Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the gift of tongues is more excellent than the grace of prophecy. For, seemingly, better things are proper to better persons, according to the Philosopher (Topic. iii, 1). Now the gift of tongues is proper to the New Testament, hence we sing in the sequence of Pentecost : "On this day Thou gavest Christ's apostles an unwonted gift, a marvel to all time": whereas prophecy is more pertinent to the Old Testament, according to Heb. 1:1, "God Who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets." Therefore it would seem that the gift of tongues is more excellent than the gift of prophecy.

Objection 2: Further, that whereby we are directed to God is seemingly more excellent than that whereby we are directed to men. Now, by the gift of tongues, man is directed to God, whereas by prophecy he is directed to man; for it is written (1 Cor. 14:2,3): "He that speaketh in a tongue, speaketh not unto men, but unto God . . . but he that prophesieth, speaketh unto men unto edification." Therefore it would seem that the gift of tongues is more excellent than the gift of prophecy.

Objection 3: Further, the gift of tongues abides like a habit in the person who has it, and "he can use it when he will"; wherefore it is written (1 Cor. 14:18): "I thank my God I speak with all your tongues." But it is not so with the gift of prophecy, as stated above (Question 171, Article 2). Therefore the gift of tongues would seem to be more excellent than the gift of prophecy.

Objection 4: Further, the "interpretation of speeches" would seem to be contained under prophecy, because the Scriptures are expounded by the same Spirit from Whom they originated. Now the interpretation of speeches is placed after "divers kinds of tongues" (1 Cor. 12:10). Therefore it seems that the gift of tongues is more excellent than the gift of prophecy, particularly as regards a part of the latter.

On the contrary, The Apostle says (1 Cor. 14:5): "Greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues."

I answer that, The gift of prophecy surpasses the gift of tongues, in three ways. First, because the gift of tongues regards the utterance of certain words, which signify an intelligible truth, and this again is signified by the phantasms which appear in an imaginary vision; wherefore Augustine compares (Gen. ad lit. xii, 8) the gift of tongues to an imaginary vision. On the other hand, it has been stated above (Question 173, Article 2) that the gift of prophecy consists in the mind itself being enlightened so as to know an intelligible truth. Wherefore, as the prophetic enlightenment is more excellent than the imaginary vision, as stated above (Question 174, Article 2), so also is prophecy more excellent than the gift of tongues considered in itself. Secondly, because the gift of prophecy regards the knowledge of things, which is more excellent than the knowledge of words, to which the gift of tongues pertains.

Thirdly, because the gift of prophecy is more profitable. The Apostle proves this in three ways (1 Cor. 14); first, because prophecy is more profitable to the edification of the Church, for which purpose he that speaketh in tongues profiteth nothing, unless interpretation follow (1 Cor. 14:4,5). Secondly, as regards the speaker himself, for if he be enabled to speak in divers tongues without understanding them, which pertains to the gift of prophecy, his own mind would not be edified (1 Cor. 14:7-14). Thirdly, as to unbelievers for whose especial benefit the gift of tongues seems to have been given; since perchance they might think those who speak in tongues to be mad (1 Cor. 14:23), for instance the Jews deemed the apostles drunk when the latter spoke in various tongues (Acts 2:13): whereas by prophecies the unbeliever is convinced, because the secrets of his heart are made manifest (Acts 2:25).

Reply to Objection 1: As stated above (Question 174, Article 3, ad 1), it belongs to the excellence of prophecy that a man is not only enlightened by an intelligible light, but also that he should perceive an imaginary vision: and so again it belongs to the perfection of the Holy Ghost's operation, not only to fill the mind with the prophetic light, and the imagination with the imaginary vision, as happened in the Old Testament, but also to endow the tongue with external erudition, in the utterance of various signs of speech. All this is done in the New Testament, according to 1 Cor. 14:26, "Every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation," i.e. a prophetic revelation.

Reply to Objection 2: By the gift of prophecy man is directed to God in his mind, which is more excellent than being directed to Him in his tongue. "He that speaketh in a tongue "is said to speak "not unto men," i.e. to men's understanding or profit, but unto God's understanding and praise. On the other hand, by prophecy a man is directed both to God and to man; wherefore it is the more perfect gift.

Reply to Objection 3: Prophetic revelation extends to the knowledge of all things supernatural; wherefore from its very perfection it results that in this imperfect state of life it cannot be had perfectly by way of habit, but only imperfectly by way of passion. on the other hand, the gift of tongues is confined to a certain particular knowledge, namely of human words; wherefore it is not inconsistent with the imperfection of this life, that it should be had perfectly and by way of habit.

Reply to Objection 4: The interpretation of speeches is reducible to the gift of prophecy, inasmuch as the mind is enlightened so as to understand and explain any obscurities of speech arising either from a difficulty in the things signified, or from the words uttered being unknown, or from the figures of speech employed, according to Dan. 5:16, "I have heard of thee, that thou canst interpret obscure things, and resolve difficult things." Hence the interpretation of speeches is more excellent than the gift of tongues, as appears from the saying of the Apostle (1 Cor. 14:5), "Greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues; unless perhaps he interpret." Yet the interpretation of speeches is placed after the gift of tongues, because the interpretation of speeches extends even to the interpretation of divers kinds of tongues.

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod donum linguarum sit excellentius quam gratia prophetiae.

Quae enim sunt melioribus propria, videntur esse meliora, secundum philosophum, in III topic..

