1 Corinthians 14:18-19

1 Corinthians 14:18-19

[18] I thank  God,  I speak  with tongues  more than  all:  [19] Yet  in  the church  I had rather  speak  five  words  understanding,  that  by my voice I might teach  others  also,  than  ten thousand  words  in  an unknown tongue. 

What does 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Corinthian tongues-enthusiasts could not reject Paul"s instruction because he did not have the gift himself and so failed to appreciate its value. He believed in the validity of the gift but did not value it highly. [1] He almost deprecated it. Edifying instruction was10 ,000 times more important than personal private exultation for the building up of the church gathered for worship. This is another use of hyperbole, which was common in antiquity. [2] The edification (building up) of the body Isaiah , of course, God"s great purpose for Christians today ( Matthew 16:18).
Paul affirmed the gift that the Corinthians apparently regarded as the sign of genuine spirituality, but he did so by correcting their thinking about what was really important in their meetings. Worship should never be selfish, and it should always be intelligible. [3]