What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 14:19? But in the church - The setting matters. Paul is talking about the gathered body (see 1 Corinthians 11:18; Hebrews 10:24-25). - Public worship is for mutual edification; anything done there must build everyone up, not just the individual (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 14:26). - The church is God’s household (1 Timothy 3:15). What benefits the family comes first. I would rather - Paul’s personal preference reflects the Spirit-guided priority he wants the whole congregation to adopt (1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17). - He chooses what is profitable over what is merely permissible (1 Corinthians 10:23; 14:1). - This “rather” shows discernment: every gift is good, but some uses of gifts serve the moment better than others (Romans 12:6-8). speak five coherent words - “Five” underscores brevity; “coherent” stresses clarity. Together they highlight intelligibility (Proverbs 25:11; Colossians 4:6). - God values understandable speech because truth must be grasped to transform (Nehemiah 8:8; 2 Timothy 2:15). - Even a handful of clear words can guide, comfort, and correct—like the simple gospel phrase “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Romans 10:9). to instruct others - Teaching is central to discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 4:11-12). - The aim is growth: “we proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). - Love makes instruction self-giving, not self-displaying (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). than ten thousand words in a tongue - Tongues are a real gift (Acts 2:4; 1 Corinthians 12:10), yet without interpretation they remain unintelligible to the body (1 Corinthians 14:2, 23). - “Ten thousand” (the highest common Greek number) magnifies how useless even vast quantities of sound are if they do not edify (Ecclesiastes 5:2; 1 Corinthians 13:8-10). - Paul’s contrast is not anti-tongues; it is pro-edification. Spiritual experiences must submit to love’s rule for the good of all (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). summary Paul insists that in gathered worship clarity outweighs spectacle. Five plain words that teach and build up the church carry more eternal weight than an avalanche of unknown syllables. The measure of any utterance is not its impressiveness but its power to strengthen Christ’s body in truth and love. |
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