He explains in a veiled manner that the gift of tongues without the gift of interpretation becomes an occasion even for harm. He says this with the aim of humbling their pride. They thought that the gift of tongues made them an object of admiration; Paul, on the contrary, proves that it turns to their dishonor, giving occasion to consider them mad. And lest you think that it depends on the gift itself that the one possessing it is covered with dishonor, he says: the senseless will say that you are out of your minds. "The uninstructed," he says, "or the unbelievers," such as were those who said of the apostles that they were full of new wine (Acts 2:13). But the sensible receive benefit even from the gift of tongues, as for example those present with the apostles marveled that they were speaking of the great deeds of God (Acts 2:11).
1 Cor. 14:24-25. But when all prophesy, and there comes in one who is unbelieving or unlearned, he is convicted by all, he is judged by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are made manifest, and he will fall down on his face, worship God, and say: truly God is with you.
Do you see how prophecy is more useful, how, by revealing the secrets of the heart, it compels the unbeliever to acknowledge God, to fall down and worship, and to confess: "Truly God is among you"? God did something similar with Nebuchadnezzar as well. For when Daniel revealed to him the meaning of the dream, he said: "Truly your God is the God who reveals mysteries" (Dan. 2:47). Learn from this the meaning of what was said above as well: "by revelation" (1 Cor. 14:6). For behold, revelation is one of the forms of prophecy. Note also that the Spirit is God. For he says: "Truly God is among you." Yet in the prophets, it is undoubtedly the Spirit who acts. For above (1 Cor. 12:10–11) he said that prophecies are given by the Spirit.
1 Cor. 14:26. How is it then, brethren? When you come together, and each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation — let all things be done for edification.
In antiquity, psalms too were composed by gift, and for teaching a gift was bestowed. By "revelation" he means prophecy, giving the genus the name of the species. He mentions the gift of tongues as well, lest they consider this gift entirely contemptible and not even belonging among the ranks of gifts. Let all these things, he says, be for edification. For the distinguishing characteristic of a Christian is to edify, to bring benefit. How then can one who possesses only the gift of tongues edify, bring benefit? In this way: if he comes together with one who has the gift of interpretation, and they exercise their gifts in concert.
1 Cor. 14:27. If anyone speaks in an unknown tongue, let two speak, or at most three, and that in turn, and let one interpret.
I do not forbid speaking in tongues, but let it not be without interpretation. And let few speak in tongues, lest there be confusion and disorder; "and that in turn," that is, successively. But, in any case, there must be an interpreter.
1 Cor. 14:28. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
If he does not have an interpreter, let him not speak in the church, lest he appear as a foreigner uttering what is incomprehensible and unintelligible to many. But if he is so vainglorious that he does not wish to be silent, then let him speak to himself and to God, that is, without noise and secretly, to himself, so that his words are heard by God alone, and not by people. See how he seems to permit, yet at the same time forbids.
1 Cor. 14:29. And let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge.
Among the prophets, sorcerers also hid themselves. Therefore he says: let the others judge concerning them, so that a sorcerer might not secretly escape notice. For as was said above (1 Cor. 12:10), there was also the gift of "discerning of spirits" for distinguishing false and true prophets. He commands "two" or "three" to prophesy, for the sake of maintaining good order and so that sorcerers might not hide among a multitude.
1 Cor. 14:30-31. If another of those sitting receives a revelation, then let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may receive consolation.
Here he teaches good order and humility of mind. When, he says, the Spirit stirs up another, you, the first one, be silent. For if it had pleased the Spirit for you to speak, then "you can all prophesy one by one," that is, do not grieve, for both you, and another, and all can prophesy individually and in succession. For this gift is not confined to one person alone, but is given to all, so that the whole Church may be instructed and receive encouragement toward virtue.
1 Cor. 14:32. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
And this is as a consolation to him who was commanded to be silent. These words have the following meaning: do not object, do not resist. For the Spirit Himself, that is, the gift that is in you, and the operation of the Spirit that is in you, is subject to the gift of another who has been stirred to prophecy; and if the Spirit is subject, then all the more you yourself, who have received the Spirit, ought not to object. Some, however, understood it thus: the pagan oracles, once a demon seized them, could not be silent even if they wished; but our holy prophets are not like that—rather, it depends on their own will whether to be silent or to speak. This is what the words mean: "the spirits of the prophets," that is, the gifts, "are subject to the prophets" and to the will of the prophets to be silent or not to be silent. Lest the one possessing this gift should say, "How can I, at your command, be silent when I speak by the impulse of the Spirit?"—he says that this Spirit who impels you is subject to you, and it is already within your power to be silent, and therefore do not appeal to the Spirit in vain.
1 Cor. 14:33. For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. So it is in all the churches of the saints.
He shows that this is also pleasing to God, that the first should be silent; because God is not a God of disorder and confusion (and there would be confusion if no one were silent, but all prophesied), but of peace. This peace is observed in all the Churches among the saints, that is, the believers. For there are churches of the Hellenes and Greeks. Be ashamed, you too, to conduct yourselves differently than how all the churches conduct themselves.
1 Cor. 14:34. Let your wives keep silent in the churches, for it is not permitted to them to speak, but to be in submission, as the law also says.
Having established good order in everything concerning the gift of tongues and prophets—namely, that few should prophesy, and from this no confusion or disorder should arise—he now eliminates the disorder that came from women, and says that they must be silent in church. Then he says something greater, namely, that it is more fitting for them to be in submission. For submission means silence from fear, as is the case with female slaves. By "the Law" he means the book of Genesis, in which it is written: "Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you" (Gen. 3:16). If the wife is appointed to be in submission to her husband, how much more so to the spiritual teachers in church.
1 Cor. 14:35. But if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home.
Lest someone say: if they will not speak, then how will they learn what they do not know? he answers that they must learn at home from their husbands. This will make them modest, and their husbands more attentive, since they will have to accurately convey to their wives, in response to their questions, what they heard in church. Note then that wives are not permitted to speak in church even about matters that are necessary and beneficial to the soul.
1 Cor. 14:35. It is indecent for a woman to speak in church.
Perhaps they were showing off with spiritual conversations in the church; but he, on the contrary, says that this is inglorious and shameful for them.
1 Cor. 14:36. Was it from you that the word of God went forth? Or did it reach you alone?
The speech is addressed to someone who has, as it were, objected to him. What are you saying, you resist and do not acknowledge it as good that wives should be silent in the churches? Is it not because you are teachers, and from you the preaching passed to the rest? Has the faith been established among you alone, and must you not accept what has been accepted by others? You are believers, but not the first, not the only ones. Therefore you too must willingly accept what is pleasing to the whole Church.