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by Katie Erickson

Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. In the Law it is written:
“With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
- 1 Corinthians 14:20-25

Just before this passage, Paul shared how speaking in tongues, or any speaking for that matter, is only beneficial if people can understand what is being said. Now, Paul compares tongues to prophecy, and what relates best to believers and unbelievers.

But before he gets to that point, Paul commands the first-century Corinthian church to stop thinking like children but rather think like adults (verse 20). They may be spiritual infants (see Paul’s comments about that previously here), but they at least need to think and reason like the adults they are. However, it’s okay that they are infants regarding evil. Infants don’t really understand the world around them, so it is good if those in the church do not understand evil and what it is truly like. Paul’s point is that they need to think like adults on this issue, not like children who are inherently selfish and focused on themselves.

In verse 21, Paul quotes loosely from Isaiah 28:11-12. This was a prophecy that God spoke through Isaiah to the people, and it states that if Israel won’t hear what God tells them through the prophets, then they surely won’t hear Him if God speaks through another language. The people were putting a lot of emphasis on speaking on tongues, and Paul is trying to explain to them that it’s really not that important. If people won’t hear the gospel message and take it to heart when spoken in the plain language of the day, then they surely won’t hear it when it’s spoken in a manner that they’re not able to understand!

So what does this mean for their context? Tongues are a sign for the unbelievers, and prophecy is for the believers (verse 22). Even if the unbelievers don’t understand what is being said, speaking in tongues is a miraculous sign that could impress them. The believers don’t need that kind of miracle in order to come to faith; they already believe. Paul is perhaps referencing the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when many believed because of the gift of languages that the apostles were granted; it wasn’t speaking in some unknown language but rather being heard in the language of the hearer. This was a miraculous sign that caused thousands to believe the gospel message.

Paul then uses an example of when an unbeliever comes into their worship service in verse 23. If people who don’t understand what’s going on come in and hear all this speaking in strange languages, they will think that the people of the church are crazy! They won’t understand what’s going on, and this will give them a negative experience of the church. It will not be a good way to share the gospel message with them.

But, if instead of speaking in tongues, an unbeliever comes in while the people are prophesying, that may have a positive effect (verse 24). Prophecy may convict them of their sin, making them realize their need for a Savior, and then they may turn to faith in Jesus. This is reminiscent of the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus told her all that she had done and she was convicted by that, and then she worshipped Him and spread the word about Jesus to others out of that conviction and repentance.

When the unbeliever is convicted by prophecy and all their secrets are laid bare through that, they will realize God’s presence among the believers (verse 25). The unbeliever will be convicted of his sin, he will examine his condition, and his heart will be open to inspection. This will lead them to faith in Jesus Christ and spread the gospel message much more effectively than if they walk in and hear people speaking in ways they cannot understand.

The point of Paul’s message here to the first-century Corinthian church is that prophecy is better than speaking in tongues. While they may be impressed by speaking in tongues and the Holy Spirit could use that to bring them to faith, prophecy is more likely to convict them of their sin and bring them to repentance and their need for a Savior. While he is not condemning the church for speaking in tongues, he is advising them to shift their focus to more prophecy and less tongues. He does this by appealing to them to reason as adults, not as children. Don’t just speak in tongues because you think it’s enjoyable; it is better to prophecy as that will fulfill God’s purposes better and bring more people to Him.

What does this mean for the Church today? Many churches today do not speak in tongues or prophecy on a regular basis, though there are still some that do. The point is that our focus does not need to be on our personal preferences of what we want to do in a worship service but rather on what will reach the unbelievers – those who are seeking God – in the most effective way. Our purpose as the Church is not to exist to serve and build up ourselves but rather to reach those who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus Christ, the one true Savior of the world.

What are you doing in your church to reach those who are seeking Jesus? What might you be doing to turn them away, even if that’s unintentional? Take a good look at your worship, and ask God how He may want you to change your focus.

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