You can read the text here.
Apparently intent on making his point, Paul now applies his point from chapter 13 to the issues raised in chapter 12. He sees it as a both/and situation. The Corinthians shouldn't be choosing between the spiritual gifts and love, they should want both, especially gifts that build up the body like prophecy. Tongues are fine, but they build up the individual only since only God understands what is uttered.[1]
Failure to speak intelligibly prevents you from being understood and serving any true purpose. In its essence turns everyone into a foreigner or an outsider. This comes back to the main theme of the whole letter since it undermines the unity of the body. Paul's wants them to seek gifts that build the body and not destroy its unity through misuse of other, more personal gifts.
Thus for those who pray in tongues, Paul wants them to also pray for the gift of interpretation. Even for just their own sake this is good since it can involve the whole person in the act of prayer. Additionally, if one who is uninitiated hears someone praying on tongues it will be a hindrance to them rather than building them up. As Thiselton notes, worship is about God and the collective body, not God and the individual. Paul's experience with tongues exceeds the Corinthians, but he does not show it off, preferring to be understood and hence instruct.
At the end of the day all tongues will do is to scare off unbelievers as a sign of unwelcome and judgment. It will result in shame on the community. Where prophecy will have the opposite effect of validating the presence of God's Spirit as God speaks to both believer and unbeliever through exhortation and preaching.
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[1] A side note on this. Paul does make room for others understanding tongues if its interpreted. Thiselton makes an important point here. There is no reason to expect that some person other than the one uttering the tongues is the interpreter Paul has in mind.
Apparently intent on making his point, Paul now applies his point from chapter 13 to the issues raised in chapter 12. He sees it as a both/and situation. The Corinthians shouldn't be choosing between the spiritual gifts and love, they should want both, especially gifts that build up the body like prophecy. Tongues are fine, but they build up the individual only since only God understands what is uttered.[1]
Failure to speak intelligibly prevents you from being understood and serving any true purpose. In its essence turns everyone into a foreigner or an outsider. This comes back to the main theme of the whole letter since it undermines the unity of the body. Paul's wants them to seek gifts that build the body and not destroy its unity through misuse of other, more personal gifts.
Thus for those who pray in tongues, Paul wants them to also pray for the gift of interpretation. Even for just their own sake this is good since it can involve the whole person in the act of prayer. Additionally, if one who is uninitiated hears someone praying on tongues it will be a hindrance to them rather than building them up. As Thiselton notes, worship is about God and the collective body, not God and the individual. Paul's experience with tongues exceeds the Corinthians, but he does not show it off, preferring to be understood and hence instruct.
At the end of the day all tongues will do is to scare off unbelievers as a sign of unwelcome and judgment. It will result in shame on the community. Where prophecy will have the opposite effect of validating the presence of God's Spirit as God speaks to both believer and unbeliever through exhortation and preaching.
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[1] A side note on this. Paul does make room for others understanding tongues if its interpreted. Thiselton makes an important point here. There is no reason to expect that some person other than the one uttering the tongues is the interpreter Paul has in mind.
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