Free Bible Commentary
“1 Corinthians 14:13-19”
Categories: 1 Corinthians“Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified. I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.”
---End of Scripture verses---
“Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret” (verse 13). This verse shows us that some of the “tongue-speakers” were actually endowed with the ability to interpret their own “foreign” words. Paul encouraged them to “pray”, not in a “tongue”, but for the ability to interpret what they were about to speak. In fact, Paul said “if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful” (verse 14). It seems that the “tongue-speaker” did experience some kind of spiritual or emotional benefit from such a prayer, but he still didn’t really understand exactly what he was praying.
The “outcome” or the “answer” to the issue was to “pray with the spirit” and “with the mind also” (verse 15). The solution to the dilemma was to either not use “tongues” while praying in public, or to let the inspired prayer only be spoken when either the speaker or a listener could interpret it. If people aren’t given the opportunity to say “Amen” to a prayer, it might as well not be vocalized. The word “amen” means, “so let it be!” (Vine’s Dictionary). An “amen” is an expression of approval and agreement. If people can’t make sense of a prayer, they can’t make it their own by expressing their concurrence.
“I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also” (verse 15). It is clear from this part of the verse that singing was a regular part of congregational worship in the first century church and an apostolically approved act of worship. It also seems obvious that some brethren had the gift of “inspired song” given to them by the Holy Spirit. The word for “sing” is the Greek word “psallo”. Much earlier in the history of this word, it was used to express, playing “a stringed instrument with the fingers” (Vine’s Dictionary). During the New Testament time period in which Paul wrote, however, the word meant simply “to sing a hymn” or “to sing praise” (Vine’s Dictionary). According to the same Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:19, the instrument God wants us to “make melody” with is our “heart” as we sing praises to Him.
But Paul tells us to sing with the “mind” or with the “understanding” also. Just as when we pray, it is important to have a good comprehension of the words that are being sung. I know that I sometimes actually catch myself just singing the words of a hymn “into the air” (verse 9) without giving much thought to them. We must remember that when we sing, we are lifting worship and praise up to God who sits on His throne in heaven; and we are also “teaching and admonishing one another” with the words (Colossians 3:16). Let’s focus on the words that we are reading as we sing, and make certain that the lyrics accurately teach the truth of God’s word. In this way God will be glorified and we will be edified (verse 17)!
Please read 1 Corinthians 14:20-25 for tomorrow.
Have a super day!
Louie Taylor
