1 Corinthians 14:22
Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
Tongues are a sign aimed at unbelievers, while prophesying is given to serve those who already believe. Tongues means speaking an intelligible language for the gospel that must be interpreted in the church, for uninterpreted speech does not edify and sounds foolish to the hearer. Prophesying means speaking for God in orderly teaching, exhortation, comfort and testimony, including foretelling the future by inspiration. Prophecy is therefore greater than uninterpreted tongues because it builds up the church in unity, warns of danger, and equips believers for ministry. As at Pentecost when unbelievers were convinced by hearing the gospel in their own tongues, the gifts continue through the gospel age, with prophecy placed in the church as the spirit of prophecy to perfect a people who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Meaning and Setting
Tongues are for a sign to those who do not believe, while prophesying serves those who believe. God gave the gift of tongues so that people who speak different languages could hear and understand the gospel, as at Pentecost. The true gift is therefore an intelligible earthly language spoken by one who knows what is being said when there is need for it, not unintelligible speech exercised by personal choice at will. To pour forth words unintelligible to anyone and claim the gift of tongues is an abuse of the gift, since the true gift reaches unbelievers by enabling preaching to them in their own language rather than by utterance that fails to reach them.
In the church a tongue is given for a particular purpose and should benefit the church, so when listeners do not understand it, it should be interpreted. Without interpretation unintelligible speech does not build up the hearers, is meaningless to an unbelieving observer, does not edify the church, and can appear foolish. For this reason Paul opposes uninterpreted speech in an unknown tongue unless someone interprets, and tongues are of little importance unless interpreted so the church can understand and be edified. Public worship may include believers and unbelievers who come to listen and learn, and the instruction concerns public acts of worship in the place of public meeting, including prayer made aloud like prophesying in words the listeners understand, rather than silent private communion with God.
Prophecy serves believers by building them up through orderly exhortation and instruction, and God sends prophets to speak to believers for their edification, exhortation, and comfort. In this sense prophecy is explained as teaching or speaking for God, is greater than tongues for building up the church, and is shown in testimony given in a social meeting. It is both foretelling future events by God's inspiration and teaching, is described as the church's eyes warning it of dangers, and is identified as the best gift of the Holy Spirit. A person need not be a prophet or a Christian to prophesy in this sense of testifying and speaking for God.
The verse belongs to Paul's particular directions to the Corinthian believers on how to use the gift of tongues to edification. Those believers abounded in spiritual or miraculous gifts, including tongues, following an amazing conversion from gross immoralities, and they handed down this instruction to posterity as a sacred treasure. It was given to correct disorderly worship and meaningless noises, boasting and being puffed up over spiritual gifts, and uninterpreted public prayer and speech, calling for speech and worship that can be understood. The admonitions about the gifts are to be carefully studied now because the same abuse made in Corinth is found now, so that heartfelt expression is joined with clear teaching and outsiders do not mock what they cannot make sense of. Spiritual gifts are of highest value, represented by pounds and talents and not by pence or shekels or other inferior coins, and even the very lowest rightly used is of inestimable value, yet because the gifts come from God and are received they give no ground to exalt self or think more highly than ought, but require thinking soberly according as God has dealt the measure of faith.
Edification of Church
The gifts of the Spirit are given for the edification and for the completeness and unity of the church as a body with many members, not for display. Tongues in the church must be interpreted so the church can understand and be edified, for without interpretation they are of little importance and do not build up. Prophecy is greater than uninterpreted tongues for this purpose, because it builds up the church through orderly exhortation, instruction, and teaching or speaking for God. The Corinthian believers abounded in spiritual gifts after conversion, and the directions for using tongues to edification were handed down as a sacred treasure.
In the order of gospel work, messages to the world are first proclaimed from Scripture, and prophecy comes secondarily as believers are raised up, to perfect them, equip them for ministry, and build them up. Prophecy is placed in the church for the benefit and service of those who believe, and in this sense it was given among those who already believed. It builds up the church, brings edification, exhortation, and comfort, foretells the future, and serves as the eyes of the church to warn of dangers. Through the resulting unity and spiritual power of the church, unbelievers are then affected and led to the Lord.
Prophecy is the best of the gifts because of its purpose and use in serving believers, embracing both foretelling future events by inspiration and teaching. Public worship and speech must therefore be intelligible, joining heartfelt expression with clear teaching so that all understand, rather than disorderly worship and meaningless noises that outsiders cannot make sense of and mock. The instruction of 1 Corinthians 12-14 was given to silence boasting and being puffed up over spiritual gifts. The gifts come from God and are received, so they give no ground to exalt self or think more highly than ought, but require thinking soberly according as God has dealt the measure of faith; they are of highest value, represented by pounds and talents and not by pence or shekels or other inferior coins, and even the very lowest rightly used is of inestimable value, while slighted opportunity becomes a weighty cross.
Prophesying thus serves those who believe and becomes a point of conflict within the church, distinguishing those who believe from those who do not. It is for the special benefit of believing children and can help preserve the work of God from confusion and disaster in the closing gospel message. Believers are to trust in, rejoice over, and be preserved by prophecy and the other gifts that edify the church, rather than pressing the gifts upon unbelievers.
Continuance and Final Work
At Pentecost unbelievers were convinced and many converted upon hearing the gospel in their own languages which the speakers had never learned, showing that tongues are a sign for unbelievers rather than for believers. In the early church the same effect followed when unbelievers heard in their own tongue, confirming that purpose for the gift. The need for such manifestations is not shown to have ended. The gift of tongues with the other gifts of the Spirit continues throughout the gospel age and should be sought for the completion of the gospel work. God gave this gift at Pentecost and elsewhere when it was needed, and still bestows it in answer to faith when His servants need it.
The sign was needed by unbelievers in the early church and is still needed, and it will serve the final gospel message to people of different languages. Its use does not replace missionaries learning those languages, but God may work miraculously alongside their efforts. The gift of prophecy is placed in the church for the benefit of believers. It is identified as the spirit of prophecy given for the church. As the best of all the gifts because of its purpose and use in serving believers, its exercise is to be expected in the closing work that develops a people who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
In the early Advent movement this purpose explained why prophetic visions were given among those who already believed, to build them up. The prophetic gift is for the special benefit of believing children and can help preserve the work of God from confusion and disaster in the closing gospel message. Its connection with the third angel's message began after believers had been raised up in the Sabbath and that message, and it served believers by supporting ministry and building up the church. Since tongues serve as a sign for unbelievers while prophecy serves believers, the presence of many unbelievers is a relevant test when assessing a claimed gift of tongues.