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What Does Paul Say About Speaking in Tongues in 1 Corinthians 14?

In some Christian circles, speaking in tongues is not only appreciated, but seen as the high point of the spiritual gifts in the church. Sometimes it is even treated as a sign of spiritual maturity or depth. But when Paul writes about speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14, he seems to be concerned rather than impressed, not only about its effect on believers, but especially about its effect on people who do not yet know God. That raises an uncomfortable question: could something that Christians see as a spiritual high point be treated by Paul as a problem?

In this study, we are not entering a debate, but reading the text itself together. We will go through 1 Corinthians 14 verse by verse and listen carefully to what Paul actually says, rather than what we may be used to hearing in it. It is precisely in this tension between conviction and Scripture that this passage becomes surprisingly sharp. Before we go any further, one clarification is needed. In the original Greek, the word translated as “tongues” is glōssa, which simply means “tongue” or “language”. We are therefore dealing with the gift of speaking in a language that has not been learned beforehand. Although some movements describe this as a mystical language, the Western church, influenced by theologians such as Thomas Aquinas, has historically understood this as a real language.

Verse 20 – Attitude Before Gifts

“Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.”

Paul begins not with tongues or prophecy, but with thinking. His concern is maturity. Before addressing spiritual gifts, he calls the Corinthians to think responsibly and clearly about spiritual matters, and that immediately sets the tone for everything that follows.

Verse 21 – A Quotation from the Old Testament

“In the Law it is written: ‘With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me,’ says the Lord.”

This quotation comes from Isaiah 28. At first glance it may seem like a minor reference, but it will turn out to be the interpretive key to Paul’s entire argument. This verse must be kept in mind as we continue.

Verse 22 – The Striking Statement

“Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.”

This is one of those verses where many readers hesitate, because it sounds almost contradictory. Speaking in tongues as a sign for unbelievers raises an obvious question: what kind of sign does Paul have in mind? That tension is deliberate, and we will return to it shortly.

Verse 23 – Practice in the Gathering

“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?”

Here Paul becomes concrete and pastoral. He explicitly imagines unbelievers walking into the gathering, and his conclusion is clear: uninterpreted tongues will not draw them in, but push them away.

Verses 24–25 – The Contrast with Prophecy

“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, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’”

The contrast could hardly be stronger. Instead of confusion and distance, there is conviction, worship, and the recognition that God is truly present.

Isaiah 28 and the Meaning of the Sign

Having read the passage carefully, we can now return to Paul’s use of Isaiah. In Isaiah 28, God addresses Israel after repeated warnings were ignored. The people refused to listen when God spoke clearly through His prophets. As a result, God declared that He would speak to them through foreign tongues — the language of the Assyrian invaders. That speech was a sign, but not a sign of blessing. It was a sign of judgment on a people who would not listen.

Returning to 1 Corinthians 14:22

This background explains Paul’s statement that tongues are a sign for unbelievers. He does not mean that tongues attract or persuade them. Rather, uninterpreted tongues function as a sign that communication has broken down. God is speaking, but not in a way the hearer can understand. That is why Paul can say in verse 23 that unbelievers will conclude the church is out of its mind. This is not a misunderstanding, but the natural outcome of a wrongly used sign.

How the Argument Fits Together

When we place verses 22, 23, and 25 side by side, the logic becomes clear. Speaking in tongues without interpretation produces distance, confusion, and rejection. Prophecy, by contrast, communicates clearly, leading to conviction, worship, and recognition of God’s presence. Paul is not condemning tongues, but warning that, when misused, they can have the same effect as God’s judgment language in Isaiah.

Are Tongues Forbidden?

“What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.”

Tongues clearly have a place in the gathering, but never without wisdom, interpretation, and concern for edification.

Conclusion

So, is speaking in tongues a good sign? According to Paul, only when it is used rightly. God seeks to make Himself known clearly, not to obscure or confuse. Everything in the gathering must serve that purpose.

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