2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.
I rarely object to a translation of the Greek text, but here is an exception. I think the phrase “no one understands him” should be translated “no one hears.” There are many words that could be used to express understanding, but Paul uses one of the most common words for hearing, the simple act of sound entering the ear. I think this fits better with the context as a whole. If the person is speaking softly, perhaps whispering their tongues, they are obviously speaking to God, not men. Paul’s contention is that whatever we do in public worship should be done so that the body gets strengthened. He is pushing for corporate, together activities and ministries. As an example, he doesn’t want people eating the communion meal selfishly. We are to eat it together. To put that in a modern context, when the potluck prayer is prayed, get in line, but remember there are others behind you who also need to eat. It is more important that we share together than that you get stuffed to the gills. The purpose of the meal is togetherness in Jesus, not the food. The food is simply a vehicle for the interpersonal connections, not the purpose of the gathering. If my translation is accurate then this passage is not talking about someone speaking in an unknown language loud enough for all to hear, which Paul says later requires someone to interpret. Instead he is emphasizing that if we are together for worship, our focus needs to be on the Lord, and on those around us. We can worship privately, singly at home, so our time together must focus on what will help everyone. This is not to exclude softly spoken tongues in a corporate setting, but the emphasis on corporate worship is God focused edification of all. If during corporate worship you pray in tongues in a way that does not distract from the corporate experience, the OK. But if you are drawn away in your heart and spirit from the body that is gathered, then don’t speak in tongues, stay with what will build up the whole body.
The Arnold Journey 