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St. Thomas On A Tongue Not Known To Men
… I got into an argument with some Protestant heretics and we ended up talking about the “gift of tongues” and one Protestant showed me 1 Cor 14:2. I didn’t know how to answer it…
1 Cor. 14:2- “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”
Hello. We agree with St. Thomas’ explanation of the verse. In 1 Cor. 14:1 and following, St. Paul is teaching the Corinthians that they should not be desirous of the gift of tongues or languages just for the sake of speaking in that way, but rather insofar as it will edify others. Hence, he says in 1 Cor. 14:2: “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.” The tongue or language mentioned there, which is spoken not to men but to God, is not an unintelligible babble language. Rather, it refers to an actual human language that’s not understood by those in the audience (but only by God, who of course knows all languages). As St. Thomas says, it’s like “when one might speak German to a Frenchman without an interpreter.” St. Paul’s point is that speaking in tongues for its own sake is not beneficial. It should be understood by others and edify them.
This is also why St. Paul says:
1 Corinithians 14:10-13- “There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.”
St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Cor. 14:1-4- “In regard to the second it should be noted that because there were few in the early Church assigned to preaching faith of Christ throughout the world, the Lord enabled them to proclaim the word to more people by giving them the gift of tongues, by which they could all preach to all. Not that they spoke in one language and were understood by all, as some say, but that they spoke the languages of different nations and, indeed, of all. Hence the Apostle says: ‘I thank God that I speak in the languages of all of you,’ and in Acts (2:4) it says: ‘They began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ Furthermore, many received this gift from God in the early church. But the Corinthians, being inquisitive, were more desirous of this gift than the gift of prophecy. Therefore, when the Apostle mentions here about speaking in a tongue, he means an unknown language not interpreted; as when one might speak German to a Frenchman without an interpreter, he is speaking in a tongue. Hence, all speech not understood or explained, no matter what it is, is properly called speaking in a tongue.”
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