1 Corinthians 14:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others discern" (1 Cor 14:29). He added nothing more of the sort that he said about tongues.

But what does he mean? Does he not show that prophecy too is insufficient by itself, if he leaves it to others to discern? No, it is quite sufficient.

For this reason he did not stop the mouth of the one prophesying, as he did with the one speaking in tongues when there is no interpreter.

Concerning the latter he said: "If there is no interpreter, let him keep silent." Concerning the former he did not say: if there is no one to discern, let him not prophesy.

He merely gave instruction to the hearer. He said this as a warning to the hearers, lest a diviner should occur among them.

He commanded them to beware of this at the beginning, when he showed the difference between divination and prophecy. Now again he commands them to distinguish and observe the same thing, so that nothing demonic may slip in.

Soothsayers hid themselves among the prophets. Therefore he says: let the others discern concerning them, lest some soothsayer somehow remain hidden in secret. For above (1 Cor 12:10) it was said that there was also a gift of discerning spirits, to distinguish false prophets from true ones. He commands two or three to prophesy for the sake of good order, and so that soothsayers may not hide among a multitude.

Likewise, let two or three prophets speak, and let the others discern. That is, let them make clear to the people what the prophets have prophesied.

The Apostle kept the same measure when he said: let two or three speak. He permits the others to question the first speakers about what causes doubt, or about what someone cannot follow. And where opinions differ, let the matter be explained by accessible reasoning.

The divine Apostle had already numbered the discernment of spirits among the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:10). Therefore he says the same here, namely, that those counted worthy of this gift discern what is uttered, whether it is spoken by the action of God’s Spirit. For as the devil set false prophets against the prophets, so he set false apostles against the apostles. The Apostle shows this in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, saying: “Such are false apostles, deceitful workers” (2 Cor 11:13).

No one should stubbornly hold to what he has always taught and known. But if something more useful or better is found, it should be received readily.

Here the order is depicted which was fitting in apostolic times, but not in our own.

The Church then abounded in miraculous gifts, but the number of believers was still not great. Liturgical hymns and prayers were only just being composed, and the order of worship had not yet become definite.

Therefore an individual believer, sensing within himself the presence of the Spirit of God, was allowed to come forward with his own song or psalm, with his own revelation or instruction.

But what would happen in church in our time, if, amid the immense multitude of believers, each were allowed to sing his own song and deliver his own instruction?

The rule for prophets is this: only a few should instruct, two or three in turn. But one must immediately cease speaking if others receive a revelation. For “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets,” unlike what happens with frenzied diviners in pagan temples. “God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.”

Having shown the impropriety of disorder in church assemblies, the Apostle Paul gives rules for the use in church of the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy.

As a general foundation for those who possess either gift, he sets forth the good goal of edifying one's neighbors. Apart from this, nothing should have a place in the Church.

In particular, he counsels those who possess the gift of tongues to use their gift in turn. They should do this only when it is possible to explain what is uttered in a foreign language.

Otherwise, one must only lift up to the Lord in one's mind what has been given by Him, as a gift for the prayer of mind and heart.

The prophets are those who have received from the Spirit of God revelation, understanding, or instruction, in order to communicate it to the assembly in its common language.

"Let two or three speak," that is, one after another. "As earlier concerning tongues, so here also he requires that this be done separately" (Saint Chrysostom).

"And let the others discern," that is, let them attend to what is heard and go deeply into it, making what is heard their own. Only in this way can what is revealed to one or another become the common possession.

Or the words "let them discern" give an occupation to those who had the gift of discernment of spirits. Thus blessed Theodoret says: "The divine Apostle had already numbered discernment of spirits among the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:10).