1 Corinthians 14

Edify, Encourage and Console

At the conclusion of chapter 13, Paul says – the greatest of these is love. He then starts the next part of his letter with “pursue love.” It is obvious that the Corinthian church was having a problem with unity of the body. Obvious, because Paul deals with a problem with the meal at the Lord’s Supper, spends a great deal of the letter describing how the body of Christ should function, and devotes a large portion on what love really is. Before we come down too hard on this church, we should take a look at our own churches. Do we function as a true body? Are we an example of the love Paul describes so eloquently in chapter 13? If not, how can we begin to work together better as a body of believers? Paul gives us a deeper answer in chapter 14.

Vs. 1-9 Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you may prophesy. For the person who speaks in another language is not speaking to men but to God, since no one understands him; however, he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. But the person who prophesies speaks to people for edification, encouragement, and consolation. The person who speaks in another language builds himself up, but he who prophesies builds up the church. I wish all of you spoke in other languages, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in languages, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up. But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in other languages, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? Even inanimate things that produce sounds, whether flute or harp, if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized? In fact, if the trumpet makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle? In the same way, unless you use your tongue for intelligible speech, how will what is spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air. 

For this study, I want to zero in on verse 3 – “But the person who prophesies speaks to people for edification, encouragement, and consolation.” I believe edification, encouragement and consolation is the main focus of this part of Paul’s letter, so let’s break these three words down a bit. The Greek word for edification is oikodomḗ and it means to build up as a home. We want to build people up so they are a suitable dwelling place of God – where the Lord is “at home.” The next word is encouragement. The Greek word is paráklēsis, which is actually a term with legal overtones. It means an intimate call or urging that someone personally gives to deliver God’s verdict. This holy urging is used to motivate and inspire believers to carry out God’s plan. Finally, the Greek word for consolation is paramythía. The word means to bring a close word to someone or a word of comfort. Paul states that speaking in other languages or tongues is fine – in fact he wishes everyone had that gift, but he wishes they would prophesy more than speak in tongues. We always think of prophecy as a foretelling of future events, but prophecy is more than that. It is a foretelling that reveals the mind of God in a particular situation. What is God saying to us right now, and how will that build up the body of Christ, create a better dwelling place for God to be able to speak, and comfort the body of Christ? Paul goes on to explain that, while speaking in tongues is great, it does not build up the body of Christ unless a interpretation is offered. It is like an instrument that just plays unintelligible notes. I get that! When I taught elementary music, I taught recorders. I can tell you this: when someone first begins to play the recorder it is a struggle (especially for the teacher!) There is a lot of high pitched squeaking and unintelligible notes going on. But then something begins to happen. The students start to figure out how to play the instrument and a song is produced. It’s always the same the first time they play a real song together. They get so excited, “we played a real song!” This is a great description of the body of Christ. If we do not come together and there is just a bunch of unintelligible languages or discord, we are like those high pitched squeaky recorders – and no one wants to hear that! But when we begin to build up the body of Christ, a beautiful song is produced and, like my students, we can say “we played a real song.”

Vs 10-21 There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, and all have meaning, Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. So also you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in building up the church. Therefore the person who speaks in another language should pray that he can interpret. For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with my understanding. Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit, how will the uninformed person say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in other languages more than all of you; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language. Brothers, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking. It is written in the law: “I will speak to these people by people of other languages and by the lips of foreigners, and even then, they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.”

My father has been a pastor for well over 60 years. Throughout that time he has had many opportunities to preach to congregations that speak languages other than English. In fact, for the past 15 years, he has been working with a Chinese church’s English speaking congregation and occasionally, he has the opportunity to preach to the Chinese speaking congregation. Imagine for a moment that he preached without an interpreter. It wouldn’t matter how wonderful or inspiring his sermon might be, it would still be fruitless because no one could understand him. In the same way, Paul says it’s fine if you speak in tongues, but it will be like a bunch of babble without an interpreter. It cannot edify, encourage or console the body of Christ. He doubles down on this by writing: “I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language.” He then quotes Isaiah 28:11-12. Chapter 28 of Isaiah is a message for Ephraim, and addresses their lack of wisdom. In fact, it calls them drunkards and, because they have the thinking of babies not even weaned from milk, they cannot understand God’s Word. Sound familiar? Paul uses this quote from Isaiah to further remind the Corinthian church that they need to have the wisdom of God instead of relying on their own wisdom. Paul and other teachers have spelled it out for them, yet they still cannot understand. Instead, they take pride in their wealth and abilities and look down on those without. Paul says – NO! Don’t be childish in your thinking like those in Isaiah. Instead, look for ways that you can edify, encourage and console the body of Christ!

