THE KING’S BUSINESS
1136
Jews spoke of the whole Old Testament as “the law,” because all of it was a revela tion of the will of God (cf. John 10:34, cf. with Psa. 82:6). Sunday, December 16. l Corinthians 14:23-25. Paul here gives a still further argument for self-restraint in their exercise of the gift of speaking with tongues. His argu ment is, that if anyone-who was “an unbe liever or who was unlearned” should come into their assembly and hear them all speak ing in a jargon of tongues that no one understood he would certainly think that they were all crazy, and therefore, instead of being disposed to receive their message would be disposed not to receive it. The assembly of Christ’s people should be ruled by that love to men that makes us consid erate of what the effect of our proceedings will be upon the unsaved man who>comes in (1 Cor. 13:5). Certainly Christian assemblies are sometimes conducted in such a way that the outsider who comes in out of curiosity (but who still might be won if things were conducted in an orderly way), and the ignorant who come in to learn, get the impression that the Christians are insane. The very thing that Paul said would occur in Corinth if the believers there did not exercise greater caution and self control in the exercise of the-gift of tongues, is the exact impression that many receive today when they go to the assembly of those who emphasize the speaking with tongues. Not only do they act as if they 'were “mad” but not a few of them have actually gone “insane.” Where the Spirit of the Lord is there will be liberty (2 Cor. 3:17), but there will also be sound sense (2 Tim. 1:7), and decorum (vs. 33-40). In ily with us. Neither was the church a contrast with what would happen if any unbelievers or unlearned persons came in while many were speaking in a jargon of tongues, Paul states what would occur if when the unbelieving and the unlearned came in they were all prophesying (i.e., speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit, words of instruction that could be plainly
argument is, “tongues are for a sign to the persistently and obstinately unbelieving. If men will not hearken to God’s message when given to them in a language which they can understand, it will be given them in a language they cannot understand (cf. Matt. 13:14, IS; 15:15, 16; 2 Thes. 2 :10-12). This is done in judgment. In proof of the proposition that tongues that cannot be understood are for a sign to persistent and stubborn unbelievers, Paul cites the case of Israel (v. 21, cf. Isa. 28:11-14). Israel would not hearken to God’s plain and easily understood message given by his prophets: therefore, God said'unto them, “by men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers will I speak unto this, people.” What God referred to inJhe passage in Isa. 28, was His speaking to Israel through the foes which He Himself sent against them, who would speak in uncouth tongues. So in speaking with tongues that none under stood, those who did so, in the assembly of God’s people were placing the assembly in a place of condemnation like that occupied by Israel when they would not hear God speaking to them in a language which they could understand and so God sent them enemies- (Assyrians, etc.), speaking irt a language which they could not understand. Of course the case in Corinth was entirely different from the case on the Day of Pen tecost, for on the Day of Pentecost there were men present “from every nation under heaven,” (Acts 2:5), and those strangers present from different lands understood the language in which Various members of the Apostolic company spoke, and, because they understood them,” were confounded, because that jevery man heard them speak in his own language," consequently, many were converted (Acts 2:5, 6 ). But to speak in tongues that'no one present understood was an entirely different matter and a sign “of condemnation” to unbelievers, and therefore had no place in the believing assembly. Paul speaks of the quotation that he gave from the Prophecy of Isaiah as being “in the law” (v. 21). Is this a mis take on Paul’s part? No, not at all. The
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