Pursue love, but strive eagerly for the spiritual gifts, above all that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to human beings but to God, for no one listens; he utters mysteries in spirit. 3 On the other hand, one who prophesies does speak to human beings, for their building up, encouragement, and solace. 4 Whoever speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but whoever prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I should like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be built up. 6 Now, brothers, if I should come to you speaking in tongues, what good will I do you if I do not speak to you by way of revelation, or knowledge, or prophecy, or instruction? 7 Likewise, if inanimate things that produce sound, such as flute or harp, do not give out the tones distinctly, how will what is being played on flute or harp be recognized? 8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 Similarly, if you, because of speaking in tongues, do not utter intelligible speech, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be talking to the air. 10 It happens that there are many different languages in the world, and none is meaningless; 11 but if I do not know the meaning of a language, I shall be a foreigner to one who speaks it, and one who speaks it a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves: since you strive eagerly for spirits, seek to have an abundance of them for building up the church.
Speaking in tongues was considered a sign of inspiration by the Spirit, and members of the Corinthian community strongly desired this spiritual gift. Some even held those who spoke in tongues in high esteem. However, Paul instructs them that if there is no one to interpret, speaking in tongues is of little value to the community, as the utterances will seem like unintelligible babbling. Unlike the Apostles’ speaking in foreign languages at Pentecost (Acts 2:4-11), the gift of tongues in Corinth typically involved speech that required interpretation to be understood. Paul emphasizes that spiritual gifts should build up the church, urging the Corinthians to seek gifts—especially prophecy—that promote understanding and communal growth.
Paul urges the Corinthians to prioritize love (see 1 Cor. 13) and to pursue spiritual gifts, particularly prophecy, because it is comprehensible and instructive, and edifies the congregation directly. He explains that speaking in tongues involves a form of divine communication that others cannot understand without interpretation. In Corinth, the gift of tongues often took the form of ecstatic, unintelligible speech that did not convey clear meaning to listeners, thus requiring an interpreter to make the message intelligible and beneficial for the congregation. By contrast, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, who began speaking in various languages, and the Holy Spirit enabled the diverse listeners to directly understand in their own languages what the Apostles were proclaiming about the mighty acts of God (Acts 2:4-11).
Paul clarifies that speaking in tongues may benefit the speaker individually by strengthening personal faith (cf. Jude 1:20; Eph. 6:18), but prophecy benefits the entire community. This emphasis on communal edification reflects Paul’s teaching on the Church as the Body of Christ, where each member’s gifts contribute to the unity and growth of all (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-27). He wishes for all believers to experience the fullness of spiritual gifts, including tongues, but underscores prophecy as superior because of its communal benefit. If tongues are interpreted, however, they serve a similar purpose to prophecy by allowing the congregation to understand and be edified (cf. Mark 16:17; Acts 19:6).
Paul uses a hypothetical example to show that, without intelligibility, even his own gift of tongues would not benefit them. “Revelation,” “knowledge,” “prophecy,” and “instruction” refer to different aspects of God’s word that, when communicated clearly, reveal divine truths (cf. Eph. 1:17-18; 2 Tim. 3:16), contributing to the spiritual growth of the listeners. He compares speaking in tongues without interpretation to the indistinct sounds produced by musical instruments and warns that speaking in tongues without interpretation renders it meaningless to the congregation. In this way, Paul illustrates that the gifts are not meant for individual recognition but for advancing the Church’s mission to foster faith and understanding among believers.
Paul acknowledges that there are many languages in the world but if one cannot understand a language, one gains nothing from hearing it. He encourages the Corinthians to strive for an abundance of spiritual gifts for building up the community with love and humility, not to create division or confusion (cf. 1 Cor. 12:7; 2 Cor. 12:19).
Almighty God, thank You for the gifts You bestow upon us. Help us to seek and use these gifts with love, always striving to build up and strengthen one another. Grant us the wisdom to value what edifies and unites, so that together we may grow in faith and reflect Your love to the world. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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