SPELLING EDITED I-2. WHAT is SPEAKING in TONGUES?
Speaking in tongues, according to the Scriptures, is speaking in a language that you did not learn from men. Speaking in other tongues is a language that a Christian speaks as the Holy Spirit gives us the utterance of other tongues or the words of a language unknown to the one doing the speaking in tongues. The Bible also calls speaking in tongues speaking in OTHER tongues or an UNKNOWN tongue, according to 1 Corinthians chapter fourteen and Acts 2:4. And speaking in other tongues is a spiritual gift according to 1 Corinthians 14:1.
1 Corinthians 14:1.
“Follow after charity, (Or follow after LOVE. In other words, the Apostle Paul is teaching us that the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is to walk in LOVE toward one another) and DESIRE spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy.”
Paul is also teaching us to DESIRE ALL the gifts or benefits of God and to especially desire the gift of prophesying over the gift of tongues THAT the church may be edified. Now, Paul is NOT saying that the best gift of the Holy Spirit is to prophesy. Rather, Paul is dealing with a “problem” in the Corinthian church where all the Christians in that church wanted to speak in other tongues at the same time. Paul desires that ALL Christians would speak in other tongues but not all at the same time in the church ASSEMBLY because that is not what the gift of speaking in other tongues is meant to be used for.
Please read 1 Corinthians 14:2-5.
“For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks NOT unto MEN, but unto God: for no man understands him; howbeit in the spirit, he speaks MYSTERIES. (Or he speaks SECRETLY unto God praying with his or her inner man of the spirit as the Holy Spirit gives them utterance. This is what has come to be called a “prayer language” that is given to us by the Holy Spirit to communicate with God without Satan and the fallen angels being able to understand what we are praying to God. And being able to speak secretly directly to Almighty God without the enemy being able to understand us is a great BENEFIT. So the gift of speaking in other tongues should be DESIRED by all Christians. And that is only ONE reason as to why Paul desired that ALL Christians speak in other tongues as you will see in the following verses) 3. But he that prophesies speaks unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. (Some Christians wrongly interpret verse 3 to mean that Paul is forbidding Christians to speak in other tongues but they fail to read and understand the rest of what Paul teaches. Paul is simply teaching us that IN the CHURCH service it is better to prophesy unless the speaking in other tongues is interpreted) 4. He that speaks in an unknown tongue EDIFIES HIMSELF; (And this is ANOTHER BENEFIT of speaking in other tongues. So why would some Christians not DESIRE this free gift of the Holy Spirit to speak in other tongues? Would the Apostle Paul teach us something that is NOT possible to have for ALL Christians if they desire to have this gift? Again, Paul is not forbidding Christians from speaking in other tongues. Rather, he is just comparing which gift is better to desire for use IN the CHURCH gathering) but he that prophesies edifies the church. 5. I would that you ALL spake with tongues, (Again, why would Paul desire that ALL Christians speak in other tongues if it is not God’s will that we ALL speak in unknown tongues or other tongues?) but rather that you prophesied: (IN the CHURCH so that others will be EDIFIED seeing that you only edify yourself by praying in other tongues, and the reason we gather together is to edify each other) for greater is he that prophesies (IN the CHURCH) than he that speaks with tongues, EXCEPT he interpret, THAT (Or so that) the CHURCH may receive edifying.”
Speaking in other tongues out loud is of no use in the church EXCEPT the unknown tongue is interpreted. Now, there are some other exceptions where speaking in other tongues in the church is of GREAT benefit. And here are some of those exceptions. If one or more Christians are speaking quietly and under their breath making intercession for people to be saved, healed, or filled with the Holy Spirit and they are NOT disturbing those around them, then I see no problem with that kind of quietly speaking in other tongues in the church during a church service or during an altar call. Another exception is when Christians gather together for the sole purpose of having a PRAYER meeting and it is common knowledge that there WILL BE praying in other tongues in that prayer meeting. In other words, all who attend that meeting are in agreement to pray in other tongues and the purpose of that prayer meeting is to pray for others to be saved, healed, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Also, an exception for praying in other tongues during a church service is to have a soundproof room where Christians can go to pray in other tongues for the church service making intercession. These are some of the ways that praying in other tongues IN the CHURCH are a BENEFIT to the kingdom of God and not an interruption to the church service and the edifying of others. Some may be wondering why I keep emphasizing the phrase “IN the CHURCH”. Please read the following verses of Scripture and you will understand why I did this.
