I gotta have my orange juice.

In this essay I explore what Paul means by prophecy and tongues in his first letter to the Corinthians. I suggest that:

• By “prophecy” Paul generally means the church’s corporate prayer and especially singing, especially in the vernacular; and
• By “tongues” Paul means worship in Hebrew rather than in the vernacular.

Prophecy

I take it for granted that 1 Corinthians 11 is addressing corporate worship, including Paul’s dealings with head coverings. This poses a problem: why does Paul countenance women’s praying and prophesying in corporate worship, when in chapter 14 he requires them to be silent?

We know that there is a sense in which prophecy can essentially mean spiritual song, as it does in the case of Saul and the company of prophets in 1 Samuel chapters 10 and 19. I suggest that this is the sense in which Paul is speaking of prayer and prophecy in chapter 11. Setting aside the question of whatever is meant by head covering, the prayer and prophecy that he is referring to must be the corporate prayer and song of the assembled church; this is within the extent of the words, and it is only at this point in the service that women are not silent.

Let’s consider whether this pattern holds in the more difficult passage of chapter 14.

Tongues

Chapter 14 is difficult to parse. Few interpretations make sense of the apparent contradictions in this passage. Paul does not wish to pray without understanding—and yet he speaks in tongues more than the Corinthians. Tongues are a sign to unbelievers (I assume this is unbelieving Jews)—and yet the Corinthians are not to speak in uninterpreted tongues lest the unbelievers fail to be convicted.

The charismatic interpretation that glossa = glossolalia seems to align with the general idea of unintelligibility that Paul is expressing, but it does not address Paul’s apparent contradictions. Worse, it is inconsistent with other occurrences of tongues in the NT, which generally seem to refer to known human languages. Moving from charismatic to cessationist interpretations, I’m intrigued by James Jordan’s observation that the church likely worshipped next to the Jewish synagogue (see Acts 18:7). The fact that the church’s worship would have been in Greek underscores the prophecy from Isaiah 28 that Paul cites. However, if we take glossa simply to refer to the church’s worshipping in Greek, this makes no sense of Paul’s argument, since it suggests that Greek may be unintelligible, and implies that he is forbidding worship in uninterpreted Greek.

There are a number of cases in the New Testament where God enacts an ironic reversal of old covenant realities. For example, Matthew 2:15 cites Hosea, identifying Jesus’s flight from Israel with Israel’s flight from Egypt; Israel herself has become the new Egypt, and Herod the new Pharaoh. In Galatians 4, Paul categorizes Israel as children of Hagar rather than Sarah. Paul, in Romans 3, quotes Psalm 14, identifying Israel not with “my people” and “the righteous” in that Psalm, but instead with the foolish and corrupt workers of iniquity. Paul understands that there has been a great and ironic reversal of loyalty and fortune for Israel.

Consider another likely reversal: by this time the Jewish diaspora has largely lost their familiarity with Hebrew. Hebrew itself has become an “other tongue” for God’s people. When Hebrew is spoken in the synagogue, God’s people do not hear him. Even before the reign of Jesus is preached in Corinth, Isaiah’s prophecy has already begun to be fulfilled. This is a good thing in itself; God’s word is going to many lands and languages (witness the Septuagint), just as he intended. It is not even a bad thing that Aramaic becomes the vernacular in the land of Israel. What transforms all this into a judgment is that Israel refuses to listen to and obey this word. The capstone of this judgment is that it will be pronounced in a foreign tongue.

This lends a double meaning to Isaiah’s prophecy. It is already a shame to Israel that her disapora cannot hear God in Hebrew. On top of this, it is a further shame that the proclamation of Messiah’s reign is being made week to week in Greek but they do not respond. What Paul refers to as “tongues” appears in this light to be, ironically, some kind of fascination with Hebrew, or perhaps even some kind of Judaizing conviction that the Corinthian church has toward Hebrew (perhaps especially when it comes to singing the Psalms); whereas “prophecy” is the church’s ordinary corporate worship in the vernacular Greek.

Paul is not writing this way to be clever or to confuse us; rather, he is making a devastating point about how Israel has become wholly deaf to God in every language whatsoever. Israel is no longer able to hear in Hebrew, and apparently unwilling to hear him in Greek. It is essential that God’s proclamation through his church be heard and understood by all. If the church were to worship in Hebrew, it must be interpreted or else none will understand. Although it is a shame to Israel regardless of whether worship take place in Hebrew or in Greek, unbelieving Jews will be convicted and provoked to jealousy only if they hear in Greek. God is giving Israel one final test to see whether they are deaf to him. For the sake of the church and for the sake of Israel, the church must worship in the vernacular—or at least must explain all Hebrew speech in the vernacular.