Sed donum linguarum est proprium novi testamenti, unde cantatur in sequentia Pentecostes, ipse hodie apostolos christi donans munere insolito et cunctis inaudito saeculis.

Prophetia autem magis competit veteri testamento, secundum illud Heb. I, multifariam multisque modis olim deus loquens patribus in prophetis.

Ergo videtur quod donum linguarum sit excellentius quam donum prophetiae.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, illud per quod ordinamur ad deum, videtur excellentius esse eo per quod ordinamur ad homines. Sed per donum linguarum homo ordinatur ad deum, per prophetiam autem ad homines, dicitur enim I ad Cor. XIV, qui loquitur lingua, non hominibus loquitur, sed deo, qui autem prophetat, hominibus loquitur ad aedificationem.

Ergo videtur quod donum linguarum sit excellentius quam donum prophetiae.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, donum linguarum habitualiter permanet in habente ipsum, et habet homo in potestate uti eo cum voluerit, unde dicitur I ad Cor. XIV, gratias ago deo meo quod omnium vestrum lingua loquor.

Non autem sic est de dono prophetiae, ut supra dictum est.

Ergo donum linguarum videtur esse excellentius quam donum prophetiae.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, interpretatio sermonum videtur contineri sub prophetia, quia Scripturae eodem spiritu exponuntur quo sunt editae. Sed interpretatio sermonum, I ad Cor. XII, ponitur post genera linguarum. Ergo videtur quod donum linguarum sit excellentius quam donum prophetiae, maxime quantum ad aliquam eius partem.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod apostolus dicit, I ad Cor. XIV, maior est qui prophetat quam qui loquitur linguis.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod donum prophetiae excedit donum linguarum tripliciter. Primo quidem, quia donum linguarum refertur ad diversas voces proferendas, quae sunt signa alicuius intelligibilis veritatis, cuius etiam signa sunt quaedam ipsa phantasmata quae secundum imaginariam visionem apparent; unde et Augustinus, XII super Gen. Ad litt., comparat donum linguarum visioni imaginariae.

Dictum est autem supra quod donum prophetiae consistit in ipsa illuminatione mentis ad cognoscendum intelligibilem veritatem.

Unde sicut prophetica illuminatio excellentior est quam imaginaria visio, ut supra habitum est; ita etiam excellentior est prophetia quam donum linguarum secundum se consideratum. Secundo, quia donum prophetiae pertinet ad rerum notitiam, quae est nobilior quam notitia vocum, ad quam pertinet donum linguarum.

Tertio, quia donum prophetiae est utilius. Et hoc quidem probat apostolus, I ad Cor. XIV, tripliciter. Primo quidem, quia prophetia est utilior ad aedificationem ecclesiae, ad quam qui loquitur linguis nihil prodest, nisi expositio subsequatur. Secundo, quantum ad ipsum loquentem, qui si acciperet ut loqueretur diversis linguis sine hoc quod intelligeret (quod pertinet ad propheticum donum), mens eius non aedificaretur. Tertio, quantum ad infideles, propter quos praecipue videtur esse datum donum linguarum, qui quidem forte eos qui loquerentur linguis reputarent insanos; sicut et Iudaei reputaverunt ebrios apostolos linguis loquentes, ut dicitur Act. II.

Per prophetias autem infidelis convinceretur, manifestatis absconditis cordis eius.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, ad excellentiam prophetiae pertinet quod aliquis non solum illuminetur intelligibili lumine, sed etiam percipiat imaginariam visionem. Ita etiam ad perfectionem operationis spiritus sancti pertinet quod non solum impleat mentem lumine prophetico et phantasiam imaginaria visione, sicut erat in veteri testamento, sed etiam exterius linguam erudiat ad varia signa locutionum proferenda. Quod totum fit in novo testamento, secundum illud I ad Cor. XIV, unusquisque vestrum Psalmum habet, doctrinam habet, linguam habet, Apocalypsim, idest propheticam revelationem, habet.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod per donum prophetiae homo ordinatur ad deum secundum mentem, quod est nobilius quam ordinari ad eum secundum linguam. Dicitur autem quod ille qui loquitur lingua non loquitur hominibus, idest, ad intellectum hominum vel utilitatem eorum, sed ad intellectum solius dei et ad laudem eius. Sed per prophetiam ordinatur aliquis et ad deum et ad proximum. Unde est perfectius donum.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod revelatio prophetica se extendit ad omnia supernaturalia cognoscenda. Unde ex eius perfectione contingit quod in statu imperfectionis huius vitae non potest haberi perfecte per modum habitus, sed imperfecte per modum passionis cuiusdam. Sed donum linguarum se extendit ad cognitionem quandam particularem, scilicet vocum humanarum. Et ideo non repugnat imperfectioni huius vitae quod perfecte et habitualiter habeatur.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod interpretatio sermonum potest reduci ad donum prophetiae, inquantum scilicet mens illuminatur ad intelligendum et exponendum quaecumque sunt in sermonibus obscura, sive propter difficultatem rerum significatarum, sive etiam propter ipsas voces ignotas quae proferuntur, sive etiam propter similitudines rerum adhibitas; secundum illud Dan. V, audivi de te quod possis obscura interpretari et ligata dissolvere.

Unde interpretatio sermonum est potior quam donum linguarum, ut patet per id quod apostolus dicit, I ad Cor. XIV, maior est qui prophetat quam qui loquitur linguis, nisi forte interpretetur.

Postponitur autem interpretatio sermonum dono linguarum, quia etiam ad interpretandum diversa linguarum genera interpretatio sermonum se extendit.