In the section you are referencing, Paul compares speaking in tongues through the gift of speaking in tongues to a foreigner, a barbarian speaking a foreign language. Paul suggests the idea of speaking in tongues of angels in I Corinthians 13.
How is speaking a language that nobody understands beneficial to God's purpose of spreading the gospel ? Did God think to Himself ... hey, what a great idea ?! Paul "suggests" that if he could speak all languages of men ... and any and all languages of angels, with the angels being higher than man ... and not have love, it means nothing. The same with prophesying ... and faith to move mountains ... and having all knowledge ... and understanding all mysteries etc. etc. Did Paul say this because he did attain to all of the aforementioned ? Of course not. He was using hyperbole in every case of reference. Even if there does exist languages of angels in the heavenly realm (do they need an interpreter amongst themselves ?), why is something as basic as a means to communicate, and with NO UNDERSTANDING at that, something that we should aspire to have ? To further the point, how many of you "tongues of angels" speakers also have the "gift" to understand and interpret what you are supposedly saying ? Any of you ? Be honest. Is there even one reference in God's Word where an angel spoke a language to mankind that man didn't understand ? One ?? No, there isn't. But this is something to be coveted by the pentecostals and charismatics huh ? If something serves no purpose, it is NOT from God nor ordained by Him ... period !
You just acknowledged earlier in the post that they were speaking in a language no one present understands. Paul is talking about a supernatural ability. You can say it serves no purpose, but you are criticizing a gift of the Spirit if you do so. Paul says of the one who speaks in tongues 'no one understands him.' God has His purposes for this gift functioning the way it does, even if you do not understand it. Whatever His purpose is for having the words first spoken 'in tongues', what is spoken can edify the church if it is interpreted. You can say it has no purpose, but if God had no purpose, He would not have designed the gift to function as described in the chapter.
You've got to be kidding me ? Paul was chastising the church in Corinth for their childish and immature use of the gift of languages/tongues. "When I was a child, I talked like a child ... I thought like a child ... I reasoned like a child". Paul was correcting the Corinthians because the gift WASN'T DESIGNED TO FUNCTION THAT WAY. In Acts 2, we read ..
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Today's pentecostals and charismatic crowd make a distinction between what occurred at pentecost and what is happening today because THEY HAVE TO in order to justify their beliefs in uttering incoherent babbling. If you people only knew how shallow and inappropriate this behaviour is .. and what an obstacle it is for many to come to the faith, you would cease. But that itself would require selfless love. I grow tired of explaining what should be obvious.
