Verses 1-17
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Since we learned in the previous chapter that love is most important, we should purpose to be loving over everything else.
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For this reason, desire to hear the Holy Spirit and to prophesy more than you desire to speak with tongues, because prophecy will be more helpful for others.
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Speaking/praying in tongues benefits you, because it allows your spirit to pray to God, and prayer builds you up (Jude 1:20); but speaking in tongues does not benefit others unless there is an interpreter.
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Around others, tongues without interpretation is just meaningless sound.
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If you can speak in tongues, use it in your own time to pray to God and build yourself up, but don't think that speaking in tongues makes you great.
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If you want to speak in tongues in a way that it helpful to other believers, pray to be able to hear from the Spirit well enough to know what you are praying in tongues, so that you can be edifying to others. God may do this for you.
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Verses 5,12. A great believer is one who loves and builds up others, so desire the gifts for that purpose. Do not desire gifts for your own exaltation.
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Every believer, certainly before they will be able to understand their own tongues, would need to be faithful to pray in tongues. How could you interpret words you're not even saying? If you can speak in tongues, do well to pray in tongues diligently, and then you can expect to have a want to interpret you own prayers and share them with others for their edification.
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- Verses 11-15. Paul's point is that we should desire to edify others in the church, but speaking in tongues does not edify others unless the words can be put in a language we can understand. When you speak in tongues, without interpretation, you are not speaking words that can be understood. As such, no one's understanding is benefitted (your understanding is fruitless for others because you yourself have no understanding).
- So, to edify others when in public, while desiring to know what you're praying about, pray in tongues quietly (so no one can hear you), and then pray in English what you hear outloud. This is how you can use tongues as a tool to help you pray for others, giving understanding that will benefit everyone involved.
Verses 18-19
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If you can, it is good to pray in tongues all the time, just as prayer is to be without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). However, when you're around other believers, do not speak in tongues at all, unless you have an interpreter.
Verse 20
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It is important that we understand how the gifts of tongues and prophecy are to be used. We are acting like children if we are without understanding.
Verses 21-25
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Verses 21-22. Tongues are for unbelievers, not for believers? First, Paul quotes Isaiah 28:11-12. In context, these "other tongues" were a sign of God's judgment on the wayward Israelites, who were being unbelievers because they refused to listen to God. For their unbelief, speakers of foreign tongues invaded their land.
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Today, speaking in tongues out loud (without interpretation) is not for the church to practice in gatherings (making it “not for those who believe”). Publicly speaking in tongues without an interpreter becomes a "sign" for unbelievers. How so? Today, as a general rule, when unbelievers hear tongues, they mock it, and it only further cements their unbelief. In this way, it functions as a sign of their hardness of heart and impending judgment (See Acts 2:13).
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Verse 23. In a gathering of the church, if an unbeliever finds you wrongly having everyone speak in tongues at the same time (something “not for those who believe” to practice in the church), that unbeliever will think you're crazy, thus fulfilling the sign of the prophecy of Isaiah - that they will not listen. As it is written, “...for all that, they will not hear Me” (verse 21).
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Only in very rare cases an unbeliever will understand what is being said in a tongue, for a positive outcome. In the rare case that God allows an unbeliever to understand tongues, such as hearing it in their own native language, it can inspires awe (such as in Acts 2:6-12).
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- Prophecy is for believers, not for unbelievers? In the church, believers are meant to prioritize prophecy instead of tongues; and it's primarily for believers because we should want to prophesy commonly in the church. Generally speaking, since gatherings of the church are for edifying believers, this makes prophecy “not for unbelievers.”
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Verses 24-25. But if we prophesy in the church, which is what we should be doing, it will also be most effective for winning unbelievers. If done correctly, a believer could prophesy about the unbeliever in the room! This would be more than a sign to them; it would bring them to repentance!
- We don't want unbelievers to walk away from church meetings with a “sign”. We want them to walk away worshipping God!
- And if we focus on prophesying over speaking in tongues, in the church, we are more likely to win over unbelievers too!
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Your action? Desire prophecy, and don't encourage believers/churches to have everyone speak in tongues all at once. This is mostly counterintuitive and a poor use of time with other believers.
Verses 26-31
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Believers should all have something to contribute to the body, but it should always be about edifying others, not showing off one's gifts.
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When it comes to tongues and prophecy, there is a proper order to use them in.
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It is wrong for believers to all speak in tongues at once, or for many to try to prophesy at the same time.
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If there is no one to interpret tongues, no one should speak in tongues out loud. Period.
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One person at a time can speak in tongues (but only two or three people should be allowed to speak, to keep things orderly), and one person should interpret those tongues, for the benefit of the church.
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Giving a tongue should be limited to two or three speakers, likely, so that it does not take up too much time. Gatherings should involve more than just tongues!
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One person at a time can prophesy, but every prophecy should be tested to determine whether it is from God or not (1 John 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).
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If you hear what appears to be prophecy, judge it by comparing to the Word. If it is not biblical, disregard it.
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Also compare a prophecy to other words spoken. Confirmation from multiple sources, along with biblical consistency, can help to judge a prophecy (2 Corinthians 13:1).
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Lastly, if a prophecy is not fulfilled, it is false (Deuteronomy 18:22).
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Verses 32-33
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Remember that everyone has control over the use of their spiritual gifts. You decide to speak/behave in an orderly manner or not.
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Someone who claims that the Holy Spirit took them over and made them speak is either deceived or lying. Speaking must be done in order. Why?
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God is a God of order and peace, not confusion and chaos. Everything He does, He does in an orderly and excellent manner.
Verses 34-35
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Paul is not teaching here that women should not speak at all in the church, because women are commended or encouraged to pray and prophesy (1 Corinthians 11:5, Acts 21:9).
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He's teaching that women should avoid disorderly speech.
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His primary encouragement is that women should maintain quietness and be submissive. How so?
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He bases this command on the law of Moses, which teaches in several places that women are to be under their husbands' ruling and authority (Genesis 3:16, Numbers 5:19-20, Numbers 30:10-13).
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In this context, we learn that a woman's speech in church is also meant to be in submission to her husband. That being said, it makes sense that Paul commands women, if they have questions, “let them ask their own husbands at home.”
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If you're a wife, do not speak in the church in a way that disrespects your husband. This means do not interrupt him, openly disagree with him, nor correct him. Wait until you're at home to speak on concerns or disagreements.
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Also avoid empty or useless chatter. This kind of speaking only causes problems.
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Verses 36-37
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Anyone who disagrees with or contradicts Paul's teaching here is ignorant, no matter how “spiritual” they think they are. The Holy Spirit would never disagree with order!
Verses 39-40
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He sums it all up.
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Definitely desire spiritual gifts. Desire prophecy most. Don't prohibit tongues, but keep it regulated (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20).