1 Corinthians 14:18-22 - A sign for unbelievers

14:18,19

Just to make sure people don’t get the wrong idea Paul stresses that he speaks in tongues “more than all of you”. He believes tongues is a good gift, one to be used, but in the right context. So in a church meeting speaking in tongues is generally not a good idea! A few words in English (or Greek, in Paul’s case) is far more beneficial for all concerned.

14:20

Paul then calls on them to show an ounce of common sense. In being so beholden to speaking tongues they were acting like children, being childish rather than childlike. They had a sort of “I’ve got a new toy” attitude. Now they, and we, were to be “infants in evil”. Ie we do not need to be experts on sordid and evil practices. Given the debauched state of Corinth it would be very easy to become experts in evil, they, and we, should shun all this. But with regard to the gospel we are to be mature in our thinking. From time to time there are parts of the church that denigrate thinking, such an approach finds no support from the Bible.

14:21,22

Paul has gone quite a time without quoting from the Old Testament, he now puts that to rights. Now we might wonder what on earth is Paul saying here, what does he mean? And if tongues is a sign to unbelievers why does he advocate praying in tongues? Well, the Corinthians seemed to be unduly obsessed with the gift of tongues, thinking that it was a sign from God, therefore they should use it in public meetings as it indicated God’s presence. Paul is saying that in a public meeting tongues is a sign to unbelievers. The quote from Isaiah 28:11,12 talks of God speaking in an unintelligible language (to the hearers) is a sign of judgement, is a sign of how far from God they are. It is not a sign that God’s people are under a blessing. Prophecy, on the other hand, is a sign for believers. What he means is that tongues in itself is useful for believers, as it edifies the individual, but if someone speaks in a tongue in a public meeting that is not a sign of God’s blessing or presence in the meeting. Whereas, if there is a prophecy in the meeting that does indicate God’s presence and blessing. Paul will expand on this in the next few verses.