1 Corinthians 14:16-17 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.
These verses continue the thought of the previous ones. If a person acts as an isolated individual through speaking in tongues, it has no benefit to outsiders. Paul’s key point to which he has been building up now stands clear. The purpose of spiritual gifts are the building up of other people, particularly by point them to Jesus as Lord, as the Spirit leads one to confess (12:3). Building up the self goes against the thrust of love. Love is outward focused. Selfishness opens one up to divisive thoughts and is the way of the world.
In the case of speaking in tongues, one should give thanks in intelligible ways that testify to outsiders of God’s goodness. Unbelievers can understand clearly this testimony and say “Amen” when the church. A person may be thankful inside, but it has no positive impact on others. For tongues to have any value in the church and for outsiders, it must be understandable. Otherwise, it should not be done in the church. The key idea in these verses is at the end of v. 17: to build up, edify, strengthen. The image is of building a house. Our spiritual gifts should lead to making other people strong, not confusing them.
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