AP

1 Corinthians 14:22-25  Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.  So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?  But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare.  So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

Paul’s argument in these verses is not easy to follow (which is why I’ve avoided commenting on them in previous years!).  Here is my feeble attempt to get something meaningful out of them.

We are all born with Adam’s fallen nature.  If we are to be brought back into a right relationship with God, which we were originally created to have and enjoy, two things need to happen.  Firstly, we need to be convinced, contrary to our fallen nature, that there is a Creator God, and that he matters.  Secondly, we need to be taught his ways so that we can really and fully glorify him and. enjoy our relationship with him for ever, which the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism says is our chief end.

On the Day of Pentecost, less than eight weeks after Jesus died for our sins and rose again, leaving his tomb empty, 3,000 people experienced this: the fact that a small group of uneducated fishermen could speak in foreign languages had such an impact on them that they wanted to be baptised and to learn more about what was behind this amazing phenomenon (Acts 2:14-41).  They then went on and met with fellow believers to sit under the Apostles’ teaching in their own native language and share in meaningful, prayerful fellowship (Acts 2:42-47).

The trouble with the infant Church inCorinth was that the new believers were steeped in the pervading humanistic, man-centred culture of that city.  The novel experience they had of the gift of ‘tongues-speaking’ had too easily become confused with true, mature spirituality.  Paul has to write them: “Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children.  In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” (14:20)  He wants them to continue making an impact on their community by using, both effectively and appropriately, all the ‘gifts of the Holy Spirit’ they have received, being careful that they don’t allow immature ‘showing off’ about the impressive nature of a gift like ‘tongue-speaking’ to confuse people or turn them away.  I hope this interpretation of today’s verses is consistent with the text in its context, and helpful, but I am a bit nervous and am willing to be corrected.  (I didn’t find the commentaries I consulted all that enlightening, so I’ve decided to ‘bite the bullet’!)

– Bruce Christian