John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 14

As he had previously exhorted them to follow after the more excellent gifts, (1 Corinthians 12:31), so he exhorts them now to follow after love, for that was the distinguished excellence which he had promised he would show them. They will, therefore, regulate themselves properly in the use of gifts if love prevails among them. For he tacitly reproves the lack of love, as appearing in this—that they had until now abused their gifts, and, inferring from what has been said before that where they do not assign to love the primary place, they do not take the right road to the attainment of true excellence, he shows them how foolish their ambition is, which frustrates their hopes and desires.

1. Covet spiritual gifts. Lest the Corinthians should object that they wronged God if they despised His gifts, the Apostle anticipates this objection by declaring that it was not his design to draw them away even from those gifts that they had abused—indeed, rather he commends the pursuit of them and wishes them to have a place in the Church.

   Assuredly, as they had been conferred for the advantage of the Church, man’s abuse of them should not cause them to be thrown away as useless or injurious; but in the meantime he commends prophecy above all other gifts, as it was the most useful of them all.

   He observes, therefore, an admirable medium, by disapproving of nothing that was useful, while at the same time he exhorts them not to prefer, by an absurd zeal, things of less consequence to what was of primary importance. Now he assigns the first place to prophecy. Covet, therefore, spiritual gifts—that is, “Neglect no gift, for I exhort you to seek after them all, provided only prophecy holds the first place.”

For he that speaketh in another tongue, speaketh, etc. He now shows from the effect why he preferred prophecy to other gifts, and he compares it with the gift of tongues, in which it is probable the Corinthians exercised themselves more because it had more show connected with it; for when persons hear a man speaking in a foreign tongue, their admiration is commonly excited. He accordingly shows, from principles already assumed, how perverse this is, inasmuch as it does not at all contribute to the edifying of the Church.

He says in the outset—He that speaketh in another tongue, speaketh not unto men, but unto God: that is, according to the proverb, “He sings to himself and to the Muses.” In the use of the word tongue, there is not a pleonasm, as in those expressions—“She spoke thus with her mouth,” and “I caught the sound with these ears.” The term denotes a foreign language. The reason why he does not speak to men is—because no one heareth, that is, as an articulate voice. For all hear a sound, but they do not understand what is said.

He speaketh in the Spirit—that is, “by a spiritual gift (for in this way I interpret it along with Chrysostom). He speaks mysteries and hidden things, and things, therefore, that are of no profit.” Chrysostom understands mysteries here in a good sense, as meaning—special revelations from God. I understand the term, however, in a bad sense, as meaning—dark sayings that are obscure and involved, as if he had said, “He speaks what no one understands.”

He that prophesieth, speaketh unto men. “Prophecy,” he says, “is profitable to all, while a foreign language is a treasure hidden in the earth. What great folly it is, then, to spend all one’s time on what is useless and, on the other hand, to neglect what appears to be most useful!”

To speak to edification, is to speak what contains doctrine fitted to edify. For I understand this term to mean doctrine by which we are trained to piety, to faith, to the worship and fear of God, and the duties of holiness and righteousness.

However, since we mostly need goads, while others are pressed down by afflictions or labor under weakness, he adds to doctrine, exhortation and consolation.

It appears from this passage, and from what precedes, that prophecy does not mean the gift of foretelling future events; but as I have said this once before, I do not repeat it.

He that speaks in another tongue edifies himself. In place of what he had said before — that he speaks to God, he now says — he speaks to himself.

But whatever is done in the Church ought to be for the common benefit. Away, then, with that misdirected ambition, which causes the general advantage of the people to be hindered!

Besides, Paul speaks by way of concession, for when ambition makes use of such empty boastings, there is inwardly no desire of doing good; but Paul does, in effect, order away from the common fellowship of believers those men of mere show, who look only to themselves.

I would that ye all spake with tongues. Again he declares that he does not give such a preference to prophecy as not to leave some place for foreign tongues. This must be carefully observed, for God has conferred nothing upon his Church in vain, and languages were of some benefit.

Hence, although the Corinthians, by a misdirected eagerness for show, had rendered that gift partly useless and worthless, and partly even injurious, Paul nevertheless commends the use of tongues. He is far from wishing them abolished or thrown away.

At the present day, while a knowledge of languages is more than simply necessary, and while God has at this time, in his wonderful kindness, brought them forward from darkness into light, there are great theologians who declaim against them with furious zeal.

As it is certain that the Holy Spirit has here honored the use of tongues with never-dying praise, we may very readily gather what kind of spirit actuates those reformers who level as many reproaches as they can against the pursuit of them. At the same time, the cases are very different.

For Paul considers languages of any sort—such as served merely for the publication of the gospel among all nations. They, on the other hand, condemn those languages from which, as fountains, the pure truth of Scripture is to be drawn. An exception is added—that we must not be so taken up with the use of languages as to neglect prophecy, which ought to have the first place.

Unless he interpret. For if interpretation is added, there will then be prophecy. You must not, however, understand Paul to give liberty here to anyone to take up the time of the Church to no profit by muttering words in a foreign tongue. For how ridiculous it would be to repeat the same thing in a variety of languages without any necessity! But it often happens that the use of a foreign tongue is seasonable. In short, let us simply aim for this: that edification may accrue to the Church.

Now, brethren, if I should come. He presents himself as an example, because in his own person the matter was demonstrated more strikingly. The Corinthians had experienced abundant fruit from his doctrine in their own lives. He then asks them what advantage it would be to them if he were to use foreign languages among them. He shows them by this instance how much better it would be to apply their minds to prophesying. Besides, it was less offensive to rebuke this fault in his own person, rather than in that of another.

He mentions, however, four different kinds of edification—revelation, knowledge, prophesying, and doctrine. Since there are various opinions among interpreters concerning them, allow me also to present my own conjecture. However, since it is only a conjecture, I leave it for my readers to judge.

Revelation and prophesying I place in one class, and I am of the opinion that the latter is the means by which the former is administered. I hold the same opinion regarding knowledge and doctrine. Therefore, what anyone has obtained by revelation, he dispenses through prophesying. Doctrine is the way of communicating knowledge.

Thus, a Prophet will be—one who interprets and administers revelation. This is more in favor of the definition that I have given above, rather than at variance with it. For we have said that prophesying does not consist of a simple and bare interpretation of Scripture, but also includes knowledge for applying it to present use—which is obtained only through revelation and the special inspiration of God.