Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Corinthians 14:1-19

Introduction

Background

After presenting love as the “more excellent way” above all ministries and gifts, Paul directly and forcefully confronts the Corinthians in regard to their sin against love in misunderstanding and misusing the gift of tongues.

Believers there had so abused the gift that they rivaled Babel in confusion of speaking, and the apostle devotes an entire chapter to the problem, which was so representative of their sinfulness.

The terms /lalein, glossie, and glossais/ (to speak in a tongue~/in tongues) that Paul uses so frequently in chapter 14 were commonly used in his day to describe pagan ecstatic speech.

In the church at Corinth much of the tongues-speaking had taken on the form and flavor of those pagan ecstasies.

Interpretive key

It is an interpretive key to this chapter to note that in verses 2 and 4 *tongue *is singular (cf.

vv.

13, 14, 19, 27), whereas in verse 5 Paul uses the plural* tongues* (cf.

vv.

6, 18, 22, 23, 39).

Apparently the apostle used the singular form to indicate the counterfeited gift and the plural to indicate the true.

Recognizing that distinction may be the reason the King James translators supplied /unknown/ before the singular.

The only exception is in v. 27, where the singular is used to refer to a single man speaking a single genuine language.

In the text before us Paul gives us his thinking concerning tongues and prophecy.

Paul’s preference in the matter, Paul’s position on the matter; Paul’s practice in the matter

\\ 1A.

Paul’s Preference in the Matter (14:1-5)

1B.