Paul and His Letters: An Analysis of Passage 1 Corinthians Chapter 14 Versus 20-25

This paper analyzes the first passage of Corinthians chapter 14 versus 20-25, discussing its historical and literary context, major themes of prophecy and tongues, and the purpose of the passage in addressing the problems faced by the church.

Running head: PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
PAUL AND HIS LETTERS: AN ANALYSIS OF PASSAGE 1 CORINTHIANS
CHAPTER 14 VERSUS 20-25
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
Introduction
As opined by Carson1, the Corinthians chapter 14 versus 20-25 is one of the most
discussed instructions of Paul and had formed the central lacuna of a great many theological
works and sermons. Oropeza and Moyise2 are of the viewpoint that this passage of Paul is
important to the theologians not only because of its theological value but also because of the
perplexing idea or notion that it articulates. This can be explained on the basis of the fact that
on the one hand Paul says that tongues are a sign for the non-believers or the ‘unbelievers’
whereas he discourages the usage of the same in the presence of the unbelievers3. More
importantly, he even states that the prophecies are primarily meant for the believers however
he himself goes on to use the same tool in the presence of the unbelievers4. Furthermore, a
detailed analysis of the passage under discussion here reveals the fact that the entire passage
is redolent with “Isaiah quotation” which as a matter of fact forms an integral part of the Old
Testament. This paper intends to undertake an analysis of first passage of Corinthians chapter
14 versus 20-25 in the particular context of its major themes and also exegesis.
Context of the Verse
Historical Context and Purpose
The instruction of Paul under discussion here was written or for that matter intended
for a church of that time which was facing or having different kinds of problems5. The
1 Carson, Donald A. Showing the Spirit: a theological exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14. Baker Books, 2019.
2 Oropeza, Brisio J., and Steve Moyise, eds. Exploring Intertextuality: Diverse Strategies for New Testament
Interpretation of Texts. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2016.
3 Westfall, Cynthia Long. "Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians,
written by Lucy Peppiatt." Journal of Reformed Theology 11, no. 3 (2017): 325-327.
4 Robinson, David S. "‘By the Lips of Foreigners’: Disclosing the Church in 1 Corinthians 14: 20–
25." Ecclesiology 14, no. 3 (2018): 306-321.
5 Wright, Brian S. What the Biblical Text Actually Says About Speaking in Tongues. Calvert Biblical Institute,
2016.

2PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
primary purpose of Paul for writing this passage was to help the concerned church to address
the different problems that it faced. This as a matter of fact finds evidence from the fact that
there are numerous sections in the passage under discussion which focuses on the concepts of
believers in the tenets of the Christian philosophy, the importance of prophesies, spiritual
gifts that the individual can attain by effectively following the Christian philosophy or the
different precepts of the Bible and others6. In this regard, it needs to be said that the passage
of Paul rather than being primarily meant for the church for which he wrote can also be seen
for the different priests and the church since in that age it was seen that the general masses or
the Christians were increasingly losing their faith in the different tenets of the religion of
Christianity7. On the score of these aspects, it can be said that rather than being particular in
nature the passage under discussion is universal since it can be effectively applied to the
general situation of the age.
Literary Context
Barnhill8 has articulated the viewpoint that an important aspect of the passage of Paul
under discussion is its literary value and it is seen that He purposefully plays with different
words or phrases for the creation of a perplexing idea or for that matter for the creation of
confusion regarding the message which He was trying to deliver through the passage. As a
matter of fact, there are many individuals who consider the passage under discussion to be a
mere paraphrase of the Isaiah quotations from the Old Testament9. This in turn accounts for
the complexity of several sections of the concerned passage. One of the most important ones
6 Peppiatt, Lucy. Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians. James Clarke
Company, Limited, 2017.
7 Keener, Craig S. "The Spirit and Biblical Interpretation." Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 4, no. 1 (2019):
5.
8 Barnhill, Gregory M. "The Paradox of Ecclesiology: A Theological Reading of 1 Corinthians 5." Journal of
Theological Interpretation 12, no. 2 (2018): 242-263.
9 Marshall, Jill E. Women Praying and Prophesying in Corinth: Gender and Inspired Speech in First
Corinthians. Vol. 448. Mohr Siebeck, 2017.

3PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
in this context is the relationship between prophecy and tongues and the passage as a matter
of fact goes on to show the superiority of prophecy in comparison to the tongues10. This can
be explained on the basis of the fact that Paul intended to articulate the idea that rather than
merely articulating or repeating the different prophecies, the believers needed to comprehend
them and thereby make the most of the same.
Exegetical Analysis
Structure
The passage under discussion here begins with a Preface wherein Paul highlights the
importance of prophecy over tongues which as a matter of fact forms the central crux of the
entire instruction of Paul11. Furthermore, it is seen that he concludes the Preface by
highlighting the personal principles or the course of action that the believers needed to
follow. The actual lines that this paper analyses are a response which is being given by the
Apostles or for that matter their exhortation to the readers or the believers to try to attain the
same level of faith or understanding12. However, an interesting fact to note about the
exhortation is the fact that although it is rather simple in nature or literary tone yet at the same
time an analysis of the same reveals the fact that they are comprised of three contrasting ideas
or lines, namely, “Be not children in….minds”; “The word for mind….or midriff” and “Thus
it is, as Grosheide…whole man”13.
10 Casillas, Ken. Beyond Chapter and Verse: The Theology and Practice of Biblical Application. Wipf and Stock
Publishers, 2018.
11 Newton, Jon. "Speaking in tongues: Jesus and the apostolic church as models for the church today." Journal
of Contemporary Ministry 4 (2018): 142.
12 White, Benjamin L. "The Traditional and Ecclesiastical Paul of 1 Corinthians." The Catholic Biblical
Quarterly 79, no. 4 (2017): 651-669.
13 Robinson, David S. "‘By the Lips of Foreigners’: Disclosing the Church in 1 Corinthians 14: 20–
25." Ecclesiology 14, no. 3 (2018): 306-321.

4PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
Major Themes
Oropeza and Moyise14 have articulated the viewpoint that one of the most important
aspects of the passage of Paul under discussion here are the light that they shed on the
concepts of prophecy and tongues or for that matter the manner in which they are supposed to
be used by the mature Corinthians or the general masses. In this regard, it needs to be said
that the passage of Paul considers that one of the most important signs of being mature is the
manner in which the individuals or for believers use their tongues or the purposes for which it
is being used by them. For example, the passage of Paul under discussion here in a succinct
manner states that the Corinthians in order to become mature needs to effectively use their
tongue not for the purpose of merely speaking but for the purpose of spreading the message
or the teachings of the Almighty15. This is important because of the fact that it is seen that the
individuals spend their entire lives talking about the meaningless which are hardly of any
significance however they fail to use it effectively for the purpose of cascading the message
of the Bible or the God which is of paramount significance.
More importantly, it is seen that to support to point that He is trying to make Paul
brings in the concept of Law from the Old Testament16. In particular, he takes the help of the
lines “Isaiah 28:11,12” wherein it is said that “For with stammering [strange] lips and [with]
another tongue will he speak to this people to whom he said…. yet they would not hear”17.
This as a matter of fact becomes the groundwork for the lines which forms the central lacuna
of the entire passage under discussion here, that is, “By men of other tongues and by lips of
14 Oropeza, Brisio J., and Steve Moyise, eds. Exploring Intertextuality: Diverse Strategies for New Testament
Interpretation of Texts. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2016.
15 House, H. Wayne. Chronological and background charts of the New Testament. Zondervan, 2019.
16 Westfall, Cynthia Long. "Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians,
written by Lucy Peppiatt." Journal of Reformed Theology 11, no. 3 (2017): 325-327.
17 Robinson, David S. "‘By the Lips of Foreigners’: Disclosing the Church in 1 Corinthians 14: 20–
25." Ecclesiology 14, no. 3 (2018): 306-321.

5PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
others I will speak to this people ….. says the Lord”18. An interesting fact to note in this
regard is that the tongues in the lines of Isaiah refers to the tongues of the invaders whereas in
the particular context of the passage of Paul they are being used to refer to the unbelievers or
for that matter the people who do not use their tongue wisely to spread the message or the
gospel of God and this becomes apparent from the line “not to those who are believing”19. On
the score of this, it can be said that Paul is trying to use the construct of tongue as a sign to
identify the believers from the unbelievers.
Another important theme which becomes apparent from a critical analysis of the
passage of Paul under discussion here can be ascribed to the aspect of prophecies. In this
regard, it needs to be said that one of the most important aspects of the concerned passage is
the fact that on the one hand he states that the prophecies are for the believers and on the
other hand he goes on to encourage the usage of the same when the unbelievers or the non-
believers in the message or the gospel of God are present20. This is actually contradictory to
the idea that he is trying to propound in the passage under discussion. For example, if he
actually believes or for that intends the church that was facing problems or issues and which
he wrote the passage to believe in the idea that the prophecies are only meant for the
believers then why would be encourage the usage of the same in the presence of the non-
believers. As a matter of fact, it is seen that the Christians are required to believe in the
different prophecies of the God, Bible or for that matter the Christian Saints and this actually
is a mark of a true Christian and the people do not believe in the teachings or the entire
18 Kowalski, Marcin. "Jeffrey W. Aernie, Is Paul also among the Prophets? An Examination of the Relationship
between Paul and the Old Testament Prophetic Tradition in 2 Corinthians." The Biblical Annals 7, no. 7 (64/3)
(2017): 375-379.
19 Oropeza, Brisio J., and Steve Moyise, eds. Exploring Intertextuality: Diverse Strategies for New Testament
Interpretation of Texts. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2016.
20 Peppiatt, Lucy. Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians. James Clarke
Company, Limited, 2017.

6PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
religion of Christianity simply choose to ignore the different prophecies21. Thus, it would be
completely futile to encourage the priests or the other people to resort to the usage of the
prophecies in front or the presence of the unbelievers.
Casillas22 has articulated the viewpoint that one of the most important aspects of the
different Christian prophecies is the fact that the individuals or more precisely the Christians
are being rebuked or appreciated or judged or subjected to legal or judicial examination in the
different prophecies. More importantly, as discussed by White23, another important purpose
which is being served by the different prophecies is the fact that the individuals are being able
to see the true light or the things which are hidden or latent in the hearts of the different
believers. In the particular context of the passage of Paul under discussion here the passage in
a subtle manner conveys the idea by way of seeing the true image of themselves through the
different prophecies are individuals are being able to believe in the idea that “Truly God is
among you”24. This in turn helps in a substantial manner in the reaffirmation of the faith of
the believers in the idea of God or for that matter in the entire religion of Christianity itself.
Paul in the passage under discussion is trying to drive home the idea to the different
believers that prophecy is more important than the tongues. This can be explained on the
basis of the fact that the different prophecies help the individuals to believe in an effective
manner in the diverse teachings of Christianity or for that matter in the idea of the Christian
benevolent God itself25. Furthermore, he even articulates the idea that one of the major
21 Keener, Craig S. "The Spirit and Biblical Interpretation." Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 4, no. 1 (2019):
5.
22 Casillas, Ken. Beyond Chapter and Verse: The Theology and Practice of Biblical Application. Wipf and Stock
Publishers, 2018.
23 White, Benjamin L. "The Traditional and Ecclesiastical Paul of 1 Corinthians." The Catholic Biblical
Quarterly 79, no. 4 (2017): 651-669.
24 Robinson, David S. "‘By the Lips of Foreigners’: Disclosing the Church in 1 Corinthians 14: 20–
25." Ecclesiology 14, no. 3 (2018): 306-321.
25 Marshall, Jill E. Women Praying and Prophesying in Corinth: Gender and Inspired Speech in First
Corinthians. Vol. 448. Mohr Siebeck, 2017.

7PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
drawbacks of the different immature believers is the fact that rather than effectively
understanding the different prophecies as well as using them to enhance their faith in the
religion of Christianity the believers simply use their tongues to repeat them without
understanding the actual facts or the true meaning of the prophecies itself which are being
revealed to them26. This aspect becomes apparent from the line of the passage under
discussion wherein Paul says that “tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers,
while prophecy is a sign[a] not for unbelievers but for believers”27. More importantly, the
ideas or themes that Paul seems to be articulating in the concerned passage are not only
important from the perspective of the church for which He wrote the passage or for the age
that he belonged to but also from the perspective of the contemporary world wherein it is
seen that the people are increasingly loosing their faith and believing more in tongues rather
than the prophecies.
Theological Significance
Wright28 has articulated the viewpoint that the passage of Paul under discussion here
is an important one from the theological point of view and is used even in the present times
by the different priests as a central idea for the various sermons composed by them. As a
matter of fact, the concerned passage effectively highlights the perils which the individuals or
the believers can fall into by believing in the idea that tongues are more important than the
prophecies29. In this regard, it needs to be said that Paul shows the way through which the
26 Räisänen, Heikki. "Are Christians Better People? On the Contrast between “Us” and “Them” in Early
Christian Rhetoric." In Christianity and the Roots of Morality, pp. 182-197. Brill, 2017.
27 Westfall, Cynthia Long. "Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians,
written by Lucy Peppiatt." Journal of Reformed Theology 11, no. 3 (2017): 325-327.
28 Wright, Brian S. What the Biblical Text Actually Says About Speaking in Tongues. Calvert Biblical Institute,
2016.
29 Keener, Craig S. "The Spirit and Biblical Interpretation." Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 4, no. 1 (2019):
5.

8PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
saints or the priests can convert the non-believers or the unbelievers into believers by way of
encouraging the usage of prophecies in the presence of the non-believers. This is important
because of the fact that although the non-believers do not believe in the idea of the prophecies
and as a matter of fact completely repudiate however through the effective usage of the same
in their presence it is likely that they can be converted into believers30. This becomes
important from the perspective of the contemporary world in which the human beings
wherein it is seen that because of the extensive materialism the individuals are not only losing
touch with prophecies or the religion of Christianity but with their true selves as well.
Conclusion
To conclude, Paul’s instruction in the first passage of the Corinthians chapter 14
versus 20-25 is an important one not only from the historical or the literary point of view but
also from the theological perspective as well. In this regard, it needs to be said that one of the
most important aspects of the passage of Paul under discussion here is the fact that it upholds
the idea “prophecies are superior than the tongues” and also in a succinct manner shows the
way through which the unbelievers or the non-believers can be converted into believers. This
passage was actually written by Paul for a church which was facing different kinds of issues
or problems at that particular point of time or in the age of Paul however the ideas that he
articulates in the concerned passage are relevant from the perspective of the contemporary
world as well. These aspects become apparent from the above discussion of the passage of
Paul under discussion here.
References
Barnhill, Gregory M. "The Paradox of Ecclesiology: A Theological Reading of 1 Corinthians
5." Journal of Theological Interpretation 12, no. 2 (2018): 242-263.
30 Marshall, Jill E. Women Praying and Prophesying in Corinth: Gender and Inspired Speech in First
Corinthians. Vol. 448. Mohr Siebeck, 2017.

9PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
Carson, Donald A. Showing the Spirit: a theological exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14. Baker
Books, 2019.
Casillas, Ken. Beyond Chapter and Verse: The Theology and Practice of Biblical
Application. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2018.
House, H. Wayne. Chronological and background charts of the New Testament. Zondervan,
2019.
Keener, Craig S. "The Spirit and Biblical Interpretation." Spiritus: ORU Journal of
Theology 4, no. 1 (2019): 5.
Kowalski, Marcin. "Jeffrey W. Aernie, Is Paul also among the Prophets? An Examination of
the Relationship between Paul and the Old Testament Prophetic Tradition in 2
Corinthians." The Biblical Annals 7, no. 7 (64/3) (2017): 375-379.
Marshall, Jill E. Women Praying and Prophesying in Corinth: Gender and Inspired Speech
in First Corinthians. Vol. 448. Mohr Siebeck, 2017.
Newton, Jon. "Speaking in tongues: Jesus and the apostolic church as models for the church
today." Journal of Contemporary Ministry 4 (2018): 142.
Oropeza, Brisio J., and Steve Moyise, eds. Exploring Intertextuality: Diverse Strategies for
New Testament Interpretation of Texts. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2016.
Peppiatt, Lucy. Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1
Corinthians. James Clarke Company, Limited, 2017.
Räisänen, Heikki. "Are Christians Better People? On the Contrast between “Us” and “Them”
in Early Christian Rhetoric." In Christianity and the Roots of Morality, pp. 182-197. Brill,
2017.

10PAUL AND HIS LETTERS
Robinson, David S. "‘By the Lips of Foreigners’: Disclosing the Church in 1 Corinthians 14:
20–25." Ecclesiology 14, no. 3 (2018): 306-321.
Westfall, Cynthia Long. "Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1
Corinthians, written by Lucy Peppiatt." Journal of Reformed Theology 11, no. 3 (2017): 325-
327.
White, Benjamin L. "The Traditional and Ecclesiastical Paul of 1 Corinthians." The Catholic
Biblical Quarterly 79, no. 4 (2017): 651-669.
Wright, Brian S. What the Biblical Text Actually Says About Speaking in Tongues. Calvert
Biblical Institute, 2016.