Look more closely at the issue in 1 Corinthians 14. When Christians assemble, some members speak in “tongues”—real languages spoken by a miracle, not by learning, as shown by Acts 2:4-11. Unfortunately, no one there understands them. Paul is a spokesman of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6). He lays down this inspired rule: “Let all things be done for building up” the church (1 Corinthians 14:26). This spiritual strengthening comes from understandable messages, not from merely making sounds (1 Corinthians 14:5-6, 15, 19).
So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. (1 Corinthians 14:9-11)
Hence, without an interpreter, tongue-speakers must remain silent. How can this be? Aren’t they free in Christ? Yet, to tongue-speakers whose sounds convey no intelligible message, Paul’s inspired instruction is, “Let each of them keep silent in church” (1 Corinthians 14:28). No, freedom in Christ does not give us the right to do as we wish in the assembly, not even the right to use a God-given gift.
Freedom is a major theme of the New Covenant: freedom from sin and guilt; freedom from fear and death; freedom from works; and freedom from the law. But freedom from divine authority? Freedom to slip back into old shadows? Freedom to indulge human desires? Hardly.