1 Corinthians 14:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

NIV: Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.

NASB: So then, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe.

CSB: Speaking in other tongues, then, is intended as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers.

NLT: So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers.

KJV: Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

NKJV: Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.

Paul is summing up his case for why the use of the gift of prophecy in the meetings of the church is better than the use of the gift of tongues. He lays out a seemingly straightforward principle: Tongues are a sign for unbelievers. Prophecy is a sign for believers.

Unfortunately, the explanation of this principle is not easily followed. In the following verses, Paul will show how the misuse of the gift of tongues may, in fact, drive unbelievers away from the church. In contrast, the proper use of the gift of prophecy may bring them to faith in Christ.

It's possible that Paul is connecting this statement to the previous verse, in which he quotes from Isaiah 28. In that passage, unbelieving Israelites were to be driven more deeply into unbelief by hearing God's message in foreign tongues. Those alien languages would ensure that they did not, in fact, hear what God would say to them. In that sense, the use of uninterpreted tongues in the Corinthian church may also be the "sign" that drives an unbeliever further from faith in Christ.

The use of the gift of prophecy, though, may be a "sign" to the believers in Corinth as they see unbelievers respond to it with repentance and newfound faith.

For unbelievers, then, the gift of tongues is a negative sign. For believers, prophecy is a positive sign. For all, the use of the gift of prophecy to communicate the clear message of the Lord is far superior than the display of the gift of tongues when no one is available to interpret.

First Corinthians 14:1–25 describes why the gift of prophecy is superior to the gift of tongues in church services, especially when nobody with the gift of interpreting tongues is available. Prophecy benefits everyone in the room with a revelation from God. Praying in a tongue, when nobody can interpret, only benefits the one praying. In fact, displaying the gift of tongues without interpretation may do more harm than good—it generates confusion and division. In contrast, the use of prophecy provides the opportunity for unbelievers to hear from God, be convicted about sin, and come to faith in Christ and genuine worship.

Paul encourages the Corinthians to desire the gift of prophecy, especially, among the other gifts. He shows why its use in the church service is superior to the use of the gift of tongues if nobody is available to interpret. Prophecy benefits everyone; praying in tongues with nobody to interpret benefits only the speaker. Only two or three tongues-speakers should contribute to any service, and only then one at a time and followed by interpreters. The same applies to prophecy and the gift of discerning spirits. Orderliness and building up the church are guiding principles for any worship meeting. Modern churches are divided on the extent to who which these gifts are given, or should be practiced.

1 Corinthians 14 concludes Paul's teaching on the spiritual gifts begun in chapter 12. Between them, chapter 13 declared that Christlike love matters most of all. The gift of prophecy is better than the display of the gift of tongues in worship services unless someone with the gift of interpreting tongues is available. Even then, only those things which build up the church should be included in any service, and everything should be done in an orderly way, reflecting the character of God. The final two chapters of this letter discuss the resurrection of Christ and Paul's concluding remarks.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.