1 Corinthians 14:12-19,28.
“So also you, since you are zealots of spiritual things, seek to build up the ASSEMBLY that you may abound. (Paul is still comparing which gift is better to use IN the ASSEMBLY or IN the CHURCH building) 13. So then, the one speaking in a language, (Referring to an unknown tongue or in other tongues) let him pray that he may INTERPRET. 14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. (Evidently, some who were PRAYING in other tongues in the assembly got a little too loud or “zealous” praying in the Spirit. This can happen because our FLESH wants others to see that we are being used by God. But just as prophecy is subject to the prophet so is speaking in other tongues subject to the one speaking in other tongues. And if it is the Holy Spirit prompting you to speak out LOUDLY in other tongues in a church service then Paul is saying to pray to God for the INTERPRETATION of those tongues. You yourself may be given the interpretation, or God may choose someone else to interpret. And IF there is a continuing pattern of the same Christians speaking out loud in other tongues and there is NO interpretation given then some TEACHING needs to be done to them and to the whole church) 15. What then is it? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the mind; I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the mind. (Paul is still referring to praying and singing in other tongues IN the CHURCH assembly. However, this is also good teaching to use at home when praying and singing in other tongues PRIVATELY at home to God. It is good practice to learn to hear from God) 16. Else, if you bless in the spirit, the one occupying the place of the unlearned, how will he say the Amen at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you say? (The unlearned here does not always mean the unsaved. There are many Christians who attend Pentecostal churches for the first time and they have no idea why Christians are speaking in a language that they do not understand. Just because you read and study the Bible does not mean that every other Christian reads and studies the Bible. And just because your church fellowship teaches about spiritual gifts does not mean that every church teaches about spiritual gifts. So even if you are simply praising God in an unknown tongue in the church also pray that your blessing God be interpreted or at the very least the pastor EXPLAINS what is taking place) 17. For you truly give thanks well, but the other is not built up. (Again, Paul is comparing which gift is best to use IN the church assembly and IF a Christian speaks, prays, or simply blesses God in other tongues then they should be CONSCIENCE of those in the church who may be unlearned. Paul is fully aware of how a Christian can get “caught up” in the Spirit while speaking in other tongues because he says that he speaks in tongues more than all the Christians at the Corinthian church put together. Paul is not forbidding us to praise God in other tongues but rather he is teaching us that we come together to be edified and the unlearned in the assemble who do not speak in other tongues are not being edified when speaking in other tongues is the only thing happening in church services) 18. I thank my God that I speak MORE LANGUAGES than ALL of you. (Not only did Paul speak in an unknown prayer language he also spoke in many different known languages AS the Holy Spirit gave him the utterances of those foreign languages that he did not learn from men. BUT Paul is NOT boasting because he did most, if not all, of his speaking, praying, and blessing God in other tongues PRIVATELY at home. For you see, Paul keeps saying IN the CHURCH and comparing which gift is best to use IN the church assembly) 19. But in an ASSEMBLY I desire to speak five words with my mind, THAT I may also instruct others, than myriads of words in a foreign language… ...28. And if there is no interpreter, let him be silent IN the ASSEMBLY, and let him speak to himself (Quietly under his or her breath so as to not disturb the church service) and to God. ”
So again, the Apostle Paul is NOT forbidding Christians to speak in other tongues. In fact, Paul is ENCOURAGING ALL Christians to seek the spiritual gift of speaking in other tongues. Yes, I said gift. Speaking in other tongues is a spiritual gift. But IN the church is to be used praying quietly to yourself and to God unless the Holy Spirit prompts you to speak in tongues out loudly for all to hear IF someone gives the INTERPRETATION, whether you or another Christian interprets the other tongues. Speaking in other tongues is also a gift to be used at home for it is the Holy Spirit who GIVES the utterances to us for us to speak by FAITH. I get so tired of hearing Oneness Pentecostal Christians saying, you do not understand the difference between the EVIDENCE of speaking in other tongues and the GIFT of speaking in other tongues. There is no difference. The gift of speaking in other tongues that is listed among the other eight spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 is the gift of many different foreign languages that are not learned by man but as the Holy Spirit gives the utterance.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11.
