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I. THE GRACE OF CHARITY IS SUPERIOR TO ALL ENDOWMENTS. Whatever other endowments you may possess or desire, do not neglect the cultivation of charity.

II. SOME "ENDOWMENTS ARE SUPERIOR TO OTHERS (ver. 5). The didactic faculty is greater than the linguistic. Sense is better than sound, ideas are better than words. It often happens that the man who has the most aptitude in acquiring languages has the least capacity either for attaining or communicating great ideas. But the language of which the apostle here speaks seems to have been the inarticulate voice of new and strong emotions. Tender emotions often choke us. If expressed at all they can only be in the quivering lip, and the gleaming eye, and the convulsive chest. Such have been manifested in all great revivals of religion. I have heard such untranslatable sounds under the mighty sermons of Welsh preachers. These "tongues" are valuable. Because —

1. They are symptomatic of a new spiritual life. You can talk about history, science, theology, but not about the deepest and divinest things of the heart. They only come out in "groanings that cannot be uttered."

2. In them the soul expresses its devotions (vers. 2, 4, 14). It is delightful to think of the human soul generally so immersed in the selfish and the sensuous, bathing itself in the rising tides of spiritual emotions.

3. By them the religious sympathy of the unbelieving is often excited (ver. 22). Sound expressive of human emotion often strikes potently on the heart of the listener. Take the most thoughtless man into some vast congregation in Wales, when all the people are singing their plaintive hymns in strains of weird music, and he will not be long, even if he understands not the language, before he feels the influence. Unsyllabled speech is often the mightiest. There are melodies that carry into the soul that which no word can express.

III. THE HIGHEST ENDOWMENT IS THE ABILITY FOR SPIRITUAL TEACHING (vers. 12, 18). Teaching is not the mere impartation of the acts of the gospel but the indoctrinating of the soul with its primary elements and spirit. Note —

1. That the gospel gives to its genuine disciples intelligent convictions that should be communicated to others. He who has accepted the gospel in reality becomes instinct with mighty and irrepressible ideas; ideas which he "cannot but speak," for "necessity is laid" upon him. They are given to him to communicate, not to monopolise, and on their communication the spiritual life, growth, and perfection of mankind depend.

2. That these intelligent convictions can only be conveyed to others by intelligible language (vers. 6-7 etc.). Mere "sound" is not worth much. "Things without life," such as the "pipe" and the "harp," produce sound. Nay, more, unless the sound gives out clear and distinct ideas, it is not only useless, but injurious (ver. 8). If in battle the trumpet does not sound clearly the advance or retreat when intended, it is worse than useless. So whatever might be the unintelligible utterances, whether an unvernacular language or the unsyllabled expressions of emotions. Paul indicates their inadequacy without interpretation to convey to the hearer intelligent convictions of gospel truth (ver. 9).

3. That the use of a language which the listener cannot understand should not be indulged in.

(1) Not in public devotion (vers. 14-16). Unintelligible utterances in public devotion fail to excite in the assembly a spirit of united worship. So far as the individual himself is concerned, it does not matter with what tongue he speaks, or whether he speaks at all.

(2) Not in public ministration. Alas! it is to be feared the language of many a sermon is an "unknown tongue." Such language gratifies the vanity of the speaker, but wastes the time and tries the patience of the hearer (vers. 18, 19). The apostle goes on to indicate that such unintelligible utterances in the Church are —

(a)  Childish (ver. 20).

(b)  Useless (ver. 21).

(c)  Confounding (ver. 23).

(d)  To be of any service must be interpreted (ver. 28).

(D. Thomas, D. D.)

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KJV: Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

WEB: Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.