As we continue our study on the Holy Spirit we are now looking at the supernatural gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to the church. Paul, in I Corinthians chapter 12 said, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given...the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." I Corinthians 12:7-8, 10-11.
In our last study we looked at the supernatural gift of tongues, which is the supernatural ability that is given by the Holy Spirit to a person enabling them to speak in a language that they have never learned or understand. And we said that tongues could be spoken in a common language or not so common language of today. It could be in the form of some ancient dialect whose people and language have passed off the scene. Or it could be the language of angels, a heavenly language.
Now some feel that there is no reason for tongues to be around today. I disagree. When we speak in tongues we are expressing to God the things that our own language may not be able to express. It also bypasses our intellect and our fallen nature so that we might worship, give thanks, pray to our God, which does strengthen the inner man.
Thus, tongues is man speaking to God while prophecy is God speaking to man. God never uses tongues to preach the gospel or to teach the church. That is what prophecy does. In fact, the reality is, you would never hear a message in tongues, that would be prophecy.
In this study we are going to be looking at another spiritual gift, the interpretation of tongues. The Greek word that Paul uses for "interpretation" is HERMENEIA, from which we get our word "hermeneutics" from, which refers to the science of Scriptural interpretation.
Now the gift of the interpretation of tongues is the supernatural ability that has been given to us by the Holy Spirit so that we may interpret tongues, a language that we don’t know or understand. Now every time you speak in tongues it doesn’t have to have an interpretation. The interpretation is only needed in a public setting, in fact it is required. On the other hand, in your own private devotional time, if you speak in tongues, no interpretation is required. We will see that in a few minutes.
Also, this is an interpretation, not necessarily a verbatim translation. In fact, most of the time it is a paraphrase of what was spoken for it may be very difficult to translate from that language to English for instance.
Let me give you an example from the Old Testament. In Daniel chapter 5, Belshazzar, king of Babylon, is having a drunken party while the army of the Medes and the Persians gathered around their city. And during this party God wrote on the wall by the king these words: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. And this troubled the king greatly, he knew it was not good news, but he didn’t know what it meant. We read in Daniel 5:6 "Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other."
So the king calls for his wise men, astrologers and-so-on, to come and read these words and interpret them, but no one could. Then his grandmother, the wife of the late king Nebuchadnezzar, came in and told her grandson that there is a man in the kingdom that will be able to tell you what this means, his name is Daniel.
Now the words meant: MENE - WEIGHED, TEKEL - LACKING, and UPHARSIN -DIVIDED. So the message was: "WEIGHED, WEIGHED, LACKING, DIVIDED!" Not a lot of help, we still don’t know what it means. But beginning in verse 26 of Daniel chapter 5 we read "This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."
You see, Daniel interpreted what these words meant, he did not do a verbatim translation. And the same is true many times with this gift of tongues. It is not the gift of translation, although at times it may be a translation of what was said, but it is the gift of interpretation, which many times may be a paraphrase of the thought or intent of the message that was spoken in tongues.
In saying all that, please turn to I Corinthians chapter 14, as we are going to look closer at what tongues and the interpretation of tongues is all about. And remember, the Corinthian church were exercising all the spiritual gifts and yet they were very carnal, very immature in the faith. Now some may like to tell you that you need to reach a certain level of maturity to attain these gifts, that is just plain wrong. These are grace gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit and not a reward for our spirituality. If they were based on our behavior think about all the pride we would have as we look down upon those who haven’t made it yet to a place where we are. Thank God they are grace gifts for it eliminates any kind of prideful attitudes on our part, or at least it should!
The Corinthian church had some major problems in the exercising of these spiritual gifts. They were very self-centered which lead to the abuse of these gifts. You see, they became more concerned about flaunting their gifts instead of seeing people built up in the faith. And we are going to see Paul, in I Corinthians chapter 14 come against this self-centered, abusive attitude they were manifesting with these gifts.
I think that this is one of the main reasons that Paul, in I Corinthians chapter 13, interrupted his writings on spiritual gifts to speak of LOVE! Paul said beginning in verse 1 of I Corinthians chapter 13, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...." I Corinthians 13:1-8a.
You see, we need to be others centered instead of self-centered. And then, as Paul moves into I Corinthians chapter 14, he is going to deal with the gift of tongues, the interpretation of tongues and of the gift of prophecy. You see, they abused the gift of tongues in the public setting. Tongues is mostly used in a private setting, although not exclusively. On the other hand prophecy is better used in a public setting for it builds up, exhorts people into action and it comforts them. That is the background of Paul’s remarks that he is making in I Corinthians chapter 14, which we are now going to look at.
I CORINTHIANS 14
VERSES 1-2
Paul is speaking in general terms regarding tongues, that no one understands tongues unless there is someone to interpret them. Pastor Chuck tells a story that took place many years ago. About 55 or 60 people had gathered together on Pentecost Sunday to wait upon the Lord and remember what He did when he sent His Spirit upon the church.
