Something that has interested me as a Christian has been speaking in tongues. In some denominations, people only think you’re saved if you speak in tongues, while others declare that the days of speaking in tongues have been over for almost 2,000 years. One thing that I’ve had difficulty understanding, however, is this passage from 1 Corinthians.
22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
1 Corinthians 14:22-25 (NIV)
In verse 22, Paul says that tongues are for unbelievers and prophecy is for believers, which makes sense. Furthermore, Paul’s example in verse 23 also makes sense. I’ve actually seen nonbelievers be driven away from believers speaking in tongues. However, verse 24 is one I’ve yet to quite grasp since it appears that Paul contradicts what he just said in verse 22.
Today I asked the Lord for clarity on this issue. I know Paul didn’t contradict himself because his words are inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, I still didn’t quite understand what Paul said until today. Therefore, I present (hopefully) some clarity.
Tongues (other languages (divine included)) are (a sign) for unbelievers. If they hear someone speaking in a language foreign to the speaker but clear to them, it can convict them that it is a miracle (Acts 2:4-12).
However, only some people who hear the tongue will be convinced (Acts 2:13). This is the case in 1 Corinthians 14:23, where we see believers speaking to one another in languages neither understands. That’s crazy, right? Hence, the unbeliever will also think it crazy and not be convicted.
When Paul says that prophecy is for believers, it doesn’t mean that unbelievers cannot benefit from it. Again, look at Acts 2. After the tongues, Peter spoke a prophetic (truthful message from God (doesn’t have to mean predicting the future)), and 3,000 people were saved. We can surmise from Acts 2 that speaking in tongues got everyone’s attention: Those who recognized the tongue as their language and those who mocked. Some believed the miracle (and were saved that day), while others did not but believed the prophetic (truthful) sermon Peter preached and were saved.
Therefore, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:19, prophecy (intelligible words) is superior to speaking in tongues. Thus, unbelievers and believers can benefit from prophecy, but speaking in tongues is only a sign to unbelievers who may or may see it as a sign.
Four-Calendar Café 
I received the gift of speaking in tongues after my son was born. There are times when I only pray in the Spirit. My daughter asked me once what did it mean to speak in tongues. I told her that it is the gift of being able to talk to God in a way that only He understands what she is saying directly to Him when she is praying. Sometimes I will be praying silently, and the Holy Spirit will touch me and my language changes even when I pray silently. It also happens when I am praying aloud, it just happens that way. I thank God for allowing me to have such a gift. Some people don’t understand it. They are confused by it. One of the elders at our church was at the hospital with my husband when I had my surgery in 2018. I was in recovery. When my husband was helping me eat, I started speaking in tongues, he asked my husband what I was saying. My husband told him that I was speaking in tongues talking to the Lord. He was so confused that it upset him. We both have that gift. I don’t take it for granted though. I just let the Holy Spirit do whatever He knows is best when I am talking to the Lord when I pray. I enjoyed reading your message. Thanks for sharing. God bless you. Have a great weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for sharing. God bless you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome.
LikeLike
Hi Jason,
I like your thoughts and observations on this text. I, too, have puzzled over this seeming contradiction. Eventually I posed the question to a Christian chat group I am part of. One of the members, a professor of Old Testament, offered the following explanation of the text in context, which I found fascinating because the added historical context added an additional depth of meaning. I share it below in hopes you may also benefit from it. It doesn’t contradict anything you’ve said, but provides additional OT background and historical connections.
God bless!
Craig
“The purpose of tongues, speaking in other languages, is given in 1 Cor. 14:2–22. In 14:22, Paul said tongues were a sign for unbelievers; the gift of prophecy was for believers. In 14:22, Paul quoted from Isa. 28:11, identifying the sign as given to “these people,” a reference to the Jews, who were warned by Moses not to reject God’s message (Deut. 28:49).
“In his Pentecost speech in Acts 2:40, Peter responded to the question about the meaning of tongues (2:12), warning the assembled Jews to change their minds about Jesus and to “be saved from this corrupt generation!” God was going to bring judgment on the generation who had killed the Messiah. That judgment came from the Romans in AD 70 (see also Matt. 23:34-39). Speaking in tongues was a warning to unbelieving Israel at Pentecost and an affirmation of the promise of Joel 2:28-29.
“The Corinthian church was using tongues in the assembly of believers. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that, since tongues were for unbelievers, there was a better gift to use in the church, that of prophecy, or preaching in a KNOWN LANGUAGE (14:16-19). Of greater value than both of those gifts, however, was the exercise of Christlike love (13:1-2).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for adding to the conversation, Craig. I appreciate the insight!
LikeLiked by 1 person