Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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1 Corinthians
Book: 1 Corinthians
Chapter: 14
Overview:
Prophecy preferred to the
Gift of
Tongues.
(1-5) The
unprofitableness of speaking in unknown languages.
(6-14)
Exhortations to
Worship that can be understood.
(15-25)
Disorders from vain display of
Gifts;
(26-33) and from women
speaking in the
Church.
(34-40)
1-5 Prophesying, that is, explaining
Scripture, is compared
with speaking with
Tongues. This drew attention, more than the
Plain interpretation of
Scripture; it gratified pride more, but
promoted the purposes of
Christian Charity less; it would not
equally do good to the souls of men. What cannot be understood,
never can edify.
No advantage can be reaped from the most
excellent discourses, if delivered in language such as the
hearers cannot speak or understand. Every ability or possession
is valuable in proportion to its usefulness. Even fervent,
spiritual
Affection must be governed
By the
Exercise of the
understanding, else men will disgrace the truths they profess to
promote.
6-14 Even an
Apostle could not edify, unless he spoke
So as to
be understood
By his hearers. To speak words that have
No
meaning to those who hear them, is but speaking into the
Air.
That cannot answer the
End of speaking, which has
No meaning; in
this case, speaker and hearers are barbarians to each other. All
religious services should be
So performed in
Christian
assemblies, that all may join in, and profit
By them. Language
Plain and easy to be understood, is the most proper for public
Worship, and other religious exercises. Every true follower of
Christ will rather desire to do good to others, than to get a
name for learning or fine speaking.
15-25 There can be
No assent to prayers that are not
understood. A truly
Christian Minister will seek much more to do
spiritual good to men's souls, than to get the greatest applause
to himself. This is proving himself the servant of
Christ.
Children are apt to be struck with novelty; but do not act like
them. Christians should be like children, void of guile and
malice; yet they should not be unskilful as to the
Word of
Righteousness, but only as to the arts of mischief. It is a
proof that a people are forsaken of
God, when he gives them up
to the rule of those who teach them to
Worship in another
language. They can never be benefitted
By such teaching. Yet
thus the preachers did who delivered their instructions in an
unknown tongue. Would it not make Christianity ridiculous to a
Heathen, to hear the ministers pray or preach in a language
which neither he nor the assembly understood? But if those who
Minister, plainly interpret
Scripture, or preach the great
truths and rules of the
Gospel, a
Heathen or unlearned person
might become a convert to Christianity. His
Conscience might be
touched, the secrets of his
Heart might be revealed to him, and
So he might be brought to confess his guilt, and to own that
God
was present in the assembly.
Scripture Truth, plainly and duly
taught, has a wonderful power to awaken the
Conscience and touch
the
Heart.
26-33 Religious exercises in public assemblies should have this
view; Let all be done to edifying. As to the speaking in an
unknown tongue, if another were present who could interpret, two
miraculous
Gifts might be exercised at once, and thereby the
Church be edified, and the
Faith of the hearers confirmed at the
same time. As to prophesying, two or three only should speak at
one meeting, and this one after the other, not all at once. The
Man who is inspired
By the
Spirit of
God will observe order and
decency in delivering his revelations.
God never teaches men to
neglect their duties, or to act in any way unbecoming their
Age
or station.
34-40 When the
Apostle exhorts
Christian women to seek
information
On religious subjects from their husbands at home,
it shows that believing families ought to assemble for promoting
spiritual knowledge. The
Spirit of
Christ can never contradict
itself; and if their revelations are against those of the
Apostle, they do not come from the same
Spirit. The way to keep
peace,
Truth, and order in the
Church, is to seek that which is
good for it, to
Bear with that which is not hurtful to its
welfare, and to keep up good behaviour, order, and decency.