1 Corinthians 14:21-22 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.
Paul quotes Isaiah 28:11-12 to show that speaking in strange tongues is a sign for unbelievers. It should be used like on the Day of Pentecost as a way to testify of the gospel in ways that outsiders can understand. But Paul’s point is that the way the Corinthians were speaking was only gibberish that was meaningless to unbelievers. It only confused them more and pushed them away from the gospel. Where the Corinthians thought this was a sign of their spirituality, Paul turns that around and says that it was a sign of their immaturity. If the “foreigners” cannot understand what the “people” are saying in “strange tongues,” then they cannot listen to God. They cannot hear the gospel in their own heart language. They cannot put their faith in Christ.
Prophecy speaks to believers because it calls them back to faithfulness to God and points the way into the future. Prophecy is meant for the people of God because it will challenge them to repent and will provide revelation of God’s will. This prophecy can take many forms. Paul is not concerned in this passage of what form it is but only that it brings people to Christ. Tongues should be the communication of the gospel is ways that foreigners (people of another language) can understand and respond. Prophecy should be used in the church where it can give guidance to those who believe.
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