Let's look at that in context. I Corinthians 14:20-25 "Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.21 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 (proclaiming God's Word) is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.23 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?24 But if all prophesy (tongues that proclaims the glorious work's of God) and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,25 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."
Verse 21 is the key, the people that will not listen are the Jew (Isaiah 28:11-13), I'm going to say this because their are probably some that use verse 13 as a proof text of being slain in the Spirit, it's not, it's a judgement on the Jews for not execepting “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”, repose is tranquility, Jesus is that rest, He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Matthew 11:28-30-12:1, 8 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath.1 His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.....8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Back to, there are strange tongues (tongues of angels, a heavenly language), by the lips of foreigners I will speak this people, tongues of prophecy (foreign language) He will speak. Tongues may be a sign to unbelievers, but what does the sigh show them? If all speak in tongues, they will say you are out of our minds. If all prophecy (proclaim) their heart is revealed, they fall on their face, will worship God in repentance and say that God is truly amount you. The question is what tongues are a sign to unbelievers? The tongues that proclaim God's glorious work's, like on the day of Pentecost and about three thousand were added that day. If they hear tongues of angels or a heavenly language, they will say, you are oou chour mine!!! When they hear the mighty work's of God in tongues of prophecy, they will repent in worship to God.
You know when I was in a Pentecostal Church I never understood tongues that well. Now that I have come to believe in Biblical Doctrine of Election, the Word of God is alive to me. You may not believe this but that is the first time I seen they Scriptures that way, because of all the misinformation I received at the Pentecostal Church. It is so easy to follow the context of the Scriptures when you are open to the full council of God.
