Should Speaking in Tongues Be Allowed in Public Worship Services?

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1 Corinthians 14:22-25

22 So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23 Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 24 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. 25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.”

Paul continues his teaching to the Corinthian church about the use and role of the gift of speaking in tongues. He is specifically addressing whether someone should speak in tongues during a worship service. Note Paul affirms it is a real spiritual gift and this rules out the "cessationist" viewpoint that the spiritual gift of tongues was only for the church at Pentecost. 

Paul also makes a crucial distinction between speaking in tongues and the gift of prophesy. The difference is what determines whether they should be exercised in the worship service. If someone is speaking in tongues and no one is there to interpret it into a language the people gathered can understand, it only edifies the person speaking in tongues. The word "edify" means to "build up" or "strengthen". Each of the spiritual gifts were given to "build up the church", not "build up the individual". I.e. When the gift is exercised others grow stronger in their relationship with God through Christ. 

Paul says speaking in tongues is a sign for unbelievers not believers. What he means by this is the gift of speaking in tongues is a manifest presence of the Holy Spirit in such a way that a person who speaks in tongues has tangible evidence of the Holy Spirit. But importantly if one does not have the gift of speaking in tongues, it does not mean you are not filled with the Holy Spirit. This was another errant teaching in the church that I was exposed to early in my faith life. Paul clearly teaches that the gift of speaking in tongues is not a gift everyone receives.  Like any spiritual gift some have it and some don't.  

Contrary to the gift of speaking in tongues, the gift of prophesy is speaking intelligible words of God that build up believers in faith. When Paul uses the word prophesy he is not always talking about "predictive prophecy".  I.e. Predicting that a future event will happen. The word prophecy means "the word of the Lord". So a prophet speaks God's word in a timely manner led by the Holy Spirit. Prophesying builds up the believer and can convict unbelievers of their need for the Lord. The Holy Spirit uses God's word to lead someone to salvation in Christ and also uses it to grow someone to maturity in Christ as they listen to and obey it. 

Apparently Paul spoke in tongues, but he realized in a public worship setting prophesying was more important. He concluded earlier by teaching, 

I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened. 1 Corinthians 14:5

In conclusion, I don't think we need to be legalistic about it, but unless someone can interpret the person speaking in tongues it doesn't have any really value to the body during a worship service. It may build up the individual but doesn't build up the body of Christ.  There are other passages that suggest someone may pray in a tongue and or worship in a tongue.  I don't think that is what Paul is talking about there.  

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