speaks with tongues is not understood, yet, guided by the Spirit, he speaks mysteries. Mysteries mean divine truths; things which God has revealed. In Acts 2, 11, they are called " the wonderful things (ra fxeyaXela) of God." To make the word mean, things not understood by the hearer, is con- trary to the usage of the word. A secret disclosed, is no longer a secret ; and a mystery revealed ceases to be a mys- tery, for a mystery is something hidden. Besides, Paul would then say, ' No man understands him, yet he speaks what is not understood.' * The meaning obviously is, that although not understood, yet what he utters contains divine truth. The difficulty "was in the language used, not in the absence of meaning, or in the fact that inarticulate sounds were em- ployed. This verse, therefore, contains nothing inconsistent with the commonly received view of the nature of the gift in question. * He who speaks with tongues, speaks to God and not to men, for no one (in the case supposed) understands him, although what he says is replete with the highest mean- ing.' The implication is that these tongices were foreign to the hearers ; and therefore it is said, ' no man understands him.'
3. But lie that prophesieth speaketh unto men (to) edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
The prophet spoke in the native language of his hearers ; the speaker with tongues in a foreign language. This made the difference between the cases. The one was understood and the other was not. The prophet spoke with a view to edification. This is a general term including the sense of the two following. He. edified the church either by exhortation or comfort ; either by arousing believers to do or suffer, or by pouring into their hearts the consolations of the Spirit.
4. He that speaketh in an (unknown) tongue edi- fieth himseK; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
* Calvin says, Mysteria et res occultas, ideoque hullius utilitatis. Hyste- ria hie Chrysostomus accepit honorifice, pro eximiis Dei revelatiouibus : ego vero in malam partem pro aenigmatibus obscuris et involutis, quasi diceret, loquitur quod nemo percipiat. Calvin's view of the gift of tongues seems to have been very little higher than that of some of the moderns.