Free Bible Commentary
“1 Corinthians 14:20-25”
Categories: 1 Corinthians“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. In the Law it is written, ‘BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME,’ says the Lord. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.”
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“Do not be children in your thinking” (verse 20). Paul had written in 1 Corinthians 13:11 that when he was a child he used to speak, think and reason as a child. But when he became a man he put away childish things. Like little children, many of the brethren in the church at Corinth were enamored by things that were amusing to them. They were treating their “gifts” like toys instead of tools to convert the lost and edify their brethren, and it was high time that they grow up. There are certain areas in a Christian’s life where it is okay to be like children. Humility and purity are two good examples. But we need to grow up spiritually and become the kinds of mature, generous, sacrificial men and women in Christ that God wants us to be.
“In the Law it is written, ‘BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME,’ says the Lord” (verse 21). Isaiah had preached to God’s stubborn, hard-hearted people and they refused to listen to him. Because of this, the Lord promised to send a foreign people with “stammering lips” to conquer and humble them (Isaiah 28:11). When this prophecy was fulfilled, it confirmed Isaiah’s preaching, and Israel then knew for certain that what he had spoken to them was the truth.
The only point that Paul is making with this quote from Isaiah is that God used the “foreign tongues” of the Assyrians to grab His unfaithful people’s attention. They were a “sign” to dispel their unbelief. That was the purpose of the gift of “tongue-speaking” in the first century as well. It was a “sign” for “unbelievers” (verse 22). The design of a sign is to lead someone to something beyond itself. All miracles were used as “signs” to point people to the Gospel message that was being preached. “Tongues” were signs to grab the attention of unbelievers. “Prophecy” was a sign to grab the attention of believers. All miracles were intended to help produce faith in the hearts of the people who witnessed them.
Even though tongues were a sign for unbelievers, if “ungifted men or unbelievers” were visiting a congregation, and “all” the people there were speaking in foreign languages, the visitors would think that everybody in that church was “mad” or “crazy” (verse 23). But if all “prophecy” (verse 24), it would still be somewhat chaotic, but at least the strangers could understand what they were hearing. The power of the word of God could “convict” them and “call them into account.” That is to say, the preaching of the Gospel could pierce their heart’s and point them in the direction of salvation, just as God designed it to do.
“The secrets of his heart are disclosed” (verse 25). I so love this statement! Have you ever listened to a sermon and felt like the preacher was talking directly to you? Sometimes the word of God embarrasses us, condemns us, convicts us of our “secret” sins. It is almost like the preacher has looked directly into our hearts and then exposed the iniquities that we thought were hidden. Sometimes the word of God even uncovers the sins that we ourselves are unaware of so that we can make the necessary corrections that God wants us to make. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
One final point—“And so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you” (verse 25). If we are never fully convicted of our sins so that we can actually turn from them and be forgiven, then it will be impossible for us to ever worship God truly and properly.
Please read 1 Corinthians 14:26-32 for tomorrow.
Please come worship God with us today at the Taylorsville Road church of Christ!
3741 Taylorsville Road. 9:30 AM Bible class. 10:30 AM worship period. 5:00 PM worship period.
Have a blessed Lord’s Day!
- Louie Taylor
