August 22 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: I Corinthians 14:2-5 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

Paul is teaching the Corinthians that speaking on tongues is not nearly as important a spiritual gift as prophecy. As a reminder, prophecy is also a revelatory gift, and thus it stopped when the Scriptures were completed. It is not the same thing as preaching, but it is possible to apply some of the things said about prophesying to preaching.

Paul begins with an obvious point about speaking in tongues in verse 2: no one can understand what he is saying. It could be said that he is talking to God, for it is God Who gave him the revelation and gift to begin with. But God doesn't need to hear him, so his revealing truth to God serves no purpose. Paul says at the end of verse 2 that the one speaking in tongues "speaketh mysteries". This does not mean that the man is revealing the secret things of God. It means that the words he speaks are mysteries to the hearer unless they are interpreted because they can not be understood. In verse 3 Paul contrasts tongues with prophesying. When a man prophesied, he spoke in the language of the people who were listening to him. Because of this they could understand his words, and the words he spoke were able to edify, exhort, and comfort the hearers. Paul then says in verse 4 that the man who speaks in tongues can only edify himself. This can not mean that the speaker was built up spiritually by the words that he spoke because he also did not understand what he was saying. He didn't know if he was blessing or rebuking his hearers, or himself for that matter. It is possible that he was edified by the fact that God had used him to convey His message through speaking in tongues. However, it is more likely that he was edifying himself by building himself up through pride. Henry Morris wrote,

"Thus one possessing the gift of tongues could more easily become puffed up and be tempted to use his ability just to draw attention to himself -- that is, to 'edify' ('build up') himself. However, when words are spoken that the listeners can understand, the entire church is edified."

In verse 5 Paul says that he wished all the church members spoke in tongues. However, prophesying is better. Thus, the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues. The only exception to that would be if the one who spoke in tongues was also able to interpret what he had said so the people could understand it in their language and be built up in their faith. Knofel Staton wrote,

"While speaking in a foreign language edifies self, proclaiming the Word of God in a native language edifies the church, and that corresponds with the real purpose for gifts (I Corinthians 12:7, 25; I Corinthians 13:12; I Corinthians 14:26). If the foreign language speaker translates what he says, then the church is edified. Paul is not opposed to people’s speaking in tongues—foreign languages—but he wants it to be done in a way that edifies the entire body, not just one individual member of that body."

We will conclude today with Albert Barnes' observation and application:

"This gift (prophecy) is of more value, and he really occupies a more elevated rank in the church. He is more useful. The idea here is, that talents are not to be estimated by their brilliancy, but by their usefulness. The power of speaking in an unknown tongue was certainly a more striking endowment than that of speaking so simply as to be useful; and yet the apostle tells us that the latter is the more valuable. So it always is. A man who is useful, however humble and unknown he may be, really occupies a more elevated and venerable rank than the man of most splendid talents and dazzling eloquence, who accomplishes nothing in saving the souls of men."