1 Corinthians 14
The Apostle Paul returned to the theme of the exercise of spiritual gifts within the Corinthian church and his treatment of this matter did not lose sight of the priority of love in chapter 13. In the light of love as a priority, there was a need for the Corinthian believers to desire gifts and exercise them with the emphasis on edifying the church and not displaying their gifts in a proud and self-centred manner. Also, there should be proper order and decorum in their time of worship which is in line with the manifestation of love rather than disorder whichdishonours the Lord God.
Paul then addressed the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy.As edification of the church is what matters most, Godʼs Word should be spoken intelligibly in the power of the Holy Spirit. In that light, Paul concluded that the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets the meaning of the tongues.
We need to spend some time to understand what Paul meant with regard to the gifts of speaking in tongues and prophecy. Glossolalia (uttering sounds unintelligible to oneself) or speaking in tongues, is seen as a gift that enables worshippers to sustain and heighten moods of adoration, penitence, and intercession in a way they could not do otherwise. The gift is regarded as mainly, though not entirely, for private devotional use. The present-day tongue-speaking, in which the mood is maintained but the mind is on vacation, cannot be confidently equated from any point of view with New Testament tongues.
Tongue-speaking in the New Testament context seemed to be exercised under fully self-conscious rational control and Paul was able to exhort those speaking in tongues to refrain unless there was interpretation, and the exercise of it even with interpretation should be done in an orderly manner.
Tongue-speaking should be contrasted with Xenolalia (speaking real foreign languages) which was manifested in Acts 2 at Pentecost, considered as an exception rather than the rule in the New Testament.
The essence of prophecy is not predictive of the future so muchas revealing the mind and will of God. It is the means by which a con- gregation is built up and encouraged. If we believe that the Bible isGodʼs clear authoritative Word, spoken in specific historical contexts, but unchanging in its truth because it is revelatory of our unchangingGod, then “prophecy” today will be the authoritative proclamation of the Bibleʼs truth in the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing said by anycontemporary “prophet” has the quality of authority to be bound into our Bible as a sixty-seventh book. Indeed, any so-called prophecies must be tested by Scripture and should not be accepted as true unless they are in accord with the perfect and completed revelation, the attested and assured Word of Scripture.
The Corinthian church and present congregations must be motivated by love for one another when the believers come together in worship. To allow meaningless speech to dominate their times together is to cease to love and care for one another as they should. To insist on using certain gifts in public such as tongues that have no beneficial effects without interpretation is to depart from the way of love; those who pursue love will excel in gifts that strengthen and encourage the whole body, not in confusing or alienating the people of God or even unbelievers who happened to come into the meetings.
Paul was not undervaluing or dismissing the gift of tongues, for he himself spoke in tongues. He was not forbidding speaking in tongues per se but he was concerned about regulating it. His main point is that in the exercise of spiritual gifts, the edification of the congregation is the primary criterion. If the mind is not engaged, no one else can be edified. If no one else can comprehend the tongues because what is being said is not understandable, then it is best to restrict the use of tongues to private devotion.
What did Paul mean when he wrote that the women should keep silent in the churches? In all likelihood, Paul was trying to end an abuse in Corinth, the abuse, namely, of women interrupting worship when something was said that they did not understand. If so, that is the point of Paul telling them to ask their husbands at home. In the ancient world, the treatment of women and their education was vastly inferiorto menʼs. Consequently, when the good news of freedom and equality made them on par with men for the first time ever, some women, againstthe background of their very defective education, may have thrown their weight about. In that light, Paul wrote to stop this happening. It is evidently a rule about interruption and not a rule about participating in prayer and prophesying because in chapter 11 Paul had already made it clear that that was permitted, provided the women knew their place in the order of creation and sought not to upstage men and usurp their role. Unnecessary interruption in worship would constitute disorderand a lack of reverence toward God. Paulʼs statement about womenkeeping silent in church should be understood with this in mind. Even the exercise of gifts of prophecy should be done with order; prophecy should be shared one by one, so that all may learn and be encouraged. Paul emphasised that God is not a God of confusion but of peace.