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becomes equal to the one prophesying «But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking, what will I profit you?» Why do I speak of others, he says? For even if I myself come speaking in tongues, there will be nothing more for the 95.681 hearers. And he says these things showing that he seeks their benefit, not that he is hostile towards those who have the gift. «Unless I speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophecy, or in teaching.» Unless I say, he says, what can be easily understood by you, but only show that I have the gift of tongues, you will go away having gained nothing. For how, from a voice you do not understand? «Yet even lifeless things that produce a sound, whether a flute or a harp, if they do not give a distinction in the tones, how will what is being fluted or what is being harped be known? For if a trumpet gives an indistinct sound, who will prepare for war? So also you through the tongue.» Why do I say, he says, that in your case the matter is unprofitable? and one might see this in the case of lifeless things, both in the case of the harp and of the trumpet. «Unless you give an intelligible word, how will what is being spoken be known.» Instead of, Unless you interpret. «For you will be speaking into the air.» That is, speaking to no one, talking to no one. «There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none is without sound. If therefore I do not know the meaning of the voice, I will be a barbarian to the one speaking, and the one speaking will be a barbarian to me; so also you.» That is, so many tongues, so many voices, of Scythians, Thracians, Romans, Persians, Moors, Indians, Egyptians, and of countless other nations. «Since you are zealous for spirits, seek to abound for the edification of the Church. Therefore, let the one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.» If it is necessary to be zealous, be zealous for these gifts which build up the Church. Therefore he adds, saying, Let him pray that he may interpret. «For if I pray in a tongue, my Spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What then is it?» That is, the gift given to me, and moving the tongue. «I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the unlearned say the Amen at your thanksgiving? since he does not know what you are saying.» As if someone were saying, What then is instructive and profitable? And how must one speak? And what must one ask from God? He answers saying, to pray both with the spirit, that is with the gift, and with the understanding, so that the tongue may speak, and the mind may not be ignorant of the things being said. For if this is not so, another confusion arises. For the layman does not know how to respond Amen; for he does not know what you are saying. 95.684 «For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.» So that he might not seem to utterly disparage the gift, he says this; and he did this also above when he said, The one who speaks a mystery, both speaks to God, and edifies himself. You then, he says, give thanks well; for being moved by the Spirit you speak; but that person, hearing nothing and not knowing what is said, stands, not receiving much benefit. «I thank my God, I speak in a tongue more than all of you; but in the Church» So that he might not seem to speak against it as one deprived of the gift, he says this. «I would rather speak five words with my mind, that I might also instruct others.» That is, understanding what I say, and being able to interpret for others also. «Than ten thousand words in a tongue.» For this has only display, he says; but that has much benefit. «Brothers, do not be children in your minds, but in malice be infants, and in your minds be mature.» For children gape at small things, but do not have so much wonder for very great things. Since therefore these also, having the gift of tongues, thought they had everything, which was less than the others, for this reason he says, Do not be children in your minds; that is, do not be foolish where it is necessary to be intelligent. But be infants and simple there, where there is vainglory, where there is puffing up. And what is it to be an infant in malice, but not to know what malice is at all? «In the [Law] it is written, that with other tongues and with other lips I will speak to this people, and not even so will they hear me, says the Lord.» The divine Scripture, and the

