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After a dull and boring service that was totally unrelated to his life a young boy got up and walked with his father to the back of the church. They paused for a moment under two large bronze plaques that were mounted on the wall and with a brief resurgence of life the young boy asked his father the significance of those plaques. In rather a solemn note the father informed his boy that they were in memory of those who had died in the service. The boy asked, "which service, morning or evening?" That is the tragic commentary on many church services. Many churches trying to avoid that kind of service have taken the route of the spectacular. They invite some prominent athlete or movie star or some very successful business man to come and speak at the church service. Some churches go even beyond that. I heard of a church that removed its piano and organ and brought in a jazz band. There was a church in London that built a bar in the church basement justifying it by saying that it got the young people in off the streets. There was a church in New York city who hired the cast of the musical "hair" and asked them to do one of the services in their church. This type of thing is very popular in our day and age. Churches are trying to attract people by the spectacular. What does God think about such things? Do we know what He thinks about this issue? Yes! I think this chapter gives us God's view of attempting to attract people by using the spectacular. This is God's evaluation of the church service that is designed around the spectacular.
That is what the church services in Corinth were like. They had given top billing to the gift of tongues and at the church meetings in Corinth there was a spectacular display of that showy gift of tongues. The services in Corinth were wild and exciting. You wouldn't fall asleep or be bored in the Corinthian Church services.
The first 25 verses of this chapter can be summed up in these words, the gift of prophecy is superior to the gift of tongues, i.e. a spectacular demonstration of speaking in a known language which one had not learned. In the first 19 verses Paul tells us that prophecy is superior for believers in the church. Then in verses 20-25 he will tell us that prophecy is superior for unbelievers who happen to visit the church. We have already studied the first five verses and seen that prophecy is superior to tongues. Paul's explanation of prophecy's superiority over tongues for believers in the church was this: prophecy edifies the believer. It builds up the believer. Edification is a major concern in this chapter as the repeated use of the verb edify and the noun edification verify.
Remember that it is not an unknown tongue that is being spoken of in this chapter but a tongue that is unknown to the hearers. Paul is speaking in this context about a person who speaks in tongues without an interpreter. Look at verse 5 "Unless he interprets." that is a crucial phrase because that explains the entire context. Verses 2-19 must be understood as Paul's criticism of tongues when they are not interpreted. Every indication in the NT is that the gift of tongues was the ability to speak a known language that was unlearned by the speaker. Tongues were actual human languages like Latin, Aramaic, or Persian. To support that, the Greek word that is translated tongues, glossa, always means language. In the first five verses he establishes the superiority of prophecy over tongues. Now he is going to talk about the inferiority of tongues in verses 6-17. He begins by a clear declaration of its inferiority.
1 Corinthians 14:6 (NKJV) But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?
He anticipates his arrival at Corinth and he supposes that upon his arrival he gets up in a service and expounds some great theological truth in Tagalog. If you don't know Tagalog what profit would that be to you? It wouldn't profit you at all. For Paul to simply stand up and speak in tongues was of no benefit at all unless somebody at least explained what he had said.
He goes on to say that in order to be of value to them he would have to speak to them some revelation, knowledge, prophesy or teaching. These are four expression of communication by intelligible language. There are two pairs here: revelation and prophecy and knowledge and teaching. One who receives revelation from God is a prophet. One who has knowledge has the ability to teach. The first two things he mentions are internal: revelation and knowledge. The second two are the manifestations of revelation and knowledge: prophecy and teaching. Paul simply says, " if my communication is to edify you it must be in a language which is intelligible to you. Isn't that profound?" Paul stresses intelligibility. This verse and the next several verses place great emphasis on intellectual comprehension. Edification depends upon understanding. That is why tongues is inferior to prophecy. Tongues will not edify you if you do not know the language being spoken. Now Paul give us three illustrations of prophecy's superiority to tongues in verse 7-12.
The first illustration comes from the realm of music:
7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played?
Paul's point is that if the person playing the instrument does not distinctly play then the melody will not be communicated. We will have no idea of what they are playing if the notes are not hit distinctly. It will just be noise. Suppose I went over here to this piano and started playing for you, you would all say, "What was that? I don't recognize that piece. In fact it doesn't even sound like music." The indistinct and uncoordinated notes that I would play would be of no enjoyment and of no benefit to anyone. So it is with tongues. If we don't understand the language being spoken it will mean nothing to us.
