So? I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, but I will also sing with the understanding.
14:15
– So? — With this question Paul draws the reader’s attention to the great conclusion of the discussion on the correct use of miraculous gifts. He is not forbidding the use of any gifts, but teaching regarding the correct use of them. Understanding is imperative! — I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the understanding — Staying with the context, it is obvious that the phrase “I will pray with the spirit” means “I will pray in a foreign language by exercising the spiritual gift of tongues”. Similarly, the phrase “I will pray with my understanding” means “I will pray in my own language, which is the one I understand (the Greek used by the Corinthians), translating the foreign language.” (This would be done by Paul, having the gift of interpretation or translation). — I will sing with the spirit, but I will also sing with the understanding — The gift of tongues was sometimes exercised, expressing a message that was essentially a prayer to God. Also, according to this phrase that we are now commenting on, the message was expressed in the form of a song or hymn, and this in a language unknown to the Corinthians; that is, in a non-Greek language. The phrase “I will sing with the spirit” means “I will sing in a foreign language by exercising the spiritual gift of tongues.” Similarly, the phrase “I will sing with my understanding” means “I will sing in my own language, which is the one I understand (the Greek used by the Corinthians), translating the foreign language.” (This would be done by Paul, having the gift of interpretation or translation). Paul sets the example of how to correctly use the gift of tongues. The gift of tongues had its place as long as there was at the same time translation, and from that, understanding for all. See see. two, comments. (While it is quite true that as we pray and sing today we should always do so wholeheartedly, and with full understanding of what we are saying, such is not Paul’s point in this context! It is not correct to use this passage giving him that sense. It is a case of teaching a truth but with a passage not referring to it. We must not isolate a text from its context. Paul does not deal here with the case of congregational singing, see see. 26; deals with the case for the correct use of miraculous gifts). The Greek word for “I will sing” is psallo. The radical idea of this word is that of playing or plucking, as in playing the strings of the musical instrument. But for the people of New Testament times psallo came to mean simply “to sing,” and so it is translated in every recognized version. If psallo meant “to play a musical instrument,” no one could do what that Greek verb means without playing a musical instrument. But there is no church, one of those that use musical instruments in their services, that insists that every person, when singing, also plays a musical instrument. Moreover, sometimes in such churches there is vocal singing without any accompanying instrumentation. Early commentators agree that musical instruments were not used in the first century church. Singing (vocal music) was part of the worship of the early church.
Source: Commentary on the New Testament by Partain
So? 1Co 10:19; Romans 3:5; Romans 8:31; Phil 1:18.
I will pray with the spirit. 1Co 14:19; Joh 4:23, Joh 4:24; Romans 1:9; Eph 5:17-20; Eph 6:18; Col 3:16; Jude 1:20.
I will also sing with the understanding. Ps 47:7; Romans 12:1, Romans 12:2.
Source: The Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
I will pray with the spirit: It refers contextually to the spirit of the person, not to the Spirit of God (v. 1Co 14:2). Paul wants to pray to God both with the spirit and with the understanding.
Source: New Illustrated Caribbean Bible Commentary
I WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT, BUT I WILL ALSO PRAY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING. Paul refers to his own experience, his private use of tongues. “I will pray with the spirit” means praying in tongues with the believer’s spirit under the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The believer’s spirit prays as the Holy Spirit speaks (cf. 1Co 12:7; 1Co 12:11; Acts 2:4). This use of tongues is addressed to God in private. Paul used tongues not only to pray, but also to sing, praise, and thank God (vv. 1Co 14:14-16). “I will also pray with my understanding” means praying and praising God in a language that has been taught, also under the prompting of the Spirit.
Source: Full Life Study Bible
14:15 — What then? — With this question Paul draws the reader’s attention to the great conclusion of the discussion on the correct use of miraculous gifts. He is not forbidding the use of any gifts, but teaching regarding the correct use of them. Understanding is imperative!
