#1511 Tongue Tied Part 1

 

Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and encouragement. 4 One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 But I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. And greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he translates, so that the church may receive edification.

6 But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? 7 Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? 8 For if the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? 9 So also you, unless you utter by the tongue a word that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of sounds in the world, and none is without meaning. 11 If then I do not know the meaning of the sound, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. 12 So also you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.

13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may translate. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. 16 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the uninformed say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all; 19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking; rather in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord. 22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign not to unbelievers but to those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and uninformed men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that surely God is among you.

Orderly Worship

26 What is the outcome then, brothers? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has a translation. Let all things be done for edification. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must translate; 28 but if there is no translator, he must keep silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God. 29 And let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. 30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted. 32 And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; 33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

34 The women are to keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. 35 But if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church. 36 Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it arrived to you only?

37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. 38 But if anyone remains ignorant about this, he is ignored by God.

39 Therefore, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. 40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner. 1 Corinthians 14

1 Corinthians 14 Tongues

Warning - To hopefully avoid some confusion here, let it be understood that these posts are part of an ongoing conversation between me and a friend, who is Pentecostal but who I also believe to be a brother in Christ. There is no disrespect of people intended. This will include posts #1511 to #1515.

V. 1 Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts - So he opens this chapter with where he left off in 13, love, the more excellent way. The apostle Paul uses some hyperbole in the thirteen chapter to illustrate his point, "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, know all mysteries and all knowledge, I have all faith, give all my possessions, surrender my body to be burned." None of these things can stand alone, and all of these things must be viewed in the light of God's definition of love. Tongues, prophesying, even martyrdom have no meritorious saving power, none can define a Christian outside of love, and God owes no man anything more than the wages of sin. It is what He owes His Son that saves us, that we are called in Him. It is Christ's life, His death, His resurrection that we believe in. Love is on a whole other level, because if you don't have that, then when we judge the tree by it's fruit, we know this to be no planting of the Holy Spirit. You could speak in tongues yet be a noisy gong, you could be a dynamic speaker, a great expositor, but without love it's nothing. 

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind, is not jealous, does not brag, is not puffed up; 5 it does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered; 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails, but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child. When I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now abide faith, hope, love—these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13

…34A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” 36“Lord, where are You going?” Simon Peter asked. Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”… John 13: 34-36

7Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.… 1 John 4: 7-9

Now, for even more context, 13 comes off of a dissertation in 12 about spiritual gifts. Paul is speaking to a group of people that needed a lot of correction. People were thinking the gifts a reason to be puffed up, and this was a rather chaotic, disorderly congregation. I will try to stay away from the modern excesses in this as much as possible, like the prosperity gospel, but Paul is dealing with excesses in these chapters so where it applies generally I will have to show the correlation. In chapter 12 we see that the gifts were given differently, not everyone was a foot, not everyone a hand, a mouth etc., so there is no need to assume that you are less of a believer because you do not have a particular gift, and as the text will clearly indicate, tongues itself was a lesser gift, so there was no reason to be puffed up about it either. When I was in the Pentecostal movement many thought to a very high extreme that everyone who believed manifested the fact of their salvation by speaking in tongues. Others saw it as part of a second baptism, and still others (most) as a prayer language. I was instructed on how to speak in tongues many times before I finally let loose at a meeting where several people had their hands on me and were pushing me backwards and forwards while supposedly speaking in tongues, but sounding more like pagan, ritualistic chanting, similar to what I have heard at Rainbow gatherings, places like Cassadaga, or when watching movies and documentaries about the occult in tribal or island places where they practice voodoo. I definitely felt something when we were doing this, but I feel similar in a mosh pit at a rock concert, that sort of euphoria that comes with certain practices, crowd energy, or even just fasting and doing meditative chanting. It was very experiential but I don't believe I was exercising the Biblical gift of tongues. They were chanting, I was shy, a little nervous, and then just eventually started making sounds following their lead. They all started praising God, so I thought I got it, now I am a super Christian, but later I would leave and want to be an atheist. 

