Verse 12
In view of this the Corinthians who were zealous for spiritual gifts would be better off pursuing the gifts that would enable them to build up the church. They should value these rather than the gifts that gave them some personal satisfaction when they exercised them but did not edify others. The Corinthians were zealots when it came to spirits (Gr. pneumaton). The English translators often interpreted this word as synonymous with pneumatikon (spiritual gifts, 1 Corinthians 14:1), but it is different. Probably Paul meant that they were zealous over a particular manifestation of the Spirit, what they considered the mark of a truly "spiritual" Christian, namely, the gift of tongues (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:14-15; 1 Corinthians 14:32).
"Utterances that are not understood, even if they come from the Spirit, are of no benefit, that is, edification, to the hearer. Thus, since they have such zeal for the manifestation of the Spirit, they should direct that zeal in corporate worship away from being ’foreigners’ to one another toward the edification of one another in Christ." [Note: Fee, The First . . ., p. 666.]
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