Edification vs. Mysticism; 1
Cor. 14:1-12
As we get into chapter
fourteen we are continuing the study of tongues. The spiritual gift of
languages was a major issue in the Corinthian church. Tongues was not a
communication gift per se. In other words, its purpose was not for revelation,
not to reveal new truth. Its purpose was to signify judgment. There were two
sign gifts, miracles and healing, that were designed to give credibility to the
apostles; they served as a calling card for the apostles when they came into
town. Tongues was not directed as a sign to the hearers in that way, it was
designed to be a sign to the Jews that judgment was coming on Israel because of
their rejection of the Messiah.
The purpose of the first 19
verses of chapter 14 is to provide regulation, the rule for operation of the
gift of languages in a local congregation. Remember, this was a time when the
gift of languages was still valid and there might have been some in the
Corinthian congregation who could had the gift of languages, so Paul couldn’t
say don’t do it, it is not valid, he had to deal with it in a sophisticated
manner that laid down regulations that would exclude the counterfeit and false
of so-called tongues versus the legitimate gift of languages. Not
underst6anding that is one reason there are a lot of problems and confusion in
interpreting certain passages in this chapter.
One other thing we have to
understand by way of background, and that is the
background of the Corinthians. They were involved in what we know as mystery
religions. To get into these mystery religions one had to go through various
initiatory rites, which meant learning the mysteries, i.e. the hidden secret
things of this particular cult. The Corinthians were
involved with pseudo-tongues and practicing the ecstatic gibberish of the pagan
mystery religions inside the church. Paul has to correct this and he begins in
verse one by giving them two commands.
1 Corinthians 14:1 NASB
“Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual {gifts,} but especially that you
may prophesy.” The initial command is to pursue love. Fit that into the
context. We have just been through chapter 13 where Paul had appeared to be a
digression, discussing the virtue of love in the Christian life, and he ended
chapter 12 with “But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a
still more excellent way.” If we look at that verse in 1 Corinthians
We have to watch because he
makes some very interesting moves in this process, but his basic point is:
pursue or make a point of edification, not the practice of a spiritual gift.
Now that slaps all of the church growth people today right in the face. Why
does Paul say, “especially that you may prophesy”?
1 Corinthians 14:2 NASB
“For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one
understands, but in {his} spirit he speaks mysteries.” He begins this with the
Greek particle gar [gar] which indicates an explanation, he is explaining his statement of
verse one; “one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God.” Here
is what we must notice. The word “tongue” here is the word glossa [glwssa] and it is used in the singular. When Paul uses the
word in the singular he is referring to the pseudo-tongues of ecstatic
utterance that is being practiced in the Corinthian congregation. In this
section of chapter 14 when Paul uses the word in the singular he is talking
about the false use of the gift. When he uses the word glossa in the plural he is talking about the legitimate
expression of the gift of languages. If we fail to note that we just won’t have
a clue as to what is going on in this passage and will think that every time he
uses the word glossa he is
referring to the same thing. The point he is making is not that it is valid to
speak in a tongue and to speak to God. This is where the modern Charismatic has
gotten completely off track. They think that this verse validates speaking to
God is a prayer language, and that is completely absurd. Whenever we see people
in the Scriptures pray they pray in their everyday language. When Jesus prayed
His high priestly prayer in John 17 He prayed in either Greek or Aramaic, He
prayed in His everyday language. There is no indication anywhere in Scripture
that one should pray in a special prayer language. Furthermore, if we look at
this verse in the English it says: “For one who speaks in an ecstatic utterance
does not speak to men but to God,” and the English capitalizes God there. But
that is a mistake. In the Greek we have the word theos [qeoj],
but it lacks the definite article. Just because it doesn’t have the article in
the Greek doesn’t mean it is not definite. The word qeoj can be definite without the presence of the article
because the Greek article doesn’t function like the English article. The lack
of the article in 1 Corinthians 14:2 indicates that it should be translated:
“For one who speaks in an ecstatic utterance does not speak to men but to a god.” That is what the Corinthians were doing, they were speaking to their god.
Paul is simply indicating that this is the modus operandi of the pagan mystery
religions.
“…for no one [no human being
can] understands, but in {his} spirit,” his immaterial part. Here is a
non-technical use of the word pneuma
[pneuma]. Remember, pneuma
can be used a number of different ways in Scripture. It can be used to refer to
the wind, it can refer to breath, it can refer to just that simple life-giving
spirit in every human being, it can refer in a generic sense to the soul, i.e.
the immaterial part of man, and so there are passage sin the Old Testament
which speak of the spirit of unbelievers but that is where it is used in a
non-technical sense. But we have to look at technical passages such as 1
Corinthians 2:12-14 where psuchikos
[yuxikoj] is contrasted with pneumatikos
[pneumatikoj], and also passages like Jude 19 which defines psuchikos as not having a spirit. So it
is very clear from those passages that when you use “spirit” is the technical
sense of the human spirit it is in contrast to having only a soul. But here was
have just a generic use of the word which is how the Corinthians
were using the word. Paul is using their verbiage and throwing it back at them,
and he says that no one understands when you have this ecstatic utterance
because in your “spirit” you speak in mysteries. In other words, this is
mystery religion kind of material, they are just
speaking this ecstatic gibberish. Paul is not using the word musterion [musthrion] here to describe mystery doctrine, he is using it
here the way they were using it in reference to their past in the mystery
religions.