“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; (#1.) to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; (#2.) 9. To another faith by the same Spirit; (#3.) to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; (#4.) 10. To another the working of miracles; (#5.) to another prophecy; (#6.) to another discerning of spirits; (#7.) to another, divers KINDS of tongues; (#8.) to another the interpretation of tongues. (#9,) 11. But all these works that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
The Greek word translated as KINDS of tongues means NATIONS of tongues, as in the many different native languages of other countries. Now, I was praying for my family in other tongues and I began to pray in Chinese. I stopped praying and told God that I was praying for MY family and no one in my family is Chinese. And God told me that if I will pray for what He has need of right now then He would raise up ten thousand intercessors in my times of need. So from that time forward God gave me the GIFT of DIFFERENT KINDS of tongues or the utterances given by the Holy Spirit as HE wills to speak in many different languages. In other words, I can not make the choice to speak in Chinese or German any time I desire but I can and I do stir up the GIFT of the Holy Spirit that is within me to speak in other tongues anytime I desire to pray in other tongues to God. Paul said he WILL pray in his understanding and he WILL pray in the Spirit. We all know and understand that we can pray in our own language anytime we desire but not all Christians have come to know and understand that they can also pray in other tongues in the Spirit anytime they desire.
1 Corinthians 14:15.
“What is it then? I WILL pray with the spirit, and I WILL pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”
For a deeper understanding of how to WILL yourself to speak in other tongues anytime you desire, please read the study “STIR UP THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT IS WITHIN YOU!” For you see, sometimes we have to WILL ourselves to read and study God’s word. Sometimes we have to STIR UP ourselves to pray. Sometimes we need to make ourselves praise God when we do not FEEL like praising God. Sometimes we have to FORCE ourselves to get out of bed and go to work or even go to church. And the same is true with praying in other tongues. Sometimes we need to WILL ourselves to pray by FAITH in other tongues. Now, there are two groups of Christians that are on the “opposite sides of the fence” so to speak. One group of Christians is totally AGAINST speaking in other tongues at any time whether in the church or at home privately. They believe that the gift of speaking in other tongues was ONLY for the early church and that speaking in tongues has CEASED. Thus, they claim that the speaking in other tongues among Christians today is of the Devil. And the other group of Christians is just the opposite, for you see, they wrongly teach that if a person who claims they are a Christian, but they have never spoken in other tongues, are being deceived that they are saved. In other words, this group of Christians dogmatically insists that Christians MUST speak in other tongues or they are NOT TRULY saved no matter how much they sincerely believe that they are saved. And BOTH of these groups of Christians are wrongly teaching very dangerous doctrines. Please read the studies “HAS SPEAKING IN OTHER TONGUES CEASED?” and “MUST CHRISTIANS SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES?” Now, obviously, there are other groups of Christians who are somewhere in the middle between those two extreme groups of Christians. What I mean by this is that some groups of Christians DESIRE that ALL Christians speaking in other tongues but we do NOT believe or teach that if a Christian never speaks in other tongues then that means they are not truly saved. I believe and teach the EVERY Christian receives the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit the very moment that they first BELIEVE that Jesus died on the cross for their sins. The vast majority of Scriptures clearly teach us that God gives us the “earnest” of His Holy Spirit to DWELL IN us the very moment we BELIEVE. Again, please read the study “MUST CHRISTIANS SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES?” And for those of you who are wondering if speaking in other tongues has ceased then please read the study “HAS SPEAKING IN OTHER TONGUES CEASED?” Do not let anyone deceive you by saying that there is a DIFFERENCE between the EVIDENCE of speaking in other tongues and the GIFT of speaking in other tongues and that you are NOT truly saved if you do not speak in other tongues. Paul would have not DESIRED ALL Christians to speak in other tongues if it was not God’s will for ALL Christians to speak in other tongues. Please understand that it is God’s will or desire that all people be saved but that does not mean that all people are going to be saved. God has an ENEMY who blinds both unsaved people and saved people to the TRUTH. So it is NOT God who is preventing Christians from speaking in other tongues. Some Christians give up far too easily when receiving what God has already made available to receive by FAITH by their blaming God and it must not be God’s will for THEM. We have received the Spirit BY FAITH and not by works, according to Galatians 3:2. Everything we receive from God is BY FAITH and it is impossible to please God without faith. So what makes receiving the being FILLED with the Holy Spirit any different? The man, woman, or child that WAVERS let them not think that they will receive anything from God. You ALREADY HAVE the Holy Spirit DWELLING IN you, so STIR UP the GIFT of the Holy Spirit and TRUST that he will give you the utterance of speaking in other tongues. For you see, the one who GIVES you the UTTERANCE to speak in other tongues is ALREADY DWELLING IN you. The Bible itself clearly teaches is in 1 John 4:15 that WHOSOEVER shall CONFESS that Jesus is the Son of God that God Himself DWELLS in them.
