1 Corinthians 14:23 NIV

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:23

Be come together into one place - For public worship.And all speak with tongues - All speak with a variety of unknown tongues; all speak foreign languages. The idea is, that the church would usually speak the same language with the people among whom they dwelt; and if they made use of foreign languages which were unintelligible to their visitors, it would leave the impression that the church was a bedlam.And there come in - those that are “unlearned.” Those that are unacquainted with foreign... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Corinthians 14:23-25

1 Corinthians 14:23-25. Yet sometimes prophecy is of more use even to unbelievers than speaking with tongues. For instance: if the whole church be come together On some extraordinary occasion; (it is probable in so large a city they ordinarily met in several places;) and all That are endowed with such a gift; speak with tongues One in one language, and another in another; and there come in those that are unlearned Persons ignorant of those languages; men of learning might possibly... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:1-25

The gift of tongues (14:1-25)In the light of his teaching on the variety of spiritual gifts and the importance of love, Paul now considers the problem that had arisen in the Corinthian church concerning tongues. The gift is allowable, but prophecy is preferable. This is because those who speak in tongues speak to God, not to their fellow worshippers, and therefore are of spiritual help only to themselves (unless someone interprets for them). Prophets, however, speak to all and so build up the... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Corinthians 14:23

into one place . See Acts 2:1 . unbelievers . Greek. apistos, as in verses: 1 Corinthians 14:22 , 1 Corinthians 14:24 . mad . Greek. mainomai. See Acts 12:15 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:23

If therefore the whole church be assembled together and all speak with tongues, and there come in men unlearned or unbelieving, will they not say that ye are mad?Far from being an instrument of converting unbelievers, or being some kind of sign that would help unbelievers to believe, tongues in a public assembly were a positive hindrance, resulting not in the conversion of any but in the judgment against Christians to the effect that they were all crazy. It should be carefully noted that what... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:23

23. whole . . . all . . . tongues—The more there are assembled, and the more that speak in unknown tongues, the more will the impression be conveyed to strangers "coming in" from curiosity ("unbelievers"), or even from a better motive ("unlearned"), that the whole body of worshippers is a mob of fanatical "madmen"; and that "the Church is like the company of builders of Babel after the confusion of tongues, or like the cause tried between two deaf men before a deaf judge, celebrated in the... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 14:1-25

4. The need for intelligibility 14:1-25"Paul had discussed the gift of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the graces of the Spirit; and now he concluded this section by explaining the government of the Spirit in the public worship services of the church. Apparently there was a tendency for some of the Corinthians to lose control of themselves as they exercised their gifts, and Paul had to remind them of the fundamental principles that ought to govern the public meetings of the church.... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 14:20-25

Application in view of unbelievers 14:20-25Uninterpreted tongues did not benefit visiting unbelievers any more than they edified the believers in church meetings. Prophecy, on the other hand, benefited both groups. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 14:23

Paul painted a picture of the Corinthian church assembled and engaged in a frenzy of unintelligible tongues-speaking. Two types of individuals walk in. One is a believer untaught in the matter of spiritual gifts and the other is an unbeliever. To both of them the worshippers appear to be insane rather than soberly engaged in worship and instruction. The church meeting would resemble the meetings of a mystery cult in which such mania was common."It was strange that what the Corinthians specially... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:1-40

(e) Spiritual Gifts(iii) The Gift of Tongues subordinate to ProphecyThe Apostle in this chapter deals with the abuse of the gift of tongues which characterised the Corinthians, and declares that it is inferior to the gift of prophecy, though valuable enough in itself if kept in proper control. Speaking with tongues is a phenomenon we meet with in the NT. only here and in the Acts of the Apostles. The gift as recorded in Acts 2 seems to have been the power to speak in foreign languages. We are... read more

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:23

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Corinthians 14:23-25

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 14:1-25

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Corinthians 14:23

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:23

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:23

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 14:20-25

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 14:23

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 14:1-40

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