Thank you, I received this gift over 20 years ago. (I wasn’t seeking, I didn’t ask, it just came upon me during prayer. I didn’t understand it and have been very private about it.) you’ve confirmed through His Word, that is truly a gift, a beautiful gift of communication to our Lord.
I don’t know that I’ve ever heard the words in my head before praying or worshiping in tongues. I’m either in a gut wrenching crying prayer or my spirit is overflowing in praise or worship and it just happens. I don’t remember hearing the words first. I’m so thankful for this gift. I wish I could explain how amazing it feels to be able to pray and worship in such a way. To me, it feels like such a deeper connection to the Lord.
Thanks again, brother David for clarifying these truths. I've always thought along the same lines and have often warned my friends who do that before praying with them to speak in plain language. In churches where they do that, I don't say Amen. I've left a prayer meeting in the middle of a prayer session when everyone was shouting incantations at the top of their voices in the name of tongues. As they were shouting these "tongues" something in me said "leave now". But I delayed, not sure what they'll think of me when they finish chanting. That delay cost me to miscarry and doctors couldn't find a reason for it.
“However, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS BOAST IN THE LORD.” For it is not he who commends and praises himself who is approved [by God], but it is the one whom the Lord commends and praises.” 2 Corinthians 10:17-18
Ever since I first came across this "manifestation", it's weirded me out. And it still does. This message is the best "defense" of glossolalia I've ever heard, and I'm more inclined towards Ps Guzik's take on things. However, I still have a bone to pick. The Lord has set up systems and ways of doing things right from the start. That is, our experience of life as a human still reflects, to some degree, even if very remotely, the nature of God and how He rolls. Language is one such thing. As Ps Guzik rightly points out, language was gifted to humanity first through Adam, then, perversely, ha ha, through the Tower of Babel incident. All human languages, no matter how weird to our ears, still follow linguistic patterns and can, eventually, be understood and translated by speakers of other languages. My contention is this: You're trying to tell me that, for no discernible reason, the Lord decided to break the pattern He set with us in terms of language and communication to give us a literal "nonsense" spiritual language? You're trying to tell me that in heaven we'll all be babbling some nonsensical, unintelligible gibberish? I'm sorry, but that just doesn't fly. The bible is plain that God is a God of order, not of disorder. It makes no logical sense at all that He would decide to make "praying in the spirit" and exception to our normal experience of communication. I know people will argue "Oh, well, since speaking in the spirit to the Lord is such a special thing, that's exactly why it's different to all other language as we know it." Yes, but, that's just as easily dismissed as a contrivance to justify glossolalia. As with Ps Guzik's anecdote about his wife's experience (likely in Toronto...), disorder isn't a sign of God's presence, quite the opposite. When God came to have a chat with Elijah on the mountain, He wasn't in the "chaos" of the fire, wind or the earthquake, but in the still, small, calm "order" that followed. Finally, it's very convenient for people to explain away glossolalia as "my special tongue for praying to the Lord" when we have no recordings of what Paul and the other Apostles sounded like when they "prayed in the spirit". The Amplified bible, my go-to version that is, IMHO, far better than most translations, and certainly more detailed, adds the qualifier "unknown" before every mention of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. Just because something is unknown, that doesn't make it a babbling nonsense. Finally, it's noteworthy that when the Apostles "spoke in tongues" on the day of Pentecost, it's recorded that those who heard them do so recognized intelligible language, not gibberish. At the end of the day, if I'm wrong on this, and glossolalia is a thing, then the "resolution" of my Christian walk will be degraded, but not significantly impaired. But if I'm right in my position, that glossolalia is just a human invention borne out of misunderstanding, then the church continually operates in a fleshly manner that's not just weird and chaotic, but it invites ridicule of the gospel and gives Satan a fertile "playground" in which to make more mischief (as if he needs more, ha ha). I always live by this mantra: When in doubt, don't.
If the Bible says there is something like that/tongues then I must believe there is. If the Bible also tells me that tongue spoken without interpretation speaks to the wind, I also believe. I conclude then that if a church congregates and the pastor alone or with some of his congregation starts shouting or speaking in tongues what neither they nor the rest of the congregation understand, the tongue(s) they speak is definitely not of God, simple.