1 John 4:15.
“WHOEVER CONFESSES that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides IN him, and he in God.”
So if you believe Romans 10:8-10 then you ARE SAVED then ALSO believe that the Holy Spirit DWELLS IN you from the very moment you first believed. Quit believing the LIES of the enemy Satan who does NOT want Christians to speak in other tongues. It is Satan who hinders Christians from speaking in other tongues. Satan does NOT want Christians to be speaking SECRETS to God in other tongues. So stop confessing that it must not be God’s will for you to speak in other tongues. And do not come crying to me asking WHY you have not spoken in other tongues because I will tell you that you are WAVERING in your FAITH. And if that hurts your feelings then talk to Jesus who said many times to those who did not receive something from God that it was their FAITH that was the problem. Stop praying IF it is God’s will and get into the word of God to KNOW what the WILL of God IS. It is God's WILL for all Christians to be FILLED with His Holy Spirit, and one of the common pieces of evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues as the Joly Spirit gives the utterance. This is not the only evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit but I personally believe that God desires all Christians to speak in other tongues, but NOT as a requirement, rather, as a BLESSING to them and to others. Please read Romans 8:24-28 where we are being taught about the Holy Spirit making intercession for us. It is NOT that the Holy Spirit is the one doing the praying FOR us by moving our lips, but rather, it is the Christian TRUSTING the Holy Spirit to SPEAK the words out of their mouth that is in their heart which is HOPING. When hope builds enough then the person will ACT to bring about that hope.
Romans 8:24-28.
“For we are saved (Delivered, healed made whole, and all the other BENEFITS that come with being saved) by HOPE: but HOPE that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet HOPE for? 25. But if we HOPE for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 26. LIKEWISE (Meaning to have the HOPE in our hearts) the Spirit also helps our infirmities: (Or gives us the words in other tongues to pray the way we ought to pray when we are weak) for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: BUT the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Or with deep HOPE from within our inner man, our heart, or in our spirit the Holy Spirit gives us words that cannot be spoken in our own understanding. With some Christians, the first time they prayed in other tongues it began as moaning and groaning deep within their heart. And as they let those groanings out they began to speak in other tongues. To explain the meaning of the Greek words translated as groanings that cannot be uttered it is like the Holy Spirit is PLEADING with our spirit to speak in an inarticulate speech which is words we do not understand. Have you ever praised God so much that you ran out of words to say and you felt words within you that you did not know how to say or pronounce those words? That is the Holy Spirit who is ALREADY dwelling in you giving you the utterance to SPEAK. So open your mouth and TRUST the Holy Spirit dwelling in you and SPEAK whatever comes out. Sometimes it is more the WANTING to speak that the Holy Spirit is giving us. It feels like we will burst if we do not SPEAK. But yet some Christians hold that utterance in because the Devil is messing with their minds saying it is just you making up words. Well, it takes FAITH to overcome the Devil. So by FAITH speak out whatever comes out) 27. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Even as a brand new Christian some 40 plus years ago, I have always wondered why the word Spirit is capitalized in the King James Version because when I read verse 27, I am seeing the mind of the spirit as being the human spirit of the Christian that the Holy Spirit is SEARCHING. In other words, I read verse 27 as follows.
