[Transcript]
Chapter fourteen is loaded with things that can distract us from the main message. It is the only chapter in all of Paul’s letters that goes in-depth into the proper use of tongues and prophecy during a local church worship gathering. The Corinthians had apparently become fixated on the gift of tongues. Everyone wanted to speak in tongues, and when they gathered for worship, it caused issues.
Paul’s correction, by necessity, included some instruction on the nature of tongues and prophecy. But the main point he was emphasizing was about clarity. What we do when we gather must be understandable to outsiders. An unchurched person should never walk into a church service and leave confused because nothing made sense. They may not understand the Gospel – it is foolishness – but what they experience should not be confusing.
“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” – 1 Corinthians 14:1
Pursue love. It’s a fitting way to start this discussion. The Corinthians had been pursuing spiritual gifts instead of love. The entire discussion of love in chapter thirteen shows that they (and we) needed correction. Don’t chase the gifts; chase love. Since the Lord gives the gifts, focus on loving one another genuinely so that the gifts He provides are used rightly.
However, immediately after that instruction, Paul said we should earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially to prophesy. That is the proper order of things. Love is primary and comes first. Pursue it. Then earnestly desire the gifts of the Spirit, particularly to prophesy. Chapter twelve concludes with the same instruction: earnestly desire. So, when we prioritize love first, our earnest desire for spiritual gifts will be couched in humility. We won’t pursue gifts for our own benefit, but for the common good of the church.
For a long time, I didn’t understand that spiritual gifts should be earnestly desired. Even now, I still feel a nagging hesitation when I come to this verse. But I can’t deny that twice Paul told us to do this. Before, I took the attitude of “whatever your will is, Lord, I’ll take it.” I did that because 12:11 says that the Spirit apportions each person as He wills. However, I no longer view 12:11 as a hindrance to earnest pursuit. Even in God’s sovereignty, He seems to tie certain blessings to our asking. In other words, unless we ask, there will be some blessings/gifts that we simply won’t receive. This is echoed in Christ’s own teaching. Ask, and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find. There’s no contingency clause attached to that. There are some things that we will only receive from the Lord once we ask for them.
It seems, then, because Paul tells us to desire them earnestly, that some spiritual gifts won’t be given unless they are sought. If you’re wondering how that interplays with the Lord’s sovereignty, you’re not alone. However, God’s sovereignty and human responsibility are not mutually exclusive concepts. In Sam Storm’s book, Understanding Prayer, he answers the question, “If God is sovereign, why pray?” His answer: “Thus, prayer is how we obtain those blessings from God that God himself has foreordained to give to those who pray for them.”[1] In other words, some blessings will only be given by God if we ask for them in prayer. That means they are connected to the human responsibility to ask, seek, and knock.[2] This idea is reflected in Paul’s teaching to earnestly desire spiritual gifts.
“But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.” – 1 Corinthians 14:24-25
The final two verses of this passage explain why Paul emphasized prophesying. Prophesying involves clear communication in the common language of the congregation. If prophesying is preferred for the gathered church, then let’s consider the question: What does it mean to prophesy? It might be helpful to first clarify what it isn’t.
Prophesying cannot be limited to just preaching. Some might equate preaching and prophesying, since to prophesy is to declare the works and goodness of the Lord. It is fair to say that preachers often prophesy, but not all prophesying is preaching. Why? Recall that in chapter eleven, Paul notes that it is permissible for wives to prophesy as long as they cover their heads.[3] In 1 Timothy, Paul restricts the role of elder/pastor to men.[4]Therefore, unless you believe differently and think women can serve as elders/pastors in the church, you cannot restrict prophesying to just preaching.
Prophecy is not vague. A problem with modern “prophets” is that men and women often prophesy things that cannot be tested or verified objectively. True prophecy can be tested.
“Let two or three prophets speak, and the others evaluate.” – 1 Corinthians 14:29 (LEB)
“Do not despise prophecies, but examine all things; hold fast to what is good.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (LEB)
Prophesying does not hold the same authority as Scripture. If a prophet’s words must be tested, then he is not infallible. We evaluate a person’s prophesying against the Scriptures to see if it is good. This also clarifies the alleged inconsistency that Paul permits wives to prophesy, but not to teach men.[5] Prophesying does not carry the same authority as teaching the Scriptures.
