1 Corinthians 14:20-25

1 Corinthians 14:20-25

Brothers, do not become children by your understanding, but be an infant to evil and become an adult by your outlook.  It has been written in the Law that “I will speak to this people in foreign tongues and the speech of others and they will not even listen to me in this, says the Lord.”  Therefore tongues are not into a sign to the ones who believe but to the unbelieving ones, and prophesy is not for the unbelieving ones but for the believers.  Therefore if the whole church should come upon the same place and all should speak by tongues, and a laymen or unbelievers should enter, will they not say that you all are not in your right mind?  But if all should prophesy and laymen or unbelievers should enter the layman is being convicted by all, he is being examined by all, the secrets of his heart are becoming known, and thus after falling upon the face he will worship God while announcing that God is truly in you all.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought

Paul gives us a great quote in this passage.  Tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers.  His point is fairly simple.  If a person knows and has faith from God, what do they need of tongues?  They have already heard of God and believed in His name and should be able to speak truth in the common language of the assembly.  Unbelievers, however, may not understand God.  They may not even have heard of God because their own language hasn’t had God’s Word translated.  Some people may not even have had a missionary come and explain God to them.  Of course here we are talking primarily about tongues in the sense of what we typically think of foreign languages.  But Paul’s point is still valid.  What do believers need with tongues except as a means of expressing faith to other people who have not heard?

In what sense does this actually help us understand tongues as a potential aid in evangelism outside the church rather than a necessary gift within the church? 

Second Thought:

However, Paul is no fool.  Paul doesn’t think that unbelievers will believe just because people can speak truth in their native language.  Even the Old Testament – in a quote from Isaiah 28:11-12 – argues that people will not always hear truth just because God allows the truth to be spoken in their own language.  In this we see that just because tongues can be a sign to unbelievers doesn’t mean that they will listen.  Some will, certainly.  But not all will listen.

What is necessary for people to listen?  How much of this can we accomplish?  How much of the unbeliever listening is up to them?

Third Thought:

Once more Paul turns to compare prophecy to tongues.  In the second half of this passage, Paul compares a situation of outsiders coming into a church where people are speaking in tongues to a situation of outsiders coming into a church where people are speaking truth into each other’s lives.  Naturally, the people hearing all of the tongues would be confused and convinced that those inside do not have a grasp on reality!  Of course, this doesn’t mean that the people speaking in tongues are doing anything wrong.  Again, what it shows us is that tongues is a gift from God that is to be used in appropriate circumstances.  But of course there are other gifts that are more universally useful.

How does this passage help bring unity into the passage by reinforcing points that Paul has already made?  In your experience, how do those outside the church typically respond to the concept of speaking in tongues?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 14:26-33