Gifts of prophecy and tongues
1 ① Strive, then, for love and set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2The one who speaks in tongues does not speak to people, but to God, for no one understands him; the spirit makes him say things that are not understandable. 3The prophet, instead, addresses all people to give them strength, encouragement and consolation. 4He who speaks in tongues strengthens himself, but the prophet builds the Church.
5Would that all of you spoke in tongues! But better still if you were all prophets. The prophet has an advantage over the one speaking in tongues, unless someone explains what was spoken, so that the community may profit. 6Suppose, brothers and sisters, I go to you and I speak in tongues, of what use will it be to you if I do not bring you some revelation, knowledge, prophecy or teaching?
7When someone plays the flute, or harp, or any musical instrument, if there are not tones and notes, who will recognize the tune? 8And if the bugle call is not clear, who will get ready for battle? 9The same with you. If your words are not understood, who will know what is said? You will be talking to the moon. 10There are many languages in the world, and each of them has meaning, 11but if I cannot find any meaning in what is said, I become a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker to me.
12As you set your heart on spiritual gifts, be eager to build the Church and you will receive abundantly. 13Because of this, those who speak in tongues should ask God for the ability to explain what they say.
14When I am praying in tongues, my spirit prays, but my mind remains idle. 15What shall I do, then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with my mind. I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind. 16If you praise God only with your spirit, how will the ordinary person add the “Amen” to your thanks giving, since the outsider has not understood what you said? 17Your thanksgiving was indeed beautiful, but it was useless for others.
18I give thanks to God because I speak in tongues more than all of you, 19but when I am in the assembly, I prefer to say five words from my mind, which may teach others, than ten thousand words in tongues.
20Brothers and sisters, do not remain as children in your thinking. Be like infants in doing evil, but mature in your thinking. 21God says in the Law: I will speak to this people through those talking other tongues and through lips of foreigners, but even so they will not listen to me. 22So, speaking in tongues is significant for those who refuse to believe, not for those who believe, while prophecy is a sign for those who believe, not for those who refuse to believe.
23Yet imagine that the whole Church is gathered together and all speak in tongues when unbelievers and uninformed people enter. What will they think? That you are crazy. 24Instead, suppose that each of you speaks as a prophet; as soon as an unbeliever or an uninformed person enters, all of you call him to account and disclose his most secret thinking. 25Then, falling on his face, he would be urged to worship God and declare that God is truly among you.
26What then shall we conclude, brothers? When you gather, each of you can take part with a song, a teaching, or a revelation, by speaking in tongues or interpreting what has been said in tongues. But let all this build up the Church.
27Are you going to speak in tongues? Let two or three, at most, speak, each in turn, and let one interpret what has been said. 28If there is no interpreter, hold your tongue in the assembly and speak to God by yourself.
29As for the prophets, let two or three speak, with the others commenting on what has been said. 30If a revelation comes to one of those sitting by, let the first be silent. 31Even all of you could prophesy, one by one, for the instruction and encouragement of all. 32The spirits speaking through prophets are submitted to prophets, 33because God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.
34(Let women be silent in the assemblies, as in all the churches of the saints. They are not allowed to speak. Let them be submissive as the Law commands. 35If there is anything they desire to know, let them consult their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in Church.)
36Did the word of God, perhaps, come from you? or did it come only to you? 37Anyone among you who claims to be a prophet or a spiritual person, should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38If he does not recognize that, God will not recognize him.
39So, my friends, set your hearts on the gift of prophecy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40However, everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
- 1 Cor 14,1 It seems that the assemblies in Corinth were very disorderly. People did not wait for their turn to speak, but spoke at the same time, especially the women. Paul invites them to be silent. Those with spectacular gifts felt more important and did not respect the most elementary order. Some who pretended to be inspired spoke and acted very strangely and at times shamefully. Paul establishes an order of priority, giving preference to those gifts that most help strengthen the Church. He compares the Church to a building. We build it when we help others to grow, to be better and more united. What makes a person better is charity, and not the performance of extraordinary gifts and charisms, as miracles, languages and such. This is why extraordinary performances do not mean holiness; God can use anybody, even sinners, to perform for others' benefit. The truth of a religion does not rely on the fact that its preachers can heal the sick or do similar things, thereby filling stadiums and impressing large audiences. It depends on its fidelity to the teaching of the Apostles, as found in the Church. The spirits speaking through prophets are submitted to prophets (v. 32). What comes from the Spirit always blends with what comes from a person. Those who think they are inspired must be careful not to lessen what comes from the Spirit with their own beliefs and desires. No inspiration allows us to disregard our community or rightful authority. The verses 34-35 have from the beginning scandalized people because of their harshness towards women and in certain texts they have been removed. If they are Paul's they must be understood in the light of 11:1-16. The apostle was infallible regarding faith but no decision touching the organization of the Church whether it comes from Paul or someone else is beyond criticism or irrevocable, even in the case when it could be at a given moment an order of the Lord.
