That verse does not say that Paul did not speak in tongues in church. That verse is part of the greater rebuke against the Corinthians about how they were speaking in tongues.
Yes it was correction by his own example! He spoke in tongues more than any of them, YET in the church he would rather speak five words with his understanding! So where did he speak tongue if not in the church? It does not say whether he did or not just what he would RATHER do!
Paul did NOT say "don't speak in tongues in church"; if that is what he was saying in verse 19, then why would he turn around and tell them how to properly do it in verse 27?
Again, He was using his own example! I have never said that he does not want tongues in church. Go back and read my other post! I have always said tongues in church with interpretation is in order! But I do not deny anyone outside the church walls to not speak/pray in tongues! All of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit can be done outside the church assembly, including praying in the spirit!
Where did Paul speak in tongues outside of the church? Look at every other example of speaking in tongues in the book of Acts. It was always in public, but not necessarily in church.
It does not give any example of any of the apostles speaking in tongues except Acts 2. But we know they did!
But you will NOT find a single scriptural example of anyone speaking a "private prayer language."
FIrst, do you see that speaking in tongues is praying? If so then why can't we pray outside the church in our prayer closet between me and God! Just like vs. 28 says!
So if all that is YOU, how can you say that you privately pray in your spirit without knowing what it is that you pray? Tongues are a sign for unbelievers; why do YOU need the sign?
I do not need a sign to believe! I do not limit tongues JUST as a sign to the unbeliever! As I have shown before there were not any unbelievers around when they spoke in tongues in Acts 10 or 19.
We are not saved by or because of our repentence. We are saved by Faith; and Faith comes by hearing.
I agree! I did not say repentance saved! RE READ my post! I said Faith saved us..it was by hearing the Word that brings us to repentance (change of mind and action).
See my response above!
Two things: 1) on the day of Pentecost, thousands of unbelievers heard the sign; heard the preaching, and were saved. So not "just like."
2) Re-look at the story of Cornelius, and pay attention to verse 45.
Verse 45 says that they of the circumcision which believed were astonished! They were already believers!
Yes! vs. They received the Holy Ghost just as they did at Pentecost! They spoke in tongues just as they did at Pentecost! What were they doing in vs. 46? Magnifying God! No interpretation given! Tongues were not used as a sign to unbelievers here! Tongues were used to spread the gospel!
If there was any sign given here it was a sign to the BELIEVING Jews that Gentiles received the Holy Spirit!
Bottom line is that they were not witnessing to anyone. Unbelievers were not present. They were magnifying God!
In the passages which we have been examining (especially the account of Pentecost and the story of Cornelius), people were speaking to God in tongues. This is what the apostle Paul meant when he said:
"For
anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men
but to God." (1 Corinthians 14:2)
So when people spoke in tongues in the above passages, they were praying directly to God in the Holy Spirit. In other words, the communication was going from earth up to heaven.
Now take a look at another statement that the apostle Paul made
"He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified." (1 Corinthians 14:5)
Here Paul said that when a person speaks a message in tongues to a church congregation, the message must be interpreted so that the congregation can be edified (so that the message will benefit them, instruct them, build them up in their faith, etc.). This describes another form of tongues in which a message is delivered from heaven down to earth, which must be interpreted into the local language.
So there are actually two purposes for tongues in the New Testament, which is something that many Christians don't realize. There's a "public" form of tongues for delivering a message from God to a group of people (which must be interpreted into the local language), and there's a "private" form of tongues for speaking to God (praying to Him in the Spirit). Each form of tongues has a different purpose.
Until you realize this...tongues will contradict in scriptures! If you see this, there is no contradiction!