1 Corinthians 14:23

shows the disastrous impression which the exercise of the Tongues, carried to its full extent, must make upon men outside a result that follows (οὖν) from the aforesaid intention of the gift (1 Corinthians 14:22): “If then the entire Church should assemble together and all should be speaking with tongues, but there should enter uninstructed persons or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad!” If the Tongues are, as many Cor [2133] think, the highest manifestation of the Spirit, then to have the whole Church simultaneously so speaking would be the ne plus ultra of spiritual power; but, in fact, the Church would then resemble nothing so much as a congregation of lunatics! A reductio ad absurdum for the fanatical coveters of Tongues. The ἰδιῶται (here unqualified: otherwise in 16; cf note) are persons unacquainted with Christianity (altogether uninitiated) and receiving their first impression of it in this way, whereas the ἄπιστοι are rejectors of the faith. The impression made upon either party will be the same. The effect here imagined is altogether diff [2134] from that of the Day of Pentecost, when the “other tongues” spoke intelligibly to those religiously susceptible amongst non-believers (Acts 2:11 ff.). The imputation of madness from men of the world P. earnestly deprecates (Acts 26:24 f.). Ed [2135] renders ἰδιῶται “separatists” unattached Christians; but this interpretation wants lexical support, and is out of keeping with 1 Corinthians 14:16 : did any such class of Christians then exist?

[2133] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[2134] difference, different, differently.

[2135] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2