What, then, is prophesying? Paul provided a foundational definition in verse three.
“On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.” – 1 Corinthians 14:3
We shouldn’t view this as a comprehensive definition, but rather as highlighting the typical role it plays within the local church: upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation. In Acts, we see that Agabus occasionally prophesied the future, but since he is a lone example, we should be cautious about assuming that prophesying should frequently predict future events.[6] It seems that if such prophesying was common during the local church’s gatherings, Paul would have included it here in his definition. It’s not excluded entirely, just not assumed as normative in the prophetic ministry of believers.
What makes upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation prophetic? You might argue that these things happen all the time at church, but no one calls them prophetic. What distinguishes run-of-the-mill encouragement from prophetic encouragement? The key lies in verse twenty-five: the secrets of the heart are disclosed. The encouragement wasn’t just a general, feel-good message. It was specific and targeted about something only the receiver would know, which is why it is described as “the secrets of the heart.”
I have done this many times without knowing it. It’s no less prophetic when the speaker doesn’t realize he’s prophesying. I’ve had several people over the years tell me that something I said from the stage spoke directly to something they’d been stewing over in their heart. That counts. But I’ve also had some one-on-one conversations where something would come to mind that I had to discern whether it was from the Lord or just my own conclusions. Once I concluded it was from the Lord and said it out loud, the person I was talking to would be floored because it landed right on the target that he or she was keeping to themselves. In those cases, sometimes I’ve decided it was just my own conclusions and kept it to myself, only to learn later that it would’ve been accurate to say. Other times I’ve ventured to say something that I thought was from the Lord, but it ended up not being on target.
Mind you, I almost never say that the Lord told me to say something, unless I know the person I’m speaking with really well. And even then, I will say that I think the Lord wants me to say this or that. But with most people, I just say the thing, and if it lands on target, I give the Lord credit afterwards. If I miss, I just apologize and keep going. I care more about the Lord’s name being honored than being known as a prophetic guy.
Therefore, since prophesying is in the common language and it encourages, upbuilds, and consoles in a way that reveals the secrets of the heart, Paul says it is preferable for the worship gathering. Jesus is glorified in a way that everyone understands, and everyone will know that He is among u
“Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.” – 1 Corinthians 14:5
Remember from chapter twelve that when Paul says one gift is greater, he means it has greater clarity. That is exactly the issue when Paul contrasted tongues and prophesying. In our worship gatherings, speaking in tongues can only be as great as prophesying when there’s an interpretation that translates the tongue into a common language for everyone. But before we go further into the role of tongues, let’s define terms as we did with prophesying.
The only two books in the New Testament that discuss tongues in detail are Acts and 1 Corinthians. Paul mentioned tongues in other letters, but only briefly as part of a list of spiritual gifts. The first mention of tongues is in Acts 2. When the Holy Spirit fell on the believers in the upper room, they all began to speak in other languages. These tongues were understood by the people on the street. They were hearing the mighty works of the Lord in their native languages.
“Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?’” – Acts 2:7-8 (NKJV)
After this, Acts describes tongues as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that often (but not always) occurred in believers after they were born again. Following the events of Pentecost in Acts 2, Luke (the author of Acts) does not provide any commentary on the nature of the tongues spoken, nor whether others around them understood those tongues as their native languages. For most of Acts, the gift of tongues was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit experienced by many new believers.
Outside of Acts, speaking in tongues is mentioned more in 1 Corinthians 12-14 than in all the other letters combined. And here in chapter 14, the most explanation is given about the gift outside of Acts 2. What can we learn about the nature of tongues from this chapter?
First, it is a conversation between the speaker and the Lord.
“For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 14:2
This is an important point. Some argue that there are two different kinds of tongues. The Acts 2 type would be known human languages, while the 1 Corinthians 14 type is unknown. The Bible never makes that distinction. A better way to describe it is that there is one gift of tongues, which allows the believer to speak in a language they don’t know, whether it’s a known human language or an unknown one.