What a reformation this represents! At last God’s people hear him (c.f., Acts 2). At last God’s people can participate in genuine worship.

All those who have studied Hebrew, or remember a little from grammar school, or have memorized a little, must not be puffed up; they must not be little Judaizers. Paul, who speaks Hebrew more than all the Corinthians, gladly sets it aside. To the Greek speakers, he becomes as a Greek speaker. “How shall we sing Yahweh’s song in a foreign land?” We shall sing it in the vernacular.

Let’s walk through chapter 14 and see how this reading holds together:

1 Pursue love, and desire the spiritual, but especially that you worship in the vernacular.

Worship in spirit and truth is worship united together with God’s people on the foundation of the Spirit-breathed word.

2 For he who speaks in Hebrew does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands; however, in the spirit-breath he speaks mysteries.
3 But he who worships in the vernacular speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
4 He who speaks in Hebrew edifies himself, but he who worships in the vernacular edifies the church.

It is difficult to understand how glossolalia could edify; Hebrew makes far more sense here in the case of those who understand it or who may have memorized some Hebrew and also its meaning.

5 I wish you all spoke in Hebrew, but even more that you worship in the vernacular; for he who worships in the vernacular is greater than he who speaks in Hebrew, unless indeed he explains, that the church may receive edification.

Paul genuinely wishes that we all studied the original languages, but this is not his priority. Note that the word for interpret here has a range that includes explanation and expounding.

6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in Hebrew, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by proclaiming in the vernacular, or by teaching?

Here it makes sense that we would understand the use of prophesying as referring specifically to the preaching portion of worship.

7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played?
8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.

Here Paul is speaking of the human tongue.

10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them without significance.
11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the voice, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks, a foreigner to me.
12 Even so you, since you are zealous for the spiritual,let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
13 Therefore let him who speaks in Hebrew pray that he may explain.

Here again interpret means explanation rather than translation.

14 For if one prays in Hebrew, his spirit-breath prays, but his understanding is unfruitful.

Paul here is using personification, as he often does. I’ve written this as “one” to clarify. He is not referring to himself but to Corinthians who may have memorized some Hebrew—hocus pocus—without understanding. Such a man does not even edify himself, let alone others.

15 What then? We will pray with the spirit-breath, and we will also pray with the understanding. We will sing with the spirit-breath, and we will also sing with the understanding.

I have adjusted Paul’s personification to “we.”

16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit-breath, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?

Paul switches to “you,” confirming his earlier personification.

17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 I thank my God I speak in Hebrew more than you all;
19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in Hebrew.
20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
21 In the law it is written:
“With men of other tongues and other lips
I will speak to this people;
And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,”
says the Lord.
22 Therefore Hebrew is for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelieving [Jews]; but worshipping in Greek is not for unbelieving [Jews] but for those who believe.
23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak in Hebrew, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelieving [Jews who do not know Hebrew], will they not say that you are out of your mind?
24 But if all worship in Greek, and an unbelieving [Jew] or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.
25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a word in Hebrew, has a revelation, has an explanation. Let all things be done for edification.

I don’t think it is necessary to view this as a free-for-all worship service. In the verses that follow, I take Paul to be addressing the elders, those who prophesy (i.e., preach and proclaim) in the service. Often this is the case when he writes to “brothers,” and it is self-evident that he is writing here to those who speak in the service. Corinth is disorderly and it is little surprise this disorder extends to and likely originates with the men who rule and teach. But even if you believe Corinthian worship to have been very nearly Quaker in form, it seems evident that Paul is referring to Hebrew and Greek in these verses.

In these verses, I take the sense of prophecy to be narrowed from corporate worship specifically to preaching and proclamation.

27 If anyone speaks in Hebrew, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one explain.
28 But if there is no one to explain, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
29 Let two or three preach in the vernacular, and let the others judge.
30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.
31 For you can all preach in the vernacular one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.
32 And the spirit-breath of the preachers are subject to the preachers.
33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.
35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
36 Or did the word of God come from you? Or was it you only that it reached?
37 If anyone thinks himself to be a preacher or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.
38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to worship and preach in the vernacular, and do not forbid to speak in Hebrew.

Preachers everywhere are greatly relieved.

40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

Amen.

Summary

This interpretation seems to make better sense of this passage, resolving the apparent contradictions. Paul touches on tongues and prophecy in chapters 12–13 as well. In chapter 12 it seems possible that Paul is referring not just to knowledge of Hebrew but to skill with languages in general. Chapter 13 underscores some of the fleshly reasons that people may have been speaking in Hebrew.