1 Korinther 14:6

6 Jetzt aber, Brüder, wenn ich zu euch komme und in Sprachen rede, was werde ich euch nützen, wenn ich nicht zu euch rede, entweder in Offenbarung oder in Erkenntnis oder in Weissagung oder in Lehre?

1 Korinther 14:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 14:6

Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues,
&c.] The apostle exemplifies this matter in himself, and supposes it his own case, that should he who was the apostle of the Gentiles, and to be received by them as such, when he came to them, come with this gift of tongues, which he was capable of, as much, or more than any, see ( 1 Corinthians 14:18 ) and only make use of that,

what shall I profit you?
of what use would my ministry be to you? what instruction, comfort, and edification, could you receive by it?

except I shall speak to you, either by revelation;
by the revelation of Jesus Christ, whereby he received the Gospel he preached; or by the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, and the mysteries of his grace, by which they were made known unto him at first, or by a fresh immediate revelation from heaven:

or by knowledge;
the word of knowledge, one of the peculiar gifts of the Spirit, ( 1 Corinthians 12:8 ) .

Or by prophesying;
the gift of prophecy, another of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, mentioned in the same chapter, ( 1 Corinthians 12:10 ) and already explained:

or by doctrine?
the same with the word of wisdom, another gift of the same Spirit, in ( 1 Corinthians 12:8 ) . The apostle intimates, that by the use and exercise of these gifts, he might be profitable to them, to lead them into a clearer view of the doctrines of the Gospel, and for the further improvement of their knowledge in the Scriptures of truth, which could never be done by bare speaking with tongues, and with tongues they understood not.

1 Korinther 14:6 In-Context

4 Wer in einer Sprache redet, erbaut sich selbst; wer aber weissagt, erbaut die Versammlung.

5 Ich wollte aber, daß ihr alle in Sprachen redetet, vielmehr aber, daß ihr weissagtet. Wer aber weissagt, ist größer, als wer in Sprachen redet, es sei denn, daß er es auslege, auf daß die Versammlung Erbauung empfange.

6 Jetzt aber, Brüder, wenn ich zu euch komme und in Sprachen rede, was werde ich euch nützen, wenn ich nicht zu euch rede, entweder in Offenbarung oder in Erkenntnis oder in Weissagung oder in Lehre?

7 Doch auch die leblosen Dinge, die einen Ton von sich geben, es sei Pfeife oder Harfe, wenn sie den Tönen keinen Unterschied geben, wie wird man erkennen, was gepfiffen oder geharft wird?

8 Denn auch wenn die Posaune einen undeutlichen Ton gibt, wer wird sich zum Kampfe rüsten?