1 Corinthians 14:14-17
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.
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.
We are to pray, sing, preach and hear with understanding to be fruitful. If someone is moved to speak in Mandarin to a church of westerners, where is the spiritual gain for the listeners? Even if we pray in a foreign language to God alone, without understanding it is an empty effort that only entertains. The example here of doing this publicly without a native or supernatural interpreter leaves the congregation unable to agree with “Amen,” because they cannot confirm what they cannot receive. Such thanks we might give is empty if others are not built up. The gifts of God are to build up, not confuse. Let the hearts and minds be moved with understanding in using true gifts like supernatural enabling of foreign languages to exclaim, “it is so, amen!”
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