Spiritual Gifts Series
Part 8 – Tongues and Interpretation
Rev. Bruce A. Shields
First Baptist Church of Tawas City Michigan
www.TawasBaptist.org
WELCOME
First of all, congratulations to Crystal for her acceptance of Christ last week and her baptism, and for the Keels joining our family here at the First Baptist Church.
This is what the church is here for.
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE
1 Corinthians 14:1-25
“ 1Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.[b] 3But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[c] but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues,[d] unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
6Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.
13For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand[e] say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.
18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21In the Law it is written:
"Through men of strange tongues
and through the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
but even then they will not listen to me,"[f] says the Lord.
22Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand[g] or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand[h]comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"
TONGUES AND INTERPRETATION
This is one of the most controversial spiritual gifts next to healing and miracles in the Bible.
And the biblical scholars seem to be split right down the middle on this subject.
Well known authors, teachers and theologians who have lifetimes of experience and education who cannot agree on this issue.
So why do we bring it up today?
An important part of my purpose in life is to preach what Paul calls “the whole counsel of God.”
I believe that all parts of the Bible, including 1 Corinthians 14, are words from God for us that will benefit our souls and build our relationship with our creator.
Let’s look at what the Apostle Paul says about speaking in tongues here in 1 Corinthians 14.
Although some of the details in this passage are a bit difficult to grasp, Paul’s main point is clear.
He prefers the gift of prophecy to the gift of tongues.
(1 Corinthians 14:1-5)
He continues to emphasize and illustrate this theme for the next few paragraphs.
To make sense of what Paul writes here, we need to understand what he means by prophecy and tongues.
Bible scholars have been discussing for years what Paul means when he refers to this gift.
We talked a few weeks ago about the gift of prophecy.
There are two types of prophecy.
One is preaching the prophetic word of God from the scriptures.
The other type is given to us through the Holy Spirit from God.
But it must serve God and strengthen, encourage, or comfort and edify the church.
Like when Jonah went to Nineveh;
So what is “speaking in tongues?”
In simplest terms, speaking in tongues is when someone speaks in a language that he or she does not know.
If I were to get up here and start speaking Russian, that would be an example of speaking in tongues.
In Acts 2, at Pentecost, this is what happened.
People from all over the Roman Empire were gathered and they heard the apostles speaking in their own language.
Some have suggested that everyone there had the miracle was in the listeners hearing, that the person from Egypt heard Egyptian being spoken even though no one was speaking it.
But if you look at the scripture in context with the apostles receiving the Holy Spirit, then it appears they were given the Spiritual Gift of tongues.
I believe the apostles were praising God in languages they had not learned.
There is a problem, however, because very few people who claim to speak in tongues today are speaking another human language.
Linguists have listened to thousands of recordings of tongues speaking, and only vary rarely have found even a fragment of another known language.
Does that mean that these people don’t really have the gift Paul talks about?
Are they just making gibberish noises?
Not necessarily. In Acts 2 the apostles apparently spoke in tongues because the people listening to them spoke a wide variety of languages.
That is not the case in 1 Corinthians 13:1
1 Corinthians 13:1
“If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”
The scriptures tell us of two types of tongues, of men AND of angels.
This phrase written by Paul in 1 Corinthians suggests that the spiritual gift of tongues can not only be other human languages, but it may also involve speaking in some angelic language.
What is the purpose for speaking in tongues?
Paul mentions two purposes.
First of all, when it is interpreted it provides a message from the Lord, much as prophecy does.
1 Corinthians 14:5
“I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[c] but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues,[d] unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.”
In 14:5 Paul seems to think that a prophecy and a message in tongues which has been translated are valuable to the church.
The second purpose of tongues is, even if it is not interpreted, it can still provide spiritual encouragement to the one who speaks it.
Paul implies in the scriptures that some Christians speak in tongues privately and find benefit in doing so.
1 Corinthians 14:18, 19
“18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.”
It sounds as if Paul did not speak tongues in the church.
So if he speaks it as the scripture implies, then it must be in private, when he was alone with God.
1 Corinthians 14:13-16
“For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand[e] say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?”
Paul is saying that if you speak in tongues in private, you are praising God with your spirit.
Paul tells us that God gives some people the gift of tongues to use as their private prayer language.
Although some may argue, and often do, that the gift of tongues that are to be interpreted and the gift of tongues as the private prayer language (or the language of angels), are two different gifts.
They say that not everyone has the gift to speak tongues publicly, but every Christian can, and should speak tongues privately.
Well, there is no biblical support for that point of view.
And it also contradicts what the Lord tells us here in Chapter 14.
There is no ONE gift that all Christians have.
Paul also says in verse 22 that tongues can function as a sign for unbelievers, but in verse 23-25 he talks about how an unbeliever who walks into a church where people are speaking in tongues is going to be turned off and think everyone there is crazy.
I believe what Paul is saying here is, if an unbeliever hears the gift of tongues (his native language being spoke), then it can be a sign to hi.
This is what happened at Pentecost.
That type of tongues would be a sign to a non-believer.
But if he walks in and everyone is speaking in the prayer language of angels, we are going to look crazy to him.
So if it is not an unknown human language, and it is a message from God, how is it interpreted?
Paul tells us this is done in two ways.
1 Corinthians 12:10
“to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.”
Here we see that the spiritual gift of tongues and interpretation are different gifts. You may have one and not the other.
Paul’s instructions for interpretation are found in;
1 Corinthians 14:26-28
“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 27If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.”
If you have the spiritual gift of interpretation, anytime someone speaks in tongues, you will understand what it is God is saying.
But Paul also says that the person who speaks MAY be able to interpret if he pray;
1 Corinthians 14:13
“For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.”
So what is it God is showing us today about Spiritual Gifts of tongues and interpretations?
First, speaking in tongues is a legitimate spiritual gift.
In verse 39 we are told “do not forbid speaking in tongues.”
Some say that tongues are not for today because 1 Corinthians 13 says that tongues will cease.
Well that is not a valid argument.
1 Corinthians 13:8 does say that tongues will be stilled or cease, but when?
In verse 10 it says “when perfection comes, the imperfect will disappear.”
Tongues and other spiritual gifts are imperfect because we are human and do not operate in perfection even when God gives us the ability through the Holy Spirit.
The scriptures tell us Christ is perfection.
In verse 12 Paul speaks of seeing “face to face” and knowing “fully” referring to the return of Jesus Christ and the end of age.
Paul tells us that these gifts will disappear and cease to exist when Jesus Christ returns. Because there will be no need for them any more.
The gifts are to edify the body of believers, but once we are with Christ, it is He who will edify us eternally!
There is so much more we could say about tongues but our time is limited.
Is the gift of tongues for today? Yes.
Are there two types? Speaking in unknown human languages and the tongue of angels for prophecy and private prayer and praises to God.
Do all Christians speak tongues? No, we do not all have the same gifts.
Is the gift of tongues a sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit? No more than any other spiritual gift.
Does everyone who speaks in tongues really speaking in tongues? Of course not.
ALTAR CALL
Accept Christ
Get baptized
Join the Church
James says;
Go to the elders and have them lay hands on you and pray anointing your head with oil.
And your sins will be forgiven you.
