Introduction:

I.     Tongues and Interpretation

A.     About the Gift of Tongues

1.       The Greek word tongues “glossa”.

glossa translated "tongue," is used to mean the physical tongue in a person's mouth & "language." In the New Testament passages where speaking in tongues is discussed, the meaning "languages" is certainly in view.

a)        Tongues in the History of Redemption.

1)        Before the Fall there was no need to speak in other languages-unified in fellowship w\God.

(a)      After the fall people spoke the same language & became united in opposition to God.

(b)      THE TOWER OF BABEL (Genesis 11:1-9) – Since they spoke the same language, they used it in rebellion against God in the building of the tower of Babel.  God confused their language in order to stop this.

2.       What is speaking in tongues?

Speaking in tongues is prayer or praise spoken in syllables not understood by the speaker.

a)        Words of Prayer or Praise Spoken to God.

1)        Tongues is primarily “speech directed toward God” (prayer, praise).

Paul says, "one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God" (1 Cor. 14:2), and if there is no interpreter present at the church service, Paul says that someone who has a gift of speaking in tongues should "keep silence in church and speak to himself and to God" (1 Cor. 14:28).

2)        What Kind of Speech is this that is Directed Toward God?

(a)      Paul categorizes speech in tongues as praying and giving thanks (1Cor.14:14-17).

1.         Tongues is prayer or praise directed toward God.

2.         It comes from the "spirit" of the person who is speaking (Acts 2:4).  Could be transalated "as the Spirit prompted their speech" or "as the Spirit gave them ability to speak" (v.4).

3.         The disciples were glorifying God & proclaiming His mighty works in worship (2:11).

4.         In Acts 10:46 the people at Cornelius' household spoke in tongues & glorified God.

5.         In Acts 19:1-6, Paul describes how he noticed something missing in the church.

b)        Not Understood by the Speaker.

1)        No One Understands him (1Cor.14:2).

1.         Similarly no meaning will be communicated without an interpretation (1Cor.14:11).

2.         Tongues in the congregation without interpretation is not understood (1Cor.14:13-19).

3.         At Pentecost speech in tongues was in known languages to those who heard (Acts 2:6).

4.         The amazement was not that they understood but that the disciples were speaking it (Acts 2:11).

2)        Therefore, Tongues May Involve:

1.         Speech in actual human languages the speaker has not learned & being understood by men, or…

2.         Speech in a language that “no one understands” (1 Cor.14:2), whether that be a human language or not.

c)        Prayer With the Spirit, Not With the Mind.

1)        Our spirit Speaks Directly To God (1Cor.14:14-15).

1.         Paul is talking about his own human spirit, which speaks directly to God even though his mind does not have to formulate words & sentences & decide what to pray for.

2.         This activity occurs in the spiritual realm.

a.         Jude 20 “pray in the Holy Spirit” is praying in conformity to the character & leading of the Holy Spirit which could include tongues.

b.         Ephesians 6:18 "Pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication"

¨        this covers all prayer that is made at all times.

¨        It refers to prayer in conformity to the character of the Holy Spirit and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Why would God give us a gift that is not understood by our minds?

c.         To help prevent intellectual pride.

d.         To remind us that God is greater than our understanding (Is.55)

e.         It is characteristic of what God does in the unseen spiritual realm:

¨        regeneration, genuine prayer, worship "in spirit and in truth,"

¨        the spiritual blessings that come through the Lord's Supper, spiritual warfare,

¨        laying up treasures in heaven, setting our minds on things above, where Christ is--all these and many more elements of the Christian life involve activities that occur in the unseen, spiritual realm, activities that we do not see or fully understand.  Therefore…

3.         Speaking in tongues is effective because scripture tells it is, not because we can comprehend it with our minds (1Cor.14:5). 

B.     Limited Use In the Church.

1.       The Guidelines or Restrictions of Tongues in a Church Service.

a)        Not Ecstatic but Self-Controlled.

1)        God Is Not the Author of Confusion (1Cor.14:33)

1.         You do have control; you don’t have to speak out (1Cor.14:32)

2.         Paul limited the number of persons who could speak in tongues during a service (v.27).

3.         Everything should be done decently and in order (1Cor.14:40).

4.         Tongues with “interpretation” brings edification (1Cor. 14:5).

5.         If not, Paul said that “unbelievers will say you are mad” (1Cor.14:23).

Even when the Holy Spirit came with overwhelming power at Pentecost, the disciples were able to stop speaking in tongues so that Peter could give his sermon to the assembled crowd.

2.       How is the gift used in the life of the Believer?

a)        There Are Several Things.

1)        Tongues Assist You In Your Prayer Life (1Cor.14:14, 15, 17).

1.         The Spirit Himself Intercedes for Us (Romans 8:26-27).

2)        Tongues Assist You In Your Devotional Life (1Cor.14:17).

1.         When I just cant seem to express in human words my love, devotion, thankfulness for God, when I experience the limitations of language, the gift of tongues can assist me.

3)        Tongues Assist In Edifying the Believer (1Cor.14:4).

1.         Tongues is the only gift of God that edifies you personally, it was given to build you up. 

4)        Not All Speak In Tongues (1Cor.12:30).

