1 Corinthians 14:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After the Apostle had said to those who had the gift of tongues that there was nothing great in this, he goes on to prevent them from thinking he disparages them because he himself lacks it. See what he says: "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you" (1 Cor 14:18). He does the same in other cases. Thus, when he intends to overthrow the vainglorious claims of Judaism and show that it is now nothing, he first explains that he himself possessed these claims in the highest degree. Then he calls them vanity. "If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh," he says, "I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. As to the Law, a Pharisee. As to zeal, a persecutor of the Church of God.

Lest they think he disparages this gift because he himself does not have it, he says: I speak in tongues more than all.

Before you, I was counted worthy of this gift. Through me you also received this grace. Nevertheless, caring for the benefit of the many, I prefer clear teaching to unclear teaching. Then he continues with a rebuke: “Brethren, do not be children in understanding. In evil be infants, but in understanding be mature.”

The prophetic gift serves as a good and living bond between the speaker and the Church. But the gift of tongues, when abused, only separates its possessor from the faithful. "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful" (1 Cor 14:14). By "spirit" the Apostle means the gift, and by "mind" the explanation of what is said (Theodoret). "For if you bless with the spirit, how will the one who occupies the place of the layman say Amen at your thanksgiving?" (1 Cor 14:16). That is, he neither hears nor understands the final words, "unto ages of ages." This suggests that those guilty of the irrational use of the gift of tongues were the presidents themselves. They had been entrusted with edifying and guarding the faithful.

Persuading the Corinthians who possessed the gift of tongues to care also for the gift of interpretation, the Apostle Paul commands them to pray for this to the Lord, the one Distributor of all gifts. At the same time, he teaches them to pray not in a foreign tongue, but in one intelligible to all. Otherwise, the one praying does not take part in the prayer with his whole soul, but only in part. Others, the less instructed laypeople, cannot take part at all. They cannot even respond to the exclamation of the prayer with the brief prayerful word, Amen, that is, truly, so be it. It is evident that some of the church presidents were using the gift of tongues without profit, even in public prayer.

"So that they might not think he disparages them because he himself lacks this gift, he says: I speak with tongues more than all of you. Therefore do not exalt yourselves as though you alone have this gift. I also have it, and much more than you" (Saint Chrysostom). They knew how the Apostle acted among the faithful. But perhaps they did not know of his gift of tongues, if he did not use it without need and no necessary occasion had arisen while he was among them. Therefore the mention of it was not out of place. Yet it should have had a very instructive effect on the Corinthians, for they could not fail to see in the Apostle an example for imitation.