He expounds on this in v.8-9 using a military illustration:
8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.
The trumpet was used by the military to convey the orders of the commander to his men who were at a remote distance. If the trumpeter does not hit the notes clearly the men who are out in the flanks will hear the notes but won't know what they are to do. Are they to charge or retreat? If I were appointed to be the bugler in a military camp and it was up to me to blow reveille or the call for retreat or advance or mealtime, etc., the whole place would be in chaos. People would never know whether to get up, or to go to a meal or what, because I do not know how to play a bugle. That is what Paul says, "If you are going to play a bugle you had better play it so that everybody understands." That is the point he is making. It is the same with the gift of tongues. The person may be speaking a word of exhortation that you need, but if he is doing it in Japanese and you do not know Japanese you will not know what you are being exhorted to do. It is just like they are speaking into the air.
His third illustration is from the use of language:
10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance.
There are many languages---and here again is a confirmation that the gift of tongues is a gift of languages---and Paul says that all languages have meanings. There are over four thousand languages in the world and each of them is significant to some people. Each of them is a very powerful means of communication. In other words, no language lacks the essential characteristic of language, namely, intelligibility. But he says:
11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.
Speech that you can not understand has no meaning to you. The word "meaning" is the Greek word "dunamis", which means power. The word foreigner is the Greek word barbaros, an onomatopoeic word signifying that his speech is nonsense. Have you ever been in a foreign country and felt lost as the people spoke in their native tongue? Have you ever been in a 7-11 and been lost as the clerks spoke in their native tongue? When you do not understand the language you feel like a foreigner. Somebody has to interpret it for you, or it is all just nonsense or gibberish. So it is with tongues. These illustrations underline the inferiority of the gift of tongues. It is a spectacular sign gift but it does not communicate to the listeners if it is not interpreted.
Now Paul gives them a word of exhortation in verse 12.
12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
Paul tells them to seek the gifts that will build up the people of God. They were not to seek the spectacular but they were to seek that which would edify. This is a good word for today.
It seems like churches are increasingly moving away from solid instructional messages based on biblical content. Many favor a more entertainment-oriented style of worship. We are here to edify the body not to entertain it. Paul now gives us his application beginning in verse 13.
13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
What does Paul mean by this? These verses, 13-15 are the most difficult in the text. But the overall meaning is clear. Is Paul saying that if you have the gift of tongues pray also for the gift of interpretation? I do not think so but some interpret it that way. In a subsequent context, he says that someone else should be found to interpret the spoken words (vv. 27-28). If someone interprets the language then it will profit the church. So they are to pray for an interpreter. He shows us why that interpretation is necessary beginning in verse 14.
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Without interpretation the mind, the understanding is unfruitful. He says here that it is the mind that is unfruitful. I hope you understand that the intellect has a place in the Christian faith. We live in a time when intellectualism is almost looked down upon in the Christian faith. Christianity is not mindless emotionalism. Christianity is intellectual. God speaks to us through our mind, our thinking. When a person speaks or sings in tongues it is only his spirit that is involved. He did not know what he was saying because he was speaking in a foreign language that he had never learned. Without the gift of interpretation his mind was unfruitful. Therefore, Paul writes them to pray for the gift of interpretation.
His second reason in verses 16-17 is that the unlearned or uninformed person does not gain any understanding.
16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
Randy could stand and pray giving thanks to God and pray an eloquent prayer but if he prayed in Tagalog we would not understand a word he said and we would not be edified. Now who is the "uninformed?" The NAS translates this word "ungifted". I can only assume that it means all the people in the congregation who do not have the gift of interpretation of tongues. They are not edified because they do not understand it.
This verse gives us some insight into the early Christian church. How can they say "amen" when they do not understand what was said? The synagogue used to practice a congregational amen at the end of the prayer. Since many Christian churches were begun by preaching in the synagogue, and this was true in Corinth, it is not surprising that the Jewish custom should have been continued. In the early Christian church whenever a man would stand up and give thanks the congregation in unison would conclude that prayer by saying "amen". That eventually became traditional in the early Christian church at the conclusion of prayers. It became so traditional in the Church that the Jewish synagogue refused to practice it. Jerome in his day said that when it was being practiced it sounded like a thunder clap at the end of an individuals prayer. It sounds like a great practice to me. Now Paul's point is that if you do not understand what a person has prayed you can not say "amen". Amen means "so be it"; it is a Hebrew interjection roughly equivalent to "this is most certainly true" or "I agree whole heartedly." Paul's point ought to be clear to us: tongues are inferior to prophecy because they do not edify believers when they are not interpreted.
