Who does a tongues-speaker edify compared to someone who prophesies?
According to the passage, a tongues-speaker edifies himself alone, while the one who prophesies—speaking forth God's word—edifies the whole congregation. Prophecy lifts up, supports, enlarges, exhorts, and comforts all who hear, but tongues-speaking edification remains limited to the speaker himself.
Les explains that the contrast is between self-edification and congregational edification. In the context, the person speaking in an unknown tongue uses his own makeup and personality, but to everyone else it is a mystery, and verse 4 says he edifies himself. The one who prophesies, however, speaks forth the word of God as a gifted individual and speaks unto men to edification. Les defines edification as lifting people up, supporting them, and enlarging them. Such gifted men enhanced the congregation, helped all who heard, and exhorted and comforted them. So while prophesying edifies the whole congregation, tongues edifies only the speaker—something Les calls an ego trip. Paul later says he would that all spake with tongues, meaning languages, so they could speak dialects in Macedonia, North Africa, or Latin in Rome.
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
More Questions
According to 1 Corinthians, who is edified when someone claims a tongues experience?
When someone claims to have had a tongues experience, according to the book they are edifying themselves, which is an ego trip.