1 Corinthians 14:1-5

Context

In 1 Corinthians 12–14, the apostle Paul addresses spiritual gifts (gifts given by the Holy Spirit) and order in corporate worship. In chapter 12 he teaches that the various gifts are given for the sake of one body, and in chapter 13 he presents love as the more excellent way. Then, with "Follow after charity" in 14:1, he returns to the subject of the gifts. The church at Corinth appears to have prized speaking in tongues in its worship. Comparing tongues with prophecy, Paul sets forth "edification" as the criterion for evaluating them. The word translates the Greek oikodomē, which conveys the idea of building up the community as one builds a house. Verse 3 explains that prophecy speaks "unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." Verse 5 adds that tongues, too, can edify the church when they are interpreted.

Interpretation

• Pentecostal and charismatic reading: Pentecostal and charismatic churches regard tongues and prophecy as gifts still given today. On the basis of verses 2 and 4, they understand private prayer in tongues addressed to God as a legitimate form of prayer that builds up the believer's own faith. They read "I would that ye all spake with tongues" in verse 5 as grounds for desiring the gift of tongues. They draw a distinction, however: tongues spoken before the congregation require interpretation.
• Cessationist reading: Some within the Reformed tradition regard prophecy and tongues as gifts of the apostolic age connected with new revelation and hold that they ceased once Scripture was complete. In this view, "prophecy" today is sometimes applied to preaching that expounds Scripture. Some also read "edifieth himself" in verse 4 as Paul's warning against an attitude that puts oneself ahead of the church.
• Common ground: Interpreters across traditions largely agree that the focus of this passage lies less on a ranking of the gifts than on love and the good of the community.

Debates and Issues

This passage is frequently cited in the cessationism and continuationism debate. The main issues are as follows.

• The nature of tongues: Opinions divide over whether tongues are actual foreign languages, as in Acts 2, or a prayer language that people cannot understand. Some take "no man understandeth him" in verse 2 as evidence for a prayer language, while others take it to mean that no one present knew the language being spoken.
• The meaning of "in the spirit": Whether "spirit" in verse 2 refers to the Holy Spirit or to the speaker's own spirit cannot be determined from the original text alone. Translations and commentaries therefore render or explain it differently.
• The meaning of verse 5: Some interpret "I would that ye all spake with tongues" to mean that every believer may receive the gift of tongues. Others, in light of 12:30 ("do all speak with tongues?"), read it as a rhetorical concession on Paul's part.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, praying in tongues has been widely practiced within the tradition of tongsung gido (praying aloud together as a group) and the traditions of dawn and all-night prayer. The practice is familiar not only to members of Full Gospel churches but also to believers in many other denominations. Sermons and devotional books that encourage praying in tongues commonly cite verses 2 and 4 of this passage. Those who emphasize order and interpretation in public worship cite verse 5 together with verses 27–28 of the same chapter.

Related Passages

• 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
• 1 Corinthians 12:31
• 1 Corinthians 14:26-33
• Acts 2:16-21
• Numbers 11:29