The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 451

this by Jee.. xxviii. 11, 12. Now, in that that now prevalent among Quaker,. The- p11seage Ieo.iab tells the drunken priests, tearhing was not kft to recognized pastors, who scornfully imitated bis style, tho.t, but any Christian might speak who had since they derided God's meeso.ge so delivered gifts which moved him to address his to t.1,em, God would o.ddreee them in a very brethren. The externals of worship are of different we.y by the Assyrians, whose no eternal signifiance, but are best left to be- language they did not understand; and that moulded by the requirements of time and even to this stern lesson, t11ugbt them by place, with reference to the teachings of past people of alien tongue, they would rem11in experience. No doubt St. Paul's deprecia- deaf. In the original, therefore, there is tion of glossolaly led to its rapid disappear- not the least allusion to any phenomenon ance when it had done its work of being" a, resembling the "gift of tongues." But the sign to unbelievers." But if ancient modes mere wordR of a scriptural passage always of worship were too independent of rigid came to Jews with all the force of an con di tious, modern modes are, on the other argument, independently of their primary hand, too stereotyped and inelastic. me11niug; and it was enough fm· St. Paul's Ver. 25.-The secrets of his heart. " The purpose that in Isaiah tile allusion is to Word of God is quick aud powerful, and unintelligible utterance, and to the fact sharper than any two-edged sword, . . . ancl that the teaching which it was meant to is a discerner of the thoughts and intents OJ convey would be in vain. And other lips. the heart" (Heh. iv. 12). Falling down on St. Paul does not quote the LXX. The his face. An Oriental mode of showing Hebrew be.s "with sto.mmerings of lips o.nd humility and deep conviction (Isa. xiv. another tongue will he speak" (comp. 14 ; 1 811m. xix. 2-1). It does not furnish Deut. xxviii. 49). the shadow of an excuse for the encourage- Ver. 22.-Wherefore. In o.ccordance with ment of c11talepsy by the mechanical excite- this illustration. Not to them that believe. ment of revivalism. That God is in you Because their belief depends on other and of a truth. St. Paul is probably thinking far deeper grounds. Servetb. 'l'bis word is both of Isa. xiv. B and Zech. viii. 23, where wrongly supplied; it should be, is for a sign. similar phrases are used. Not for them the.t believe not. Because "Truth from bis lips prevo.iled with double there is nothing necessarily startling in sway, preaching. It might, indeed, produce con- And fools, who came to scoff, remained to viction in the unbelieving (ver. 25), but it pray." was not 11 special " sign." " The unbeliev- (Goldsmith.) ing" are those who used to drop in at the Christian services out of curiosity. Vers. 26-33.-Rules to check disorderly Ver. 23.-All speak with tongues. He self-assertion in Christian a,semblies. does not necessarily mean that all are Ver. 26.-How is it then 1 The snmc· speaking at once ; though, amid these phrase 11s in ver. 15. Every one of you bath strange scenes of self-nsserting enthusiasm, a psalm, etc. We see hero n somewho.t ernn that wns not wholly impossible; but meillncholy picture of the struggling sell:. be means, "if there be nothing going on assertion of rival claimants to nttcntion. A except glossolaly." Will they not say that doctrine; rather, a teaching, The glosso\aly ye·are mad l This has often been the actual bad probably been promoted by Syri,m impression produced by these phenomen11 enthusiasts, porhnps of the Petriue party; upon those who stand aloof from the the egotism of omtory and itch of teaching spiritual influences which co.use them. On now described (Jas. iii. 1) may have been the day of Pentecost the exaltation of the developed in the Apollonian pnrty. Unto disciples co.used mockers to charge them edifying. 'l'he object is morn\ improvement, with drunken exhilo.ration (Acts ii. 13). not idle se\f-displny, not tho ostcutation of Ver. 24.-All prophesy. If one after individual gifts (eh. xii. i, S, 10). To this 11nother speak the word of spiritu11l exhorta- ho recurs ng1\in a11d ngain (eh. iii. 9; xiv. 3, tion. He is oonvinoed of all, he is judged 5, 12; 2 Cor. v. l ; x. S; xi. HJ; xiii. 10; of all; literally, he is being convicted by all, and the verb frequently). '.rho substiintivo, he is being examined by all ; in other words, ne used by St. Paul, only occurs again in each address is cnlculated to awaken con- Romaue (xiv. 19; xv. 2), and iu Ephesians viction in him and to search his heart. (ii. 21, etc.). Thus the address of St. Peter pierced the Ver. 27.-And that by oourse; rather, ancl consciences of his be11rers, when the glos- that in turn. He does not allow more than solaly even of Pentecost produced no effect one glossola\ist to speak at a time, and not beyond thnt of irreverent wonder (Acts ii. more than threo at tho most in any ono 3i). It is easy to see that the style nnd service. This rule nlonc ten,Ietl to extinguish method of worship in the nssemblies of the disorderly exhibition of" tongues." 'l'o Christiane at this e11rly epoch resembled control tho passion which leads to i,t is. 460 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [en. xiv. 1-4.0.