I Corinthians 14:1-5: "The Gift of Tongues, part 1"
Paul finished the last section exhorting the Corinthians to seek love above any of the gifts. Confronting them on their lack of love, he now turns to their sin of misusing the spiritual gifts they have. The Corinthians were selfish and divisive, and it showed in their use of their spiritual gifts. Their misuse of their spiritual gifts were a direct result of their inability to seek out and practice love among each other. It is because of this that Paul will confront the Corinthians on their misuse of tongues. In this section, Paul will get to the heart of the reason why we have gifts like prophecy and tongues.
Paul begins, "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophecy". Paul reiterates the importance of love. However, he also wanted to stress the importance of the spiritual gifts that had been given to them as well. Paul is not telling them to forsake their ministries and their gifts and simply seek out love. Instead, he wants them to understand that they need to exercise these gifts with the love Paul has spoken of in the last chapter. MacArthur points out, "The strong desire the Corinthians had for gifts was not wrong in itself but wrong in that it was selfishly directed only toward 'the greater gifts' (12:31), the showy and attention-getting gifts. They were right to have desired spiritual gifts, but their concern should have been for using the gifts they had, not for enviously wanting gifts that others had". Paul then turns his attention to specific gifts. He wanted them as a church to make sure they were seeking out the gift of prophecy. In no way was Paul speaking to individuals to go after this gift as if it were up to them which gift they had, for he has spoken against this in previous sections. Instead, he is asking the church to look at themselves and make sure they were seeking after. This gift is brought up in contrast to seeking after tongues. Because tongues was a showy gift that may have given the speaker an emotional high, this selfish act was sought after by the immature Corinthians. Paul writes, "For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries". Paul is showing that the purpose of spiritual gifts are to edify and encourage the church. The point was not what you could get out of the gift, but rather, what you could give to the church through your gift. MacArthur writes, "The type of tongues the Corinthians practiced had no edifying value at all. It could not speak to men; it could give them no instruction or exhortation. It could only speak to God. I believe a better translation, however, is 'to a god.' The Greek has no definite article, and such anarthrous constructions usually are translated with an indefinite article (see Acts 17:23, where the same form of theo [god] is used in reference to 'an unknown god')". In other words babbling in tongues the way the Corinthians was as effective as speaking unknown words to an unknown god. Because of their attitudes and the way they were misusing the gift, they had rendered that gift meaningless for the body of Christ. If other believers, yourself, and God do not understand what is being said, what value is it? On the other hand, "one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation". MacArthur writes, "The purpose of prophecy is to build up by edification, to encourage through exhortation, and to comfort through consolation. Spiritual gifts are meant to accomplish something spiritually and practically worthwhile, and are always meant to be of benefit to others, believer or unbeliever". For this reason, prophecy was a superior gift because it served its purpose in encouraging and edifying the church because it was spoken in a way to be understood by all.
In contrast to serving others with the gift of prophecy, Paul writes, "one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself". MacArthur believes Paul's tone here is sarcastic. He writes, "Because even true tongues must be interpreted in order to be understood, they cannot possibly edify anyone, including the person speaking, without such interpretation. They cannot, therefore, be intended by God for private devotional use, as many Pentecostals and charismatics claim. Paul here is referring to the supposed value the Corinthians placed on their self-styled tongues-speaking. The satisfaction many of the believers experienced in their abuse of tongues was self-satisfaction, which came from pride=induced emotion, not from spiritual edification". So, in a sense Paul is reiterating what he had said before that no one is done any good by what the Corinthians had been doing in regard to tongues. That is why he is putting the emphasis on prophecy. Paul continues, "but one who prophecies edifies the church". That is the very purpose that God has gifted us with spiritual gifts, not to hoard to ourselves, but to edify the church.
Paul continues, "Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues". Now it may seem odd that Paul would write such a statement after he has been warning about the abuses of the gift, and the inferiority of the gift compared to prophecy. Why would Paul say he wishes they all spoke in tongues, when he knows they are not able to. MacArthur explains, "Paul was wishing the impossible for the sake of emphasis. He knew that all Christians do not have the same gifts. 'All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?' (12:30). The apostle certainly was not suggesting that his wisdom was greater than that of the Holy Spirit, who 'works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills' (12:11). To have wished literally that all the Corinthian believers had the gift of tongues would have presumed to improve on the Spirit's wisdom. Paul simply was making it clear that he did not despise the genuine gift of tongues, the true manifestation of which is of God". Paul was basically making an exaggerated statement to show that tongues serves its purpose as well if done properly, however, prophecy is superior, as he reiterates, "but even more that you would prophecy".
MacArthur points out for this section, "It is an interpretive key to this chapter to note that in verse 2 and 4 tongue is singular (cf. vv. 13, 14, 19, 27), whereas in verse 5 Paul uses the plural tongues (cf. vv. 6, 18, 22, 23, 39). Apparently the apostle used the singular form to indicate the counterfeited gift and the plural to indicate the true. Recognizing that distinction may be the reason the King James translators supplied unknown before the singular. The singular is used of the false because gibberish is singular; it cannot be gibberishes. There are no kinds of pagan ecstatic speech; there are; however, kinds of languages in the true gift, for which the plural tongues is used. The only exception is in v.27, where the singular is used to refer to a single man speaking a single genuine language".
