Verse 5
Paul acknowledged the value of the gift of tongues even though it also required an interpreter. Nevertheless he made it clear that the ability to prophesy was more important. The issue, again, is private versus public benefit. Since Paul depreciated speaking in tongues without interpretation so strongly, it seems very likely that this is what the Corinthians were doing in their meetings. The real issue was not a conflict between tongues and prophecy, however, but between unintelligible and intelligible speech.
In this whole discussion "prophecy" evidently refers primarily to an impromptu word that someone would share in a service in which congregational participation was possible more than to a prepared sermon.
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