“27. And the Holy Spirit that searches our spirits knows what is the mind of our spirit, and the Holy Spirit makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God pertaining to what is on the mind of their spirit. 28. And we know that all the intercession made by the Holy Spirit is working together with the cry of our heart to good for them that love God and who are called according to his purpose.”
Here is how a LITERAL translation that I use to study the Bible reads.
Romans 8:27,28 from the LITERAL translation.
“Yet the one searching the heart has perceived any (Or the Holy Spirit perceives what and how much) the disposition of the spirit THAT (Speaking of the disposition of the heart of the saint being perceived by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us) according to the will of God, the Spirit is interceding for the saints. 28. We have perceived THAT (Speaking of the disposition of the heart of the saint being perceived by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us which the Holy Spirit made intercession for) the ones loving God ALL (Referring to that ALL that was prayed in other tongues) is working together into good according to the purpose of the ones being called.”
In other words, The Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit things that God wants us to pray for, and when the Holy Spirit perceives the HOW MUCH we want what God wants us to pray is high enough then the Holy Spirit gives us the utterance. Again, the utterance is the desire to pray as well as the words in other tongues. And TOGETHER with us cooperating with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us according to the purpose that God placed in our hearts to pray. And since this is all God’s doing and us simply obeying to pray we have confidence that ALL that we pray in other tongues is working together for GOOD. Now, I said all of this to show you that praying in other tongues is the WILL of God for ALL Christians. Sometimes we pray in the Spirit with our spirit using our native language. Some preachers do this all the time. It has come to be called preaching under the ANOINTING. I have taught a few times under the anointing and it amazed me how many verses of Scripture flowed out of me so quickly. So then, the Holy Spirit making intercession for us does not always have to mean speaking in other tongues. But most of the time, for me, it is speaking in other tongues. I can only recall a few times praying in my own language that prayer that flowed freely out of me without my thinking about what to pray for. But I have spoken fluently in many different languages, as well as my using my own prayer language praying secrets to God, many times. In closing, I want to cover one more BENEFIT of praying in other tongues. Some of you may disagree but I know what I know from the Holy Spirit. There is a passage of Scripture in the Old Testament that is a prophecy teaching us that God will speak to us through our praying to him in other tongues.
Please read Isaiah 28:9-12.
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he MAKE to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11. For WITH STAMMERING LIPS AND ANOTHER TONGUE will he SPEAK TO this people. (Speaking of them that are weaned from the milk of God’s word and who desire the meat of God’s word) 12. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”
Now the ones who come to my website at AMatterOfTruth.com who are weary, as in, they are searching for the truth and they have not found what bears witness with their heart to REST, those are the ones who find rest. But the ones who come on their own not being led by the Holy Spirit often leave NOT hearing a word I teach. They do not find what I teach refreshing to them. God has laid upon my heart the Christians who are struggling to know the truth. They know in their heart that what they have been taught in the past is not sound Biblical teaching and they are searching for the truth. And a great deal of what I have written was written specifically for those who God has sent to me. And that rest spoken of in verse 12 is what God revealed to me so that I can teach others to find that REST. And then God impressed upon me to share what He has shown to me through His word. And that is how this website began. All the glory goes to God for it is His REST that those who believe will receive. There comes a REFRESHING while praying in other tongues. And Jude 1:20 teaches us that we BUILD UP our most holy faith BY praying in the Holy Spirit. Please read Jude 1:17-25. “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18. How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19. These are they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But YOU, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (So do not be deceived by those Christians who MOCK speaking in other tongues by claiming that it is of the Devil) 21.. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22. And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (For you see, blaspheming the Holy Spirit can cause a Christian to lose their salvation. And wrongly teaching that speaking in other tongues is of the Devil is blaspheming the Holy Spirit in my own opinion) 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25. To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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