I have previously stated that I Corinthians 14 is the definitive chapter in the Bible with respect to the gift of tongues and their use in the church. It is to this chapter that we now turn to examine the nature of this gift. There are several points the text makes that will be emphasized. First, the tongues speaker understood what he was saying. Second, the tongues speaker spoke the truths of God. Third, the gift was edifying to the church when it was interpreted. Thus intelligibility is stressed throughout the chapter. Fourth, the gift was a sign gift indicating to the unbelieving Jewish hearer that the speaker uttered the truth of God.
VERSES ONE AND TWO
“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”
Paul introduces this passage in light of chapter 13 by saying that in the pursuit of love, prophecy is of greater importance than tongues. As we look at the gift of prophecy throughout both the Old and New Testaments, we see that it was a gift of infallible revelation from God. The speaker spoke the message of God directly from God to the hearers.[1] Paul begins to expound why prophecy is of greater importance than tongues in verse two. The individual who spoke in tongues (without interpretation) spoke not to men, but to God. The reason given for his not speaking to men is that they do not understand him.
It is important to note that Paul uses the word lalei to indicate how the tongues speaker spoke to God. This is a word for normal, logical speech. Why Paul would not use a different word to indicate a simple uttering of unintelligible sounds is an interesting question considering that Paul is just beginning to broach the subject of the gift of tongues. Why use a word indicating normal speech if it were really unintelligible speech? This certainly fits the pattern of the book of Acts. In chapter 2 as well as the other instances of the use of the gift of tongues in that book it would certainly seem to indicate that the tongues speaker understood what he was saying.
Yet another word that must be focused on is the word musteria (mysteries). This is very important to our understanding of the gift of tongues for here Paul declares exactly what the tongues speaker is uttering. Many people who promote the use of tongues in worship today simply fly by this word, giving the impression that the “mystery” is something that was unintelligible to the speaker. The intimation is that the message was “just a mystery” (in our modern use of that phrase) to everyone. Who knows what the content was, including the speaker?
However, to take such a view is to overlook an essential truth of the gift. As we look through the pages of the New Testament, we find that the word “mystery” has definite content. Several New Testament passages mention and even discuss what a mystery is— Romans 16:25-27, I Corinthians 2:7-10, I Corinthians 15:50-54, Ephesians 3:2-6, and Colossians 1:25-27.
- Romans 16:25-27- “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.”
- I Corinthians 2:7-10- “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
- I Corinthians 15:51-57- “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- Ephesians 3:2-6- “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”
- Colossians 1:25-27- “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
While it is beyond the scope and intent of this book to go into a detailed exegetical analysis of these passages, we can clearly note several truths with respect to the information they give about mysteries.
1—Each concerns some aspect of the New Covenant and its results.
2—A truth emphasized often is the inclusion of the Gentiles in the church.
3—It was a truth previously hidden (in the Old Testament) but now gloriously revealed.
There is much more that could be exegeted from these passages, but these truths give us a fuller understanding of what it was that the tongues speaker uttered. These mysteries were not unintelligible gibberish, but had definite content. When the unsaved Jew heard the mysteries, he would see the plan of God unfolding. They would have heard the truths of God’s grafting in of the Gentile nation because of their (Jewish) unbelief as a nation. When the unsaved Jew heard this message it would have been repugnant to him, as it spoke of God setting aside His people to work with the Gentiles. In a sense, it was a message of judgment, just as Paul’s illustration of the Assyrian captivity through the quotation of Isaiah 28:11 spoke of a previous judgment of the Jews for unbelief. The message was of both judgment and blessing, given during the transition period from Old to New Covenants. It was a message of blessing in that it spoke of the blessing of inclusion for the Gentiles. It was a message of judgment in that it spoke of God’s passing over the Jews because of their unbelief in order to work with those Gentiles.[2]
The “mysteries” that the tongues speaker uttered were uttered before the canon of Scripture was complete. Many of these truths had not yet been penned by the human authors. These truths were unavailable at the time in written form, but were later recorded in the pages of Scripture. With the completion of the canon of Scripture, there was certainly no need for any other revelation. This is a point to which we will return later.
[1] I am well aware that many who believe that the gift of tongues has ceased for today believe that the gift of prophecy is still in operation. A distinction is made to this effect- “Prophecy concerns not only foretelling, but forthtelling. Thus the gift is still around today in the form of the special empowerment of the preacher or evangelist.” To be sure, a study of God’s Word will reveal times when prophecy foretold the future, times when prophecy forthtold the truth, and times when both foretelling and forthtelling were involved. However, I believe that this view overlooks what appears very obvious to me from Scripture- prophecy was infallible. I have read through the pages of the Bible several times and never have I found a true prophetic utterance which was not infallible. Biblical prophecy in both Testaments was infallible revelatory truth supernaturally enabled and prompted by God. I do not know of any clear-thinking Christian who would claim infallibility for every word and portion of any sermon that he has preached, let alone all of them! As Christians today we have prophecy, but not the gift of prophecy. We have the infallible truth of God revealed to us in the Word of God. We do not have a gift of infallible revelatory utterance.
[2] John F. MacArthur, Jr., Charismatic Chaos, Zondervan, 1992, p. 282
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