More Than You All

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #124h Written 06MAY08 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw

Chapter 14: Part Eight—More Than You All

by dave c

First Corinthians 14:18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; 19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, "BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME," says the Lord. 22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe (NASV).

“I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all….” Verses 18 through 22 pose a number of difficulties that are wide open to various and sundry interpretations. Firstly, as stated in Part Four regarding 14:5, Paul is not saying in verse 18 that he thanks God because he could speak Hebrew, Greek, and Latin—which were more foreign languages than the Corinthians could speak (believe it or not, this is what a number of prominent commentaries teach. Oh, me.). Paul is here referring to second and third facets of speaking in tongues. The first, as described by Luke, is having someone hear a speaker talking in his, or her, language, although the speaker is unfamiliar with that language (Ac 2:6-8). The second is “gibberish” that makes no sense to any human mind, but that communicates between a person’s spirit and God; i.e., a private prayer language (1Co 14:2-4). Third, there is a ‘tongue’ spoken amidst a congregation of believers that should be interpreted as a prophetic “forth-telling” from God (1Co 14:5).

“...However, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.” The key to verse 19 is the phrase, “in the church”. (As a note: In our time and culture, the word “church” brings to mind buildings that are devoted to worshipping the One True God Almighty. 2,000 years ago there were no such structures. “Church” was a gathering of two or more believers anytime and anywhere. We would do well to think in similar terms. Church is what we do—not who we are, or where we’re at.) Regarding five words with my mind versus ten thousand words in a tongue: When faced with a vending machine that only takes change, five quarters will serve the need better than ten thousand dollars in folding money, checks, or plastic. Paul is not denigrating “praying in the spirit” when alone before our Creator. He is once again telling us that when we are in the company of others, we must keep our actions founded on love and appropriate to the situation. A few prayerfully chosen words are of much greater consequence than deluging the listener with a torrent of speech—whether it is intelligible or not.

“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.” Again, I have read several commentaries stating that Paul is here telling us that we shouldn’t speak in tongues. In First Corinthians 11:20-22 Paul admonished his readers to refrain from glutting themselves when they met as the church to share communion. Was the apostle telling them that they should not eat and drink? No, of course not. He was telling them to eat their fill at home and to be considerate of others in the assembly so that God might be worshipped and the people served in a mature, effective fashion. It is the same when it comes to speaking in tongues as a prayer language. Regarding evil, we should be inexperienced (infants), but in our thoughts (and actions) we should behave in an adult, loving manner—putting others first. The Greek word translated “evil” in this verse means “wickedness as an evil habit of the mind” (#2549 kakia). This is in reference to being unloving and inconsiderate specifically and generally—not to speaking in tongues. Otherwise Paul would be making a blasphemous confession in 14:18 when he thanks God that he speaks in tongues more than all of the Corinthians.

“In the Law it is written, "BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME," says the Lord.” Without being an exact quote, Paul is paraphrasing Isaiah 28:11&12 where God is chastising Israel for refusing to listen to His warnings presented in plain speech and so He was going to send the Assyrians, who spoke a language unknown to the Hebrews, to conquer them.

“So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.” This verse plainly states that tongues are a sign to unbelievers, and prophecy is a sign to believers. The Apostle to the Gentiles is telling us that the Acts 2 and the interpreted “forth-telling” manifestations of speaking in tongues are miraculous events inspired by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate God’s presence in the gathering of the faithful. It should be noted that Paul is not saying that speaking in tongues is merely a sign to unbelievers, and that prophesy is merely a sign to believers. Rather, he is saying that in addition to being edifying to the individuals and to the fellowship generally (14:3&4), they also serve as signs of God’s presence in the praise and worship of His Son through the power of the Holy Spirit.