In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul reminded the Corinthian saints that should one possess the most desired of spiritual gifts but lack love, he was nothing. If someone would give all his goods to feed the poor and if his faith was so strong that he would give his body to be burned rather than to deny his faith, if he had not love, he would be worthless. Paul reminded them that love “never faileth” but tongues, prophecies, and all the other spiritual gifts would pass away but faith, hope and love would abide.
But despite his warning against possessing spiritual gifts without love and having urged them to “seek after love,” he charged them to “desire earnestly spiritual gifts” because, while these gifts were temporary and would pass away, the “perfect” had not yet come and “things in part” were needed. Yet there had to be the proper use of those gifts “in part” for them to accomplish what God intended them to.
He taught them in 1 Corinthians 14:1-19 the greater value of prophesying over tongues. He showed that the gift of tongues, improperly exercised, were of no value to the church. He wrote, “For he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men but unto God for no man understandeth, but in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men edification, exhortation and consolation. He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifies the church” (1 Corinthians 14:2-4). To understand the apostle as telling these brethren that such was God’s intent for tongues is to misunderstand him. That was not what God designed the “tongue gift” to be, but apparently that was the way it was exercised at Corinth.
God had designed the tongue gift to benefit everyone, not just the possessor of the gift. He had earlier written of these gifts, “But to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit to profit withal” (1 Corinthians 12:7). He had later written “wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving” (1 Corinthians 14:22). But then immediately wrote that “if therefore the whole church be assembled and all speak with tongues, and there come in men unlearned or unbelieving; will they not say that ye are mad?” (1 Corinthians 14:22-23). To some these instructions are contradictory, but that so appears only if one misunderstands the apostle’s purpose in writing those words.
Tongues were designed to be understood, for only in understanding can there be edification. He showed that to be true whether for things living or without life. A trumpet was extremely useful in battle, if it blew sounds the soldiers understood, but if the soldier did not understand the trumpet’s sounds, he didn’t know whether to advance or retreat. Therefore, when the tongue speaker spoke in a language no one present understood, he only confused the listener.
Thus, the apostle commanded, “Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speaketh in a tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and that in turn, and let one interpret: but if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God” (1 Corinthians 14:26-28).
“Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). But if the speaker speaks in a language no one understands, no faith will result in the hearer’s heart because he does not understand. Little wonder Paul’s command: “But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church.”
Jim McDonald