Quote:
Originally Posted by votivesoul
Paul certainly addresses the madness of everyone speaking in tongues all at once without an interpreter and how that will be perceived.
However, when he speaks of the sign to unbelievers and quotes from Isaiah as proof of his point, he merely writes "wherefore tongues are a sign".
He doesn't write "everyone speaking tongues all at once without an interpretation are a sign". He seems to suggest the charismata itself, when in operation, is for a sign to the unbeliever, not the abuse of the charismata, is the sign.
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Although yes, abusive tongue speaking in front of unbelievers will probably hinder their ability to enjoy the presence of God and get anything of value from their time among God's people, because the experience will likely turn them off, or be unfruitful because of the lack of interpretation.
In this way, what you write is true.
However, going back to Isaiah, Isaiah writes the main issue in chapter 28 is the "word of the Lord" having to be here a little, there a little, instead of being fully declared because God's priests and prophets are too drunk to receive It and give It to God's people the way God expects, so God will bring foreigners who can only be understood in small snatches and bits and pieces of their language, limiting the understanding of what is being said, in just the same way the priest's and prophets are limiting the word of the Lord to the people.
Since God could only speak to His people in small amounts, He decided He would bring Assyria to Israel and speak to Israel that way, in small amounts of grasped at words and phrases being said by the invaders. Then, when He did that, Israel would be knocked back, stumble, and fall, just like the drunken priests and prophets who stumbled around and passed out in their vomit.