@@perpetuaslawson1591 But since so many people are obviously faking it these days and pastors are faking things how could we ever trust any translation?
Oh, I want to see Him, look upon His face,🎶 There to sing forever of His saving grace; On the streets of Glory let me lift my voice; Cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice As I journey through the land singing as I go, Pointing souls to Calvary- to the crimson flow, Many arrows pierce my soul from without, within; But my Lord leads me on, through Him I must win. When in service for my Lord dark may be the night, But I'll cling more close to Him, He will give me light; Satan's snares may vex my soul, turn my thoughts aside; But my Lord goes ahead, leads whate'er betide. When in valleys low I look toward the mountain height, And behold my Savior there, leading in the fight, With a tender hand outstretched toward the valley low, Guiding me, I can see as I onward go. When before me billows rise from the mighty deep, Then my Lord directs my bark; He doth safely keep, And He leads me gently on through this world below; He's a real friend to me, oh, I love Him so. 🎶🎼🎼
I have changed my view on cessation to yours recently but I still find it difficult to understand how is tongues a sign? How can tongues be interrupted if it is language to God, how can the interruption be proven?
Pastor David, thanks for your ministry! I have been personally blessed by looking into teh scripture with you and definitely am growing on love for the Gods word. And this topic is hot on my mind as where I live in people practice speaking in a tongue possibly not in an appropriate manner. I wondered if there is a difference between a tongue and tongues as in different places in the bible I see different meaning whenever it is used in singular or plural. And i dont quite understand the purpose of praying in a tongue, if it's your personal prayer to God, why just speaking your own heart language is not enough. And since the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to build up the church, how our personal prayer "language" can be used for that purpose? With all respect
Pastor Guzik, At 39:20, you say if God puts something on your heart in tongues, pray that you may interpret, is that not similar to what the Pentecostal do when one brings forth a message in tongues and another interprets? Because 1 Corinthians is where they get that from where Paul says to keep silent unless there’s an interpreter. So far I’ve followed along with you with understanding but now I’m a little confused. The gift of tongues is given to us for our spirit to pray and worship God. That much I get. And tongues is us speaking to God. But are you saying God also speaks to us in tongues?
Pastor Lance replies - rry for the confusion. No - God does not speak to us in tongues. For an interpretation to be correct, what we hear would be either prayer or praise - because it is TO God. But that CAN be a benefit to us, because now we get to hear what perfect prayer and praise sounds like. Most of learned to pray or worship by hearing others do it. What better way to learn how to pray or praise than by hearing an interpretation of a tongue?
If someone speakers out an interpretation to speaking in tongues without the tongues, how will we know if it is a prophecy or something spoken in tongues??? At pentecost in Acts chapter 2, is it not true that those who heard the believers thought that they were drunk? Yes their needs to be order, but there also must be some freedom to worship The Lord without accusing someone of wanting to bring attention to themself. We have to find a way to throw out the dirty water without throwing out the baby. When God gave the law, the whole mountain shook and there was smoke and thundering. At pentecost a loud rushing mighty wind. People thought the disciples were drunk. If our inability to completely control the influence of The Holy Spirit upon our flesh is going to cause us to shut Him down, we will become what we see today in most churches . What might that be? We have become dead like the church that we came out of, remember the one? I mean no disrespect my brother. ❤️🙏
Pastor Lance replies - The Apostle Paul lays down principles in 1 Cor 14. it will be up to church leaders to apply those in how to maintain order while also staying open to the leading of the Spirit. Too much chaos is allowed when we stray one way, and too much control when we stray the other. Finding the balance is difficult and requires a heavy does of grace as we learn how to walk in a good balance. I cannot see that there would EVER be an interpretation had there not been a tongue. The point is that IF someone DOEs speak out in tongues, there needs to be an interpretation.
Pastor Lance replies - Not sure what you mean. Like the other gifts of the spirit, tongues are under the control of the speaker. Not one HAS to speak. In fact, doing so, is by faith.
