1 Corinthians 14

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My Notes Authors Matthew Henry - Commentary on the Whole Bible The apostle here sums up the argument hitherto, and, I. Directs them how they should sing and pray in public (v. 15): What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, &c. He does not forbid their praying or singing under a divine afflatus, or when they were inspired for this purpose, or had such a spiritual gift communicated to them; but he would have them perform both so as to be understood by others, that others might join with them. Note, Public worship should be performed so as to be understood.

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My Notes Authors John Calvin - Commentaries **For he that speaketh in another 808808 It is remarked by Granville Penn, that “the context shows that the Apostle means, a language _foreign to that of the auditors, and, therefore, not known to them” — as “we learn from verse 21 that we are to supply ἑτερᾳ — ‘other,’ not αγνωστὟ — ‘unknown.’ We have,” he adds, “had lamentable proof of the abuse to which the latter injudicious rendering can be perverted in the hands of ignorant or insidious enthusiasm, by assuming the term to mean, ‘a tongue unknown to all mankind;’ and from thence, by an impious inference, supernatural and divine; instead of relatively, ‘unknown to another people.’ _And yet, after all, ‘unknown’ is not the Apostle’s word, but only an _Italic supplement _suggested by the English revisers of the seventeenth century.” — Ed tongue, speaketh, etc. He now shows from the effect, why it was that he preferred prophecy to other gifts, and he compares it with the gift of _tongues, _in which it is probable the Corinthians exercised themselves the more, because it had more of show connected with it, for when persons hear a man speaking in a foreign tongue, their admiration is commonly _excited. _He accordingly shows, from principles already assumed, how perverse a thing this is, inasmuch as it does not at all contribute to the edifying of the Church. He says in the outset — He _that speaketh in another tongue, speaketh not unto men, but unto God: _that is, according to the proverb, “He sings to himself and to the Muses.” 809809 “Comme on dit en prouerbe — I1 presche a soy-mesme et aux murailles;” — “As they say proverbially — He preaches to himself and the bare walls.” The proverb, “Sibi canit et Musis” — (“He sings to himself and the Muses,”) is believed to have originated in a saying of Antigenides, a celebrated musician of Thebes, who, when his scholar Ismenias sung with good taste, but not so as to gain the applause of the people, exclaimed — “Mihi cane et Musis;” — (“Sing to me and the Muses”) — meaning that it was enough, if he pleased good judges. — Ed. In the use of the word _tongue, there is not a pleonasm, 810810 A pleonasm _is a figure of speech — involving a redundancy of expression. — Ed. as in those expressions — “She spake thus _with her mouth,” _and _“I _caught the sound _with these ears.” _The term denotes _a foreign language. _The reason why he does not speak to men is — because no one heareth, that is, _as an articulate voice. _For all hear a sound, but they do not understand what is said.

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My Notes Authors Matthew Henry - Commentary on the Whole Bible In this passage the apostle pursues the argument, and reasons from other topics; as, I. Tongues, as the Corinthians used them, were rather a token of judgment from God than mercy to any people (v. 21): In the law (that is, the Old Testament) _it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak to this people; and yet for all this they will not hear me, saith the Lord, _Isa. xxviii. 11. Compare Deut. xxviii. 46, 49. To both these passages, it is thought, the apostle refers. Both are delivered by way of threatening, and one is supposed to interpret the other. The meaning in this view is that it is an evidence that a people are abandoned of God when he gives them up to this sort of instruction, to the discipline of those who speak in another language. And surely the apostle’s discourse implies, “You should not be fond of the tokens of divine displeasure. God can have no gracious regards to those who are left merely to this sort of instruction, and taught in language which they cannot understand. They can never be benefited by such teaching as this; and, when they are left to it, it is a sad sign that God gives them over as past cure.” And should Christians covet to be in such a state, or to bring the churches into it? Yet thus did the Corinthian preachers in effect, who would always deliver their inspirations in an unknown tongue.

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