Untranslated Tongues – 1 Corinthians 14:1-19

ReligiousAffections.org has a helpful article on 1 Corinthians and its teaching on corporate worship, as well as its teaching on tongues and prophecy.  It has, I believe, two main errors.  It teaches that the gifts of tongues and prophecy have ceased, and it teaches that prophecy is superior to tongues.  But Paul is not arguing that prophecy is superior to tongues, but that it is superior to untranslated tongues.  Translated tongues are equivalent to prophecy.

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 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. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 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.

Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 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 14:1-19 ESV)

Paul urges the Corinthians to pursue love as well as pursuing spiritual gifts and to prefer the gift of prophecy above the gift of tongues.  For all its show the gift of tongues, if untranslated, does not build up the body, only the one speaking or praying or singing in tongues.  Prophecy  is intelligible to all and so builds people up, the purpose for the gifts.  This makes the prophet more important than the untranslated tongues speaker.

They can ask for the gift of translation or interpretation of tongues.  But if they don’t get it or don’t have anyone present who has that gift they should rather, for the sake of the body and themselves, pray, speak or sing with their minds as well as their spirits, that is, in their own language.  Paul mentions that he speaks in tongues more than all of them, perhaps because they questioned his spirituality, thinking he never did have the gift.  But he clarifies that he doesn’t use it because he is all about instructing others, not showing off.

Our gifts are not meant to make us look great, though if we search our hearts we long for others to recognize how special we are when we use our gifts.  But we must choose instead to exercise our gifts out of love, focused on others rather than ourselves.