John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 14:5

"Now I would have you all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy: and greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying." — 1 Corinthians 14:5 (ASV)

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.