Here a tongue should be a proper language or dialect (Acts 2:4, 6, 8, 11) either of men or of angels (1 Cor. 13:1), not meaningless voices or sounds. The genuine and proper speaking in tongues is one of the many gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4), one of the many aspects of the manifestation of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7). The New Testament makes it very clear that speaking in tongues is only one of the many gifts of the Spirit, and not all the believers have it. Furthermore, according to the context of the entire book of 1 Corinthians, a book which speaks of Christ as the wisdom and power of God and the deep things of God, and of the church as the Body to express Christ and as the means to carry out God’s administration, the proper tongue-speaking should be concerning Christ and the church.
Finally, in 1 Corinthians 14:26 Paul says that one “has an interpretation.” The interpretation of tongues is the ability to make unknown tongues known, understandable.
According to the emphasis of 1 Corinthians, all five things listed in 14:26 should be focused on Christ as God’s center for our portion and the church as God’s goal for our aim. The psalm should be the praise of God for giving Christ as wisdom and power to us for our daily life and church life. The teaching from a teacher and the revelation from a prophet should teach and minister Christ with the church as His Body to others. A tongue and its interpretation should also have Christ with the church as its center and content. Any emphasis on things other than Christ and the church will confuse and distract the church from the central lane of God’s New Testament economy.
At the end of 14:26 Paul says, “Let all things be done for building up.” Whatever we do in the church meetings must be for the building up of the saints and the church. To exhibit Christ and to enjoy Him in our meetings for the building up of His Body must be our unique purpose and goal.
First Corinthians 14 reveals that prophesying, mainly speaking for the Lord and speaking forth the Lord, with the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8), is the best spiritual gift for the building up of the church. Paul says, “Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy” (v. 1). Since to prophesy is to speak for the Lord and speak forth the Lord, that is, to minister Christ to others, which is the main thing in the church meeting, it requires the divine life as its content. Love is the excellent way to experience the divine life and make it the content of the gift of prophecy for the building up of the church. Hence, we must pursue love and desire earnestly this greater gift.
In 14:3 Paul goes on to say, “He who prophesies speaks to men for building up and encouragement and consolation.” Because prophecy, in speaking forth the Lord, ministers Christ to others, it builds them up and gives them encouragement and consolation.
In 14:4b Paul continues, “He who prophesies builds up the church.” From this verse we see that to prophesy, to speak forth the Lord, builds up not only the individual saints but also builds up the church.
In 1 Corinthians 14:12 Paul says, “Since you are zealots of spiritual gifts, seek that you may abound to the building up of the church.” Here we see that Paul is fully occupied with the consideration of building up the church. He is fully church-conscious and church-centered. Paul fully realized that prophesying is the best gift for the building up of the church (1 Cor. 14:5).
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