Having made this digression to show the real thing which binds together, he returns to the subject of the gifts, and of the order of the Assembly {1 Cor. 14}, showing the superiority of the gift of prophecy to that of tongues. The great thing in Assembly meetings was that the Assembly might be edified, but a person speaking in an unknown tongue, though he spake to God (ver. 2), edified nobody but himself (ver. 4), unless he could himself interpret (ver. 5), for no one understood him; whilst he that prophesied, spoke to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. (Ver. 6) If Paul himself came amongst them speaking with tongues, what profit was there, unless he spoke in revelation by God, revealing what he meant to one sitting by (see ver. 30), or in knowledge, so that the sitter-by could interpret it, or in prophecy, or in doctrine? (Ver. 7-13) Even in things without life, such as music, how can it be enjoyed unless there are distinctions in the sounds? If a trumpet gave an uncertain sound, who was to prepare himself for the battle? The great thing was, if they were zealous for the spiritual gifts, to excel in the edification of the church. If a man therefore had the gift of tongues, let him pray that he might interpret.
He then distinctly applies what he had been speaking of to three different actions that are manifested in Assembly meetings — prayer, singing, and praise (ver. 14). A man who was praying in an unknown tongue does not seem to have understood himself what he was praying about. But what folly and childishness, to think of showing forth in payer or singing their gift of tongues, and all the time not understanding themselves what they were saying, much less the Assembly! How could the unlearned say, Amen, if he did not understand what the other was praising God about? It was all childish pride. (Ver. 18) Paul could thank God that he could speak with tongues more than they all, but he had rather speak five words to be understood, or to edify others, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. What would he have said if he had gone into one of the churches of this day, which prides herself on being the one apostolic church of God, and heard the whole service muttered in an unknown tongue, by a shaved priest, with his attendant acolytes? No wonder, when John got a picture of the harlot church in the Revelation, and saw in her what the Church of God had turned into, that he wondered with a great astonishment (cp. Rev. 17:1-61And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. (Revelation 17:1‑6)). Little did the Corinthians think they were working to this end. (Ver. 21, 22) The apostle goes on to prove from the law that tongues were a sign for unbelievers, and not for believers (comp. Acts 2), whereas prophesying was for those that believed. (Ver. 23-25) They should think of those outside the Assembly. Supposing an unlearned man, or an unbeliever, came into the place where the Assembly met, and saw one after another getting up and speaking with unknown tongues, they would go away, and say, these Christians were all mad; whereas, if one after another prophesied, the unbeliever would be made so to feel the presence of God amongst them, that, perhaps he would fall down, and publicly acknowledge that God the Holy Ghost was among them of a truth. (Ver. 26) But every thing was in confusion in the Assembly at Corinth. Thank God for it, for we have this blessed chapter, which gives us an insight into the working of an Assembly in the primitive times. So far from it being the custom for one man to do the whole service, there was liberty for every one to engage, either in speaking, prayer, singing or praise. The liberty of the Spirit was turned into license of the flesh. One came in with his psalm, already to give out; another with his doctrine; another with his tongue, &c.: but instead of saying, you must have one man over you, to correct the confusion, he exhorts, first of all, Let every thing be done to edifying, and then regulates the two gifts, of tongues and of prophesying; telling them plainly (ver. 33) that God who was in the Assembly (ch. 3:16; 12:7-11) was not the God of confusion but of peace. So far from appointing official rule to correct the disorder, he insists on the Presence and Character of that God who was amongst them, and gives them commandments from Him (ver. 27-33, 37). Lastly, the women were to keep silence in the Assembly. They were not permitted to speak, but to be in subjection, as also said the law. If they would learn anything, they were not to ask in the Assembly, and chatter away there, but to ask their husbands at home, for it was a shame for them to speak in any way in the Assembly. They were really going on as if the Word of God was their monopoly, instead of coming to them from God. If any among them thought themselves spiritual, they were to acknowledge that what Paul wrote were the commandments of the Lord. But if any man would be ignorant, let him be ignorant. The liberty of the Spirit however was to be carefully guarded; they were to covet to prophesy, and not to forbid speaking with tongues, only they were to remember that the God of order was amongst them, so that every thing was to be done decently and in order, according to the Character of the God of Order and of Peace.