19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Here is the adult or mature approach to using tongues in the Church! But no such mature approach exists within charismania. Instead they would rather speak ten thousand times ten thousand words without understanding in the church than five words with understanding because they consider that more spiiritual!
1 ¶ Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. [/QUOTE]
The rule for using all spiritual gifts is charity as described in 13;5-8 and charity never seeketh its own but always seeks whats best for others as true charity is always SELF-DENYING. It is picking up the cross and dying to self!
Spiritual gifts are not selected by God's people but by God's Spirit (14:7-11) BECAUSE God's purpose for gifting "one" different than another is not for SELF but for God's design for that individual within the body (vv. 11-26) to fulfill a need by OTHER MEMBERS and so God has not purposed that any singular member EVER fill every ministry or exercise every gift (vv. 29-30) as that would eliminate their dependency upon EACH OTHER which is the WAY OF LOVE (12:31-14:1). Therefore seek love above all things because love denies SELF instead of promoting SELF. If you want to promote OTHERS instead of SELF in the assembly SEEK TO PROPHESY. At this point Paul introduces the superiority of Prophesy over tongues in a series of contrasts in the next few verses and why prophesy is SUPERIOR to tongues in a church context.
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
With verse 2 Paul introduces tongues IN CONTRAST with Prophesy IN A CHURCH CONTEXT which later he will state is not the context God designed for the FREE exercise of tongues because IN THE CHURCH it comes with GREAT LIMITATIONS, RESTRICTIONS and SELF-CONTROL guidelines whereas ALL may prophesy.
Second, verse 2 introduces tongues WITHOUT INTERPRETERS. Interpretation is not introduce until verse 5. And it is verse 5 with the introduction of interpretation IN THE CHURCH that he begins in verses 6-12 to show why it is necessary to have interpretation. Hence, tongues is being considered in this text as IN THE CHURCH and WITHOUT INTERPRETERS and as such "he that speaketh in an unknown tonge speaketh NOT TO MEN, but to God" and so it is mysterious to men.
Later according to God's Biblical design where tongues are used FREELY tongues is how God SPEAKS TO MEN (v. 21). However, in the church context without an interpreter tongues has NO VALUE TO MEN simply because NO MAN in that context understands it and cannot understand it without an interpreter. When an interpreter is provided then it edifies men witin the church but not until.
3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
In direct contrast, prophesy IN THE CHURCH context is speaking to men because it does not require an interpreter to understand what is being said. Therefore immeidate edification, exhortation and comfort are gained by all who hear it as they speak it in words all know! Hence, in the Church prophesying is SUPERIOR and should be emphasized.
4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
Now by comparison again with prophesing IN THE CHURCH tongues do not edify others and so fails, falls short of exercising gifts out of LOVE as love seeks the benefit of OTHERS over self but tongues in the church without interpretation only builds up self at the expense of others and that kind of self-edification is condemned. Neither does it build up self in a positive manner as that is impossible without understanding accompanying it for the speaker (vv. 16-17) and therefore Paul simply will not speak in tongues AT ALL without seeking and obtaining understanding for himself as well as for any listeners. Tongues were never designed for SELF-edification but for the MISSION FIELD unto "THIS PEOPLE" and that is why IN THE CHURCH it is absolutely forbidden to speak openly and publicly in tongues without interpretation provided and even then no more than three. If a person still persists and wants to exercise that gift in the church he is to do it SILENTLY.
5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
If they all could speak with tongues he would not have to make any such wish but they can't as tongues is not given to all (12:29-30).
Paul continues with the contrast between the SUPERIOR gift of prophesying versus tongues IN THE CHURCH without an interpreter. However, in verse 5 he introduces the first exception to his rule of the complete superiority of prophesying over tongues in the church - "EXCEPT HE INTERPRET." This proves that in verses 2-4 tongues has been considered WITHOUT INTERPRETATION and thus without NO MAN UNDERSTANDING IT. Now, he introduces for the FIRST TIME how it can be spoken to men or with understanding so it does speak to men and does edify listeners.
6 ¶ Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
Having introduced the exception clause for the first time in verse 5 how tongues may benefit the church, may be used according to love, may build up rather than cause confusion, he now proceeds to reason with the corinthians why it is necessary for the use of tongues in the church to ALWAYS include understanding because without it benefits NO MEMBER at all.
Notice also that tongues can be spoken TO MEN in the following variety of ways - "revelation....knowledge.....prophesying.....doctrine" in addition to praying and singing as Paul is claiming that tongues has no benefit unless it is used according to these functions. Hence, to claim that tongues is a praise gift is false. Or that tongues is praying is false. It can be used for such but it is not restricted to such but can be used ANY WAY you use your own dialect!
7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
His point is simple. Uninterpreted DIALECTS mean nothing to any man including the speaker if they are not understood and that is precisely why Paul says that personally he will never speak in tongues IN A WORSHIP CONTEXT where interpretation is not provided for himself and others. In a JEWISH MISSIONARY context God is speaking to men through his lips (v. 21) and that is exactly what we see in every use in the book of Acts.
10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Tongues refers to the "many kinds of voices in the world" or known dialects and that is why it is found in the plural because there are plural dialects. On the Mission field God selects the langauages when HE SPEAKS TO MEN through their lips and tongues. In WORSHIP foreign languages are worthless to all without interpretation as they merely speak into the air and speak like a barbarian. Notice both the speaker and the listener are barbarian. The rule is seek edification of the Church and because that is the rule to seek IN WORSHIP SERIVCE Paul refuses to personally exercise that gift without understanding given himself and all listeners (vv. 13-17) and personally has no use for exercising tongues in the church (v. 19) at all for several reasons. First, it is not the place God designed for tongues (vv. 20-21). Second, it servers no MISSIONARY PURPOSE for the unlearned Gentile lost who may enter the service. Third its use in worship is severely restricted so that none may speak in tongues without interpretation and at the most with interpretation three and then one at a time. This is why it would cease of itsself because when God's purpose for it was accomplished and as more of the written prophetic Word was provided it served no purpose in worship.
