1 Corinthians 14:2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

For he that speaketh, &c.— "He that speaks in a tongue unknown in the auditory which he addresses, speaks in effect not to men, but to God; and as God alone knows the truth and importance of what he says, it is all lost on the audience, though he speaks in the Spirit the most sublime mysteries." Dr. Whitby thinks that the gifts of languages and prophesy were always to be found in the same person, but that the first was permanent, the other transient; yet surely it isvery conceivable that either might be without the other. The miraculous instamping, as it were, in a man's mind a new language, would, indeed, enable him to speak all he knew in it; but his fitness to discourse in public, as well as hiscapacity of predicting future events, were matters quite of another nature. He who attentively reads this chapter, says Mr. Locke, about spiritual men, and their gifts, may find reason to imagine that it was those who had the gift of tongues that caused the disorder in the church of Corinth, by their forwardness to speak, and striving to be heard first; and so taking up too much of their time in the assemblies. For remedying this disorder; and better regulating this matter, amongst other things, they had recourse to St. Paul. This opinion will be confirmed, if we consider, 1st, that the first gift which St. Paul compares with love, ch. 13 and extremely undervalues in comparison of that divine virtue, is the gift of tongues; as if that were the gift which they most affected to shew, and most valued themselves upon; as indeed it was in itself most fitted for ostentation, in their assemblies, of any other, if any one were inclined that way; and that the Corinthians, in their present state, were not exempt from emulation and vanity, is very evident. 2nd, If we consider, that when in this chapter St. Paul compares their spiritual gifts one with another, the first, nay, the only one which he depreciates, in comparison of others, is the gift of tongues; of which he discourses for above twenty verses together, in a way proper to abate a too high esteem, and a too excessive use of it in their assemblies; which we cannot suppose he would have done had they not been guilty of some such miscarriage in the case as seems to be intimated in 1 Corinthians 14:24. 3rdly, When he comes to give directions about the exercise of their gifts in their meetings, that of tongues is the only one which he restrains and limits, 1 Corinthians 14:27-28.