“If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”
The full verse · 1 Corinthians 14:23 · KJV
the be come one , with , there come those that are , , will ye are ?
Asked by
Paul: the apostle writing to the church at Corinth, which was "zealous of spiritual gifts" (1 Corinthians 14:12)
Asked to
Corinthians: the believers in the church of God at Corinth, who came together for worship and prized speaking with tongues (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 14:12, 23)
The Scene
Paul has just quoted the law, "With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people," and said that "tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not" (1 Corinthians 14:21-22).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionPaul asks the Corinthians to look at their meeting through a visitor's eyes. If everyone is speaking in tongues and an outsider walks in, what will he think? Barnes answers: "it will be a confused jargon; and they will infer that it is the effect of insanity." Paul wants the church to care about the people who come in from outside. A gift meant to serve as a sign would, used this way, only make unbelievers think them mad. Matthew Henry asks, "Would it not make Christianity ridiculous to a heathen, to hear the ministers pray or preach in a language which neither he nor the assembly understood?"
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe expected answer is yes, they will. Paul then sets the alternative beside it: "But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth" (1 Corinthians 14:24-25). Understandable words can bring an outsider to worship; confusion makes him think the church is mad.
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsBarnes takes "unbelievers" as "Heathen, or Jews, who did not believe in Christ," and observes, "It is evident from this that such persons often attended on the worship of Christians." The "unlearned" (Greek idiotai) are ordinary people unacquainted with the languages being spoken. The word for "mad" (mainomai) means to rage or be out of one's mind. Gill explains "all speak with tongues" not as every person present, but as everyone who did speak doing so in tongues without an interpreter. Paul's quotation in 1 Corinthians 14:21 comes from Isaiah 28:11-12.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyGod wants outsiders to meet Him when they come among His people. Paul's hope is that a visitor will fall down, worship God, and "report that God is in you of a truth" (1 Corinthians 14:25). That is a picture of grace reaching someone through ordinary, understandable words.
Matthew Henry, writing on this part of the chapter, says: "Scripture truth, plainly and duly taught, has a wonderful power to awaken the conscience and touch the heart." The church's worship is not only for those already inside. It is also a witness to those who are not yet believers.
Look Closer
Whose point of view does Paul ask the Corinthians to take?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Father, when someone who does not know You comes among Your people, what do You want them to see and hear?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- If a visitor came into your church or small group for the first time, what might confuse them? What might draw them toward God?
- Share how you first came to sense that "God is in you of a truth" among a group of believers.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Try seeing your gathering through a newcomer's eyes. What would they understand? What would make them feel shut out? Paul cared about that person, and so can you.
That might mean explaining what is happening, using words that make sense, and making room for a guest to hear the truth plainly. Clear words about God can do what confusion never will: help someone fall down and worship.
This is not about removing everything that is unfamiliar. The prophecy Paul praises still convicts and judges (1 Corinthians 14:24). The goal is not to make the truth smaller but to make it understandable.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“When thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?”
“How is it then, brethren?”
“Except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?”
“What is it then?”