Paul says that prophecy is the highest gift after love because it is to the benefit and advantage of the church, since by it everybody learns the principles of God’s law.

The Corinthians thought that speaking in tongues was a great gift because it was the one which the apostles received first, and with a great display. But this was no reason to think it was the greatest gift of all. The reason the apostles got it first was because it was a sign that they were to go everywhere, preaching the gospel.

A person is built up when he finds out the answer to disputed points. Encouragement comes to him when he is enabled to endure. He is consoled when he continues in hope even when others are viewing his discipline with contempt. Knowledge of the law strengthens his soul and encourages him to hope for better things.

Paul reckons this gift as a higher one because it is used for the common good. He always gives the greater honor to those gifts that will be used for the benefit of everyone.

Paul is saying that prophets are interpreters of the Scriptures.

The difference between tongues and prophecy is precisely the difference between benefit to the individual and benefit to the entire church.

Paul could not forbid speaking in tongues, because this is a gift of the Holy Spirit, but the pursuit of prophecy is more acceptable because it is more useful.

Paul says this in order to show that he is interested in benefiting the church, not in belittling those who have the gift of tongues. He could have this gift himself, but it would be useless and would make no difference to the church if uninterpreted.

If we require precision even in lifeless instruments, how much more will we require it in living beings?

If it is uncertain whether the bugle is sounding for relaxation or for war, nobody will get ready for battle. The latter is how your own words should be understood, for they are meant to prepare soldiers for spiritual warfare.

The trumpet is a sign of war. Therefore, when the soul perceives itself armed with so many and such important virtues, it necessarily goes forth to the war it has against principalities and powers and against the world rulers.

If speaking in tongues is useless, why was it given? It was given for the benefit of the person who has it. But if it is to help others also, then there must be some interpretation.

There is no language without meaning because all languages are human.

Any language we cannot understand we look down on as barbaric.

The soul is stirred and rejoices when it learns something more about the Scriptures. The more it tends in this direction, the more it abandons vices. It is for these reasons that Paul advises that one should make efforts to communicate clearly.

The building up of the church is Paul’s touchstone in everything he says.

If the one who speaks in tongues does not have the power to interpret them, others will not understand, but he will know what he was moved by the Spirit to say. When this is understood by others as well, there will be fruit from it. Here as elsewhere, we are taught to seek the common good of the church.

If you have brought a word in praise of God, not new and fresh from the learning of the spirit, from the teaching of God’s grace, your mouth indeed offers a sacrifice of praise, but your mind is accused on account of the sterility of yesterday’s flesh.

What can a person achieve if he does not know what he is saying?

For he speaks thus, when that which is said is not understood, because it cannot even be uttered, unless the images of corporeal sounds precede the oral sounds by the thought of the spirit.

For our mind would not even be able to pray unless the Spirit prayed for it as if obeying it, so that we cannot even sing and hymn the Father in Christ with proper rhythm, melody, measure and harmony unless the Spirit who searches everything, even the depths of God, first praises and hymns him whose depths he has searched out and has understood as far as he is able.

Worshiping and praying in the Spirit seem to me to be simply the Spirit presenting prayer and worship to himself.

It is in spirit and mind that one should pray and sing to God. Paul does not say anything about the tongue. The reason is that this spiritual prayer is not offered up or prayed by the tongue, for it is deeper than the lips and the tongue, more interiorized than any composite sounds, lying beyond psalmody and wisdom.

The prayer of those who sing is acceptable to God only if a pure heart carries the same message which the words of the hymn unfold.

The confirmation of the prayer comes about when people say Amen to it. The words spoken are confirmed in the minds of the hearers by the confession of truth.

Paul is thinking here of laypeople, who do not hold office in the church.

Here Paul explains what he said above, which is that a believer should be a blessing to everyone.

Paul claims the gift for himself in order to show how unimportant it is. He does the same thing elsewhere when he points out that he is a better-qualified Jew than his critics are.^[1]

Paul wants to speak with a clear mind and in a normal language.

Paul wants them to be mature intellectually so they will grasp accurately what is needed for the upbuilding of the church. In this way they will leave behind malice and errors, striving instead for the things which are conducive to the good of the brotherhood.

To be a babe in evil is not even to know what evil is.

Note that Paul refers to the prophetic writings also as the law. In this passage he is quoting Isaiah [28:11] according to Aquila’s translation, and not according to the Septuagint.

The Lord said this about those whom he knew in advance would not believe in the Savior. For to speak in other tongues and with other lips is to preach the New Testament.

The utterances of God are hidden beneath the veil of an unknown tongue, so that they should not be seen by unbelievers. Paul was saying that tongues are useful for hiding ideas from unbelievers.

Tongues are a sign to unbelievers not for their instruction, as prophecy is for both believers and unbelievers, but to astonish them.

Tongues are a miracle in themselves. Prophecy, however, is a miracle in the substance of what it contains but not in the way in which it is uttered.

Even if a stranger should address his inquiries through ignorance to some other person and although he who is questioned by mistake is able to make a satisfactory reply, yet, for the sake of good order, he should keep silence and direct the stranger to him whose function it is, as the apostles did when the Lord was present. In this way, speech will be employed in a well-ordered and fitting manner.

On the day of Pentecost the Jews said that the apostles were full of new wine.^[1] It is more or less the same thing here.

The unbeliever is convicted when his conscience is struck by the teaching being given.

When he sees that God is being praised and that Christ is being adored and that nothing is disguised or being done in secret, as happens among pagans, he will understand clearly that this is true religion.

Note that here the Holy Spirit is directly called God.

Particular effort should be made to ensure that unlearned people will benefit. Nothing should be done to hide things from them because of their lack of learning.

Paul does not want these people to take up the whole day and leave insufficient time for expounding the Scriptures.

Paul does not forbid speaking in tongues, however much he may belittle the gift, but he insists that it be kept under control and used for the edification of the whole church.

The person who speaks in the Holy Spirit speaks when he chooses to do so and then can be silent, like the prophets. But those who are possessed by an unclean spirit speak even when they do not want to. They say things that they do not understand.

Each one ought not to strive obstinately for that which he learned and once held, but if anything better or more useful should exist, he should embrace it willingly.

Paul allowed others to ask questions about ambiguous matters, so that they might be elucidated by clearer discussion.

In particular, the higher-ranking person should give way to the lower. It is simply not the case that every privilege can be granted to a single individual. Nor can it be that anyone, however low in the hierarchy, should have nothing given to him. No one is without the grace of God.

It is a tradition of the synagogue which Paul is asking us to follow, whereby the people dispute while seated in chairs, on benches or on the floor, according to their rank. If a revelation has been given to someone sitting on the floor, he should be allowed to speak and not be despised because of his low rank.

This rule is still applied in the church today, in that preachers take turns to teach the people.

Clearly the prophet builds up the church when through the function of his foretelling he makes wholly clear matters exceedingly vital which were unknown. Those who have been granted the ability to understand well and to interpret the divine Scriptures are obviously not excluded from the gift of prophecy.

The Spirit is said to be subject so that he may facilitate the good efforts which he prompts.

If the gift is subject to the prophets, how can it not also be subject to you, so that you may keep quiet when you are meant to?

As for the spirits of the prophets, these are given to them by God and are spoken of as being in a way their property, as “The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” [1 Cor 14:32] and “The spirit of Elijah rested upon Elisha” [2 Kgs 2:15]. Thus, it is said, there is nothing absurd in supposing that John, “in the spirit and power of Elijah,” turned the hearts of the fathers to the children and that it was on account of this spirit that he was called “Elijah who is to come”.