Paul refused to speak in tongues within the church (1 Cor. 14:19) and gave Biblical and rational reasons why he refused to do so.
He told his readers to grow up and gave the SCRIPTURE whereby they could use the gift of tongues more maturely.
1 Cor. 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
21 ¶ In 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.
22 Wherefore 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.
he quotes the Biblical purpose for the gift of Tongues. He is quoting Isaiah 28:11-12 where Isaiah predicts that God would give a sign to "this people" the jews which they would not believe - "yet for all that they will not hear me, saith the Lord." The JEWISH PEOPLE. The Jewish people were not "unlearned" unbelievers but knew the scriptures in spite of their unbelief and refusal to believe in Christ. However, gentiles were not merely unbelievers but "unlearned" and they would see tongues only as a sign of crazy or "mad" people:
23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
Can you see that he first states who are the proper recipient of tongues "this people" the Jews who knew the scriptures and who the gift was not for "unlearned" type of unbeleivers (gentiles). One was learned in the scriptures and would see tongues as a sign of the promised rest but the other would see it was sign that you were mad?
Thus Paul concludes that tongues are not a sign "to them that beleive, but to them that believe not." Paul spoke in tongues more than all of them because he used it Biblically as a "sign" to the Jews that the promised "rest" (Isaiah 28:12) had come - Jesus Christ. He refused to use it in the church becauase it was not a sign for believers and the church is an assembly of believers. However he did not forbid the use of tongues under certain restrictions.
Where then did he speak in tongues more than all the church combined? He was a missionary and his practice was always to go to the Jews first and then to the gentiles. He used it OUTSIDE the church for the express Biblical purpose God designed it for as a "sign" to "this People" or Israel.
As DHK correctly stated all such "sign" and revelatory gifts have ceased with the last living christians upon whom the apostles laid their hands and imparted such gifts as that was their ability and "signs of an apostle" (2 Cor. 12:12).
I Corinthians 13:8-13 predicts the cessation of tongues and revelatory gifts. Tongues ceases BEFORE revelatory gifts cease as Israel would reject this "sign" as predicted by Isaiah 28:12 and God would turn to the Gentiles.
8 ¶ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
In verse 8 there is a grammatical distinction in voice between "fail" and "cease." The Greek word translated "cease" is a middle voice and means it will cease of itself. However, "fail" is passive in voice and means something shall cause it to fail. That something which will cause "prophesy" to "fail" is the subject of verses 9-12.
The implication is that tongues will cease of itself prior to whatever comes and stops prophecy. That is precisely what happened to the gift of tongues. It gradually died out even before the end of the first century.
Prophecy and knowledge are INCOMPLETE when Paul wrote - "WE know in part and WE prophesy in part" and "that which is perfect" (complete) had not come when Paul wrote. "that" is neuter and so it does not refer to the coming of Christ. So what comes to make the "in part" cease is that which is COMPLETE. Hence, by the very contrast the COMPLETE has to do with REVELATION as the "in part" is partial REVELATORY gifts. It must therefore be the COMPLETION of what partial revelatory gifts provide - God's Revealed Word.
In the remaining context, it refers to something that presentlly when Paul wrote was IMMATURE and INCOMPLETE and only possessed "in part" but the "part" would be set aside when MATURITY came. The Maturity had to do with REVELATION and refers to the completed Biblical canon or New Testament which Paul and other apostles were in the process of completing. Thus until it was complete revelatory gifts were essential for the congregations as the Old Testament provided nothing for chuch policy, doctrine and ordinances.
Paul illustrates the arrival of the MATURE revelation that does away with the "in part" immature revelatory gifts with two illustrations. The first illustration has to do with the cessation of tongues simply ceasing of itself while the second illustration with what provided a more mature clearer perception.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Tongues would cease of themselves naturally as a child would naturally stop talking like a child when they mature and begin talking like an adult. Tongues were infantile in that they were never intended to continue as their purpose was specific and limited (I Cor. 14:20-21). Their use in the church was restricted and limited (1 Cor. 14:26-27).
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
The second illustration dealt with what would stop prophesy and knowledge. Remember, now they were "in part." What would stop them is when FULLER revelation arrived that would make them no longer necessary. Their "in part" condition was compared to a brass mirror that allowed the looker to see themselves but with limitations. Such was the case of revelatory gifts as not all Christians possessed such gifts and thus most Christians were dependent upon those gifted men (Acts 13:1) for divine leadership.
Note the contrast of time terms "NOW" versus "THEN". The "NOW" was inclusive of the apostolic time as he includes himself "we" in this "NOW" period. It was the prophetic job of the apostles to finish the Bibical canon as predicted also by Isaiah (Isa. 8:16-18). Jesus told them that the coming of the Holy Spirit would "lead them into ALL TRUTH" (Jn. 16:13) and that the Holy Spirit would "REMIND THEM" of the words Jesus spoke to them and that future Christians would be converted "by their words" (Jn. 17:20). They realized they were producing scriptures (2 Pet. 3:15-17; etc.) and the apostle John realized he was concluding the prophecy of Isaiah 8:16 as he introduced his final scriptures by the final living apostle as "the testimony" of Christ and sealed it (Rev. 22:17-18) as predicted by Isaiah 8:16 and then predicted that the next revelation from God would be the coming of Christ from heaven (Rev. 22:19-20) just as Isaiah also predicted (Isa. 8:18).
However, that time had not come when Paul wrote the Corinthians and they were still "NOW" in the apostolic age where this incomplete revelation was still necessary. However, "then" it would not be necessary as the New Testament Scriptures would provide a "mirror" where one could see himself more plainly (James 1:23-25). With the arrival of the New Testament Scriptures the "in part" revelatory gifts and their accompany confirming signs and wonders (Heb. 2:3-4) would cease to exist.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Paul's stated purpose for chapter 13 was to shew them a "better way" right "now" to guide them in their use of spiritual gifts - the way of love (1 Cor. 12:31).
In lack of completed revelation from God, mature spirituality, and proper use of spirtiual gifts is not determined by the power and performance of spiritual gifts, but MATURE use of God's gifts is determined by abiding principles which are apparent to all his readers - faith, hope and charity. Hence, in lieu of a completed revelation from God spelling out the proper and improper use of spiritual gifts they had abiding principles that could be used "NOW" to discern right and wrong use of such gifts. The greatest of these principles is love and it is love that Paul goes on to use as the principle to guide them in the proper use of such temporary gifts in Chapter 14. The principle of love demands the use of all gifts are for edification of others and self. The principle of love demands order and descency and obedience to the scriptures they do have.