But in church iwould rather speak five illtelligable words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.And if you speak in tongues how will anyone know what you are saying .You will be just speakers in the air .if people dont grasp the meaning. And dont talk to people that understand simple messaging that actually gets across more than tongues. Its the message that God wants to get to his children 🙏
You need to speak simply because you dont want people falling asleep in churches. LIKE ihave done in the past .Also churches need to stop sugar coating sins .And need to teach profecy and revelations. AND teach the scriptures of God the bible. NOT there view of the bible. And so many mega churches ⛪️ are trying to rewrite the bible. BECAUSE what they are saying isnt from God the bible there views not Gods .GOD is the same yesterday as today .And Hell would have to freeze 😫 over before he is changing his scriptures of as it is written in the bible profecy. ❤
You contradict yourself in saying that no man can understand when you speak to God in tongues. Then you say at Pentecost they spoke in tongues to God and people could understand. That is putting another twist on it. Also Acts2-11 says they heard the wonderful works or acts of God. So they were told what God did. They didn’t just hear them talk to God. When people pray in their own tongue to God, He understands because God understands all languages but in a church setting you would only edify yourself. Also you forget Paul was bilingual.
Thank you for your comment. Although, regarding a supposed contradiction, this isn't what Pastor David says, it's what the Apostle Paul says, and what the Bible itself tells us. 1 Corinthians 14:2 makes it quite plain: " For he who speaks in a tongue *does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him;* however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. " On Pentecost, the 120 were not speaking to the crowd, they were speaking to God (praising God for His wonderful works, "the wonderful works of God”) and the crowd overheard them in their own tongues. Whether this was a secondary working of the Holy Spirit in that moment (interpretation), or whether they were literally speaking those other languages is not entirely certain based on what else the Bible itself tells us about the very nature of tongues (Paul himself tells us that no one who speaks in tongues can understand without the gift of interpretation - 1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:13, and 14:27-28). But for convenience we will assume the 120 were literally speaking each of the many languages which are listed in Acts 2 in that moment, without the aid of supernatural interpretation. When it came time to actually witness to the assembled crowd, Peter spoke plainly to them in the Koine Greek which all easily understood. If the point of speaking in tongues was to directly speak TO the crowd, and not to God, there is no reason to thereafter address them in Greek. For, if the point of tongues was to witness to the crowd, would not the Holy Spirit be able to complete its task? And yet clearly this was not the case, for Peter speaks to the crowd directly in Greek immediately thereafter, when it came time to speak to men what needed to be heard by men - this supports what Paul tells us in 1 Cor 14:19 - *yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.* If you have an issue, it is with scripture itself, and if there is a contradiction in your view, it is within your own misunderstanding and misapprehension of things, and not within the text being addressed. Again, in 1 Cor 14:2, Paul makes it quite clear that *For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.* Knowing this, the verses of the passage in question should be more clear: 1 Corinthians 14:9-12 [9] So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, *how will it be known what is spoken?* *For you will be speaking into the air.* [10] There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. [11] Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. [12] Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. The very next verses carry on this same important message: 1 Corinthians 14:13-19 [13] Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. [14] *For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.* [15] What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. [16] Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? [17] For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. [18] I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; [19] *yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.* So, not only from this very first example on Pentecost, but from everything else that the Bible specifically tells us about tongues, including this very passage of 1 Corinthians 14, we can confidently proclaim that the primary purpose (primary meaning the main purpose) of speaking tongues was not and is not to speak to others, and that the 120 were not speaking to the crowd - they were praising God and speaking of the wonderful works of God, to God, which was overheard by others.
![Speaking in Tongues vs. Prophecy?!? 1 Corinthians 14 [Daily Bible Study]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1roRheDsAs4/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you, I received this gift over 20 years ago. (I wasn’t seeking, I didn’t ask, it just came upon me during prayer. I didn’t understand it and have been very private about it.) you’ve confirmed through His Word, that is truly a gift, a beautiful gift of communication to our Lord.
Heavenly Father help us to read your Holy Word and rightly interpret the Holy Scriptures
I don’t know that I’ve ever heard the words in my head before praying or worshiping in tongues. I’m either in a gut wrenching crying prayer or my spirit is overflowing in praise or worship and it just happens. I don’t remember hearing the words first.
