19 YET IN THE CHURCH I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by
my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
In this passage, Paul was explaining the difference between tongues used as a devotional gift:
". . . I speak with tongues more than ye all" (v. 18), and tongues used in public ministry: "Yet IN
THE CHURCH I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that... I might teach
others .. ."(v. 19).
Tongues is not a teaching gift or a preaching gift.
This is not the purpose of tongues. For example, if I were to speak in tongues from the pulpit
instead of teaching or preaching from t