Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
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Clement Of Alexandria
AD 215
Wherefore also the apostle says, "I shall profit you nothing, unless I speak to you, either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophecy, or by doctrine."
Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues . . . or by doctrine? His tongues would profit them nothing unless he added to them a Revelation , that is an explanation of the revelation given him; or knowledge, that is a declaration of what he knew, whether infused by God or acquired by study; or prophecy, that is a statement of what he knew, either by prophecy properly so called or improperly, in the way of explanation of hidden and difficult things, especially of Holy Scripture; or doctrine, that is an accommodation of his discourse to their capacity. Such is pretty nearly the explanation given by S. Thomas and Theophylact. To complete the sense of the verse we must supply: But I shall do nothing of this sort if I merely speak with tongues and do not interpret, so that you may understand me; therefore it is better to prophesy than to speak with tongues, unless some one interpret.
But in the second place we can understand the Apostle"s meaning still better if we join knowle...
If I come to you, speaking with tongues in this manner, what shall I profit you, unless in revelation that is, unless I reveal, and expound to you the meaning, by some other gift, as in knowledge, in prophecy, in doctrine? To speak tongues only without interpreting, is no ways instructive. He that speaks to me, what I understand not, is no better than a barbarian to me, (so the Greeks called those that spoke not their language.) He amplifies this inconvenience of not being understood, by the example of instruments, pipes, harps, trumpets, which would not move persons to different affections, nor excite them to different actions, unless the sound, and manner they were played upon, were different; seek, then, and endeavour to make use of the gifts of the Spirit, to the edification of the Church, or of the hearers. (Witham)
Paul says this in order to show that he is interested in benefiting the church, not in belittling those who have the gift of tongues. He could have this gift himself, but it would be useless and would make no difference to the church if uninterpreted.
And why speak I, says he, of the rest? Nay, let the person who speaks with tongues be Paul: for not even so will any good come to the hearers. And these things he says to signify that he is seeking their profit, not bearing any grudge against them that have the gift; since not even in his own person does he shrink from pointing out its unprofitableness. And indeed it is his constant way to work out the disagreeable topics in his own person: as in the beginning of the Epistle he said, Who then is Paul? And who is Apollos? And who is Cephas? This same then he does also here, saying, Not even I shall profit you, except I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of prophesying, or of knowledge, or of teaching. And what he means is, if I say not somewhat that can be made intelligible to you and that may be clear, but merely make display of my having the gift of tongues;— tongues which you do not understand, you will go away with no sort of profit. For how should you profit by a voice wh...
