Course: The Gifts of the Spirit
Lesson 9
Lesson
Title: Kinds of Tongues
Text: 1 Corinthians 12v10 ‘various
kinds of tongues’
Introduction: What is praying in tongues?
When the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 on the Day of Pentecost some spoke in tongues, some prophesied. The tongues were known languages that the people around them could understand. But those who spoke in tongues did not understand what they were saying. In Acts 10v46 there is no mention that anyone understood the tongues, but they did understand when they magnified God. Peter recognised that this was the same experience that happened to them on the Day of Pentecost and that God had opened up the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 11:15)
There is no mention that the believers continued to speak in tongues after the Day of Pentecost. There is also no mention of others who received the Holy Spirit continuing to speak in tongues.
It is only in 1 Corinthians 14 where tongues are spoken of as being something a believer can do continuously.
Paul asks the question in 1 Corinthians 12v30 “Do all speak with tongues”, which implies that all did not speak in tongues. But in 1 Corinthians 14v5 Paul says he wished they all would speak in tongues and prophecy.
The teaching that Paul is speaking of the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 12v30 as opposed to a general prayer language of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14v5 does not mean that they are separate gifts. They are the same gift operated in two different ways.
Tongues refers to a person speaking an unknown
language.
Paul states that in the law it is written
“with men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people.” (1
Corinthians 14v21-22).
It is evident that Paul is not talking about a known language but an unknown language as he associates it with the foreign nations coming against Israel (Isaiah 33v19).
Tongues were therefore a sign to Israel showing the consequences of their unbelief and disobedience.
But now the Lord is building His temple consisting of living stones, both Jew and Gentile (1 Peter 2:5).
Speaking in unknown tongues when the church meets together has no purpose unless the tongues are interpreted.
The primary objective when the church meets together is edification (1 Corinthians 14v26).
One shares a Psalm, another has a teaching, one has a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation.
Tongues need to be interpreted if all are going to be benefited.
Paul limits the number of messages in tongues to 2 or 3 times and always with interpretation (1 Corinthians 14v27).
Two
functions are associated with speaking in tongues.
The gifts
of the Spirit operate as the Holy Spirit will, but
speaking in tongues serve two functions.
1)
personal – for the believers personal prayer life and
for building up his or her spiritual life.
No interpretation is necessary.
2) public – a direct message in tongues followed
by interpretation of tongues.
Praying in tongues privately
Why
tongues?
The tongue speaks from the heart.
To speak with a new tongue under the control of the
Holy Spirit a person must have a new heart born again of the Spirit of God.
Prophecy is the moving of the Holy Spirit upon the
mind of the believer.
Divers kinds of tongues is the moving of the Spirit upon the heart of the believer.
This is why all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are
seen in the Old Testament except tongues and interpretation of tongues. This
could only happen after the Holy Spirit had come upon the church on the Day of
Pentecost.
Tongues
communicate prayer, praise and worship.
Private without interpretation.
Tongues
edify (build up) the believer.
Tongues strengthens
us in the inner or spiritual man.
Speaking in tongues is given to speak mysteries to
God in prayer.
Public with interpretation.
Communicating
in prayer – what the Lord has promised He will do.
Communicating
in praise and worship - what the Lord has done.
There is
great power in praying in tongues.
It is not surprising that Satan has fought hard to stop believers moving in the realm of praying in tongues.
The Lord is able to do
great things through prayer, and it is not necessary for the believer to know all
that he or she is praying.
The Holy Spirit is in
control. He is able to
pray through us even when we do not know what to pray.
Romans
We are in a spiritual
warfare. People are bound by sin and
Satan. The warfare is spiritual. Paul puts prayer with the spiritual armour of
the believer.
Ephesians 6:18, ‘ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all
saints;’
Although this verse does
not directly refer to speaking in tongues, praying in the Spirit as described
in 1 Corinthians
The spirit prays when we speak in tongues.
My mind is unable to understand but the Holy Spirit is in control.