–I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the understanding – Remaining with the context, it is obvious that the phrase “I will pray with the spirit” means “I will pray in a foreign language when exercising the spiritual gift of tongues”. Similarly, the phrase “I will pray with my understanding” means “I will pray in my own language, which is the one I understand (the Greek used by the Corinthians), translating the foreign language.” (This would be done by Paul, having the gift of interpretation or translation).
— I will sing with the spirit, but I will also sing with the understanding – The gift of tongues was sometimes exercised, expressing a message that was essentially a prayer to God. Also, according to this phrase that we are now commenting on, the message was expressed in the form of a song or hymn, and this in a language unknown to the Corinthians; that is, in a non-Greek language. The phrase “I will sing with the spirit” means “I will sing in a foreign language by exercising the spiritual gift of tongues.” Similarly, the phrase “I will sing with my understanding” means “I will sing in my own language, which is the one I understand (the Greek used by the Corinthians), translating the foreign language.” (This would be done by Paul, having the gift of interpretation or translation).
Paul sets the example of how to correctly use the gift of tongues. The gift of tongues had its place as long as there was at the same time translation, and from that, understanding for all.
See see. 2, comments.
(While it is quite true that as we pray and sing today we should always do so wholeheartedly, and with full understanding of what we are saying, such is not Paul’s point in this context! It is not correct to use this passage giving him that sense. It is a case of teaching a truth but with a passage not referring to it. We are not to isolate a text from its context. Paul does not deal here with the case of congregational singing, see v. 26; he deals with the case of the correct use of miraculous gifts).
The Greek word for “I will sing” is psallo. The radical idea of this word is that of playing or plucking, as in playing the strings of the musical instrument. But for the people of New Testament times psallo came to mean simply “to sing,” and so it is translated in every recognized version. If psallo meant “to play a musical instrument,” no one could do what that Greek verb means without playing a musical instrument. But there is no church, one of those that use musical instruments in their services, that insists that every person, when singing, also plays a musical instrument. Moreover, sometimes in such churches there is vocal singing without any accompanying instrumentation.
Early commentators agree that musical instruments were not used in the first century church. Singing (vocal music) was part of the worship of the early church.
Source: Reeves-Partain Notes
Eph 5:19.
Source: Hispano-American Interdenominational Translation
CROSS-REFERENCES
s 698 Col 3:16
t 699 Ps 47:7
Source: New World Translation
fifteen (1) This implies that the apostle encouraged those who received his letter not only to pray in an unknown tongue, but also in clear and understandable words.
fifteen (two) This does not mean praying exclusively with the mind without using the spirit. In Eph_6:18 the apostle commanded us to pray at all times in the spirit. Prayer is worship, and must be done in the spirit (Jua_4:24). When we pray with the spirit, not in an unknown language, but with understandable words, our mind is automatically used to interpret and express the spirit’s thought. What the apostle meant here is that in the meeting, of the church, for the benefit of all who are present, we should pray with our mind using intelligible words (v.19) to express the burden of our spirit. In a church meeting our prayer must not only be heard by the Lord to get an answer from him, but must also be understood by all who attend the meeting, for their benefit. For this purpose, we must learn to use our mind in public prayer, just as we use our spirit, training our mind to cooperate with our spirit, even to be one with our spirit, so that the spirit may be the spirit of our mind ( Eph_4:23).
Source: New Testament Commentary Recovery Version
R533 Datives are used here as instrumentals of mood or medium (of mood -T241).
R874 Here the volitional future expresses purpose, not just the future tense: I will pray, I will sing.
Source: Grammar Help for the Study of the Greek New Testament
lit., the mind
Source: The Bible of the Americas
§ Here Paul seems to be using the phraseology of some in Corinth who were proud to be “in the Spirit” as if that were superior to anything else. Paul points out that being “in the Spirit” is of no use unless it produces understanding.