1 Corinthians 14

Text

Textual witnesses

• Codex Vaticanus
• Codex Sinaiticus
• Papyrus 123
• Codex Alexandrinus
• Codex Freerianus
• Codex Claromontanus

  Verse 2

• "In a tongue" : some manuscripts and the Ethiopian version read "with tongues". Lightfoot assumes that it refers to the Hebrew language, which had become a dead language, and understood only by few people at that time, but nonetheless was used in the public prayers, preaching, and singing of psalms among the Jews. Paul states that the ministers, who had the gift of mastering this language, won't be helpful for non-Jews Christians, who don't understand it, so they should instead prophesy, pray, and sing in a language that can be understood. Otherwise, people may hear the sound, but cannot tell the meaning of it, and so it is of no use and advantage to them
• "In the spirit he speaks mysteries": Under the influence and by the special gift of the Holy Spirit, a person is able to speak of 'the deep things of God, and the mysteries of his grace', but the meaning of his words could be unintelligible, without an understandable language.

  Verse 21