Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:2-4

For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves."

1 Corinthians 14:13-19

"For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer,[d] say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue."

From a friend:

If tongues are always human languages used to preach the gospel, then why does it say "for anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God" and "if there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God."  Were they speaking the gospel to God? 

If these are languages that the person who was speaking understood, or that other people understood, why would they need to pray that they may interpret? 1 Corinthians 14:13

You wouldn't need to pray to interpret a language you already know, or that others already know would you?

My thoughts:

I have heard that there are two different kinds of tongues, speaking in tongues and praying in tongues. 

Speaking in tongues is to share the gospel as at Pentecost and needs an interpreter.   Praying in tongues is just between the person and God and many do this in worship services to themselves. 

I heard tonight from a friend that it is like going on a roller coaster or more fun than anything you've ever done.  

Praying in tongues is a way to emotionally connect more with God.

But it seems that they are two different things I think.

From a friend:

There are three.

There is a prophetic tongue, which is a heavenly language that someone would speak out in a church and then either them or someone else would interpret it.  This is the one all the rules apply to in 1 Cor about only two ore three speaking at a time and someone must interpret.  

There is a private prayer language that may or may not be interpreted.

And then there is speaking in tongues to preach the gospel.

There are disputes over that one because there are two views on it. 

The first view is that it is God allowing you to speak in a human language you don't know in order to preach the gospel. 

The second view is that it is a heavenly language that you speak in but the person/ crowd you are speaking to understands it in their language.

It depends on how you view Acts and Pentecost.  Was it a miracle of the mouth (speaking human languages they didn't know) or a miracle of the mouth and the ear (speaking in heavenly languages and each person heard them speaking in their own languages) because acts 2 says they each HEARD them speaking in their own languages not that they WERE speaking in their own languages."

Those are very good points. :)