“It is written in the Scriptures: “I will speak to My own people through strange languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to Me,” says the LORD.”
1 Corinthians 14:21
Two of you have asked specifically about this verse and what it means. It seems this verse bothers a number of people and seemingly doesn’t make sense.
But you can expect all of Scripture to make sense. If something doesn’t make sense you need to learn to pay more careful attention to it.
You know what to do when you come across an Old Testament passage in the New Testament. You have to pay close attention to it. Examine the Old Testament reference and see if the New Testament writer has changed the original in any way. Pay careful attention to the context as well, not just the one verse. Remember the lessons of Midrashic Interpretation: When Hebrew speakers refer to a verse in the Old Testament they are not just meaning the one verse they quoted but the passage it comes from. Look at it as a package.
Take time to look at this passage for before the next gem(or at a later when you have the time to do it).
- Why would Paul quote this passage and use it in this part? What is his point?
- How does this passage from Isaiah relate to the discussion on tongues?
- How do I find which part of Scripture it is written in? Help me out here Ian. I get lost with this stuff.
This is where E-Sword is so helpful. Simply click on <Bible> in the top menu line and choose <Search>. Make sure you match the version you search for with the version you have used as the source for 1 Cor 14:21 to ensure consistency. At times with variations between the versions it may be best to choose one word from the original rather that a phrase or clause. I would search on “strange languages” or “strange” or “languages”. If you don’t have E-Sword you can download it from http://www.e-sword.net . Or if you don’t have a computer (How are you doing getting Gems then?) then buy a Bible with a good chain reference system.
Just to make sure you end up with the correct Old Testament reference, it is Isaiah 28:11. But you could work it out couldn’t you?
Now is your chance to do some work on with this verse (1 Cor 14:21) and work out for yourself Paul’s meaning when he included it. Most of us if we are honest see OT references in the NT and say to ourselves, “oh yes, he’s quoting the Old Testament. Even if we know where the reference is we don’t look it up, much less look at the passage it came from. We are the ones who are poorer because of it. Be thorough, go check it out.
We will pull it apart in the next Gem.
You can learn from ANYONE if you ask wise questions; You can learn more from the Bible too, by asking wise questions.
Anon
If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
Anon