His conclusion is in verse 18-19
18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;
Paul had the gift of tongues and he thanked God for it.
19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue (which no one understands).
The teaching of the Word of God in the language of the people is far superior to the spectacular display of speaking in a language that no one understands. Teaching edifies, tongues un-interpreted does not. The basic principle is this, what takes place in the meeting of the church is to be edifying to the believers. Paul says this in verse 26. We must ask ourselves this question, "is what is happening when we meet edifying?" Or is it simply entertaining? Does it build us up in the faith? Does it help us to grow closer to God? I believe that the most edifying thing that can take place when we meet is the exposition of the Word of God. Other things will edify us but the most edifying thing we can do is teach the Word. I think that most of you know this and that is why you are here.
This raises a question, "When did the Apostle Paul speak in tongues?" He obviously does not intend to do it in church---he would much rather exercise his gift of prophesying there. Well, when did he do it? Modern Charismatics and Pentecostals tell us, "this proves that the gift of tongues is for private use, to be used at home as a prayer language." Now nowhere in the Word of God is the exercise of the gift of tongues ever a private matter. It is never referred to as such, and it is in no way spoken of as such. Every manifestation of tongues in the New Testament, without exception, is a public demonstration---on the day of Pentecost, in the home of Cornelius, where many were assembled, in the synagogue at Ephesus, as referred to in Acts chapter 19---these were the only three places where the gift of tongues was said to have been exercised outside of this one in Corinth, and they were all public manifestations. Well, then, when did Paul speak in tongues? I believe that it was when he went into the Jewish synagogues to preach. I'll explain this further in a minute.
Now Paul also tells us that prophecy is superior for unbelievers who may visit the church.
20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be maOver-concentration on tongues is a mark of immaturity. Children do not know the value of things, they would turn down diamonds for marbles. They would turn down a T-bone stake for a sucker. The Corinthians valued tongues because they were immature and childish. They passed over the valuable exposition of the Word for the spectacular gift of tongues. Paul tells them to be mature in their understanding of the purpose of tongues. We hear many reasons today for the purpose of tongues. Some say it gives us a deeper knowledge of the Bible. Some say it is a private prayer language. Some say it is a praise language used to worship God. Some time ago Time magazine did a study on the Charismatic movement and said that there were three purposes for tongues. One is to end alcoholism, a second is to repair broken marriages, and the third is to further the work of Christ. A Roman Catholic writer has said that there are four purposes for the gift of tongues: it leads people to a higher veneration of Mary, to a greater worship of the Pope, to a greater devotion to the Roman Catholic church, and to a greater faithfulness to the mass. Paul is saying here, "Grow up, understand what is the real purpose of tongues." Then in the next two verses he tells them what that purpose is. He goes back to the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, to the only prediction of tongues in the whole Bible, and tells us that this is what will govern our decision:
21 In the law it is written: "With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me," says the Lord.
This is a quotation from Isaiah 28. The people of God had refused to hear the Word of God from the mouth of the prophet. So God says to the people through Isaiah, "because of your rejection of the Word of God I am going to bring into your country and over you people who speak with other tongues and lips." Historically this was the Assyrians whom God brought in to conquer Israel. This was not to bring them to repentance, it was a sign of judgement. On the basis of that quotation Paul gives us two deductions in verse 22.
22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.
A sign to whom? Well, the quotation from Isaiah 28 makes it clear. Isaiah was speaking to the whole nation of Israel. It is a warning to Israel to face up to their relationship with God lest he turn from them to the Gentile world. Now that was the scene and the setting of Isaiah's words. One hundred years later they were completely fulfilled when the Babylonians came in and did take over the city and the streets of Jerusalem were filled with foreigners speaking strange tongues. If you read the day of Pentecost in that light you will see how fully that accords with this prediction, for on that day, when the streets of Jerusalem were filled with thousands and thousands of people, largely Jews, who had come from all the nations around, they heard the disciples speaking these strange, Gentile languages they had never learned. It was a sign to unbelieving Jews that God was about to turn from Israel's favored position and go to the Gentile world. On that day, remember, Peter stood up and warned them that they were facing the judgment of God. Being convicted in their hearts they said, "Men and brethren, what must we do?" and three thousand of them turned to God because of that, while the rest of the city, the mass of the population, remained in unbelief.
