I. CORINTHIANS 14, 22. 295

not to or for. 2. It may mean a prodigy or wonder. This is a very common sense of the word, as in the familiar phrase, " signs and wonders." The meaning is then commonly made to be, ' Tongues are a wonder designed not for the benefit of be- lievers, but for unbelievers ; and on the other hand, prophesy is a wonder designed not for the benefit of unbelievers, but for the benefit of believers.' But this is neither true nor in accordance with v. 24. It is not true that the gift of tongues was designed exclusively for the conversion of unbelievers. Why should not that gift be exercised for the edification, as well as for the conversion of men ? Their conversion would not enable them to understand the native language of the apostles. Much less is it true that prophecy was designed ex- clusively for the edification of believers. The prophets and apostles were sent forth for the conversion of the world. And in V. 24 the conversion of unbelievers is specified as the very efiect to be anticipated from the use of this gift. A still more decisive objection to this interpretation is, that it does not give the true conclusion from the preceding verse. The na- ture of the premises must decide the nature of the inference. It is not a fair inference from the fact that although God sent foreigners to teach the Hebrews they still continued disobedi- ent, that foreign tongues were designed for the conversion of unbelievers. The very opposite conclusion would naturally follow from that fact. 3. Sign may here mean a warning or sign of punishment. ' Tongues are a warning, designed not for believers, but for unbelievers,' who are understood to be, not those merely without faith, but positive infidels, or obsti- nate rejectors of the truth. To this, however, it may be ob- jected, that the word unbeliever (aTrio-Tos) is used in v. 24 for those without faith, and that to assume a change of meaning in the same context is most unnatural. A still more serious objection is, that this interpretation cannot be carried out. It cannot be said that prophecy is a warning designed for be- lievers. The two members of the sentence are so related that whatever is said of the gift of tongues, must be true, mutant dis mutatis, of prophecy. If the one be a punishment de- signed for unbelievers, the other must be a pimishment de- signed for believers. 4. The most satisfactory explanation is to take sign in the general sense of any indication of the divine presence. ' Tongues are a manifestation of God, hav- ing reference, not to believers, but to unbelievers ; and pro- phecy is a similar manifestation, having reference, not to