Vs 22-33a It follows that speaking in other languages is intended as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers. But prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. Therefore, if the whole church assembles together and all are speaking in other languages and people who are uninformed or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or uninformed person comes in, he is convicted by all and is judged by all. The secrets of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall face down and worship God, proclaiming, “God is really among you.” What then is the conclusion, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, another language, or an interpretation. All things must be done for edification. If any person speaks in another language, there should be only two, or at the most three, each in turn, and someone must interpret. But if there is no interpreter, that person should keep silent in the church and speak to himself and to God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should evaluate. But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may learn and everyone may be encouraged. And the prophets’ spirits are under the control of the prophets, since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

Here we have what seems a contradiction by Paul. Either tongues and prophecy are for the unbelieving or believers. Which one? If we are to understand this section with Isaiah 28 in mind, it makes a bit more sense. In Isaiah, Ephraim is acting like a child – lacking in understanding and wisdom – much like the Corinthian church. They are relying on their own wisdom, thinking that because they speak in tongues and others don’t, they are somehow more spiritual. They glory in their abilities, forgetting they are a body – everyone in need of each other, governed by love, and seeking to edify, encourage and console each other. So, Paul sets them straight. Tongues is indeed used as a sign of God – remember Acts? It certainly got the attention of all who heard the apostles speaking. But what did the unbelievers say? “When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language?…They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What could this be?” But some sneered and said, “They’re full of new wine!” (Acts 2:6-8, 12-13) They were astounded all right, but still thought these guys were mad or drunk. It was only after Peter stood up and began to prophecy that people understood the sign they were witnessing. It was only then that they came to believe in Christ. Yes tongues is a sign to the unbelieving world – but, as Paul says, we cannot be childish in our thinking. “We must be infants in regard to evil and adult in our thinking“. Use the gifts to edify, encourage and console. Paul then gives them an outline for their time together. This is not a set order of worship, but a guide for the Corinthian church to follow so they will have order and peace, not chaos.

Vs 33-40 …since God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church meeting. Did the word of God originate from you, or did it come to you only? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should recognize that what I write to you is the Lord’s command. But if anyone ignores this, he will be ignored. Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in other languages. But everything must be done decently and in order.

So we arrive at a very contentious verse. One of two passages in the Bible that have been used over the years to say women should not speak in church. In order to correctly understand this scripture, we must look at it in context and ask ourselves, “is this doctrine or is it a letter to a particular church addressing a particular situation”? I believe it is addressing something specific. So let’s break this down a bit. Is Paul stating a doctrinal truth? Scripture as a whole would say no. I would reference several scriptures in Acts and 1 Timothy and even 1 Corinthians to back that up. First Acts 2:17-18. Peter is preaching and quoting Joel 2:28-32. Within this scripture we find this – “And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out My Spirit on My male and female slaves in those days.” In Acts 21:9 we see this scripture come to life in the lives of Philip’s four daughters who prophesy. Acts 18:26 shows us that both Priscilla and Aquilla taught Apollos. 1 Timothy 3:11 includes women in the section on deacons. We find Romans 16 chock full of women who Paul greets as fellow workers in the faith including Priscilla again, who Paul calls a co-worker and Phoebe, who he describes as a diakonos, the word used for deacon. So, we see Paul commending and working with women in many aspects of ministry. With this in mind, I believe we need to look at this passage through a cultural lens. What is going on in the church at Corinth that would prompt this and how was church set up in the ancient world for this to be such a problem? Also, we need to read these scripture with the first part of verse 33 in mind. God is not a God of disorder but of peace. One thing to understand is how the churches were set up, as it is very probable the church at Corinth is set up like other believing churches in the area. This means the men would be seated in one section and women in the other (either behind or above the men). With this in mind, we see that women would have to interrupt, or become disorderly in order to ask questions or speak. We already know women were allowed to prophesy and pray in public. Paul establishes this in 1 Corinthians 11. So we can understand these verses in a cultural context. The main concern Paul has is disorder. If there is disorder, then the church is not acting as a body. They are not bringing words of edification, which build up the church, but of disorder, that will tear apart the church. They are not encouraging one anther to carry out the plan of God, but discouraging each other with their lack of care. And finally, they are not consoling one another, but speaking words that tear apart and hurt. We must remember that faith, hope and love will remain, but the greatest of these is love. All things must be done through the love of God. In that way we will truly be a church that edifies , encourages and consoles to the glory of God.