This morning we conclude the section on tongues with Paul saying that this gift should not be displayed unless someone can interpret.
"For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say 'Amen' to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified." (1 Corinthians 14:13-17) It's understandable that the believers at Corinth would be amazed by the gift of tongues and that they would desire this gift for themselves. It must have appeared very spiritual to them. But Paul reminds them that the person speaking in a tongue is speaking directly to God and not to men. It would be far better for the Corinthian believers to work at developing other gifts that are capable of helping their fellow man.
"I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue." (1 Corinthians 14:18-19) Paul appears to be extraordinarily gifted, but many scholars believe he only used the gift of tongues in private. We can't be certain about that, but he says five intelligible words spoken in church is better than ten thousand words spoken in tongues in the church. The gift of tongues is a sign, mainly for unbelievers. When in the church Paul is among believers, so it's far more beneficial for them if he says things they can understand.
"Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. In the Law it is written: 'With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.'" (1 Corinthians 14:20-21) The apostle quotes Isaiah 28:11-12. The prophet Isaiah saw the "tongues" and "lips of foreigners" as a sign of judgment on Israel because they refused to heed to God's warnings and would soon be conquered and taken captive to foreign lands where they would be spoken to by foreign tongues. The ten northern tribes were taken to Assyria. Then two southern tribes were taken to Babylon. This was the judgment of God on them for their idolatry and unbelief. Paul feels the church members at Corinth are being childish by desiring the gift of tongues, for this gift is not really intended for believers but for unbelievers.
"Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?" (1 Corinthians 14:22-23) On the day of Pentecost, when the believers were baptized by the Holy Spirit, they proclaimed the word of God in other languages. Some of those who heard them scoffed and said, "They have had too much wine." (Acts 2:13) Suppose an unbeliever decides to visit church one day and comes through the door only to hear everyone babbling in words he can't understand. He will likely conclude the congregation is mentally ill, on drugs, or drunk. He will very quickly walk straight back out the door.
"But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is really among you!'" (1 Corinthians 14:24-25) In hearing the truth of God spoken in words they can understand, the unbeliever is able to realize that he is living in sin. The word of God itself judges and convicts the sinner, so that in his heart he confronts the fact that he has alienated himself from the Lord. It is my opinion that when Paul says the unbeliever is "brought under judgment by all" that he doesn't mean people in the congregation confront the sinner with his sin, but that the sinner hears everyone in the congregation speaking the truth and has to admit to himself that he is living far from God. This is why it's so much better to speak plainly in the church in words everyone can understand. This is helpful for believers who are already in the church, and it's helpful for unbelievers who come into the church to learn about the Lord. As Paul asked in the book of Romans, "How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard?" (Romans 10:14a) People have to hear about Christ in order to believe in Him, so it's far more valuable to share the gospel in a way people can understand than to display the gift of tongues.
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