2 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.
1 Corinthians 14:2 (KJV)
Notice the negative, here, as Paul just finished saying that the charismatic gifts are for the common good.
4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 1 Corinthians 14:4 (KJV)
Question: Why the need to prophecy to yourself?
Why would you need to speak tongues to yourself?
This spoken of by Paul as his private time with the Lord:
14 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.[/I]
The Greek construction is very interesting, here. The pairing of two identical verbs (twice) withe "de kai" creates am emphasis on the second use, praying/singing with the mind. The importance of pairing tongues with understood speaking is paramount.
This is NOT about private tongues. This is about interpreting them.
This that comes next is when in the church:
16 [But] 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?
Again, a negative regarding uninterpreted tongues.
17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
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.
1 Corinthians 14:14-19 (KJV)
Again, uninterpreted tongues are viewed negatively. "In church" is an emphasis on where this ought to be taking place.
Paul was NEVER complelled to speak in tongues at all either in the church or in private. Perhaps you think he was. Perhaps also that if you believe tongues were strickly for edifying the church then anytime Paul spoke them in private, he was of the devil.
Except that Paul never says that he spoke them in private. Every instance here is tongues spoken in the Church. The contrast isn't
to whom tongues are spoken, but
their lack of value when uninterpreted, especially compared to prophecy. Paul's point here is that speaking in tongues frequently or voluminously is useless without interpretation.
I agree that no one is compelled to speak in tongues.
However, one cannot speak in tongues without the direction of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will only direct speaking in tongues where there is interpretation, as per Paul's instruction regarding tongues further down.