Then, whether it’s a known language or not, the message is between the speaker and the Lord. Notice in Acts 2 that the things said in tongues weren’t directed to the people who heard but toward God, declaring His glory. They were bystanders who heard what was being said, not the ones being spoken to.
“…we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” – Acts 2:11
Second, without interpretation, tongues are not fruitful for the mind.
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.” – 1 Corinthians 14:14
Some people who speak in tongues admit that initially the gift was frustrating because they sounded foolish. If you don’t understand the language you’re speaking, it can sound like gibberish, which can frustrate your mind. This is the main reason Paul is against the public use of tongues without an interpretation.
“Therefore, if the whole church comes together at the same time and all speak with tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?” – 1 Corinthians 14:23 (LEB)
Third, those who speak in tongues should pray for an interpretation.
“Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.” – 1 Corinthians 14:13
This needs to be discussed. In many charismatic churches, a person will speak in a tongue and then interpret that tongue. There is a built-in conflict of interest when that happens. How can the integrity of what’s being said be tested when the person who spoke in tongues also provides the interpretation? Additionally, if you have both the tongue and the interpretation, why not just speak the interpretation? The goal of Paul’s teaching here is for the congregation to use spiritual gifts clearly. The clearest way is to simply speak the interpretation instead of speaking in tongues. To do both is showmanship.
Now, I understand that some of you are in this study and you don’t even know whether you believe tongues is still a thing. I understand. If you can’t be convinced of that, you can still appreciate Paul’s desire for things to be intelligible. At the very least, you should get a picture of how these things were handled in the first century. But I’ve not been shy about my belief that this is just as applicable for us today because I believe every spiritual gift is still active in the church.
I also know that some of us believe in the gifts, but tend to shy away from churches where they are practiced because of the abuses and unbiblical ways that they are used. I get that. In fact, if I were to start church hunting tomorrow, I’m not sure that wouldn’t end up in church terribly different from my current one, even though I believe in the gifts. I hate how the gifts are abused in some churches, and neither do I like how they are ignored in others, but I’d rather land somewhere where chaos doesn’t reign… but that’s for next week.
In short, here’s Paul’s teaching about speaking in tongues at church gatherings. For the sake of clarity, they should not be spoken without an interpretation. If you have both a tongue and an interpretation, just speak the interpretation. If you hear a tongue spoken out loud and receive an interpretation, you must share it. If you speak in tongues out loud but no one has the interpretation, you will be asked to refrain. Paul is not anti-tongues. He wanted everyone to speak in tongues, and he claimed to speak in tongues more than all of them. But he also believed everything spoken should be understandable.
“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.” – 1 Corinthians 14:18-19
Ongoing Discussion
“Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.” – 1 Corinthians 14:22
This verse is challenging. Scholars generally agree that Paul is referring to tongues that are not interpreted, and that they serve as a sign of judgment to the unbeliever. Verse 21 references Isaiah 28:11-12, which speaks of the Lord speaking to His people with a strange tongue so that they will not listen. Speaking in uninterpreted tongues when there are lost people present is a sign of their judgment because they cannot understand the good things being said.
The ongoing problem is that many churches have removed all safeguards for speaking in tongues and encourage believers to speak in tongues freely without interpretation. How can any church be sure that no lost people are present? And furthermore, why wouldn’t you want lost people there to hear the gospel preached? So, if you want the lost to be there for the gospel, and you don’t want them confused or to receive a sign of judgment, then why would you allow uninterpreted tongues to happen?
Then Paul explained that prophecy isn’t for unbelievers but for believers. So, following the sign theme, if judgment on unbelievers is good news that they can’t understand, the sign for believers is the blessing of being built up, encouraged, and consoled by those who prophesy with clear words. Ironically, it is through the sign for believers that unbelievers will realize that the Lord is among them. As clear prophesying occurs, the secrets of the heart are disclosed, and the unbeliever witnessing this will know that Jesus is at work.
[1] “Understanding Prayer: Biblical Foundations and Practical Guidance for Seeking God” by Sam Storms. © 2025 Zondervan. Page 70.
[2] Matthew 7:7-8
[3] 1 Corinthians 11:5
[4] 1 Timothy 3:2, “the husband of one wife”
[5] 1 Timothy 2:12
[6] Acts 11:27; 21:10
