CHAPTER XIV. _We should earnestly desire spiritual gifts; but prophesying_ _is to be preferred, because it is superior to the gift of_ _tongues_, 1, 2. _Prophesying defined_, 3. _How to regulate this supernatural gift of tongues, in teaching_ _for the edification of the Church_, 4-13. _In pra... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:2. _FOR HE THAT SPEAKETH IN AN_ UNKNOWN _TONGUE_] This chapter is crowded with difficulties. It is not likely that the Holy Spirit should, in the church, suddenly inspire a man with the knowledge of some foreign language, which none in the church understood but himself; and le... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:3. _BUT HE THAT PROPHESIETH_] The person who has the gift of _teaching_ is much more useful to the Church than he is who has only the gift of _tongues_, because he speaks to the profit of men: viz. to their _edification_, by the Scriptures he expounds; to their _exhortation_,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:4. _HE THAT SPEAKETH IN AN_ UNKNOWN _TONGUE_] In the _Hebrew_ for instance, the knowledge of the depth and power of which he has got by a Divine revelation, _edifieth himself_ by that knowledge. _BUT HE THAT PROPHESIETH_] Has the gift of preaching. _EDIFIETH THE CHURCH._] Sp... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:5. _I WOULD THAT YE ALL SPAKE WITH TONGUES_] The word θελω does not so much imply a _wish or desire_, as a _command_ or _permission_. As if he had said: I do not restrain you to _prophesying_ or _teaching_ though I prefer that; but I give you full permission to speak in _Hebr... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:6. _SPEAKING WITH TONGUES_] Without interpreting. _WHAT SHALL I PROFIT YOU?_] i.e. I shall not profit you; _EXCEPT I SHALL SPEAK TO YOU EITHER BY REVELATION_] Of some secret thing; _or by knowledge_, of some mystery; _or by prophesying_, foretelling some future event; _or by... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:7. _AND EVEN THINGS WITHOUT LIFE_] I may, as if he had said, illustrate this farther by referring to a _pipe_ or _harp_; if these were to utter mere _sounds_ without order, harmony, or melody, though every tone of music might be in the sounds, surely no person could discern a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:8. _IF THE TRUMPET GIVE AN UNCERTAIN SOUND_] If, when the soldier should prepare himself for the battle, the trumpet should give a different sound to that which is ordinarily used on such occasions, the soldier is not informed of what he should do, and therefore does not arm h... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:9. _LIKEWISE YE_] If ye do not speak in the Church so as to be understood, your labour is useless; _ye shall speak into the_ _air_-your speech will be lost and dissipated in the air, without conveying any meaning to any person: there will be a noise or sound, but nothing else.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:10. _THERE ARE, IT MAY BE_] ει τυχοι, For example. _SO MANY KINDS OF VOICES_] So many different languages, each of which has its distinct articulation, pronunciation, emphasis, and meaning; or there may be so many different nations, each possessing a different language, c.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:11. _IF I KNOW NOT THE MEANING OF THE VOICE_] την δυναμις της φωνης, The power and signification of the language. _I SHALL BE UNTO HIM THAT SPEAKETH A BARBARIAN_] I shall appear to him, and he to me, as a person who had no distinct and articulate sounds which can convey any k... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:12. _FOR AS MUCH AS YE ARE ZEALOUS_] Seeing ye affect so much to have spiritual gifts, seek that ye may get those by which ye may excel in edifying the Church.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:13. _PRAY THAT HE MAY INTERPRET._] Let him who speaks or reads the prophetic declarations in the Old Testament, in that tongue in which they were originally spoken and written, pray to God that he may so understand them himself, and receive the gift of interpretation, that he... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:14. _FOR IF I PRAY IN AN_ UNKNOWN _TONGUE_] If my prayers are composed of sentences and sayings taken out of the prophets, c., and in their own language-_my spirit prayeth_, my heart is engaged in the work, and my prayers answer all the purpose of prayers to myself _but my und... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:16. _HE THAT OCCUPIETH THE ROOM OF THE UNLEARNED_] One who is not acquainted with the language in which you speak, sing, or pray. _SAY AMEN_] Give his assent and ratification to what he does not understand. It was very frequent in primitive times to express their approbation... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 17. _THOU VERILY GIVEST THANKS WELL_] Because he felt _gratitude_, and, from a sense of his obligation, gave praise to God; but because this was in an unknown tongue, those who heard him received no edification.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 18. _I SPEAK WITH TONGUES MORE THAN YE ALL_] He understood more languages than any of them did: and this was indispensably necessary, as he was the apostle of the Gentiles in general, and had to preach to different provinces where different dialects, if not languages, were used. In the _Hebrew... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 19. _YET IN THE CHURCH_] As the grand object of public worship is the edification of those who attend, _five words_ spoken so as to convey edification, were of much more consequence than _ten thousand_ which, not being understood, could convey none. By the word γλωσση, _tongue_, to which we ad... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 20. _BE NOT CHILDREN IN UNDERSTANDING_] There are _three_ words here to which we must endeavour to affix the proper sense. 1. παιδια signifies _children_ in general, but particularly such as are grown up, so as to be fit to send to _school_ in order to receive instruction; 2. νηπιος, from νη... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 21. _IN THE LAW IT IS WRITTEN_] But the passage quoted is in Isaiah 28:11. Here is no contradiction, for the term _torah_, LAW, was frequently used by the Jews to express the whole _Scriptures_, law, prophets, and hagiographia; and they used it to distinguish these sacred writings from the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 22. _WHEREFORE TONGUES ARE FOR A SIGN_] The miraculous gift of tongues was never designed for the benefit of those who have already _believed_, but for the instruction of _unbelievers_, that they might see from such a miracle that this is the _work of_ _God_; and so embrace the Gospel. But as,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 23. _WILL THEY NOT SAY THAT YE ARE MAD?_] So they well might, finding a whole assembly of people talking languages which those who had most need of instruction could not understand.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 24. _BUT IF ALL PROPHECY_] If all those who teach do it in the tongue which all understand; if an unbeliever, or one who knows nothing of the sacred language, come in and hear things just suited to his own state, he is convicted by all, and he is judged by all.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 25. _AND THUS ARE THE SECRETS OF HIS HEART_] As these, who were the _prophets_ or _teachers_, had often the discernment of spirits, they were able in certain cases, and probably very frequently, to tell a man the _secrets_ of his own heart; and, where this was not _directly_ the case, God ofte... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _HOW IS IT - EVERY ONE OF YOU HATH A PSALM_, c.] Dr. Lightfoot understands this in the following manner: When the congregation came together, some were for spending the time in _psalmody_ others in _explaining_ particular _doctrines_; others in reading, praying, or speaking in the _Hebrew_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 27. _SPEAK IN AN_ UNKNOWN _TONGUE_] The _Hebrew_, as has already been conjectured. Let it be _BY TWO; OR AT THE MOST_ by _three, and_ that _by course_] Let only two or three in one assembly act in this way, that too much time may not be taken up with one exercise; and let this be done _by cou... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 28. _BUT IF THERE BE NO INTERPRETER_] If there be none present who can give the proper sense of this Hebrew reading and speaking, then let him keep silence, and not occupy the time of the Church, by speaking in a language which only himself can understand.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _LET THE PROPHETS_] Those who have the gift of speaking to men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort; 1 Corinthians 14:3. _TWO OR THREE_] As _prophesying_ implied psalmody, teaching, and exhortation, Dr. Lightfoot thinks that the meaning of the place is this: Let one _sing_ who has... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _BE REVEALED TO ANOTHER THAT SITTETH BY_] Probably those who were teachers sat on a particular seat, or place, from which they might most readily address the people; and this may be the meaning of _sitting by_. If such a person could say, I have just received a particular revelation from G... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _FOR YE MAY ALL PROPHESY ONE BY ONE_] The gifts which God grants are given for the purpose of edification; but there can be no edification where there is confusion; therefore let them speak one by one.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _AND THE SPIRITS OF THE PROPHETS_, c.] Let no one interrupt another and let all be ready to prefer others before themselves; and let each feel a spirit of subjection to his brethren. God grants no ungovernable gifts.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 33. _FOR GOD IS NOT_ THE AUTHOR _OF CONFUSION_] Let not the persons who act in the congregation in this disorderly manner, say, that they are under the influence of God; for he is not the author of confusion; but two, three, or more, praying or teaching in the same place, at the same time, is... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _LET YOUR WOMEN KEEP SILENCE IN THE CHURCHES_] This was a Jewish ordinance; women were not permitted to _teach_ in the assemblies, or even to _ask questions_. The rabbins taught that "a woman should know nothing but the use of her distaff." And the sayings of Rabbi Eliezer, as delivered, _... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 35. _FOR IT IS A SHAME FOR WOMEN TO SPEAK IN THE CHURCH._] The Jews would not suffer a woman to _read_ in the synagogue; though a _servant_ or even a _child_, had this permission; but the apostle refers to irregular conduct, such conduct as proved that they were not under obedience, 1 Corinthi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _CAME THE WORD OF GOD OUT FROM YOU?_] Was it from you that other Churches received the Gospel? Are you the _mother_ _Church_? that you should have rules, and orders, and customs, different from all others; and set yourselves up for a model to be copied by all the Churches of Christ? _OR C... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 37. _IF ANY MAN THINK HIMSELF TO BE A PROPHET_, c.] He who is really a _spiritual_ man, under the influence of the Spirit of God, and capable of _teaching_ the Divine will, he will acknowledge that what I now say is from the same Spirit and that the things which I now write are the _commandmen... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _BUT IF ANY MAN BE IGNORANT_] If he affect to be so, or pretend that he is ignorant; _let him be ignorant_-let him be so at his peril.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 39. _COVET TO PROPHESY_] Let it be your endeavour and prayer to be able to _teach the way of God_ to the ignorant; this is the most _valuable_, because the most _useful_ gift of the Spirit. _AND FORBID NOT TO SPEAK WITH TONGUES._] Let every gift have its own _place_ and _operation_; let none... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Corinthians 14:40. _LET ALL THINGS BE DONE DECENTLY_] ευσξημονως. In their _proper forms_; with becoming reverence; according to their dignity and importance, Every thing in the Church of God should be conducted with gravity and composure, suitable to the importance of the things, the infini... [ Continue Reading ]