1 Corinthians 14v2 “He who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God… however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”
1 Corinthians 14v4 “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself”
1 Corinthians 14v5 “I wish you all spoke in tongues”.
1 Corinthians 14:14, ‘For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.’
1 Corinthians 14:18 “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.”
1 Corinthians 14:39 “Do not forbid to speak with tongues.”
In the
church understanding is essential but in our personal prayer life it is not.
Pray with
the spirit (tongues) and with understanding (v15)
Sing with
the spirit (tongues) and with understanding (v15)
Paul
spoke in tongues more than the Corinthians (v18)
But in
the assembly he sought to build up the believers (v19)
Testimony
The leader
of the church where I belonged always used to pray in tongues. He would go
shopping with his wife and he would pray quietly in tongues while she did the
shopping.
He had
Parkinson’s disease for many years and eventually he had a stroke that left him
unable to speak or move.
I went to
the hospital to visit him after he had this stroke. He was lying in bed, he couldn’t
speak, and he seemed to be totally unaware that I was there.
I moved
to the side of the bed so I could put my arm around him, and I said, “George, I’m
going to pray for you.”
He had
not responded to anything before but as soon as I began to pray, he started praying
in tongues with me.
The
Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
The promise of the Baptism with the Holy
Spirit is given to all believers (Acts 2:39).
There are many Christians who never speak in tongues even though they have a great desire to do so. It is not guaranteed in scripture that everyone will speak in tongues.
It is wrong for Christians to try and get
people to speak in tongues.
If we love the Lord Jesus Christ, and we
desire to know and obey His word, then the Lord has promised that out of our
innermost being will flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38). We should not
seek to speak in tongues, but we should seek Him, to know Him, and to do His will.
There is much false teaching regarding speaking in tongues.
The evidence of the Baptism with the Holy
Spirit is not speaking in tongues, it is a fervent love for the Lord Jesus
Christ and a heart that seeks to love and obey His word.
If we seek Him with all our heart then the
Lord is able to fill our heart and mouth with praise
and thanksgiving, causing rivers of living water to flow from our heart with
words we understand and with words we do not. It is by the fruit of the Spirit
that we know we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The wonderful presence
of the Holy Spirit will bring an abundance of love, joy and peace.
The
Charismatic Movement has put a false emphasis on speaking in tongues so we must
be aware of the dangers.
Tongues
can originate from three sources
1)
Out of our own minds – repeating sounds that have no meaning.
The method of praying in tongues over someone
and getting them to open their mouth and speak words is not the Holy Spirit, it
is manipulation.
This encourages people to speak in tongues
out of their own minds.
2)
From a wrong spirit – the words may or may not have meaning, but they
originate from an evil source and consequently bring an evil presence.
This is demonic. Preachers who promote
themselves can use techniques such as mesmerism to cause excitement.
The scripture tells us everything is to be
done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40).
Many things done in charismatic meetings are not
orderly.
For instance, barking like dogs, laughing
excessively etc. is not the Holy Spirit.
Tongues associated with this can be a wrong
spirit and not just from the mind of the person.
It is occultist and not the Holy Spirit.
3)
From the Holy Spirit – edifies the believer and glorifies the Lord.
Primarily for personal prayer life and not
for church ministry.
Tongues in the public service must be
interpreted and limited to 2 or 3 in turn.
Speaking
in tongues is not mentioned in any other epistle than in 1 Corinthians chapters12-14.
There is no mention of the early church speaking in tongues after the initial
experience when the Holy Spirit comes upon the believers in Acts 2:4, 10:46,19:6.
It should not have prominence in the church and is primarily for personal
prayer. If a message in tongues is given, then it must be followed by
interpretation, and there should not be more than 2 or 3 at the most.
Having
corrected the error concerning the use of tongues in the church, Paul makes a
clear statement to the Corinthian church to earnestly desire to prophesy and do
not forbid to speak with tongues (1 Corinthians 14:39).
The teaching
that 1 Corinthians 13:8 means that tongues have now ceased, and that which is
perfect is come v10 means we now have the New
Testament scriptures, has moved many away from desiring spiritual gifts. Tongues
will cease when Jesus returns. But whether we pray in tongues or in our known
language, our desire should always be to love the Lord with all our heart and
to love and obey His word.