As they worshiped and praised the Lord a woman named Lynn stood up and began to speak in tongues, and Chuck recognized she was speaking French, although he could not make out all that she was saying. But what he understood was she was giving praise unto God. This woman was thanking God for the beautiful new song He had put into her heart as He moved her from singing in nightclubs to singing for Jesus. Pastor Chuck could understand just enough of what she was saying, but not enough to give an interpretation, which of course if he knew the language it would just be an interpretation, not the supernatural gift of interpretation.
Now Chuck’s wife, who doesn’t understand any French, began to interpret the message that was given in tongues. Pastor Chuck goes on to say "A Jewish visitor form Palm Springs who was going through some marital problems had joined us that night. A friend had brought her so I could counsel her after the meeting. When the people left and we were getting ready to talk, she said ‘Before we get into my problems, I would like you to explain to me why the one lady spoke to the group in French and why the other lady translated what she said.’"
"‘Would you believe it if I told you that neither of those ladies know French?’ I asked.."
"‘No I wouldn’t’ she explained."
Pastor Chuck went on to say that he has known his wife for years and she doesn’t know any French and neither does the other lady. And he took her to the Scriptures showing her the gift of tongues and the interpretation of tongues.
"‘Well,’ she said, ‘that was the most beautiful French I have ever heard. It was spoken with a perfect aristocratic accent. I lived in Paris for five years and it isn’t street French; it was the aristocratic form of the language. And the other lady gave a perfect translation.’"
That is the gift of tongues and the interpretation of tongues properly used in a public setting. As I have said, in a private setting you don’t need the interpretation, it is your spirit communicating with God’s Spirit!
VERSES 3-5
Paul’s point is simple. Tongues edifies you and that is why its primary use is in private. Prophecy is beneficial to the body of Christ and thus it is used in a public setting. The only time tongues is beneficial in a public setting is when an interpretation is given, and tongues is praise, not teaching!
VERSE 6
In other words, if a person can’t understand what is being said, then it is of no real benefit to them.
VERSES 7-8
Back in those days the sound a trumpet made would call you to battle, wake you up, call you for meals, when to retreat in battle, and-so-on. Thus, it was very important that you made the right sound with the trumpet so the soldiers would know what to do. Like our language, pre–arranged sounds mean certain things to us.
VERSES 9-11
If you don’t understand the language, then the words are meaningless to you. They make no sense and they don’t help you at all.
VERSES 12-13
Paul is speaking here of the use of tongues in a public setting. If you exercise this gift in a public setting there needs to be someone to interpret. If not, then no other tongues should be spoken. Paul is not speaking of the use of tongues in a private setting when there does not need to be an interpretation.
VERSE 14
This really upsets our intellect. We want to figure out what we said and we try to make sense out of it. When we can’t our mind tells us that these words are just made up and we try to reject what God is doing. We say that it is not real. The gift of tongues does take faith because it bypasses our intellect, we don’t understand it. It also bypasses our fallen nature. For example I may be praying for revival, to see people saved. That is good, right? Of course it is! But maybe my motive is to get more people into the church so I can get a bigger salary or cut back on my other job. The flesh, the fallen nature gets in the way of what we are praying for. But tongues bypasses that and it is our spirit speaking to God praise and worship, thanking God for all He has done, without it being contaminated by our fallen nature.
VERSE 15
At times we don’t know what to pray for and the Spirit makes intercession for us, praying in the will of God. Paul said in Romans 8:26-27, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." But we also are to pray on our own, with understanding, so that we can know when God answers our prayers.
VERSES 16-18
There is nothing wrong with speaking in tongues, Paul himself spoke in tongues. But in a public setting, without an interpretation, no one is edified except you. Tongues is primarily used in a private setting as we praise and thank God for all He is and all He has done.
VERSES 19-20
Again, notice Paul’s focus, to build people up, and that is primarily done with the gift of prophecy.
VERSES 21-25
These are some of the most difficult verses to understand in the Bible. J. B. Phillips, the famous Greek scholar, when he was translating the Greek Scriptures to English thought there was a copyist error because it didn’t make sense to him. It seemed that Paul was contradicting himself. And so in verse 22 he said it was correctly translated this way, that tongues are for those who believe, to fit in with the rest of what Paul said in these verses. I don’t believe there was a copyist error and I will show you why.
Paul is using an Old Testament illustration from Isaiah chapter 28 to make his point. In Isaiah God is pronouncing judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the hands of the Assyrians, and upon the Southern Kingdom of Judah by the hands of the Babylonians.
And God said that He sent them prophet after prophet who spoke to them in a language that they understood. And God was telling them through the prophets that they needed to repent and get right with God or judgment was going to come upon them. And they refused to listen to what the prophets were saying and God was going to send them another people whose language they didn’t understand, the Assyrians to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and the Babylonians to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and judgment would come upon them.
Paul is now going to apply this illustration, but in verse 20 of I Corinthians chapter 14, before he does, listen to what he tells them, "Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature." Paul is telling them not to be children, to grow up, be mature, understand these things. Tongues is not a sign of spiritual maturity or even that God is among you, for God used unbelievers to speak to Israel and Judah as a sign of judgment.
Thus, tongues is a sign to unbelievers in that it speaks to them of God’s judgment that is coming upon them. The prophets are speaking but they refuse to listen, and thus they are condemning themselves by rejecting Christ. And we must also remember that as tongues are spoken in the hearing of unbelievers, most of the time it does not draw them to Christ, but pushes them out the door, they think you are crazy when they see this gift being exercised in front of them.
Prophecy, on the other hand, speaks to believers that God is among them, the Word of God, as it is being taught, ministers to the people.
Now the illustration may be a little confusing, it may be a little cloudy, but Paul draws he conclusion from this illustration beginning in verse 23 of I Corinthians chapter 14, when he said "Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you." I Corinthians 14:23-25.
Tongues, in general, does not minister to new believers or unbelievers. In fact many times they will think you are nuts, that you lost your mind. Therefore, in a public gathering, when you get new believers and unbelievers together, prophecy, the teaching of God’s Word, is the gift that needs to be exercised. You see, prophecy cuts right to the heart and as Hebrews 4:12-13 says "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."
A great example of this is seen in Acts chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost. Peter launches into his first sermon, bringing the Word of God to the people, and in Acts 2:37 we read "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’" They were cut to the heart, conviction came upon them and they wanted to get right with God, they wanted to get saved, and they did. That day some 3,000 gave their hearts to Christ, and maybe more if they were only counting the men. That is what happens as the Word of God is being taught. Prophecy in a public setting and tongues in a private setting is the general rule.
VERSES 26-27
As much as people hate restrictions, Paul gives us some restrictions for the use of the gift of tongues. Only 2 or 3 are to speak, not all at the same time, and not the entire congregation. And another is to then interpret what was said. Back then, as today, people love to draw attention to themselves, and this gift does have the potential to do that. That is why Paul was trying to set things in order, to get them to understand the proper function of the gift of tongues and the interpretation of tongues.
VERSE 28
Here we see another restriction by Paul. Some today would say that Paul is quenching the Spirit by all these restrictions, you just need to let go, and let the Spirit do whatever He wants. Not at all. In fact it is the other way around, when things are chaotic, when there is no order, when people have moved outside the Word of God, that quenches what the Spirit is trying to do! If there is no one to interpret, then the gift of tongues is not to be exercised.
Now some people feel that when the Spirit gets a hold of you, you have to speak. You can’t stop what the Spirit is doing. Paul says that is not true. You have a choice to make when to speak and when not to speak. You can speak in tongues softly to yourself, you don’t have to speak at all, or you can speak so that all can hear. You do have control over this gift.
VERSES 37-38
Paul understands that some are not going to accept what he has to say. That they will reject it and may even think that Paul is quenching the work of the Spirit by his restrictions. So Paul hits them hard by telling them that if they are really spiritual, if they are mature, then they will understand that these things are from God and not out of Paul’s own heart. But for those who still want to come against him, he tells them to remain ignorant, fight with yourself, because he is not going to waste his time. Paul was not politically correct, but he did make his point with them.
Sadly today those that come against God’s Word are still around and many are in the church and leaders in the church. Paul Crouch, TBN founder and president had this to say regarding those who search the Scriptures: "To hell with you! Get out of my life! Get out of the way!...I say get out of God’s way! Quit blocking God’s bridges or God’s going to shoot you if I don’t....I don’t even want to even talk to you or hear you! I don’t want to see your ugly face!" A nice way for someone to be talking on television about the body of Christ!
His remarks on judging heresy are very simple, he says to let God "sort out all this doctrinal doo-doo....‘We can’t have faith preaching.’ ‘You can’t have confession stuff.’ ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ Who cares? Who cares? Let Jesus sort that all out at the Judgment seat of Christ. We’ll find out who was right and wrong doctrinally."
We better care about doctrine for it is a matter of life and death! As I have said before, rat poison is not 100% deadly, in fact it must taste good for the rat to eat it. But there is just enough poison in that material to kill the rat as he satisfies his bodily appetites. The same is true with the winds of doctrine that are blowing through the church, and we are moving people away from the truth of God’s Word, and sending them down a path of death and destruction. Let us be wise! As Paul so bluntly said in I Corinthians 14:38, "But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant." But let us not be ignorant, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." I Thessalonians 5:19-22.
VERSES 39-40
There is nothing wrong with the gift of tongues, in fact, it is a gift that the Holy Spirit gives to us. Paul’s point is simple, don’t forbid tongues in a public setting, but if it is exercised, make sure there is the gift of interpretation to go with it. If not, then tongues should not be exercised in the public setting. There does need to be a balance, and Paul rightly recognizes that prophecy is the best gift to be used in a public setting.
The interpretation of tongues is a powerful and effective tool that the Holy Spirit has given to us, may we use it properly with the gift of tongues!