative excellence of the spiritual gifts, and had been guiltyof great irregularities in the exercise of these gifts. In particular, they preferred the gift of speaking foreign languages to all the rest, because it made them respectable in the eyes of the unbelieving Greeks, who were great admirers of eloquence. Farther, possessing that gift in the manner of a habit, which they could exercise at pleasure, they were exceedingly fond of shewing it in the public assemblies, by speaking often and long in foreign languages, without regarding whether their hearers understood them or not, And fancying themselves the most honourable of all the spiritual men, because their gift was habitual, they claimed the privilege ofspeakinginthepublicassembliespreferablytoothers; whereby some who were better qualified to edify the church, were often obliged to be silent. Nay, to such a pitch did they carry their passion for speaking foreign languages, that on some occasions a number of them who possessed that gift, spake in the church all at once; whereby great confusion was occasioned in their meetings.

The Corinthians, by this improper use of their ability to speak foreign languages, having brought a bad report upon the Christian assemblies, St. Paul, in this chapter, endeavoured to lessen their admiration of the gift of tongues, by shewing that it was inferior to most of the other spiritual gifts, and that its value depended on its being used for the edification of others. Wherefore, as an introduction to his discourse on the subject, he began with exhorting them to make love the object of their constant pursuit, but spiritual gifts the object only of their earnest wish: and of the spiritual gifts, to desire the gift of prophesy, rather than the gift of speaking foreign languages, 1 Corinthians 14:1.—Because he who, in the public assemblies, spake in an unknown language, spake to God only, and did no good to others, however sublime and excellent the things which he spake might be, 1 Corinthians 14:2.—Whereas he who prophesied spake to men, in a known language, things for their edification, exhortation, and comfort, 1 Corinthians 14:3.—In short, he who spake in an unknown language, edified none but himself; whereas he who prophesied edified the church, 1 Corinthians 14:4.—This being the case, though the Apostle would have been glad that all the inspired men at Corinth had spoken foreign languages, he rather wished them to prophesy, 1 Corinthians 14:5.—Next, he advanced various arguments to shew the unprofitableness of speaking foreign languages in the church, especially when all the congregation understood the language of the country, 1 Corinthians 14:6.—Then exhorted such of them as earnestly wished to possess spiritual gifts, to seek those which would make them abound to edification, 1 Corinthians 14:12.—and directed the persons who prayed in an unknown tongue, to pray in such a manner, that what they prayed might be interpreted, 1 Corinthians 14:13, because, if any one prayed in an unknown tongue, without having his prayer interpreted, his spirit prayed, but his meaning did not profit his hearers, 1 Corinthians 14:14.—The duty, therefore, of every inspired person, who prayed or sang psalms in the public assemblies, was to perform those offices in an intelligible manner, 1 Corinthians 14:15.—otherwise, when he returned thanks to God, his hearers could not sayAmen; that is, could not join in his thanksgiving, not understanding what he said, 1 Corinthians 14:16.—He then told them, that he could thank God in more foreign languages than all of them taken together, yet he would rather speak five sentences, in a known language, for the edification of others, than ten thousand sentences in an unknown language, which could profit nobody but himself, 1 Corinthians 14:18.

Next, to shew the Corinthians the foolishness of a number of them speaking in the church unknown languages all at once, he told them it wasacting like children. In bad dispositions, indeed, he wished them to be children, but in understanding to be men, 1 Corinthians 14:20.—Then he put them in mind of Isaiah's prophesy, in which it was foretold, that God would speak to the unbelieving Israelites in foreign languages; but that even so they would not believe, 1 Corinthians 14:21.—From which he inferred, that foreign languages were intended for a sign, not to believers but unbelievers, to convince them of the divine origin of the gospel. Whereas prophesy was especially intended for the edification of believers, 1 Corinthians 14:22.—Farther, when the whole church is met in one place, if all of you, said he, who have the gift of tongues, speak at once, and there come in an unlearned person, or an unbeliever, will they not say, ye are mad? 1 Corinthians 14:23.—Whereas if all inspired men prophesy, that is, speak in a known language, and in an orderly manner, to the edification, exhortation, and comfort of the assembly, and there shall come in an unlearned person, or an unbeliever, perhaps with a bad intention, such a one, understanding what is spoken by all, will probably be made sensible, through grace, of the evil of his idolatry and wickedness, 1 Corinthians 14:24.—and the secrets of his heart will be discovered, so that falling prostrate, he will worship God, and carry away word that God is actually among the Christians, 1 Corinthians 14:25.