Tongues are a sign to unbelieving Israelites. Tongues were spoken on three occasions in the book of Acts. In every case Jews were present. Tongues were spoken in the Church at Corinth and we know from the first chapter that Jews were present. Tongues was a sign to unbelieving Israel. It was a sign of judgement for their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the days of the NT the speaking in tongues was a testimony to Israel who had rejected the Christ that the presence of God had left Israel and was now with this new company, the Christian church. That is the purpose of the gift of tongues. It was a sign of judgement. That is why Paul used it in synagogues wherever he went, because it would be a sign of warning to unbelieving Jews that God was turning to the Gentiles. Thus tongues ceased when God ceased to work with Israel , which happened in 70 A.D.
In the next three verses Paul gives us an application.
23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
An unbeliever comes into the church and thinks everyone is mad. They're all speaking in different languages, it would look like a drunken meeting of the United Nations. Tongues do not lead to the conversion of unbelievers, prophecy does. People say, "Well that sounds like the opposite of what Paul said. He said tongues are a sign for unbelievers, and yet he goes on to say that if people speak in tongues in the church and a nonbeliever comes in he will not be impressed with the sign. He will say, 'They are all mad; they are crazy; they all speak in languages I cannot understand.'" However, when they prophesy, Paul says, the unbeliever will hear the Word of God and be convicted. He will fall on his face and say, "God is among them." What does Paul mean? Well, he is going back to what has been the theme all through this passage, that the gift of tongues is not really intended for the church. It is not for believers; it is for unbelievers. If it is exercised in a church, especially by a lot of people who stand up to speak and nobody interprets, what Paul says will happen is that Gentile unbelievers happening to be there will not understand it as a sign gift since it is not addressed to them. They will see it as an attempt to minister to the people present, and as nobody understands them they will think that everybody is mad.
24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
I have seen this happen here. People have come to Christ here in this congregation while I am teaching the Christians. They hear the truth and the Spirit brings it home to their hearts and they are converted. That is what Paul said would happen. If someone comes into the church and hears the Word of God taught he is convinced by all those who are speaking the Word of God. He is convinced that he is a sinner. Then he is convicted by the teaching of the Word in the different areas of his life. The Word as a two edged sword makes manifest the secrets of his heart. Seeing himself as he really is he will fall down and worship God. That is the power of the Word of God as we talked about it last week. This man realizing that he is a helpless sinner on his way to hell turns to the Lord for salvation. Tongues will not do this, it will not bring people to salvation but God's Word will.
In light of what we have seen this morning let me ask you this question, "Is what we are hearing around us today the biblical gift of tongues?" My judgment is, "No, it is not." I have heard many manifestations of what is called "tongues" today, and I am alarmed by the fact that hardly anybody ever raises the question, "Is this a language, is this the Biblical gift?"
I have a quotation here from William Samarin, professor of linguistics at the University of Toronto, who says, "Over a period of five years I have taken part in meetings in Italy, Holland, Jamaica, Canada and the United States. I have observed old-fashioned Pentecostals and neo-Pentecostals. I have been in small meetings in private homes as well as in mammoth public meetings. I have seen such different cultural settings as are found among Puerto Ricans of the Bronx, the snake handlers of the Appalachians and the Russian Molakans of Los Angeles...I have interviewed tongue speakers, and tape recorded and analyzed countless samples of tongues. In every case, glossolalia turns out to be linguistic nonsense. In spite of superficial similarities, glossolalia is fundamentally not language."
It is primarily exercised in private today, but there is no manifestation of the private use of tongues in the New Testament. Tongues is not a private prayer language; it was a sign to unbelieving Israel of God's judgement. It is not a sign to unbelieving Israel today, therefore, we have to judge that the phenomenon that we see and hear today is not the biblical gift of tongues.
What is it then? Well, once again people are being misled, often times quite earnestly and sincerely, into identifying a purely psychological phenomenon, of which many temperaments are capable, a kind of self-induced hypnosis which results in a repetition of sounds and syllables that have no meaning in themselves, as the gift of tongues. Brethren, do not be children in understanding as to the purpose of tongues.
When the church gathers the purpose is not to entertain but to edify. We gather to be taught the Word of God that we may grow into maturity. The spectacular might be exciting but it is not edifying. It is God's Word that builds us up.
Acts 20:32 (NKJV) "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
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