“Follow after charity; but desire spiritual gifts, and especially to prophesy.” The general rule is this: Every one should seek, above all, the gifts most fitted to contribute to the common good. Such is the principle Paul applies first of all to the valuation of the two gifts which seem at that ti... [ Continue Reading ]
“For he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 3. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men edification, exhortation, and comfort.” Paul here describes the _mode_ in which the two gifts act. The glosso... [ Continue Reading ]
“He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth, edifieth the Church.” From his intimate communion with God, the glossolalete derives a blessing which, even though it is not transformed into precise notions by the exercise of the understanding, makes itself felt as a power i... [ Continue Reading ]
“Now I would that ye all spake in tongues, and rather that ye prophesied; but greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the Church may receive edifying.” The following is the result of 1 Corinthians 14:1-4: the gift of tongues is a good thing; but... [ Continue Reading ]
“But now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking in tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophesying, or in doctrine?” The first example Paul offers to the Corinthians is that of his own person; they all knew what power his presen... [ Continue Reading ]
“Even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds..., how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 8. For, also, if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” If the sound of instruments is to furnish to t... [ Continue Reading ]
“So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue distinct speech, how shall it be known what is spoken, for ye shall speak into the air?” Those who, like Hofmann, already find in 1 Corinthians 14:9 an example taken from human language, may punctuate after καὶ ὑμεῖς, in the sense of: _so ye also._ “As... [ Continue Reading ]
“There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 11 Therefore if I know not the force of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.” The asyndeton here denotes, as it almost alway... [ Continue Reading ]
“Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of inspirations, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church.” Several have made the first three words of the verse a separate proposition: _Even so ye;_ that is to say: “Ye also would be as barbarians to one another, if ye spoke in tongues without i... [ Continue Reading ]
“Wherefore let him that speaketh in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15. What is it then? I will pray with the Spirit, but I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the Spirit, but I will sing w... [ Continue Reading ]
There is in the state of the glossolalete, who cannot interpret, something incomplete and insufficient. The expression: _my Spirit_, is taken, by Heinrici and Holsten, to denote the Spirit of God acting and speaking in me. But the following expression: _my understanding_, forbids us to think of anyt... [ Continue Reading ]
The question: _What is it then?_ invites the readers to find the conclusion for themselves. What will it be? To exclude ecstasy and speaking in tongues? By no means, but to complete the pneumatic transport by the exercise of the understanding: to pray in the spirit, there is the tongue; to pray in f... [ Continue Reading ]
“Since, if thou blessest in spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the stranger say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? 17. For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.” The ἐπεί, _since_, relates to this thought understood: “And... [ Continue Reading ]
“I thank God, I speak in tongues more than ye all; 19. yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in tongues.” The apostle means by 1 Corinthians 14:18 that he by no means disdains the gift of tongues, so highly priz... [ Continue Reading ]
“Brethren, become not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, and in understanding be men.” The address _brethren_, is fitted to bring them back to the feeling of Christian dignity which had been singularly weakened in them. The μὴ γίνεσθε, _become not_, gives it to be understoo... [ Continue Reading ]
“In the law it is written: With men of other tongues and lips of strangers will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me.” The absurdity, the puerility of the preponderating use of tongues in the assemblies is demonstrated from this new point of view. Paul introduces the... [ Continue Reading ]
“Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.” At the first glance one might be disposed to take the former part of the verse as indicating the salutary effect which glosso... [ Continue Reading ]
“If therefore the whole Church be come together into one place, and all speak in tongues, and there come in novices, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?” This is the first case: an assembly in which only glossolaletes speak. _ Into one place_ is related to _the whole._ These plenary... [ Continue Reading ]
“But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or a novice, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all; 25. the secrets of his heart are made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.” We have just seen the effect of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Then a sudden penetrating illumination, spread over his whole life, is produced in him: he sees himself, as a whole and in the particular details of his life, as God sees him. One might apply this description to the revelation of certain particular circumstances of his life, as when Elisha speaks to... [ Continue Reading ]
“How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a revelation, hath a discourse in a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” The meaning of the question: _How is it then?_ is the same as in 1 Corinthians 14:15. The... [ Continue Reading ]
“If any man speak in a tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and each in his course; and let one interpret. 28. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.” In Greek this verse begins with the word εἴτε, _whether_, to wh... [ Continue Reading ]
“As to the prophets, let them speak two or three, and let the others judge. 30. And if anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.” The εἴτε, _whether_, which we expect to correspond to the εἴτε of 1 Corinthians 14:27, changes into a simple δέ, _but_ or _as to_, a... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 31-33A. “For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 32. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33a. For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” VER. 31 might be understood in this sense: “Thus it may happen that those who proph... [ Continue Reading ]
“Or, indeed, came the Word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 37. If any man think himself to be a prophet, or inspired, let him acknowledge that what I write unto you is from the Lord. 38. But if any man be ignorant of it, let him be ignorant.” The ἤ, _or_ (1 Corinthians 14:36), signifi... [ Continue Reading ]
The term δοκεῖ εἶναι, _thinks himself to be_, denotes a claim true or false. We must not give to the word πνευματικός, _spiritual_, hence _inspired_, too restricted a sense, according to which it would denote a class different from the prophets, as is done by the commentators who regard this term a... [ Continue Reading ]
There is more than indifference, there are severity and threatening in these words; they are addressed to the persons whose folly was characterized by the word δοκεῖ in the previous verse. “If there are among you people who reckon their ideas superior to mine, let them follow them!” Of course such s... [ Continue Reading ]
“Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak in tongues. 40. But let all things be done decently and in order.” We have already seen again and again in this Epistle that after a searching discussion, going to the very heart of his subject, Paul likes to conclude with a brief prac... [ Continue Reading ]