I’m so thankful for this gift. I wish I could explain how amazing it feels to be able to pray and worship in such a way. To me, it feels like such a deeper connection to the Lord.
Great message, Pastor
Thank you David. I very much enjoyed this.
Thanks again, brother David for clarifying these truths. I've always thought along the same lines and have often warned my friends who do that before praying with them to speak in plain language. In churches where they do that, I don't say Amen. I've left a prayer meeting in the middle of a prayer session when everyone was shouting incantations at the top of their voices in the name of tongues. As they were shouting these "tongues" something in me said "leave now". But I delayed, not sure what they'll think of me when they finish chanting. That delay cost me to miscarry and doctors couldn't find a reason for it.
Amen
Confirmation of the Word of the Almighty
Love is the greatest
Love your content
I’ve been hearing your sermons after ever chapter I’ve read
Just want to credit my pastor from revive central coast
Thank you so much for explaining this, especially verse two.
“However, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS BOAST IN THE LORD.” For it is not he who commends and praises himself who is approved [by God], but it is the one whom the Lord commends and praises.”
2 Corinthians 10:17-18
to GOD be his GLORY.🙏❤️🧎
Ever since I first came across this "manifestation", it's weirded me out. And it still does. This message is the best "defense" of glossolalia I've ever heard, and I'm more inclined towards Ps Guzik's take on things. However, I still have a bone to pick. The Lord has set up systems and ways of doing things right from the start. That is, our experience of life as a human still reflects, to some degree, even if very remotely, the nature of God and how He rolls. Language is one such thing. As Ps Guzik rightly points out, language was gifted to humanity first through Adam, then, perversely, ha ha, through the Tower of Babel incident. All human languages, no matter how weird to our ears, still follow linguistic patterns and can, eventually, be understood and translated by speakers of other languages. My contention is this: You're trying to tell me that, for no discernible reason, the Lord decided to break the pattern He set with us in terms of language and communication to give us a literal "nonsense" spiritual language? You're trying to tell me that in heaven we'll all be babbling some nonsensical, unintelligible gibberish? I'm sorry, but that just doesn't fly. The bible is plain that God is a God of order, not of disorder. It makes no logical sense at all that He would decide to make "praying in the spirit" and exception to our normal experience of communication. I know people will argue "Oh, well, since speaking in the spirit to the Lord is such a special thing, that's exactly why it's different to all other language as we know it." Yes, but, that's just as easily dismissed as a contrivance to justify glossolalia. As with Ps Guzik's anecdote about his wife's experience (likely in Toronto...), disorder isn't a sign of God's presence, quite the opposite. When God came to have a chat with Elijah on the mountain, He wasn't in the "chaos" of the fire, wind or the earthquake, but in the still, small, calm "order" that followed. Finally, it's very convenient for people to explain away glossolalia as "my special tongue for praying to the Lord" when we have no recordings of what Paul and the other Apostles sounded like when they "prayed in the spirit". The Amplified bible, my go-to version that is, IMHO, far better than most translations, and certainly more detailed, adds the qualifier "unknown" before every mention of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. Just because something is unknown, that doesn't make it a babbling nonsense. Finally, it's noteworthy that when the Apostles "spoke in tongues" on the day of Pentecost, it's recorded that those who heard them do so recognized intelligible language, not gibberish. At the end of the day, if I'm wrong on this, and glossolalia is a thing, then the "resolution" of my Christian walk will be degraded, but not significantly impaired. But if I'm right in my position, that glossolalia is just a human invention borne out of misunderstanding, then the church continually operates in a fleshly manner that's not just weird and chaotic, but it invites ridicule of the gospel and gives Satan a fertile "playground" in which to make more mischief (as if he needs more, ha ha). I always live by this mantra: When in doubt, don't.
If the Bible says there is something like that/tongues then I must believe there is. If the Bible also tells me that tongue spoken without interpretation speaks to the wind, I also believe. I conclude then that if a church congregates and the pastor alone or with some of his congregation starts shouting or speaking in tongues what neither they nor the rest of the congregation understand, the tongue(s) they speak is definitely not of God, simple.
