14:16. Else, if thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that holdeth the place of the unlearned say, Amen, to thy blessing? Because he knoweth not what thou sayest.
Amen… The unlearned, not knowing that you are then blessing, will not be qualified to join with you by saying Amen to your blessing. The use or abuse of strange tongues, of which the apostle here speaks, does not regard the public liturgy of the church, (in which strange tongues were never used,) but certain conferences of the faithful, ver. 26, etc., in which, meeting together, they discovered to one another their various miraculous gifts of the Spirit, common in those primitive times; amongst which the apostle prefers that of prophesying before that of speaking strange tongues, because it was more to the public edification. Where also not, that the Latin, used in our liturgy, is so far from being a strange or unknown tongue, that it is perhaps the best known tongue in the world.
14:17. For thou indeed givest thanks well: but the other is not edified.
14:18. I thank my God I speak with all your tongues.
14:19. But in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct others also: than ten thousand words in a tongue.
14:20. Brethren, do not become children in sense. But in malice be children: and in sense be perfect.
14:21. In the law it is written: In other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people: and neither so will they hear me, saith the Lord.
14:22. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to believers but to unbelievers: but prophecies, not to unbelievers but to believers.
14:23. If therefore the whole church come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in unlearned persons or infidels, will they not say that you are mad?
14:24. But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not or an unlearned person, he is convinced of all: he is judged of all.