1 Corinthians 14:18-19 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Paul gives himself as example but in a way that fits the thesis he has been arguing so far. If v. 18 is taken out of context and quoted by itself, Paul claims to speak in tongues with no conditions. This is the only reference that in the New Testament that Paul spoke in tongues, so it should be interpreted carefully. In Acts 19:6, disciples of John the Baptist who lived in Ephesus spoke in tongues and prophesied when Paul laid hand his hands on them. This seems to be another conversion experience and initial filling of the Holy Spirit like the other references to tongues in the Book of Acts and may not be the same as what was happening in Corinth . There is not enough evidence to determine to what Paul is referring in this verse.
More to the point to what he is trying to communicate to the Corinthians is v. 19. In church, he wants all his communication to be clear so that it instructs others and helps them grow in the Lord. The ratio of 5 / 10,0000 words is clearly hyperbolic and shows his focused message. Tongues should not be spoken in the church because they do not communicate anything meaningful to others. Anything spoken when the church gathers should be clear, understandable, and useful for building others up. The mind must be engaged in all of this. The mind is where we do our thinking, reasoning, and spiritual growth. The mind is what communicates with God and with others. It is our awareness, consciousness, and self-awareness. The spirit is neutral and the link between our mind and the mind of God. The spirit is how our minds communicate with God. Paul’s deep goal here is that people grow in their understanding of God, and not have just in a emotional experience.
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