Backwoods Presbyterian
Puritanboard Amanuensis
I was reading through 1 Corinthians 12-14 in my morning devotions today and came upon 1 Corinthians 14:15 which says:
"What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. " -- 1 Corinthians 14:15
I usually do my devotions with Calvin's commentary (if applicable) or Henry (if Calvin does not have a comment on the passage) and so I turned over to Calvin for his reading on this passage. Here is what he says:
For context here is 1 Corinthians 14:14-16:
"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?"
"What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. " -- 1 Corinthians 14:15
I usually do my devotions with Calvin's commentary (if applicable) or Henry (if Calvin does not have a comment on the passage) and so I turned over to Calvin for his reading on this passage. Here is what he says:
"When he says, I will sing Psalms, or, I will sing, he makes use of a particular instance, instead of a general statement. For, as the praises of God were the subject-matter of the Psalms, he means by the singing of Psalms — blessing God, or rendering thanks to him, for in our supplications, we either ask something from God, or we acknowledge some blessing that has been conferred upon us. From this passage, however, we at the same time infer, that the custom of singing was, even at that time, in use among believers, as appears, also, from Pliny, who, writing at least forty years, or thereabouts, after the death of Paul, mentions, that the Christians were accustomed to sing Psalms to Christ before day-break. I have also no doubt, that, from the very first, they followed the custom of the Jewish Church in singing Psalms."
For context here is 1 Corinthians 14:14-16:
"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?"