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γένηται τοῦ προφητεύοντος ἴσος «Νῦν δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐὰν ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς λαλῶν, τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω;» Τί λέγω τοὺς ἄλλους, φησί; Κἂν γὰρ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς γλώσσαις ἔλθω λαλῶν, οὐδὲν ἔσται πλέον τοῖς 95.681 Ἀκούουσι. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει δεικνὺς, ὅτι τὸ ἐκείνων συμφέρον ζητεῖ, οὐ πρὸς τοὺς χάρισμα ἔχοντας ἀπεχθῶς ἔχει. «Ἐὰν μὴ ὑμῖν λαλήσω, ἢ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει, ἢ ἐν γνώσει, ἢ ἐν προφητείᾳ, ἢ ἐν διδαχῇ.» Ἐὰν μὴ εἴπω, φησὶ, τὸ δυνάμενον ὑμῖν εὔληπτον γενέσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐπιδείξω μόνον ὅτι γλώσσης ἔχω χάρισμα, οὐδὲν ἂν κερδήσαντες ἀπελεύσεσθε. Πῶς γὰρ ἀπὸ φωνῆς ἧς οὐ συνιεῖτε; «Ὅμως τὰ ἄψυχα φωνὴν διδόντα, εἴτε αὐλὸς, εἴτε κιθάρα, ἐὰν διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ διδῷ, πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον, ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον; Καὶ γὰρ ἐὰν ἄδηλον φωνὴν σάλπιγξ δῷ, τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον; Οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς διὰ τῆς γλώσσης.» Τί λέγω, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐφ' ὑμῶν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀκερδές ἐστι; καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀψύχων τοῦτο εἴδοι τις ἂν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κιθάρας, καὶ ἐπὶ σάλπιγγος. «Ἐὰν μὴ εὔσημον λόγον δῶτε, πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ λαλούμενον.» Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἐὰν μὴ διερμηνεύητε. «Ἔσεσθε γὰρ εἰς ἀέρα λαλοῦντες.» Τουτέστιν, οὐδενὶ φθεγγόμενοι, πρὸς οὐδένα λαλοῦντες. «Τοσαῦτα εἰ τύχοι γένη φωνῶν εἰσιν ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἄφωνον. Ἐὰν οὖν μὴ εἴδω τὴν δύναμιν τῆς φωνῆς, ἔσομαι τῷ λαλοῦντι βάρβαρος, καὶ ὁ λαλῶν ἐμοὶ βάρβαρος· οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς.» Τουτέστι, τοσαῦται γλῶσσαι, τοσαῦται φωναὶ, Σκυθῶν, Θρᾳκῶν, Ῥωμαίων, Περσῶν, Μαύρων, Ἰνδῶν, Αἰγυπτίων, ἑτέρων μυρίων ἐθνῶν. «Ἐπεὶ ζηλωταί ἐστε πνευμάτων εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ζητεῖτε ἵνα περισσεύητε. ∆ιὸ ὁ λαλῶν γλώσσῃ, προσευχέσθω, ἵνα διερμηνεύῃ.» Εἰ ζηλοῦν δεῖ, τὰ χαρίσματα ταῦτα ζηλοῦτε, ἃ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ. ∆ιὸ ἐπάγει λέγων, Προσευχέσθω, ἵνα διερμηνεύῃ. «Ἐὰν γὰρ εὔχωμαι γλώσσῃ, τὸ Πνεῦμά μου προσεύχεται, ὁ δὲ νοῦς μου ἄκαρπός ἐστι. Τί οὖν ἐστι;» Τουτέστι, τὸ χάρισμα τὸ δοθέν μοι, καὶ κινοῦν τὴν γλῶσσαν. «Προσεύξομαι πνεύματι, προσεύξομαι καὶ τῷ νοΐ· ψαλῶ τῷ πνεύματι, ψαλῶ καὶ τῷ νοΐ. Ἐπεὶ ἐὰν εὐλογῇς πνεύματι, ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τὸν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου, πῶς ἐρεῖ τὸ Ἀμὴν, ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ; ἐπειδὴ τί λέγεις οὐκ οἶδεν.» Ὥσπερ τινὸς λέγοντος, Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ διδακτικὸν, καὶ ὠφέλιμον; Καὶ πῶς χρὴ λέγειν; Καὶ τί χρὴ αἰτεῖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ἀποκρίνεται λέγων τὸ, καὶ τῷ πνεύματι, τουτέστι τῷ χαρίσματι καὶ τῇ διανοίᾳ προσεύχεσθαι, ἵνα καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα φθέγγηται, καὶ ὁ νοῦς μὴ ἀγνοῇ τὰ λεγόμενα. Καὶ γὰρ ἐὰν μὴ τοῦτο ᾖ, καὶ ἑτέρα σύγχυσις γίνεται. Οὐ γὰρ οἶδεν ὑποφωνεῖν ὁ λαϊκὸς τὸ Ἀμήν· οὐκ οἶδε γὰρ τί λέγεις. 95.684 «Σὺ μὲν γὰρ καλῶς εὐχαριστεῖς, ἀλλ' ἕτερος οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖται.» Ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ σφόδρα ἐξευτελίζειν τὸ χάρισμα, τοῦτό φησι· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἀνωτέρω ἐποίησεν ὅτε ἔλεγεν, Ὁ λαλῶν μυστήριον, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ λαλεῖ, καὶ ἑαυτὸν οἰκοδομεῖ. Σὺ οὖν, φησὶ, καλῶς εὐχαριστεῖς· Πνεύματι γὰρ κινούμενος φθέγγῃ· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος οὐδὲν ἀκούων, οὐδὲ εἰδὼς τὰ λεγόμενα, ἕστηκεν, οὐ πολλὴν δεχόμενος τὴν ὠφέλειαν. «Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ μου, πάντων ὑμῶν μᾶλλον γλώσσῃ λαλῶν· ἀλλ' ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ» Ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ κατατρέχειν ὡς ἐστερημένος τοῦ χαρίσματος, τοῦτό φησι. «Θέλω πέντε λόγους τῷ νοΐ μου λαλῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ ἄλλους κατηχήσω.» Τουτέστι, νοῶν ἃ λέγω, καὶ δυνάμενος καὶ ἑτέροις ἑρμηνεῦσαι. «Ἢ μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ.» Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ἐπίδειξιν ἔχει μόνην, φησι· ἐκεῖνο δὲ πολλὴν τὴν ὠφέλειαν. «Ἀδελφοὶ, μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσὶν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε, ταῖς δὲ φρεσὶν τέλειοι γίνεσθε.» Καὶ γὰρ τὰ παιδία πρὸς μὲν τὰ μικρὰ κέχηνεν, τῶν δὲ σφόδρα μεγάλων οὐ τοσοῦτον ἔχει θαῦμα. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ οὗτοι γλωσσῶν ἔχοντες χάρισμα τὸ πᾶν ἔχειν ἐνόμιζον, ὅπερ τῶν ἄλλων ἔλαττον ἦν, διὰ τοῦτό φησι, Μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσί· τουτέστι, μὴ ἀνόητοι, ἔνθα συνετοὺς εἶναι χρή. Ἀλλὰ ἐκεῖ νήπιοι καὶ ἀφελεῖς, ἔνθα κενοδοξία, ἔνθα φυσίωμα. Τί δέ ἐστι νήπιον εἶναι κακίᾳ, ἢ τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι τί ποτέ ἐστι κακία; «Ἐν τῷ [νόμῳ] γέγραπται, ὅτι ἐν ἑτερογλώσσοις, καὶ ἐν χείλεσιν ἑτέροις λαλήσω τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ, καὶ οὐδ' οὕτως ἀκούσονταί μου, λέγει Κύριος.» Νόμον ἡ θεία Γραφὴ, καὶ τοὺς