after the teaching, Paul gives in Corinthians ch. 12-14, he finally narrows down to his main point...but not before making an earnest plea for their understanding, and for the withholding of "potentially" their anger, as a result of what he must tell them
here is that plea:
1Corinthians 14
20Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
..when you make this type of request, it is that you have concern for the hearers' ability to receive the truth, that you have to tell them, graciously.
...and hear is what he had to tell them...
1Corinthians 14
21In the law it is written, With
men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying
serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
Why would this upset them?
Simple answer: They had been using the "gifts of tongues" as the sole indicator/evidence by which they considered one to be brought into the body of Christ.
No wonder he spent so much time in Ch.12, telling how one (natural)body part couldn't say to another part, that it wasn't part of the body...
example - (eye can't say to the hand, because I'm not the hand I'm not part of the body)
-This was exactly what was happening, in the body of Christ/the church at Corinth.
-Paul wasn't so concerned about your natural body having this debate, but it is the spiritual body/The Church, which also has many (parts/members)...such as tongues, prophesy, gifts of healing...just to name a few. It is these members that should not exclude another potential member because they don't have a certain gift.
No wonder Paul spent so much time in
Ch. 14, telling how that prophesy was preferable to tongues. He was trying to pry them away from the emphasis they had placed on tongues.
oh yeah, ch.13...well division, such as that caused by placing Tongues in an elevated position (as the
determining gift by which one would know they were in the Body of Christ), would be much less likely to happen in an atmosphere of love.
Charity envieth not,is not easily puffed up, is kind, seeketh not her own, is easily entreated, hopeth all things, believeth all things. Without this, all the gifts in the world would be basically useless. Because the gifts could be used to tear down and drive away, rather than edify the body( which was their intended purpose).