Sometimes in our interpretation of Scripture, we miss the small phrases, mainly because our preconceived notions cause us to gloss over them as being relatively unimportant. Take 1 Corinthians 14:2 for instance.
"For he who speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men but to God", etc.
Now, what does this say? It says that the person speaking in tongues is speaking to God, and not to men. So, where do we speak to God? In our private prayer rooms. Jesus said not to pray our prayers in public where all we get is praise from man, but to go into our private chamber and speak to God in secret. So, when a person speaks to God, he goes into his private chamber and speaks to God in secret.
Paul says that if we are going to speak to others (speaking to men), then we don't do that in our private chamber. We speak to them in the public environment.
Those who are prejudiced against tongues try to tell us that the only place to speak is in the public meeting and must be interpreted, and Paul teaches that the public speaking of tongues needs to be followed by interpretation. But he also says that if there is no interpreter, the person must speak to himself and to God. To do this, the person has to withdraw from the public arena and find a private place to speak to God in tongues.
The argument about whether there is a modern day gift of tongues is irrelevant, because Paul clearly states that there is the ability to speak in tongues given by the Holy Spirit, and that there are two environments - public, followed by interpretation, and private (to himself and to God).
The trouble with many Pentecostals and Charismatics when they speak in tongues, they don't know who they are actually speaking to. They just talk away in tongues, mainly because it is the thing to do in Pentecostal services, but have no real awareness that they are speaking to God Himself and communicating mysteries in the Spirit. This is because of inadequate and often incompetent teaching about the gift. (just start saying ba ba shana bata and now you are speaking in tongues!) Getting around a person at an altar call in church and getting him to spout a bit of babble and call it tongues, isn't the reception of the genuine gift. But seeking God privately in prayer and in the word and asking Him to give the genuine gift and not being content until the Holy Spirit inspires an articulate and expressive language that gives the person the absolute witness in his or her spirit that there is real communication with God going on, is more appropriate for knowing that what is received is the real McCoy.