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 And there are varieties of workings, but the same God who works everything in everyone. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is profitable. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to someone else faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the workings of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to someone else various kinds of tongues, and to another the translation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11

14 For also the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has appointed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, how much more is it that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary, 23 and those members of the body which we think as less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no such need. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all translate? 31 But you earnestly desire the greater gifts.1 Corinthians 12: 14-31

V. 1C But especially that you may prophesy - Ultimately this is more edifying and obviously more loving, to repeat what God says to people with exposition and application so that they can understand. As Jesus said to Peter, "if you love Me then feed My sheep." When we truly love people we will not try to bypass the mind reaching for their feelings, nor shall we cover truth, or try to point to ourselves. As the time of the apostles was moving toward it's end, as we got closer to the last book being sealed by John, Paul admonishes Timothy about the Word of God and the practices he needed to continue in. Some say they are prophets today, like those who foretell, but I will go deeper into that as work through the chapter. I remember coming to the faith and hearing John Macarthur, a man who has preached the word for over 50 years at a single church (that's a faithful shepherd), answer a question. The question was what will you regret most when you die, and his answer floored me, he said, "that I don't know the Scriptures better." Sadly, I met many charismatics that would tell me the opposite. I would bring up something from Scripture and they would say, "I don't have time for that, I've already read the Bible, I need a fresh word every day." Well I'm sorry my friend, but that fresh word is your own, it's all in your head, what you want to hear. 

A T Robertson suggests that "This verse looks back to 1 Cor 12:31, and sums up the two preceding chapters. The Corinthians are to follow with persistence (Rom. 9:30, 31, 14:19; 1 Thess. 5:15, etc.) ‘the more excellent way,’ and to desire with intensity (12:31, 14:39; 2 Cor. 11:2; Gal. 4:17) supernatural gifts; but (more than all the rest) that they may be inspired to preach." - Precept Austin

Bob Utley has a helpful note on prophesy - The term “prophesy” is used in I Corinthians in a specialized sense. It does not refer to the prophetic activity of OT prophets (written Scripture), but to a clear communication of the gospel, whether by public preaching or private witness. Paul desires it for all believers (cf. 14:39), but it is also a spiritual gift (cf. 1 Cor 12:10, 28–29). All believers participate at some level in all of the gifts of the Spirit, but one or another is energized and empowered by the Spirit within individual believers for special effectiveness. This diversity demands a co-operative and loving spirit among believers. We are called to unity, not uniformity, for the gospel. We are only effective corporately! We desperately need other believers. The church is a community of called, gifted, full-time ministers. We are gifted for the spread of the gospel and the health and wholeness of the church. This gift is compared with tongues by the criteria of “does it edify the whole church”? It means in this context “proclaiming the gospel,” which is then a blessing to believers as well as visitors. Speaking in tongues is only a blessing to the individual believer if it is interpreted. This term is not to be understood in its OT sense of inspired revelation. (1 Corinthians 14 Commentary)

Staton - Paul shares several reasons why he prefers proclamation in a person’s language over speaking in a foreign language that is not translated. Proclaiming God’s Word in a native language is simply more profitable, beneficial, and useful than speaking in a foreign language. (1 Corinthians)

As Swindoll says "Before the Scriptures were complete, God’s inspired, authoritative message was communicated to the early church through the lips of recognized prophets. Authentic prophets had to have “a message from God in the form of special revelation, . . . guidance regarding its declaration so that it would be given forth accurately, and the message itself had to have the authority of God.”"The question arises as to whether there are prophets in this sense today? Swindoll responds that "The prophet was much needed in the first century because the New Testament was not yet complete. So the prophets, together with the apostles, formed the foundational ministries of the church of the first generation (Eph. 2:20). Today the authoritative, prophetic teachings of the apostles and prophets are preserved for every believer and every church through their writings contained in the Bible, making the need for living apostles and prophets unnecessary."

Prophesy (4395)(propheteuo from pró = before or forth + phemí = tell) means literally to tell forth and can mean to speak forth God's message, (having been taught of God). The idea is speaking with the help of divine inspiration to proclaim what God wants to make known. In other contexts to prophesy means to speak under inspiration and foretell future events. Its most prominent use is in connection with the oracles at places like Delphi. Typically, a person would ask a question of the gods and receive a cryptic answer from the female mouthpiece of the deities. This answer would then be completed and interpreted by the men who specialized in that task. Prophēteuō in this context meant “explain a message from the gods in response to a client’s question.” Propheteuo - 27v - Matt. 7:22; Matt.

 11:13; Matt. 15:7; Matt. 26:68; - Precept Austin

…15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.… 2 Timothy 3: 15-17

14Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin. 15Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth. 16But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness,… 2 Timothy 2: 14-16