Heavenly Languages Explained
Pastor Eric J. Hanson
May 24, 2015
Today is Pentecost Sunday. This is a good time to remember what happened on the first Pentecost after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord, and to consider what these things means for us now. Let’s review Acts 1:1-14 so as to set the stage for what happened next. (Read these verses now.) Now let’s continue in chapter 2, and consider the supernatural occurrences there. (Now read verses 1-13)
There were some rare things that the Holy Spirit did on that occasion, such as manifesting Himself as a mighty rushing wind, and then as visible fire. These are not unique in Bible history. As early as Genesis chapter 3, God revealed himself as wind or “the breeze of the moment”(in the Hebrew language) when he came into the garden after Adam first sinned. Various times, such as the burning bush in the wilderness, which was on fire but did not burn up, and really grabbed Moses’ attention, God revealed himself as fire. But on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts Chapter 2, the Holy Spirit revealed himself both ways.
Immediately after the fire of God rested on each of the 120 believers in that room, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they all began to speak in languages they had never learned, telling the wonderful works of God in such a way that the foreigners who were crowding Jerusalem because of the Feast of Pentecost then heard about God, each in his or her own language.
This outburst of many languages amazed the crowd and it grabbed their attention totally. When Peter stood up and began to explain to them what was going on, and then shared about Jesus, they were listening intently. Nobody was bored or distracted. The final result that very day, was that 3000 people became followers of Jesus Christ.
Unlike the unusual wind and fire manifestations on that day, the phenomenon of believers in Jesus becoming filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, and also speaking in totally unlearned languages, became widespread, and has been repeated millions of times across the past 2000 years. Even today, there are millions of Holy Spirit filled believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, who pray in languages they have never learned, and who also sometimes bring a message forth publicly in such a language, unknown to the speaker, but either known to the hearers of the message, or else interpreted into a language known to the hearers, immediately after it has been spoken forth.
Unfortunately, there is also much confusion about these things, in the minds of many church people today, even among people who have long been active in churches and/or organizations which believe in these expressions of the Holy Spirit’s work and power within us, there remain many questions and misperceptions.
Today, the burden the Lord has given me is to bring clarity to the matter of speaking in unknown languages, or in old style English, unknown tongues. It is important for Christian people to have a good understanding of this matter.
First I need to mention that it is still quite normal, as on the Day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2, for believers in Jesus Christ to receive the ability to speak forth in a Heaven given language, at the same time that they become baptized in the Holy Spirit. I believe that it is possible to be endued with power and filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit without speaking forth in an unknown language. God can work around people’s fears and hang-ups that way. But, I also believe that it is normative to receive the ability to speak forth in an unknown language, for anyone who receives Hoy Spirit baptism. Some Sunday, I’ll do an entire message on just the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and will explain things that I am merely mentioning here today. Now, let’s look at the two main uses God has for enabling people to speak in languages that the people speaking neither know, not understand.
2 Totally Different Uses and Types of Speaking
Paul wrote about two totally different practices when he used the term “speaking in unknown tongues”, or to update the terminology without changing its meaning, “speaking in languages unknown to the one doing the speaking”. The two major purposes of speaking supernaturally in languages that you have never learned, and that your mind doesn’t know, are as follows.
Purpose One: (I Corinthians 12:10-11)
God may choose to use you to bring a public message, speaking it forth in an unknown language. In order for this use of speaking in an unknown language to help people, a second gift must then be exercised, which is called the interpretation of unknown tongues. Speaking in a language unknown to the person doing the speaking, coupled with the interpretation of such speaking can be done with two people present or with two thousand. This public manifestation of the gift (Greek: Charism or grace-gift) of tongues, and the gift of interpretation working together, is for the purpose of building people up in the faith.
On those occasions then, when someone brings a message forth in an unknown language, whether in a small group or a large group, Paul says that the speaker should pray to be able to interpret what he just said. (Read 14:13) Otherwise, the public gift of a message in an unknown language, brought forth by an individual speaking out loud, has no value.
If the speaker does not then interpret what he or she just said, someone else may do so. The use of the gift of interpretation is not limited to either the person who just spoke publicly in an unknown tongue or to others. Either way is fine, as the Lord impresses. (Read I Corinthians 14: 27 & 28) If no one interprets at all, the public use of the gift of “a message in an unknown tongue” that day should cease.
The use of this public gift of tongues is a sometimes thing. Chapter 14 of I Corinthians uses words such as “if” when talking about this. The whole feel of the explanations here is that it is an occasional happening. At any gathering of Holy Spirit filled believers, who desire to do God’s will, there may or may not be a manifestation of this particular grace-gift. If it does happen on any particular occasion, verses 27 & 28 of this chapter 14 limit it to two or three times in any particular gathering.
Summing Up the Public use of the Gift of speaking in an Unknown Language
1. It is occasional, not as often as prophesying.
2. It is to be followed by the gift of interpretation.
3. It can happen in either large or small groups.
4. Verse 39 of this chapter tells church leaders to not forbid it.
5. Chapter 13, Verses 8-13 lets us know that all of the knowledge related manifestations of the Holy Spirit will end when we see the Lord face to face, for we shall then know all things. There will be no need of speaking in unknown Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom, or Prophesying when that day comes. Until then, we need these God given grace gifts.
Purpose Two: The Other Major Use of Speaking in Unknown Languages
The same Paul who limited the public gift of tongues to two of three instances per meeting, and who emphasized the public gift of prophecy much more than that of bringing a message in tongues, also said, in verse 18, “I thank my God, that I speak in tongues more than you all.” The same apostle who wrote “I wish that you all spoke in unknown tongues” also limited public instances to two or at the most three in any given gathering of believers. Was this man contradicting himself? Was he confused?
No, he was not either of those things. Paul was not double minded. He was not trying to confuse his readers. He was, in fact, talking about two totally separate uses of speaking in languages not known by the one doing the speaking. In short, he was speaking about also praying in languages he did not know. Let’s read a little longer passage now. (Read Chapter 14:1-5 & 13-19)
Paul is referring to praying in languages unknown to himself as “praying in (or with) the Spirit”. This is a private activity. This is part of a balanced and complete prayer life. Paul states that when he is praying this way, his mind is unfruitful, which is to say that he doesn’t know what he is saying at such times. However, he states that his spirit is fruitful at such times, and he stated that the person speaking in prayer in an unknown language is edifying himself. What does edifying oneself mean? It simply means to build up and strengthen.
In short, the person who is supernaturally praying in a language he or she does not know, is being strengthened spiritually.
Paul’s instructional conclusion regarding this is found in verse 15. (read it.) We see four private prayer life aspects in this capstone type of verse. When alone with God, it is good to (1.) pray in the spirit or supernaturally in unknown languages, and to (2.) pray in your own language too. It is also good to (3.) sing in the spirit, to worship God in languages you do not know, and to (4.) sing with your understanding, which is to say, sing in your own language too.
Somebody is probably wishing to ask “What good does this do?” How does this edify or build up the person who is exercising a prayer language?” The answer to that is found in remembering that we know very little. Our ability to pray with our understanding is hampered by the smallness of our understanding.
On the other hand, when we pray, by the Holy Spirit, in a language He is supernaturally supplying, we are praying beyond our mind’s capabilities. Sometimes, in such prayer sessions, God graciously gives us the gift of interpreting our own prayers. Then we become aware of things that we could not possibly otherwise know. The truth is, this matter of supernaturally praying in languages which we do not ourselves know, was strongly emphasized here in our church in its very first days, and in a great many other churches here in America as well. Unfortunately, this important matter has perhaps been under-taught and little understood by many people for a long time.
Concluding Thoughts
The Day of Pentecost was fulfilled by what took place in Acts 2, and continues to take place around the World today. Pentecost was the feast of the Harvest. New Testament Pentecost is the fulfillment of this feast, but it has to do with spiritual harvest; the harvesting of people into God’s Kingdom and forever family. In Acts Chapter 1, Jesus had told the Disciples, the 120, to wait in Jerusalem, and that they would soon be baptized in the Holy Spirit. He promised them that when this happened, they would be endued with power, and would be His witnesses everywhere.
That very day, which Jesus spoke of, the great harvest of people, or souls, began. We already touched on Peter explaining first about the wind, fire, and unknown languages, and then the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the crowd gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast that day. The 3000 who responded to his challenge to believe on Jesus Christ and to follow Him, was just the start. We still need supernatural power in order to be effective witnesses of Jesus Christ to all people everywhere!
Have you done the following?
1. Believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Trusting Him as Savior and determining that He is you Lord from now on.
2. Asked God to Baptize you in the Holy Spirit, to empower you fully to be a faithful and effective witness of who Jesus Christ is and why people need to know Him.
3. Stayed close to the Lord, confessing (admitting and turning away from) all known sin in your life and not letting any foul thing gain an advantage on you.
Make sure that you have done all three and continue to always do #3. Now let’s go and serve the Lord with gladness, power, and effectiveness.
