1 Corinthians 14:1–2 (KJV) – “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”
The apostle Paul gives a balanced instruction: pursue love, desire spiritual gifts, and prioritize prophecy, yet he does not dismiss speaking in unknown tongues.
Instead, he clearly affirms its value as a direct communication with God, where mysteries are uttered in the Spirit. This means tongues are not outdated, irrelevant, or abolished, they are part of the present working of the Spirit in the life of the believer.
While prophecy edifies the church openly, tongues strengthen the believer spiritually and deepen intimacy with God. Every Christian should grow to hear God and speak His mind through prophecy, but that pursuit must never turn into rejection of other spiritual expressions God has given.
There is a dangerous imbalance when believers elevate one gift by suppressing another. Scripture never says “choose prophecy instead of tongues,” but rather “desire prophecy more”, meaning priority, not prohibition.
If God permits a thing, man must not forbid it. Unknown tongues are not noise; they are mysteries. They are not confusion; they are communion.
A mature believer learns by both public edification (prophecy) and private devotion (tongues). If you only accept what you understand, you will limit what God can do through you. The Spirit is not confined to human logic.
Action Steps
Pursue love first, let your foundation be right. Then intentionally desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy, by seeking sensitivity to God’s voice and boldness to speak His word. At the same time, do not neglect or resist speaking in tongues if the Spirit gives utterance.
Create space in your personal prayer life for deep spiritual communication with God. And in your gatherings, uphold order without shutting down the move of the Spirit.
Grow in both dimensions: speak to men for edification, and speak to God in mysteries. That is how you walk in the fullness of the Spirit today.
