The Gift of Speaking in Tongues...
9th April 2024
Hi all, hope you're all having a great week thus far!
I wanted to take a bit of time to explain something that happened during worship on Sunday morning.
During a spontaneous moment of open prayer, you may have heard someone speaking out in what probably sounded like a different language - and in a way, it was...
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit loves to give special spiritual gifts to the church in order to bless us and build us up. One of those gifts is what the bible calls speaking in tongues - a Holy Spirit given ability to speak in "the tongues of men and of angels...!". (1 Corinthians 13.1)
1. Sometimes it is a human language - as in on the Day of Pentecost, where pilgrims from at least fifteen different parts of the world (Acts 2.8-11) could all simultaneously understand the disciples in their own native language! It is such an incredible miracle!! It shows us the heart of God that right from the very birth of the church He has
always been about reaching out to the ends of the earth!
There are many stories of people speaking out a message in a language that they themselves could not understand, only to find out later that it was an entirely different language that they've never learnt! There were recorded occasions during the Welsh Revival of 1904 when whole sermons preached in Welsh were understood by English speakers and vice versa!
God wants to heard, to be understood, to be known - and will speak in any and all languages in order to be able to do it!
2. Sometimes it is a heavenly language -
"If I speak in tongues of men... and of angels..." (1 Corinthians 13.1). More commonly though, speaking in tongues is a kind of heavenly language. For me personally, it occurs most commonly when I'm in that place of worship where words themselves run dry and thoughts that my mind has begun my spirit needs to complete.
In Romans 8 we read that:
"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.
ROMANS 8.26-27 (NKJV)
I love words. They fascinate me.
I love how they look and how they sound.
I love to read them, to write them, to speak them.
I love discovering new words and new meanings in old words.
Put simply - I'm something of a word junky.
But... words are limited.
Words can be so powerful - but their power is not unlimited. I'm sure we've all had experiences that no words can fully capture or convey...
When it comes to God Himself - who He is and all He has done for us - I find myself completely speechless in wonder time and time again! In those moments I'm so grateful that "the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses!" He is our translator, our interpreter - taking what belongs to Jesus and literally "making it known" to us in ways we are ready to receive (John 16:14). And He can also take what is ours ("He who searches the heart") (Romans 8:27) and convey them into the Presence of the Father: "making intercession for us" (Romans 8.27).
So sometimes this heavenly language is used in worship - us speaking to God. But at other times, this heavenly language is God speaking to us - or perhaps more accurately God speaking through us...
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul gives us one list of spiritual gifts:
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"To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,
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to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
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to another faith by the same Spirit,
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to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
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to another miraculous powers,
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to another prophecy,
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to another distinguishing between spirits,
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to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,
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and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
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All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines."
1 CORINTHIANS 12.8-11
This isn't meant to be an kind of exhaustive list, but just examples of the kinds of gifts that the Holy Spirit gives the church that are meant to work together to build the church up.
So, what does Paul mean by "speaking in different kinds of tongues," and "the interpretation of tongues."?
Paul is writing to a church where the use of spiritual gifts has exploded - and he is writing to encourage them to use the gifts in a "fitting and orderly way" (1 Corinthians 14.40) using the gifts out of love (1 Corinthians 13) - and not play games for power, pride or political reasons.
His counsel to the church is clear - a message given in tongues should be interpreted so that all can understand and receive the blessing:
"What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.
Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret."
1 CORINTHIANS 14.26-27
In many ways, Sunday morning was a powerful example of just that - with one passage, but three voices bringing "instruction" and "revelation"; during the time of open prayer people also brought songs, and yes - a tongue too which was interpreted into a message. Praise God!
God at work...
Throughout all of this, I think it's important to remember that there are many, many different spiritual gifts:
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."
1 CORINTHIANS 12.4-6
The same Spirit... the same Lord... the same God... Father, Son and Holy Spirit working in perfect unity - no wonder it thrills them to see when we do the same and use our different gifts together for the benefit of each other and the glory of God!
It's healthy sign of God at work among us, and using our gifts is one of the fundamental ways God wants to grow us!
"From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
EPHESIANS 4.16
If you'd like to explore what your gifts might be (or if you have a gift but are not sure how or where you can use it) please do speak to me, or one of the leadership team, and we would love to talk and pray with you further!