Functioning in the Secular and Christian Ekklēsia (14:1–25)

Paul now develops how the concept of love will apply to the use of individual gifts in the life of the church community.

Eagerly desire spiritual gifts (14:1). This picks up on the argument from 12:31: “But eagerly desire the greater gifts.”

Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort (14:3). Paul clearly sees prophecy as a ministry focusing on the people of God, with the result that they are strengthened, encouraged, and comforted. Such a role was unusual in the religious framework of the ancient world. The word for “strengthening” (oikodomē) is drawn from architecture, where it means a “building.” Thus the New Testament prophet is envisaged as the architect who lays the foundation and builds his structure in a systematic way. The buildings given to the Roman colony by rich benefactors were a credit to the city; in the same way the “strengthening” of the church at Corinth was to the glory of God.

What good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? (14:6). Knowledge here translates the Greek gnōsis, a word often used in Greek philosophy.

In the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? (14:7). Musical events were one aspect of some of the cultural events that came to be attached to athletic events in the Greek cities of the east. Thus proficiency in these musical forms was expected. The word translated “harp” (kithara) denotes a stringed instrument, often depicted in classical art as played by the god Apollo.

KITHARA

A marble representation of a kithara on a statue of Apollo.

If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? (14:8). This military allusion is derived from the way troops were controlled in battle. A trumpet would need to be heard over the din of fighting. Trumpets were also part of athletic festivals, often forming the first event so that the winner could have the privilege of “announcing” or trumpeting subsequent actions.

Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue (14:9). The emphasis in the Greek is on clearly distinct words uttered by individuals.

There are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning (14:10). Corinth itself was at the very least a bilingual city, with Latin as the official language, but Greek was in common usage (even the graffiti cut on pottery from the first century A.D. uses Greek). Paul’s letter was itself written in Greek. With the ports of Lechaeum and Cenchrea, languages from all over the Mediterranean were likely heard in the city. Paul may have in mind the Jewish view that languages were created at the time of the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:9).

HARBOR AT LECHAEUM

The western port of Corinth.

I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me (14:11). The Greek word for “foreigner” (barbaros) is suggestive. To the Corinthians foreigners speak languages that sound like “bar-bar.”

Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church (14:12). The Corinthian Christians are seen as (lit.) “zealots” in their eagerness to acquire spiritual gifts. Paul instructs them to direct the energy of their seeking to the building up of the church, just as those in the wider Corinthian society sought to promote themselves through the building projects in the colony.

Anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says (14:13). Paul’s emphasis is not on seeking for a different type of gift to build up the church, but rather clarity on the use of gifts in the worshiping life of the Christian community.

If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful (14:14). For some the working of the Spirit in their lives may lead to praying “in a tongue.”

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind (14:15). We could paraphrase this question as, “What are the implications for me?” Although an individual may “pray in a tongue,” the use of the “mind” suggests that Paul encourages those with the gift of tongues to use an intelligible language like Greek or Latin in the meetings so that all can understand.

How can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving? (14:16). The Hebrew word “Amen”—meaning “that which is sure and valid”136—was one used by those gathered in a Jewish synagogue to give endorsement to what was said; it is used here in the context of Christian worship.

You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified (14:17). Thanksgiving is an appropriate part to Christian worship, but the encouragement of fellow believers is more significant.

I speak in tongues more than all of you (14:18). Presumably this side of Paul was largely unknown to the Christian community in Corinth. While he was with them, he had emphasized building up the Corinthian church rather than using this special gift of tongues. If the apostle Paul can show restraint, so can members of the congregation.

In the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue (14:19). “Ten thousand” (myrias) was the largest number that could be expressed in Greek, so its use here implies innumerable—in today’s language, “a trillion, trillion.”

Stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults (14:20). Children (paidia) suggests young people in training. Paul is suggesting that the believers in Corinth be more mature and developed in their thinking.

“Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me” (14:21). The quotation is an abridged form of Isaiah 28:11–12: “Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, to whom he said, ‘This is the resting place, let the weary rest’; and, ‘This is the place of repose’—but they would not listen.” Paul may also have had in his mind a verse from Deuteronomy 28:49: “The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand.”

Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers (14:22). Paul’s mature reading of the Jewish law and the Old Testament in general leads him to conclusions about the gifts of tongues and prophecy.

So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and … some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? (14:23). The verb translated “are out of your mind” (mainomai) is one that was used to describe the frenzy of mystery religions (see comments on 4:1), such as that of the Greek god of wine, Dionysos. Paul wants the church to be different from these mystery cults.

DIONYSUS

A mosaic of the god at the Corinth museum.

If an unbeliever … comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner…. So he will fall down and worship God (14:24–25). The purpose of Christian worship is to include and to draw people to God. This is in marked contrast to mystery cults, such as that surrounding the worship of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis in Attica, where the uninitiated were excluded from the events and those who participated were forbidden from speaking of what went on. This is well illustrated by the usually informative Pausanias, who was clearly an initiate: “My dream forbade the description of the things within the wall of the sanctuary [of Demeter at Eleusis], and the uninitiated are of course not permitted to learn that which they are prevented from seeing.”137

REFLECTIONS

An unbeliever might be expected to walk into the worshiping Christian community at Corinth and exclaim, “God is really among you” (14:25). What would Paul’s advice be to us if we are expecting unbelievers to be touched in our church services? What things do we need to change? Which elements of the service must be more welcoming?

Ordering Corporate Worship (14:26–40)

The Corinthian Christians needed to think about the implications of meeting together in worship on a regular basis. How can they strengthen the body of the church?

When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church (14:26). Paul returns to the architectural image of building the church. The buildings of the Roman colony could be placed on terraces or on podia, supported by columns, and roofed in marble. These elements created the building but would look odd standing without the others (as indeed a reconstructed column can look lost in the midst of an archaeological site). So each element of the worship needs to complement the other.

If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret (14:27). Some of the cults of antiquity allowed ecstatic utterances, which were incomprehensible to those attending the rites. If these utterances in the Christian worship are from God, they must be treated in an orderly way so that they can be understood.

If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God (14:28). The oracles of antiquity were well-known for giving ambiguous messages, which could be misinterpreted by those who had sought advice from the gods (in particular, from Apollo at Delphi). Christians must ensure that any message from God is interpreted by somebody in the community so that the community can benefit.

You can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged (14:31). Two key elements of Christian worship, instruction and encouragement, were largely absent from the worship of the pagan deities in the colony. This type of worship was new.

The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets (14:32). Christian worship is subject to control and order by designated leaders.

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace (14:33). Disorder was one of the negative characteristics of the church at Corinth, which Paul addresses in 2 Corinthians 12:20.

Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak (14:34). This verse needs to be balanced with what Paul has said earlier, where he expects women to be praying and prophesying in the fellowship (11:6).

Women … must be in submission … as the Law says (14:34). Paul is clearly alluding to the Garden of Eden, where God tells Eve, “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Gen. 3:16b). The Greek word gynē can be translated as “woman” or “wife.” Thus, Paul is most likely addressing the proper function of wives in the Christian assembly, where proper respect for their husbands needed to be shown. It should be noted that the specific context for these comments comes from Paul’s addressing the issue of public prophecy for the edification of the church.

If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church (14:35). If a husband were to make a prophecy, it would perhaps be inappropriate for the wife to question the prophecy in a public gathering; according to social expectations, the wife should ask questions at home. This makes sense if Paul does not want wives to prophesy when their husbands are present.

Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? (14:36). The balance for the Corinthian Christians is that they are one of a number of churches that now stretch across the cities of the eastern Roman empire. They may live in one of the most important cities of the province, but they need to learn humility.

What I am writing to you is the Lord’s command (14:37). Paul the apostle (1:1) is writing these words to the Corinthians at God’s command. He brings his apostolic authority to bear on this issue of order in the service of worship.

Be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues (14:39). Public teaching needed to be encouraged (“be eager” is lit. “be zealous”).

Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way (14:40). The word “fitting” is a word with elite overtones and can be translated as seemly or honorable. Meetings of the ekklēsia needed to be conducted in a dignified fashion.