[AJPS 2/2 (1999), pp. 177-193] SIGN LANGUAGE IN THE ASSEMBLY: HOW ARE TONGUES A SIGN TO THE UNBELIEVER

In this paper I consider a passage of scripture notorious for being difficult to interpret and apply. In 1 Cor 14:22 Paul makes the curious claim that “tongues” constitute a “sign” to unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign to believers. But the meaning of his statement is not clear in its context. Paul illustrates his assertions in vv. 23-25 by saying that unbelievers visiting the Christian assembly will think those speaking in tongues are mad. The question is: How is “tongues” a “sign,” if it prevents understanding and thus conversion? Paul’s next illustration describes unbelievers hearing prophecy and confessing God’s presence. How, then, is prophecy a sign to believers, if Paul only depicts its impact on unbelievers? Though several answers to these questions have been offered, none maintains the structural integrity of the entire passage in its context. One way or another, v. 22 does not seem to match the illustrations or Paul’s broader argument. Like a tightly tied knot of many strands, different solutions have loosed some strands while leaving others tied. My goal is to untie every strand, that is, to offer one solution that explains every part of the passage. Here are two assumptions I will work from. Though space prevents me from explaining fully how I arrived at these positions, it is necessary to mention them at the outset. First, 1 Cor 14:20-25 incorporates a deliberate rhetorical structure which we must maintain in order to arrive