@@perpetuaslawson1591 But since so many people are obviously faking it these days and pastors are faking things how could we ever trust any translation?
Equates to marriage
Each person’s marriage and what they do is unique to them
Sacred ground 🕊️
Thank you so much
Kuldeep from India
Can I get this study PPT because next Thursday I have to take bible study on 1 Corinthians 14:1-12
Oh, I want to see Him, look upon His face,🎶
There to sing forever of His saving grace;
On the streets of Glory let me lift my voice;
Cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice
As I journey through the land singing as I go,
Pointing souls to Calvary- to the crimson flow,
Many arrows pierce my soul from without, within;
But my Lord leads me on, through Him I must win.
When in service for my Lord dark may be the night,
But I'll cling more close to Him, He will give me light;
Satan's snares may vex my soul, turn my thoughts aside;
But my Lord goes ahead, leads whate'er betide.
When in valleys low I look toward the mountain height,
And behold my Savior there, leading in the fight,
With a tender hand outstretched toward the valley low,
Guiding me, I can see as I onward go.
When before me billows rise from the mighty deep,
Then my Lord directs my bark; He doth safely keep,
And He leads me gently on through this world below;
He's a real friend to me, oh, I love Him so. 🎶🎼🎼
@@jessyjonas4988 great song
Great song
Amen
That is man obsessing always on works of the flesh😮
Is there a difference between praying in tongues and speaking in tongues because other pentecostals separate the two
I have changed my view on cessation to yours recently but I still find it difficult to understand how is tongues a sign? How can tongues be interrupted if it is language to God, how can the interruption be proven?
Hi Kevin, here's a detailed explanation that I hope will be of help.
Blessings!
enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-corinthians-14/
Pastor David, thanks for your ministry! I have been personally blessed by looking into teh scripture with you and definitely am growing on love for the Gods word. And this topic is hot on my mind as where I live in people practice speaking in a tongue possibly not in an appropriate manner. I wondered if there is a difference between a tongue and tongues as in different places in the bible I see different meaning whenever it is used in singular or plural. And i dont quite understand the purpose of praying in a tongue, if it's your personal prayer to God, why just speaking your own heart language is not enough. And since the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to build up the church, how our personal prayer "language" can be used for that purpose?
With all respect
In the beginning how you mentioned the five fold ministry
Pastor Guzik,
At 39:20, you say if God puts something on your heart in tongues, pray that you may interpret, is that not similar to what the Pentecostal do when one brings forth a message in tongues and another interprets? Because 1 Corinthians is where they get that from where Paul says to keep silent unless there’s an interpreter.
So far I’ve followed along with you with understanding but now I’m a little confused.
The gift of tongues is given to us for our spirit to pray and worship God. That much I get. And tongues is us speaking to God. But are you saying God also speaks to us in tongues?
Pastor Lance replies - rry for the confusion. No - God does not speak to us in tongues. For an interpretation to be correct, what we hear would be either prayer or praise - because it is TO God. But that CAN be a benefit to us, because now we get to hear what perfect prayer and praise sounds like. Most of learned to pray or worship by hearing others do it. What better way to learn how to pray or praise than by hearing an interpretation of a tongue?
If someone speakers out an interpretation to speaking in tongues without the tongues, how will we know if it is a prophecy or something spoken in tongues??? At pentecost in Acts chapter 2, is it not true that those who heard the believers thought that they were drunk? Yes their needs to be order, but there also must be some freedom to worship The Lord without accusing someone of wanting to bring attention to themself. We have to find a way to throw out the dirty water without throwing out the baby. When God gave the law, the whole mountain shook and there was smoke and thundering. At pentecost a loud rushing mighty wind. People thought the disciples were drunk. If our inability to completely control the influence of The Holy Spirit upon our flesh is going to cause us to shut Him down, we will become what we see today in most churches . What might that be? We have become dead like the church that we came out of, remember the one? I mean no disrespect my brother. ❤️🙏
Pastor Lance replies - The Apostle Paul lays down principles in 1 Cor 14. it will be up to church leaders to apply those in how to maintain order while also staying open to the leading of the Spirit. Too much chaos is allowed when we stray one way, and too much control when we stray the other. Finding the balance is difficult and requires a heavy does of grace as we learn how to walk in a good balance.
