1 Corinthians 14:16
Text: (NA27):
Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Thiselton 2006):
Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):
Commentary from the first edition of The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NICNT: Eerdmans, 1987), by Gordon D. Fee (via Accordance):
Text: (NA27):
ἐπεὶ ἐὰν εὐλογῇς [ἐν] πνεύματι, ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τὸν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τὸ ἀμὴν ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ; ἐπειδὴ τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν
Transliteration (Accordance):
epei ean eulogȩ̄s [en] pneumati, ho anaplērōn ton topon tou idiōtou pōs erei to amēn epi tȩ̄ sȩ̄ eucharistia̧? epeidē ti legeis ouk oiden
Translation (Thiselton 2006):
Otherwise, if you bless God from the depths of your being only, [or "in the Spirit"], how can the uninitiated person person speak his or her "Amen" to your thanksgiving since he or she does not know what you are saying?
Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):
ἐπεί : since (sc. if that were so), otherwise.
εὐλογῇς : subjunctive of εὐλογέω "speak well of", praise.
ἀναπληρῶν : participle of ἀναπληρόω fill up ; so occupy a place.
ἰδιώτης : unlearned ; uninitiated.
ἐρεῖ : future of λέγω say.
σός : your (singular).
εὐχαριστία : thanksgiving.
ἐπειδή : since (causal).
τί : indirect interrogative.
οἶδεν : know in sense of "understand".
εὐλογῇς : subjunctive of εὐλογέω "speak well of", praise.
ἀναπληρῶν : participle of ἀναπληρόω fill up ; so occupy a place.
ἰδιώτης : unlearned ; uninitiated.
ἐρεῖ : future of λέγω say.
σός : your (singular).
εὐχαριστία : thanksgiving.
ἐπειδή : since (causal).
τί : indirect interrogative.
οἶδεν : know in sense of "understand".
Commentary from the first edition of The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NICNT: Eerdmans, 1987), by Gordon D. Fee (via Accordance):
16 With an untranslated “otherwise” Paul makes the transition from his own determination to praise in both ways in tongues to be sure, but also with his understanding to their need to do especially the latter in the assembly: “Otherwise, if you are praising God by the Spirit [meaning here, praising God in tongues in the assembly], how can [another] say ‘Amen’ to your thanksgiving, since he will not know what you are saying?” Saying the (customary) “Amen” assumes the setting of corporate worship, where this word, also taken over from the Jewish synagogue, indicated wholehearted response to and endorsement of the words of another. Paul’s point, the same one he has been making throughout, is clear enough: Praising God (or praying) in tongues, even though it is by the Spirit, does not build up anyone else in the assembly (verse 17) since what is said is unintelligible.
Paul’s description of the person who cannot say the “Amen,” however, is puzzling: (literally) “the one who fills the place of the idiōtēs.” The problem is twofold: (1) whether the expression “fills the place of” is to be taken literally or figuratively; and (2) what idiōtēs itself means here. The problem is complicated by two factors: (a) Although the word ordinarily means “nonexpert,” hence “an ordinary person” in contrast to one who is skilled, there is also evidence that it was a technical term in religious life for nonmembers who still participated in the pagan sacrifices. (b) In the present context this same person in verse 17 is referred to as being “built up,” which in Paul has to do with believers, yet the word idiōtēs reappears in verse 23 in close connection with unbelievers.
Those who presuppose that the word refers to the same person both here and in verse 23 most often consider the idiōtēs to be a person who stands somewhere between nonbelievers and “full-fledged Christians.” Hence the translation “inquirer” in the NIV margin. Very often he/she is also viewed as having a special place reserved for him/her in the Christian assembly. But there are considerable difficulties with these positions. First, even though such language was used at a later time for catechumens, it is almost certainly an anachronism to assume that there were already “nonbaptized converts” who had special “places” reserved for them in the early house churches. Second, the context as a whole seems to be against it. The concern to this point has been the edification of the church. In verse 17 this idiōtēs is referred to as “the other person” who “is not edified” by hearing praise in tongues. Elsewhere in this argument such language refers to a believer. Moreover, Paul says this person is unable to say the customary “Amen” to your thanksgiving, which implies wholehearted endorsement by one who regularly affirms the praise of the living God.
The alternative is to take the verb in the figurative sense of “one who finds himself in the place or role of an idiōtēs,” with the latter word being used in its nontechnical sense to refer to such a person’s inability to comprehend the tongues-speaker. This does not mean, as is often suggested, that such people do not have spiritual gifts, so that they are also being “put down” by the one speaking in tongues. Rather, it refers to any and all in the community who become idiōtai to the tongues-speaker perhaps in the further sense of being “untrained” (cf. Acts 4:13) in the “language” being spoken precisely because they do not understand what is being said. The reason for the singular is that it corresponds to the second person singular of the person being addressed. Thus, rather than speak to all in the second plural, Paul’s point is better made in the singular, with the person addressed representing those speaking in tongues in the community, and the “person taking the place of the unlearned” representing all the rest in the community who at any time must listen to the uninterpreted tongues without understanding. This, after all, is Paul’s concern throughout the argument, and is further supported by his own follow-up explanation in verse 17.
Paul’s description of the person who cannot say the “Amen,” however, is puzzling: (literally) “the one who fills the place of the idiōtēs.” The problem is twofold: (1) whether the expression “fills the place of” is to be taken literally or figuratively; and (2) what idiōtēs itself means here. The problem is complicated by two factors: (a) Although the word ordinarily means “nonexpert,” hence “an ordinary person” in contrast to one who is skilled, there is also evidence that it was a technical term in religious life for nonmembers who still participated in the pagan sacrifices. (b) In the present context this same person in verse 17 is referred to as being “built up,” which in Paul has to do with believers, yet the word idiōtēs reappears in verse 23 in close connection with unbelievers.
Those who presuppose that the word refers to the same person both here and in verse 23 most often consider the idiōtēs to be a person who stands somewhere between nonbelievers and “full-fledged Christians.” Hence the translation “inquirer” in the NIV margin. Very often he/she is also viewed as having a special place reserved for him/her in the Christian assembly. But there are considerable difficulties with these positions. First, even though such language was used at a later time for catechumens, it is almost certainly an anachronism to assume that there were already “nonbaptized converts” who had special “places” reserved for them in the early house churches. Second, the context as a whole seems to be against it. The concern to this point has been the edification of the church. In verse 17 this idiōtēs is referred to as “the other person” who “is not edified” by hearing praise in tongues. Elsewhere in this argument such language refers to a believer. Moreover, Paul says this person is unable to say the customary “Amen” to your thanksgiving, which implies wholehearted endorsement by one who regularly affirms the praise of the living God.
The alternative is to take the verb in the figurative sense of “one who finds himself in the place or role of an idiōtēs,” with the latter word being used in its nontechnical sense to refer to such a person’s inability to comprehend the tongues-speaker. This does not mean, as is often suggested, that such people do not have spiritual gifts, so that they are also being “put down” by the one speaking in tongues. Rather, it refers to any and all in the community who become idiōtai to the tongues-speaker perhaps in the further sense of being “untrained” (cf. Acts 4:13) in the “language” being spoken precisely because they do not understand what is being said. The reason for the singular is that it corresponds to the second person singular of the person being addressed. Thus, rather than speak to all in the second plural, Paul’s point is better made in the singular, with the person addressed representing those speaking in tongues in the community, and the “person taking the place of the unlearned” representing all the rest in the community who at any time must listen to the uninterpreted tongues without understanding. This, after all, is Paul’s concern throughout the argument, and is further supported by his own follow-up explanation in verse 17.
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