1 Corinthians 14

This chapter concludes the discussion of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians that begins in chapter 12. Having declared in chapter 13 that love is greater than all the gifts, Paul here applies that principle to the church gathering. He compares tongues with prophecy and addresses order in the assembly.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Paul urges his readers to follow after love and especially to desire to prophesy. Because tongues edify the speaker while prophecy edifies the church, tongues without interpretation are inferior to prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1–5).
• Verses 6–12 He draws an analogy from the pipe, the harp, and the trumpet: sounds that cannot be understood are of no benefit to those who hear them.
• Verses 13–19 Whoever speaks in a tongue should pray for the ability to interpret. Paul says he will pray and sing both with the spirit and with the understanding. In the church, five words spoken with understanding are better than ten thousand words in a tongue.
• Verses 20–25 Citing the law, Paul says that tongues are a sign for unbelievers, while prophecy is for believers. When an unbeliever hears prophecy, the secrets of his heart are made manifest, and he worships God.
• Verses 26–33 Paul sets rules for the assembly. Two or three are to speak in tongues in turn, and one is to interpret; if there is no interpreter, they are to keep silent in the church. Likewise, two or three are to prophesy while the others judge. God is not the author of confusion but of peace.
• Verses 34–35 Women are to keep silence in the churches; if they wish to learn anything, they are to ask their husbands at home.
• Verses 36–40 Paul declares that what he writes is the commandment of the Lord. He concludes by urging his readers to covet to prophesy, not to forbid speaking in tongues, and to do all things decently and in order.

Key Verses

• 1 Corinthians 14:19 "Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." — This verse makes the benefit of the community the standard for the use of spiritual gifts.
• 1 Corinthians 14:40 "Let all things be done decently and in order." — This verse is frequently cited in discussions of order in worship.

People and Places

• Paul: The apostle who wrote the letter. He states that he speaks in tongues more than all of them (verse 18).
• Corinth: The Greek port city where the church that received the letter was located.
• The "law" quoted in verse 21 is commonly understood to refer to Isaiah 28:11–12.

Interpretive Issues

• The nature of tongues: Some interpret tongues as actual foreign languages, as in Acts 2. Others understand them as a language of prayer not intelligible to human hearers.
• Whether the gifts continue: Some in the Reformed tradition hold that revelatory gifts such as tongues and prophecy ceased after the apostolic age. Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement point to verse 39 and other passages to argue that these gifts continue today. Classical Pentecostalism regards tongues as the initial evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit. For more detail, see cessationism and continuationism.
• The meaning of prophecy: One view understands prophecy as words God gives spontaneously in the moment. Another associates it with preaching that expounds and proclaims the Word.
• Verses 34–35: 1 Corinthians 11:5 presupposes that women pray and prophesy. Interpreters differ on how to reconcile that verse with this passage.
• One view sees these verses as instructions for a specific situation, such as disorder in the assembly at the time or the evaluation of prophecy.
• Another view sees them as a general principle concerning the teaching office in the church.
• In some manuscripts these two verses appear after verse 40.
• These interpretive differences carry over into the debate over the ordination of women, on which denominations reach different conclusions.

In the Korean Church

Praying in tongues is widely practiced, especially in Pentecostal churches, in settings such as tongsung gido (praying aloud together), prayer retreat centers, and revival meetings. Those who encourage tongues often cite verses 5, 18, and 39, while those who emphasize restraint in public worship favor verses 19, 27–28, and 40. As a result, both sides in Korean church discussions of tongues appeal to this chapter.