1 Corinthians

Prophecy before tongues. 14:20-25

In the contexts of an outburst of ecstatic prophecy in the Corinthian congregation, Paul reminds his readers that whenever God's people have turned from him in the past he has withdrawn his clear prophetic word and replaced it with riddles. Jumbled words from God are therefore a sign of judgement upon an unfaithful people. So, beware of tongues; they can be a sign of judgement rather than blessing. On the other hand, a clear world of prophecy is for a faithful people. If a seeker comes into a Christian congregation where the word is in tongues, they will be denied a clear word from God and only think "your are out of your mind." Prophecy, on the other hand, will strike at the heart, convicting and converting.

v20. In establishing his preference for prophecy Paul encourages his readers to be mature adults when it comes to their reasoning on issues of theology, particularly on the issue of speaking in tongues.

v21. In a paraphrase of Isaiah 28:11-12, Paul supports his argument. He notes that when God's people refuse to hear his word of grace they then receive, not a clear word, but babble. God's word to his rebellious people Israel was the gibberish guttural chatter of the invading Assyrians who, under the divine will, executed God's chastisement upon his unfaithful people.

v22. Explaining the text, Paul makes the point that babble is not a divine revelation given to God's faithful people, but rather it is given to his unfaithful people, his stiff-necked people. This is very similar to the way Jesus treated his fellow Jews. They refused to respond to the gospel and so he spoke to them in parables, in riddles, so that hearing they would not hear. A clear word from God, on the other hand, such as prophecy, is not for rebels, but for the faithful.

v23-25. So, if a member who has broken fellowship in some way, or possibly someone who is an outsider, a seeker, happens to attend, and everyone is speaking in tongues, they are likely to think that the congregation is out of its mind. If, on the other hand, members are prophesying, preaching a clear word from God, then the visitor will find themselves convicted, scrutinized and exposed by God's word. The consequence may well be that this person is converted, bows in submission to the Lord God and worships him.

A number of the members in the Corinthian congregation regarded themselves as a spiritual elite. They felt they were angelic like, with an angelic heavenly language. They thought they were already living in the heavenly future. So, Paul encouraged them to think like mature adults. A truly spiritual believer affirms a variety of gifts, along with the greatest of gifts, namely love. Such a believer affirms the edification of the church through intelligibility and order. Paul cannot bide with the idea of an outsider attending a worship service where people are babbling on with unintelligible utterances. The visitor is likely to think that the congregation has gone mad, just as mad as the secular cults with their trance-like babble.

In our passage for study Paul argues fairly strongly against tongue-speaking without actually forbidding it. His concern is for the building up of the brotherhood (edification), and he sees this furthered, not by tongues, but by a clear "word of instruction" for the congregation's "strengthening, encouragement and comfort". Such "edifies the church", is for "the strengthening of the church". What he wants is "intelligible words" so that "the heart will be laid bare", where the visitor might exclaim "God is really among you."

The doing of church is always a contentious issue because we all bring to it our own personal likes and dislikes. Whatever we want church to be, the preaching and teaching of the Word of God clearly takes a central place. Prophecy is the forth-telling of God's revelation to mankind. When two or three meet in Jesus' name and in his presence, hearing his word read and explained must always be the central business at hand. When we meet with Christ, hearing him, intelligibly and in an ordered environment, is the way to build his church.

1. What is wrong with tongue-speaking? Does it have a place today?

2. Discuss the place of the preached Word in your congregation. How does your service contribute or undermine the Word?