In the remaining part of this chapter, the Apostle gave the Corinthians particular directions concerning the manner in which they were to exercise their spiritual gifts, 1 Corinthians 14:26.—and prohibited women from speaking in the church on any pretence whatever, founding his prohibition on the will of God, and on the law of Moses, which commanded women to be subject to men, and even on the custom of nations, 1 Corinthians 14:34.—Then he required the prophets, and other spiritual persons at Corinth, to acknowledge that all the things he had written were the commandments of the Lord. For St. Paul, though one of the greatest apostles, willingly submitted his doctrines and writings to be tried by those who had the gift of discerning spirits; being absolutely certain of his own inspiration, 1 Corinthians 14:37. He added, if, after the attestation borne to my precepts by the spiritual men, any teacher among you is ignorant that they are the precepts of the Lord, let him remain in his ignorance, 1 Corinthians 14:38.—And, as the conclusion of the whole, he exhorted the Corinthians to desire earnestly to prophesy; but, at the same time, not to forbid any person to speak in an unknown language, if there was an interpreter present to interpret what he said, 1 Corinthians 14:39.—And in general to do all things, in their public assemblies, decently and in order, 1 Corinthians 14:40.

Before this illustration is finished, it may be proper to remark, first, that this and the two preceding Chapter s of St. Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, more than any other parts of the sacred volume, are useful for demonstrating the reality, and for making us acquainted with the nature, of that most singular and astonishing proof of the divine original of the gospel, which was set before the world in the supernatural gifts, wherewith multitudes of the first Christians were endowed. For, from the account given of these gifts in the Chapter s mentioned, and of the persons who possessed them, and of the manner of their communication and operation, and of the uses for which they were intended, we understand, that they all proceeded from the SpiritofGod,and were most astonishing in their operation: that, in every church, great numbers of persons possessed these gifts, having received them, either by an immediate illapse of the Holy Ghost, or by the imposition of the Apostles' hands: that thespiritual men exercised these gifts openly before all the world, for the confirmation of the gospel; and, in their public assemblies, for their own edification: that, in the absence of the apostles, the spiritual men, by these gifts, but especially by the gifts of miracles and tongues, through divine grace, converted numbers: and that the heathens who came into the Christian assemblies, (as many of them did, 1 Corinthians 14:24.) hast thereby an opportunity to know, and to report to others, that God was really among them. Thus, notwithstanding the gospel in the first age met with great opposition every where, from the statesmen, the priests, the craftsmen, the bigots, and even from the philosophers and rhetoricians, yet in all countries, by means of the influence of the spiritual gifts, and of the miraculous powers which abounded among the Christians, accompanied with divine grace, it overcame all opposition, and, through the blessing of God, spread itself so effectually, that at length it put an end to the heathen religions in the best peopled and most civilized provinces of the Roman empire.

Mysecond remark is: That although the irregularities which the Corinthian brethren were guilty of in the exercise of their spiritual gifts, occasioned at first abundance of trouble to the Apostle Paul, these irregularities are not now to be regretted. By the direction of God, they have been the occasion of our receiving certain and full information concerning the existence of the spiritual gifts which made a part of the primitive glory of our religion, and concerning the way in which they were exercised by the Apostles, and other spiritual men, for the overturning of the heathen idolatry, the establishment of the gospel throughout the world, and the edification of the church itself.