[YP0534]

Originally Posted by Ohio

When I read Paul, I see a neutral position. When others read Paul they only see the verses they like.

Brother?

I don't believe this is "neutral" with regard to Paul's teaching on how to have tongues in the Christian meeting, is it?

1Cr 14:18 ESV
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
1Cr 14:19 ESV
Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
1Cr 14:20 ESV
Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
1Cr 14:21 ESV
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."
1Cr 14:22 ESV
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.
1Cr 14:23 ESV
If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?
1Cr 14:24 ESV
But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,
1Cr 14:25 ESV
the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
1Cr 14:26 ESV
What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.
1Cr 14:27 ESV
If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret.
1Cr 14:28 ESV
But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.

If someone says, as one prominent local pastor told me one day, "We don't believe that here," when I showed him verses 27-28, they say so to their own loss, in my view. I'm not interested in making this a law, of course, but there seems to be a clear prinicple to minimize the role of tongues in the meetings. We can perhaps be more liberal than Paul without ignoring his position entirely. His directions seems reasonable and helpful, but should never be rigidly and religiously applied. Nevertheless, IMHO, we should in general accept Paul's exhortation to limit to 2-3 and only then with interpretation. Otherwise, the meetings risk get out of hand such that visitors think we're crazy and the building up itself suffers.

"I would rather" doesn't seem "neutral" at all to me but is kind of expressly taking a position.