What about 1Corinthians 14? (Speaking in Tongues)

Note to the reader. This blog entry is not to be read as a replacement for Scripture but it is only a commentary on one of the most misunderstood chapters of the Bible.

In order to read this information properly you must have first read 1Corinthians chapters 13 and 14 prior to reading this commentary. It would also be best to read your favorite version of the Scriptures before and after you read this commentary.

I have not strictly followed the Greek, word for word, but I have added intent and nuance in with the content of the verses.

I encourage you to send me your comments. No comments are posted but they are received and reviewed. If you send me an email, I will respond. Thank you.

1Corinthians 14

1 Pursue Love and desire spiritual gifts, but give preference in your pursuits and desires to proclamation of the Word of God.

2 Because when you use your Native Language the people can’t understand you – God can – but no one else will understand what you are saying even though you are speaking spiritual hidden doctrine.

3 In contrast, when you proclaim God’s Word in a language they can understand, you teach, and encourage, and comfort.

4 He that uses his Native Language develops ideas in a way that is comfortable to him in that language, but he that proclaims the Word of God in the understood language teaches the church.

5 I wish that you all were multi-lingual, but my preference is for you to use the language of the hearers to proclaim the Word of God: The person that uses the appropriate language to proclaim God’s Word is more beneficial to the Kingdom of God than someone who speaks their own Native Language, unless, of course, there is an interpreter who puts that foreign language into a language that is easily understood, so the church may receive the instruction.

6 Now brothers, let me present this idea with an illustration: If I come into your church, and I am speaking my native language, what benefit will you have from that? Unless I gave you a revelation, or a special understanding, or a proclamation of God’s Word, or doctrine extracted from God’s Word in a language you understood?

7 Even things without voices follow the same logic. If a flute or a harp makes noises that are not understood by the hearer, how will the hearer know what is happening?

8 If a battle bugle is blown in a way that makes indiscriminate sounds, how will the army know to obediently run toward the enemy to attack?

9 This is the exact picture to remember if you use your Native Language for your comfort but you don’t say words that are easy for the hearer to understand. How is that person of a language different than yours suppose to understand you? All you end up doing is passing a lot of hot air over your lips.

10 There are many different languages and dialects in the world and every one of them is important.

11 They are important because they are tools with which to reach the people that use them. If I don’t use the proper language with the proper people there will be no benefit.

12 This has direct application to your situation – you think that your ability to speak other languages makes you appear more spiritually mature, but if you were truly spiritually mature you would seek to teach the Word of God in a language that was easy to understand.

13 That is why those of you who know more than one language should pray and ask God’s help to interpret from one language to another clearly and accurately.

14 Because if I even pray out loud in my own Native Language, I may be praying with my whole heart and soul, but those listening to me will not understand me.

15 What should I do in this situation? I should do both. I pray in my thoughts using my native language but what comes out of my mouth are words that are easy for the listener to understand. When I sing, I will sing with my whole heart but the audible words I sing will be easy for the listener to understand.

16 It that were not the case, and I was giving a blessing from my heart with my Native Language, how would a person who does not understand my speech participate with me by saying, “Amen” at the appropriate times, seeing he does not understand what I am saying.

17 You may be very skilled at praying in your Native Language but the other people present not instructed by what you say.

18 I thank God I am better skilled as speaking other languages more than any of you (because you do not know what to do with them.)

19 Even though I have this superior skill compared to you, I would rather speak five words in a language the people understand so I can teach them God’s Truth, than to speak ten thousand words in my Native Language that – although it may sound good – it is without value.

20 Brothers you need to have mature wisdom in understanding this matter: In the matter of hurtful behavior (which is what you are doing by excluding someone by your choice of language) you should be as innocent as a child. You need to have a mature perspective on this matter.

21 The Old Testament law says: With other mouths and other lips will I speak to this people and even if I use people of other cultures to bring the Word of God, you will not receive it, says the Lord

22 That’s why speaking in your Native Language is primarily for the evangelism of unbelievers as compared to proclaiming doctrine from God’s Word which is primarily focused on educating the believer.

23 For example, if a group of believers all gathered into one place, speaking their Native Languages (let’s say Hebrew), and someone walks in who does not understand that language (let’s say Greek) or even if they use unfamiliar vocabulary – that Greek visitor will think you are crazy – speaking jibberish.

24 Use the same illustration and instead of everyone speaking their own Native Language (let’s say Hebrew), they were proclaiming the Word of God in the common Language (let’s say Greek) then an unbelieving Greek person walks into the meeting, or someone unfamiliar with Christ, then he becomes convinced by everything he hears by doctrine he can understand. The very thoughts and intents of his heart are judged by the Word of God he hears proclaimed in a language he understands.

25 The very secrets of his heart are unlocked and are laid bare; and when that happens, he will fall on his face and worship God, and it does not stop there, he will tell others that God is indeed in you.

26 Since this is the case, how is it my brothers that when you come together each of you is doing your own thing, in your own favorite language? This person is singing, this person is teaching doctrine, this person is speaking their Native Language, this person is revealing biblical truth, and this other person is interpreting another language. This is not the right way to assemble as a church body. You should come together to build each other up.

27 To help eliminate the confusion, here are a few practical rules to follow – If anyone wants to speak in their Native Language, that’s fine, but limit the number of people who do to just two or at the very most three. The speaker must have someone present when they are speaking to interpret what is being said into a language that is easily understood by those present.

28 If you want to speak your Native Language and you look around and do not see anyone there who knows your Native Language, and the language of the hearers, and is able to interpret properly from one language into the other language, then you are commanded to not speak in your Native Language in the church – you can think it, but don’t say it.

29 If you are authorized to proclaim the Word of God in a lesson, there can be two or three teachers too – when someone is teaching, the spiritually mature are to examine what is said in the light of the Scriptures and evaluate it’s accuracy.

30 If in the course of teaching another spiritually mature person is used of God to add a point or to enhance the lesson, then the teacher should allow that person to say what God has laid on their heart.

31 Everyone can say what God has laid on their heart as long as you speak one at a time so everyone can hear, understand, and learn and everyone will be comforted by it.

32 All the truly spiritually mature people are able to control themselves, this is not something that is out of their control,

33 Because God is not the author of confusion, God is the author of peace and all the truly Christian churches should be filled with peace.

34 Do not permit women to proclaim God’s Word in the church assembly, because it is not permitted that they exercise power, control, or authority over men, but they are to be submissive to God through submitting to the men in leadership, just as the Law says.

35 If a woman, in the course of the assembly at church, has a question about the information being taught, instead of interrupting the speaker, and by it interrupting the proclamation of the Word of God, it is better if she asks her husband at home and avoid the disruption. If a woman does interrupt the sermon to ask a question, it will cause her shame and embarrassment as well as shaming her before God by interrupting His work.

36 I am giving you these rules to govern your assemblies because the Word of God did not come to you exclusively and it sure wasn’t invented by you. It came from God for everyone.

37 If you believe yourself to be spiritually mature, or if you are acknowledged as a preacher of the Word of God, then I encourage you to examine what I am telling you in the light of Scripture, and see if they stand. They will stand because I am writing the commandments of God.

38 If you choose to ignore these commands, you can do that, but it does not reduce the fact that they are from God.

39 In the light of the information I have just discussed, please grow in maturity so that you may proclaim and teach God’s Word to God’s people using God’s methods; don’t prevent someone from using their Native Language but use it for the Glory of God.

40 All things must be done in a decent and orderly manner.