It seems I was right...

This post is a follow-up to last week's one on Pentecost. It's publishing has been somewhat delayed because of the European election results.

or at least, Paul agrees with me. "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue." (1 Corinthians 14 vs 18-19). Because "how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?" (vs 16).

Verse 23 says: "So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?" A bit harsh, perhaps, but I have to agree. I know of people who have been put off by this. Yet in verse 22 Paul says: "Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers." So how do these two verses square up?

I've seen it suggested that the word 'sign' is meant negatively, that it's referring to people being excluded- as in, a sign that they're not part of what's going on. I don't know enough Greek to know if this is the case, but I think Paul's linking it with what he says about interpretation and prophecy.

Prophecy in this context isn't foretelling the future but speaking God's message to his people, pointing out what they're doing wrong and how they need to correct their lives, and encouraging them to follow God's ways. That's what the Old Testament prophets were mainly concerned with- warning the people of Israel of their disobedience and the consequences they could expect.

The point of this is that prophecy is relevant, and can touch indicidual lives: "and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare." (see vs 24-25) I think this may possibly be referring to the fact that we need to convince people intellectually as well as experientially- so they can believe with their mind and with their heart.

Paul doesn't want to discourage the Corinthians from speaking in tongues, and in verses 26-28 he gives them some guidelines for how to practice them: "If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God." It's a wonderful picture of everyone being able to contribute to the life of the church (verse 34-35 is probably a reference to irrelevant chattering rather than contribution).

Paul implies that tongues are mainly for use in private, mainly- as I often use it- to allow us to communicate with God when we have no words; because of grief and sadness, or because there are no earthly words to describe how great God is. So I'm not suggesting we should never have public use of the tricky gift of tongues in church, but that we should be careful how and when it's used- putting people off because we're scary or weird is the last thing we want to do to visitors to our churches! I think verses 39-40 of 1 Corinthians 14 sum it up:

"Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."