I cannot see that there would EVER be an interpretation had there not been a tongue. The point is that IF someone DOEs speak out in tongues, there needs to be an interpretation.
So many different perspectives on the gifts of tongues. It’s confusing
Can one speak in tongues at will, or does it just happen?
Pastor Lance replies - Not sure what you mean. Like the other gifts of the spirit, tongues are under the control of the speaker. Not one HAS to speak. In fact, doing so, is by faith.
@@DavidGuzikEnduringWord thanks for you response sir
But in church iwould rather speak five illtelligable words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.And if you speak in tongues how will anyone know what you are saying .You will be just speakers in the air .if people dont grasp the meaning. And dont talk to people that understand simple messaging that actually gets across more than tongues. Its the message that God wants to get to his children 🙏
You need to speak simply because you dont want people falling asleep in churches. LIKE ihave done in the past .Also churches need to stop sugar coating sins .And need to teach profecy and revelations. AND teach the scriptures of God the bible. NOT there view of the bible. And so many mega churches ⛪️ are trying to rewrite the bible. BECAUSE what they are saying isnt from God the bible there views not Gods .GOD is the same yesterday as today .And Hell would have to freeze 😫 over before he is changing his scriptures of as it is written in the bible profecy. ❤
You contradict yourself in saying that no man can understand when you speak to God in tongues.
Then you say at Pentecost they spoke in tongues to God and people could understand. That is putting another twist on it. Also Acts2-11 says they heard the wonderful works or acts of God. So they were told what God did. They didn’t just hear them talk to God.
When people pray in their own tongue to God, He understands because God understands all languages but in a church setting you would only edify yourself.
Also you forget Paul was bilingual.
Thank you for your comment. Although, regarding a supposed contradiction, this isn't what Pastor David says, it's what the Apostle Paul says, and what the Bible itself tells us. 1 Corinthians 14:2 makes it quite plain: " For he who speaks in a tongue *does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him;* however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. "
On Pentecost, the 120 were not speaking to the crowd, they were speaking to God (praising God for His wonderful works, "the wonderful works of God”) and the crowd overheard them in their own tongues. Whether this was a secondary working of the Holy Spirit in that moment (interpretation), or whether they were literally speaking those other languages is not entirely certain based on what else the Bible itself tells us about the very nature of tongues (Paul himself tells us that no one who speaks in tongues can understand without the gift of interpretation - 1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:13, and 14:27-28). But for convenience we will assume the 120 were literally speaking each of the many languages which are listed in Acts 2 in that moment, without the aid of supernatural interpretation.
When it came time to actually witness to the assembled crowd, Peter spoke plainly to them in the Koine Greek which all easily understood. If the point of speaking in tongues was to directly speak TO the crowd, and not to God, there is no reason to thereafter address them in Greek. For, if the point of tongues was to witness to the crowd, would not the Holy Spirit be able to complete its task? And yet clearly this was not the case, for Peter speaks to the crowd directly in Greek immediately thereafter, when it came time to speak to men what needed to be heard by men - this supports what Paul tells us in 1 Cor 14:19 - *yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.*
If you have an issue, it is with scripture itself, and if there is a contradiction in your view, it is within your own misunderstanding and misapprehension of things, and not within the text being addressed. Again, in 1 Cor 14:2, Paul makes it quite clear that *For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.*
Knowing this, the verses of the passage in question should be more clear:
1 Corinthians 14:9-12
[9] So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, *how will it be known what is spoken?* *For you will be speaking into the air.* [10] There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. [11] Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. [12] Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
The very next verses carry on this same important message:
1 Corinthians 14:13-19
[13] Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. [14] *For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.* [15] What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. [16] Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? [17] For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. [18] I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; [19] *yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.*
So, not only from this very first example on Pentecost, but from everything else that the Bible specifically tells us about tongues, including this very passage of 1 Corinthians 14, we can confidently proclaim that the primary purpose (primary meaning the main purpose) of speaking tongues was not and is not to speak to others, and that the 120 were not speaking to the crowd - they were praising God and speaking of the wonderful works of God, to God, which was overheard by others.