1 Corinthians chapter 14

longest chapter yet

vs 1

Remember that chapter 13 was in the context of talking about church unity and diversity, and the use of diverse spiritual gifts. So now Paul is getting back to such use, in the most excellent way of love.

His favoured gift seems to be prophecy. We must wonder whether this is favoured once for all time, or because Corinth had lots of glossa-ers and not many prophets.

vs 2

This verse does its share to confirm the spiritual nature of the gift of glossolaia - it is a speaking between men and God, and is not necessarily understandable - muttering mysteries. I would have said muttering gibberish, but you can see that Paul approaches these things with love ;)

vs 3

ie in a language they can understand. Note this verse - it is quite possibly one of the best (but least used) definitions of prophecy anywhere, if you like definitions that rely on function. Prophecy strengthens, comforts and encourages the church. I'd like to think I'm a little bit of a prophet in that way.

vs 4

Again, we see one is for personal edification (and if you've ever been to a happy-clappy church, you will most surely have noticed that this is exactly what they use it for - it certainly doesn't encourage anyone else) and the other is for the benefit of the church.

vs 5

Paul makes known his preference for prophecy over tongues, but he does not put tongues down. He still wishes everyone could do it - but the preference is for prophecy. If those who speak in tongues do so with interpretation (interestingly, Paul says that the person speaking should interpret, whereas elsewhere he gives interpreting tongues as a separate gift) then they can edify the church with their words - otherwise, prophecy is better.

vs 6

Paul is again underlining the lack of use tongues is to the church - sure, it edifies Paul when he does it, but what good is that for the Corinthians? A bit of knowledge or a prophecy would be more useful for them. Paul is not talking spiritually here - just pragmatically.

vs 7

Another pointer that glossa wasn't always a recognisable language, I guess. It would be the difference between playing a tune in a flute (which people can understand and then rock to) or playing gibberish into a flute.

vs 8

Another example of not understanding.

vs 9

He has not banned tongues, nor has he said it is useless. But its use is limited.

vs 10

Interestingly, the word used in this verse for language isn't glossa, it is phone which is far closer in meaning to sounds than to languages. I wonder, if tongues is just a bunch of sounds like Paul is sort of describing it, why it was called glossa and not phone. But then, I'm not greek, so I won't bother answering that - just a rhetorical question. What it does mean is that the more literal translation of this verse is "There are so many different sounds in the world, and not one is voiceless". I think the NIV is a fair translation of the passage (it's probably somewhat idiomatic).

Anyway, the main point Paul is getting at I think is that we use lanuage to communicate ideas, and so every language that exists exists with the purpose of conveying meaning. No one speaks a language of gibberish. And since we are talking about such spiritual gifts in the context of love, a gift useful for others is better than a gift useful for yourself.