Furthermore, another reason a
prayer language cannot work as an interpretation here is because this would
lead to self-edification, and the purpose of a spiritual gift is to edify other
believers. You never use your spiritual gift to edify yourself. So there cannot
be a private use of tongues, that is excluded by
definition; you can’t have a gift of languages for personal edification, that
is excluded by the use of the term.
1 Corinthians 14:3 NASB
“But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and
consolation.” One who prophesies speaks to men for three things: a) edification. Edification means to build someone up
spiritually. It is from the Greek word oikodome
[o)ikodomh], the
verb means to build up or strengthen. It has the idea of building up or
strengthening our soul as the result of Bible doctrine; b) exhortation. The
Greek word paraklesis [paraklhsij] from the verb parakaleo
[parakaloew] which is some passages indicate comfort or
encouragement. That is based on knowledge of doctrine; c) consolation. The
Greek word paramuthios [paramuqioj] which is very similar to paraklesis and has to do with comforting someone in times of
difficulty through the absolutes of God’s Word. So prophecy here indicates special
revelation from God is a situation that is going to produce spiritual growth,
encouragement to the individual because of the absolutes of doctrine, and
comfort in times of adversity and stress so that they can learn and utilize the
problem-solving devices.
In contrast: 1 Corinthians
14:4 NASB “One who speaks in a tongue [singular: therefore ‘ecstatic
utterance’] edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.” Note:
We are translating this “ecstatic utterance” in terms of English simply to
clarify the meaning. The word glossa
never is used to mean ecstatic utterance anywhere. The Corinthians
are calling it tongues, so Paul is using their vocabulary, glossa, back to them. If we were writing
this we would put glossa in
quotation marks. So we are utilizing a sort of literary licence here to use
this as ecstatic utterance just for clarification. Literally he is saying: “One
who speaks in a ‘tongue,’ which is what you claim to be doing, edifies himself. They were claiming they were speaking in a biblical
gift of languages and Paul is saying, no, what you are doing, “speaking in a
tongue,” is simply self-edification. So Paul is saying: “Look, what you are
doing only edifies you, not other members in the body of Christ; therefore it
is not the operation of the spiritual gift.” It is carnality. Is God going to
bless and honour carnality? No, He is not.
In contrast: “but one who
prophesies edifies the church.” This is the issue.
1 Corinthians 14:5 NASB
“Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but {even} more that you would
prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues,
unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.” Now Paul shifts
from the singular to the plural. This is where he goes to the legitimate use”
“I wish that you all spoke in languages.” Does he mean that literally? In
chapter twelve he said not everybody has any of the spiritual gifts; everybody
has different spiritual gifts. No one spiritual gift is present in every
believer. So he doesn’t mean this literally. He is simply making a statement
using hyperbole for the sake of argument. “…but {even} more that you would
prophesy.” If he was making a literal statement here he would be contradicting
what he said two chapters earlier. He is merely saying here by using this
figure of speech that it is great that they can speak in languages (legitimate
use), but even more they need to prophesy because that is where edification and
spiritual growth comes from. “…and greater is one who prophesies than one who
speaks [legitimately] in tongues [languages], unless he interprets, so that the
church may receive edifying.” In other words, the point is there has to be
understanding of the message in your native language, otherwise no spiritual
growth take place and it is just emptiness, meaningless sound.
1 Corinthians 14:6 NASB “But
now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you
unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of
prophecy or of teaching?” In other words, it won’t be of spiritual value for
your growth unless it is from a) revelation, the use of revelatory gifts. These
are four communication gifts mentioned here that involve revelation. Notice,
tongues is not one of them.
1 Corinthians 14:7 NASB
“Yet {even} lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if
they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is
played on the flute or on the harp?” When a child picks up a musical instrument
and makes noise there is no distinction of notes or sound or melody and it has
no meaning or value, the cacophony is just emptiness, a meaningless sound. That
is what this verse is saying.
1 Corinthians 14:8 NASB “For if the bugle produces an
indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?” This is a bugle command
in a military environment. If the bugler just makes a noise on the bugle
without a distinct command then the soldier would not know what to do. So there
must be a distinct meaningful sound otherwise there is no benefit to the
listener.
1 Corinthians 14:9 NASB
“So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it
be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.”
In other words, if you don’t have a clear, legitimate language being
communicated nobody is going to know what is being said, you are just speaking
into the air. It is useless, meaningless and has no value whatsoever.
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians