Gifts: 8 The gift of various kinds of tongues/interpreting tongues

Please do open your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 14 as we’ll be delving in shortly and you’ll definitely need it today

Illustration - Spy games as a kid

In our house hold growing up, we were shown all of the PG bond films. Now I must say that my parents skipped all the bedroom scenes, and taught us to be careful about what we put into our minds.

And for me, I love the bond films. Being a spy was my play space. I grew up with 3 younger siblings, a sister and 2 brothers, and they were perfect test subjects for all my spying techniques. I even collected the bond magazines for kids, which used all sorts of ciphers, codes, traps, and particularly security measures. So whether it was the three toilet rolls carefully laid behind my door with ping pong balls on top - so that when my siblings snuck into my room I’d know, or whether it was all my secret notes written in code, or my bond pen which had a mini voice recorder inside, I was all set to be a spy.

Many hours of playing spy led me to trying a number of tech solutions to. As MSN messenger was joining the digital scene, I would chat to one particular friend using the early version of google translate (which wasn’t very good). I’d type out my message and then select a language to translate it into. I’d then send my message to him. Then he would have to guess the language and try translating it back. Most of the time he got the gist, but it was amazing what got lost in translation.

Now the gift of tongues is not to codify language, it’s not supposed to put people off, nor is it meant to be scary. In our time this morning, I hope to clearly define the gift of tongues, to equip you with some understanding of why God gives us this gift and how it can be helpful. We will explore the personal use of the gift, as well as when and how it can be appropriately used, within church gatherings. And to do that, we will also explore briefly the gift of interpreting tongues.

Context

Over the past term We’ve been spending time recently in chapter 12 where Paul draws our attention to the spiritual gifts. In this chapter he specifically focuses on the gifts of prophesy and tongues - we’ll get to prophesy after the summer break.

But what you might have missed is that between chapters 12 and 14 is chapter 13. Yes, I know that’s obvious, but have you realised it’s the most famous passage of 1 Corinthians in our day and age. It’s the one used in the majority of christian weddings. It’s Paul’s beautiful unpacking of love, but love in it’s entirety.

Paul set’s at the centre of his exploration of the spiritual gifts, what lies at the basis of these gifts. God’s love and our love for Him.

As I’ve said before, spiritual abuse is when we try to force the things of God, and it hurts the person we’re with, it hurts God and it hurts us. It usually happens when we want to use our gift on someone rather than with someone.

The Holy Spirit gives the spiritual gifts out of love, and He asks we use them in partnership with Him. He is the equipping Spirit.

Paul believes that building up others is what love does.

1 Corinthians 8:1 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: we know that ‘We all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

That’s why he starts our passage today with

1 Corinthians 14:1 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.

These gifts are given to build up the church, and their to be used out of love for God and the people we are ministering with.

We can also see that this passage continues what Paul taught on prayer and proper order of worship in Chapter 11. Tongues and prophesy happen in prayer. Prayer is communication, a conversation with God, both us speaking to him and him speaking to us.

And we find Paul addressing an issue in the Corinthian church. There was a lot of speaking in tongues and prophesying, but both were done in a disordered way which was causing all kinds of issues. Some were showing off, while others didn’t understand what was being said or going on, and were feeling alienated. Some were truly going deeper with God through the gifts, but missed that the church wasn’t being built up due to the disorderly nature of their use of the gifts of the Spirit, particularly tongues and prophesy.

Paul writes

1 Corinthians 14:39 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

because some were asking Paul to forbid tongues, and Paul never wants to shut down the work of God, but wants human receivers to use these gifts in an ordered way, a way which builds up the church, God’s people, a way which brings people deeper to the heart of God rather than pushing them out and which actually brings people to faith.

Definition

The gift of tongues is a miraculous gift and I believe one which God offers to each of us. It is not definitive proof that you are saved, or a believer in Christ, but it is a gift that Paul would like us all to have, and one which God gives to most believers who ask for it.

Releasing Spiritual Gifts Today 10.The Gift of Various Kinds of Tongues

the Holy Spirit enables them to begin to speak in another language (tongue)—and they can continue to speak in this language, by an act of their will, at their choosing. They can’t understand what they’re speaking, but they can speak expressively, fluently, and smoothly.

Mike Pilavachi and Andy Croft of Soul Survivour explore 3 different expressions and biblical uses of the gift of tongues in their book ‘Everyday Supernatural’

Xenoglossolalia

– praying in an actual foreign language

Acts 2:4-8

Glossolalia

- calling out a tongue in public

1 Corinthians 14:13

- Private use of tongues

1 Corinthians 14:2

How does Paul define the gift of tongues

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Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

(1 Cor 12:7)

To one there is given through the Spirit… (v8)

speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

(1 Cor 12:10)

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If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

(1 Cor 13:1)

a sense here of the tongues being a heavenly language, and one which must be spoken in love

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they utter mysteries by the Spirit. (1 Cor 14:2)

speaking mysteries, things unknown to the individual, a spiritual language

Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves (1 Cor 14:4)

again tongues is usually spoken and it builds up the individual praying. Paul contrast this with prophesy which builds others up. Don’t hear him wrong, this isn’t about drawing attention to themselves, it’s about humbly speaking to God and being built up when they do

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. (1 Co 14:14)

this is a conversation with God. Speaking in tongues is prayer. It is not prophesy, it is prayer. If you hear someone speak in tongues in a public gathering, it is less about us recieving a word from God, and more like them leading us in intercessions, leading us in our conversation with God. Of course, if it’s in public it needs an interpretation and I’ll get to that.

I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. (Cor 14:15)

Tongues isn’t just about speaking to God. One of the things I love at the New Wine events is when the musicians are playing instrumentally and people start singing in tongues. Sometimes the speaker invites us to sing out our own song, but other times it’s a natural outburst from the people of God. It’s private songs lifted together.

Personal use

What I’m about to share is not about boasting, I offer humbly my own experience in the hope that God will stir up in you a desire for this gift if He wants you to receive it today.

When I first asked the Lord to give me the gift of tongues, I think it was at my first ever New Wine summer event when I asked the Holy Spirit for this gift. I can vaguely remember someone praying with me, placing their hands on my lips and inviting me to just start speaking to God, not worrying about what I was saying. For me at 11, I wasn’t very self conscious and so just let random sounds exit my mouth. It felt manufactured at first, but with the pray-er praying come Holy Spirit, I kept going, and within a few minutes I can remember being overwhelmed by God’s Spirit and the words weren’t manufactured but natural.

I have used the gift of tongues throughout my life in different ways

- in praise, when I couldn’t quite express to God the beauty of the Austrian Alps

- in moments of terror, sitting in an Indian minibus from Kolkata to Durgapur a 3 & 1/2 hour journey when the driver was determined to drive on the wrong side of the road, driving toward on coming lorry's and this poor British boy sat in the back, sweltering in the heat and sweating due to fear for my life

- in moments of grief, as I left my Grandad’s funeral and processed the news that my music teahcer, a Father like figure, had died.

For me, personal use of the gift of tongues has built my faith, grown me as a believer and helped me speak to God when words failed me.

I’m going to invite Margery up now to share her experience of the gift of tongues.

Public use

Paul speaks clearly about tongues and prophesy in 1 Corinthians because both were being practised in disorderly ways in the Church of Corinth.

Men, and in this context many of the women, were speaking over each other, prophesying and speaking in tongues in ways which were unhelpful and off-putting.

It alienated people, it made people walk away from church. New believers and visitors alike were affected by the disorderly way these gifts were being exercised.

Paul is clear that worship should be orderly. Yes, church is often messy and not everything goes to plan. I love services which are open to the work of God breaking in and doing what he wants, but that doesn’t mean we’re given a licence to get carried away and start speaking over each other. Our God is a God of order, not disorder. It also means that everyone needs to be able to access what is being said.

If a tongue is offered publicly, it is unusual to be a prophesy. Prophesy sometimes overlaps with tongues, but on the whole, a public tongue is like someone leading us in talking to God, rather than God speaking to us through someone’s tongue.

That person feels overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit to share that tongue loudly enough that the majority of the gathering can hear it. This would normally happen from where they’re sitting or standing.

Whenever that happens, it is important for the order of the church, that we pause and the leader of the service asks the congregation for an interpretation.

We then wait, we wait on the Lord to provide an interpretation. I can remember sitting at the piano once in a meeting my Dad was leading, when someone publicly spoke in tongues. I sensed God give me the first couple of words, but I thought I’d made it up and I held back. After another minute of waiting someone else offered an interpretation which started with the same two words, and I realised God had chosen me to share the interpretation, but because I was fearful, he gave it to someone else.

God’s heart is that we know what is being said. So if that were to happen, no-one is to judge the person who felt compelled to offer the tongue, and the leader mustn’t be afraid to pause what is happening to ask for an interpretation. And then, when we sense God give us an interpretation we speak it out. Usually the interpretation of the tongue would sound like a lead prayer. But if it has any feeling of prophesy then it gets tested by those gathered.

Receiving the gift

I’d like to invite the band up to play instrumentally and also invite the prayer ministry team up.

The Spirit of God does not force anything on us, but seeks to release us.

So the way we’re offering to receive the gift of tongues is simple and only if you are willing to receive it. And God can release this on you wherever you are, but there is often something helpful in coming forward for prayer.

If you would like to be released in the gift of tongues this morning, then I invite you to come forward to the rail.

You’ll then be invited to confess to God anything left to confess, so you come with a clean heart.

Someone from the ministry team will then thank God for you and pray for His releasing of the gift of tongues. With permission, they may even touch your lips, and then you are invited to release your tongue and make la la sounds or something else. That’s just about releasing the tongue, as you are ministered to, the pray-er will pray come Holy Spirit, and will be ready to catch you, or support you however the Holy Spirit is working.

Remember all we do this morning is in the presence of God, and in His strength. We don’t want to hype anything up, but we are open to His working.

So wherever you are, why don’t you take the posture of recieving, and if you would like to recieve the gifts of tongues then please do come forward. If you have the gift, but have not used it recently, then why not start whispering in tongues and allow the Spirit of God release you in it once again.