Paul will again reiterate his main purpose in explaining why prophecy is superior to the gift of tongues that the Corinthians so desired. "Greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying". Here Paul mentions that it is only proper with the genuine gift of tongues that there be an interpreter whether it be the speaker or someone else. Only when someone else can translate to the church what is being said can the church be edified, which is the whole point Paul is trying to make. It was clear that the Corinthians were speaking in a confusing and meaningless tongue without interpretation, and for this no one understood nor was edified.
Paul begins, "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophecy". Paul reiterates the importance of love. However, he also wanted to stress the importance of the spiritual gifts that had been given to them as well. Paul is not telling them to forsake their ministries and their gifts and simply seek out love. Instead, he wants them to understand that they need to exercise these gifts with the love Paul has spoken of in the last chapter. MacArthur points out, "The strong desire the Corinthians had for gifts was not wrong in itself but wrong in that it was selfishly directed only toward 'the greater gifts' (12:31), the showy and attention-getting gifts. They were right to have desired spiritual gifts, but their concern should have been for using the gifts they had, not for enviously wanting gifts that others had". Paul then turns his attention to specific gifts. He wanted them as a church to make sure they were seeking out the gift of prophecy. In no way was Paul speaking to individuals to go after this gift as if it were up to them which gift they had, for he has spoken against this in previous sections. Instead, he is asking the church to look at themselves and make sure they were seeking after. This gift is brought up in contrast to seeking after tongues. Because tongues was a showy gift that may have given the speaker an emotional high, this selfish act was sought after by the immature Corinthians. Paul writes, "For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries". Paul is showing that the purpose of spiritual gifts are to edify and encourage the church. The point was not what you could get out of the gift, but rather, what you could give to the church through your gift. MacArthur writes, "The type of tongues the Corinthians practiced had no edifying value at all. It could not speak to men; it could give them no instruction or exhortation. It could only speak to God. I believe a better translation, however, is 'to a god.' The Greek has no definite article, and such anarthrous constructions usually are translated with an indefinite article (see Acts 17:23, where the same form of theo [god] is used in reference to 'an unknown god')". In other words babbling in tongues the way the Corinthians was as effective as speaking unknown words to an unknown god. Because of their attitudes and the way they were misusing the gift, they had rendered that gift meaningless for the body of Christ. If other believers, yourself, and God do not understand what is being said, what value is it? On the other hand, "one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation". MacArthur writes, "The purpose of prophecy is to build up by edification, to encourage through exhortation, and to comfort through consolation. Spiritual gifts are meant to accomplish something spiritually and practically worthwhile, and are always meant to be of benefit to others, believer or unbeliever". For this reason, prophecy was a superior gift because it served its purpose in encouraging and edifying the church because it was spoken in a way to be understood by all.
In contrast to serving others with the gift of prophecy, Paul writes, "one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself". MacArthur believes Paul's tone here is sarcastic. He writes, "Because even true tongues must be interpreted in order to be understood, they cannot possibly edify anyone, including the person speaking, without such interpretation. They cannot, therefore, be intended by God for private devotional use, as many Pentecostals and charismatics claim. Paul here is referring to the supposed value the Corinthians placed on their self-styled tongues-speaking. The satisfaction many of the believers experienced in their abuse of tongues was self-satisfaction, which came from pride=induced emotion, not from spiritual edification". So, in a sense Paul is reiterating what he had said before that no one is done any good by what the Corinthians had been doing in regard to tongues. That is why he is putting the emphasis on prophecy. Paul continues, "but one who prophecies edifies the church". That is the very purpose that God has gifted us with spiritual gifts, not to hoard to ourselves, but to edify the church.
Paul continues, "Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues". Now it may seem odd that Paul would write such a statement after he has been warning about the abuses of the gift, and the inferiority of the gift compared to prophecy. Why would Paul say he wishes they all spoke in tongues, when he knows they are not able to. MacArthur explains, "Paul was wishing the impossible for the sake of emphasis. He knew that all Christians do not have the same gifts. 'All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?' (12:30). The apostle certainly was not suggesting that his wisdom was greater than that of the Holy Spirit, who 'works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills' (12:11). To have wished literally that all the Corinthian believers had the gift of tongues would have presumed to improve on the Spirit's wisdom. Paul simply was making it clear that he did not despise the genuine gift of tongues, the true manifestation of which is of God". Paul was basically making an exaggerated statement to show that tongues serves its purpose as well if done properly, however, prophecy is superior, as he reiterates, "but even more that you would prophecy".
MacArthur points out for this section, "It is an interpretive key to this chapter to note that in verse 2 and 4 tongue is singular (cf. vv. 13, 14, 19, 27), whereas in verse 5 Paul uses the plural tongues (cf. vv. 6, 18, 22, 23, 39). Apparently the apostle used the singular form to indicate the counterfeited gift and the plural to indicate the true. Recognizing that distinction may be the reason the King James translators supplied unknown before the singular. The singular is used of the false because gibberish is singular; it cannot be gibberishes. There are no kinds of pagan ecstatic speech; there are; however, kinds of languages in the true gift, for which the plural tongues is used. The only exception is in v.27, where the singular is used to refer to a single man speaking a single genuine language".
Paul will again reiterate his main purpose in explaining why prophecy is superior to the gift of tongues that the Corinthians so desired. "Greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying". Here Paul mentions that it is only proper with the genuine gift of tongues that there be an interpreter whether it be the speaker or someone else. Only when someone else can translate to the church what is being said can the church be edified, which is the whole point Paul is trying to make. It was clear that the Corinthians were speaking in a confusing and meaningless tongue without interpretation, and for this no one understood nor was edified.
posted by amesfam | 12:36 PM
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