John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 14:2

"For he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God; for no man understandeth; but in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." — 1 Corinthians 14:2 (ASV)

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.”