John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:4
He that speaketh its an unknown tongue ,.... Be it the Hebrew language, or any other; some copies, and the Ethiopic version, read, "with tongues": edifieth himself ; his heart may be warmed, his affections raised, his devotion kept up, and he be in a very spiritual and comfortable frame, knowing and understanding what he himself says: but he that prophesieth, edifieth the church : which is the great end of the Gospel ministry, which is for the edifying the body of the church:... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:3
But he that prophesieth ,.... Preaches, prays, or sings, in a language understood by the common people: speaketh unto men to edification ; to the building of them up in Christ, and on their most holy faith, so that they grow up as an holy temple to the Lord: and exhortation; to the more vigorous exercise of grace, and the more cheerful and fervent discharge of duty: and comfort ; of distressed minds, either through the temptations of Satan, or divine desertions, or inward... read more