C.     Tongues Will Cease.

1.       Have Some Gifts Ceased?  The Cessationist Debate.

a)        Within the Evangelical World Today There Are Differing Positions Over the Question.

1)        Are All the Gifts Mentioned In the New Testament Valid For Use in the Church Today?

(a)      1 Corinthians 13:8-13

1.         Some would say yes.

2.         Others would say no (Cessationist) – refers to someone who thinks that certain miraculous spiritual gifts ceased long ago, when the apostles died and Scripture was complete.

a.         They interpret “that which is perfect” to mean “the full cannon of Scripture”.

b.         Bible scholars always have understood from the context that “that which is perfect” is a reference to the coming again of Jesus Christ.

2.       Let Love Be Supreme.

a)        Tongues Has No Real Worth Unless the Believer Also Manifests Love.

1)        1 Corinthians 13:1—What are the results if you have not love?

1.         13:1 “I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal”

2.         13:2 “I am nothing”

3.         13:3 “It profits me nothing”

2)        How Do I React To Those Who Do or Don’t Speak In Tongues?

1.         If you speak in tongues, God bless you!  But do not despise those who misunderstand the gift, or think of yourself as spiritually superior to them.  You are not!

2.         If you do not speak in tongues, God bless you!  Do not despise those or forbid those who do.  Speakers in tongues love our Lord with great emotional fervency, and they’re as much of the body of Christ as you are.

3.         Walk in Love (1Cor.13:13 cf. Eph.5:2).

Tongues is not the issue.  The issue is how much love is manifested in your life by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  That’s the real test of the Holy Spirit in your life.  Can you accept someone who is different than you?

 A. Jesus said that speaking in tongues would be a sign of a believer. #Mark 16:17

 II. Uses of the Gift of Tongues

 A. The gift of tongues allows us by the Spirit to express ourselves to God without funneling our feelings through our intellect. When words cannot express what we feel, we use a spiritual language that is beyond the limits of our understanding so our prayer life is more satisfying. #1Corinthians 14:4

 B. Paul taught that the best use of the gift of tongues is in our private devotions rather than in public worship.  1Corinthians 14

 1. The purpose of the gift of tongues is to communicate with God.

 2. Although some churches allow what they call "messages in tongues" to be delivered during public services, actually these utterances are not "messages" at all, because tongues are directed to God.

 3. Many times the "interpretation" that follows a "message in tongues" is really a prophecy because it is spoken from God to the Church. An interpretation of tongues will be prayer to God. #Acts 2:11

 4. Paul indicated that we can control the gift of tongues. The Spirit does not compel someone to interrupt a service with tongues. We can speak to God quietly within ourselves if we feel the Spirit moving. #1Corinthians 14:28, 33

 5. When a person shouts, uses a shrill tone, or sustains sounds, that is not the Spirit speaking but the person reacting to Him. We can whisper in tongues if we choose to.

 C, The Spirit helps us in our prayer life when we do not know how to pray for a situation. #Romans 8:26, 27

 1. If we are unaware of needs or unsure of God's will in a matter that needs prayer, we can sometimes ask Him to do something that is in direct opposition to His will. Our prayer in the Spirit is always according to the will of God.

 2. When we pray in the Spirit, we pray unhindered by our flesh, so selfishness and other sinful attitudes are eliminated from our prayer. #James 4:2-3

 D. If a person does not want to use the gift of tongues in his prayer life, he has probably magnified his intellect to the point that he will not say anything that his intellect cannot grasp. Therefore his prayer life is limited to English (or in the language he is most fluent in) and he misses a rich dimension in his prayer life.

CHAPTER 19: THE GIFT OF TONGUES AND INTERPRETATION

 I. Tongues and the Believer

 A. The gift of tongues is not the only evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit.

 B. In 1Corinthians 14 there seems to be an inconsistency between v. 22 and

 vs. 23-24. J. B. Phillips believes the copyists made an error in v. 22 and meant to say that tongues are not for a sign to believers and that prophecy is. Perhaps Paul meant that tongues serve as an evidence to a person that he has been filled with the Spirit since some people have trouble believing that God will fill them if they simply ask Him to.

 C. Some people feel that the gift of tongues was for the early Church but not for today.

 1. They use #1Corinthians 13:8  as the basis for their belief. However, prophecies have not failed and knowledge has increased, rather than vanished.

 2. They say v.10, "that which is perfect" refers to the Bible and that since we have the complete Scriptures, tongues are unnecessary. However, tongues were never used as a teaching tool like the Bible is. We believe "that which is perfect" refers to Jesus and His second coming and that prophecy and tongues are valid gifts until then.

 II. The interpretation of Tongues

 A. If we speak in tongues in a group of believers, we need to pray for the interpretation, #1Corinthians 14:13  Otherwise, we are edified but the others are not. (v. 16-19).

 B. An interpretation of tongues is usually the expression of thoughts that are given to us by the Spirit.

 C. Interpretations of tongues will be prayers offered to God. If someone gives an "interpretation" addressed to the church, then it is actually a prophecy, not an interpretation of tongues.