Tongues And Prophecy In Public Worship.
TONGUES AND PROPHECY IN PUBLIC WORSHIP.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:20-25
Paul recalls to his readers an Old Testament passage.
There is still another factor to be borne in mind. The exercise of the gift of tongues in an open service, to which not simply immature Christians are welcomed, but also complete outsiders who attend out of curiosity or concern, may have a detrimental effect. Paul calls for some serious consideration to be given to the subject (14:20) as interested non-Christians visit the Corinthians at their worship.
He recalls to them an Old Testament passage (Isaiah 28:11-12) in which God threatens to punish his rebellious people by foreign invaders (the Assyrians) whose strange language will mystify the Jewish nation (see Isaiah 36:11ff.). Because the Jewish kingdom remained obstinate to the prophet’s pleading in God’s name, they would be judged by first suffering a foreign invasion and secondly being hardened in their unbelief (Isaiah 6:9-13). In the Old Testament context these “strange tongues,” spoken by Israel’s enemies, confirmed unbelieving Israel in their unbelief and so acted detrimentally.
Paul now takes over this reference to Isaiah 28 (given in 14:22 as well as 14:21), and expresses the fear that the same effect may very well follow if an unbeliever (14:23) enters a Christian assembly in which there is an unrestrained use of tongues. Then, as on ancient Israel, the effect will be harmful, and the impression created will lead to the conclusion, “You are mad!” (14:23b). On the contrary, if the gift of prophecy is exercised, the words spoken will not only be intelligible but a powerful convicting and converting agency (14:24-25), moving the non-Christian visitor to repentance by the clear signs of God’s presence in his people. It is obvious where Paul’s sympathies lie when it comes to setting the gifts of the Spirit in any order of priority and importance.
14:22 may be Paul’s comment on the Isaiah passage and “tongues” and “prophecy” may be taken in their Old Testament sense of Assyrian foreign languages which confirmed (by God’s judgment) Israel’s apostasy, whereas Isaiah’s prophetic ministry was useful to the remnant which believed (Isaiah 8:16). There is precedent for this Pauline use of the Old Testament in 2 Corinthians 3:16-17.