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Moreover those at Corinth who placed so much value on tongues were still in the
infant stage spiritually.
In 3: 1-3 he had severely reprimanded them for their
immaturity and carnality, and the over emphasis they were placing on a showy gift, like
tongue speaking, was only another evidence of this.
"Brothers, do not be children in intelligence. In wickedness be mere infants, but in
intelligence be mature" (14: 20, 100: K. Barrett).
Teleios, mature (`men', A.V. and R.V.) is one of an important group of words,
signifying adulthood or maturity as opposed to babyhood. The N.T. has some very
stringent things to say about believers who do not grow up spiritually (see Heb. 5: 12-14).
The things of the nursery can be very delightful for infants, but for grown-ups they are
entirely out of place and unbecoming. Moreover, what can babies achieve in Christian
witness? The need for constant growth in grace and knowledge of the truth should be a
continual challenge to us all.
Paul does not hesitate to back up his argument by an appeal to the O.T.:
"In the law it is written, by men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers will I
speak unto this people; and not even thus will they hear Me, saith the Lord" (14: 21
R.V.).
Here the `law' is a term for the whole O.T. rather than the Pentateuch, as it is also in
John 10: 34, where a citation from the Psalms is termed the `law' (see also 12: 34, 15: 25
and Rom. 3: 19). The Apostle quotes freely from the LXX of Isa. 28: 11. Possibly
he was using another version known also to the later O.T. translator Aquila. In Isaiah's
day, God is saying that Israel would not listen to Him in obedience, even though He
spoke in a tongue that was familiar to them. He will therefore speak to them in an
unfamiliar tongue, that of their enemies, the Assyrians, but even then they would not
hear. It is very important to notice that God is speaking to Israel in warning and
judgment, not to Gentiles and so it was in the Acts period. The gift of tongues was
primarily for unbelievers among Israel.
"Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving"
(14: 22 R.V.).
To the Jew, who had the counter-sign, the O.T., tongues should have spoken as a sign
and a warning to unbelief. It is clear that known languages, such as were used at
Pentecost, would be the only forceful sign to hard-hearted Israelites. Ecstatic language
admits of too many natural explanations, as we have seen, not the least being the
historical fact that the pagans were acquainted with such speech in their temples. The
divine reason for the gift of tongues is clearly given in the chapter we are studying,
"wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving" (22).
Tongue-speaking in the N.T. takes its place among the signs of Mark 16: that
confirmed the earthly kingdom purpose throughout the Acts. Modern Pentecostalism
takes it out of its Divine setting and message to the unbeliever, and to a large extent,
reverses the teaching of Scripture, making it an evidence of spirituality, and "entire