{"id":12342,"date":"2021-09-05T15:46:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-05T15:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pjhmail.wordpress.com\/?p=12342"},"modified":"2021-09-05T15:46:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-05T15:46:00","slug":"tongues-in-1corinthians-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/12342\/tongues-in-1corinthians-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Tongues in 1Corinthians 14"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pastor John,<\/span><\/p>\n

I was having a conversation with someone today about speaking in tongues and how they thought that if you were going to speak in tongues that there needed to be an interpreter.\u00a0\u00a0I realized that I didn\u2019t know much about this, so after the conversation I decided to research it and ended up in 1 Corinthians 14.\u00a0\u00a0I found these verses, and based on what Paul is saying to the best of my knowledge it does sound like he is saying that an interpreter is needed.\u00a0\u00a0The phrase \u201cunknown tongue\u201d was used in almost every verse, so when Paul says this does he mean speaking in tongues, or is it an unknown tongue as in a different language?\u00a0\u00a0I know that there is an explanation for all of it, I just had some questions on it, and as you always say, questions are good!\u00a0\u00a0Could you clarify based on what Paul said or the biblical stance on interpreting speaking in tongues?\u00a0\u00a0Here are the verses that I found.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

1Corinthians 14:5<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

1Corinthians 14:9<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

1Corinthians 14:13-14\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cElse when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?\u00a0\u00a0yet\u00a0in the church<\/strong>\u00a0I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

1Corinthians 14:16, 19\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence\u00a0in the church<\/strong>; and let him speak to himself, and to God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

1 Corinthians14:27-28\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Samantha<\/span><\/p>\n

==========<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Samantha.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In Paul\u2019s original letter to the Corinthians, the word \u201cunknown\u201d is not there; the King James Version and others add it for clarification, the point being that the language is unknown\u00a0to the speaker, not necessarily to the ones listening, as on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:4\u20138).\u00a0\u00a0In other words, the Spirit, not the person speaking, is the source of what is said.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As for 1Corinthians 14, one reason for Christians\u2019 confusion concerning Paul\u2019s requirement of an interpreter before allowing speaking in tongues to occur is their mistranslation of the word\u00a0ekklesia\u00a0in the last two verses you quoted.\u00a0\u00a0Because the devout Christian King James demanded that his translators use the word \u201cchurch\u201d (in order to assure the support of powerful churchmen), his translation and most others, being done by Christian scholars, follow that tradition.\u00a0\u00a0Unfortunately, the translation of\u00a0ekklesia\u00a0as \u201cchurch\u201d makes it sound as though Paul was teaching exactly what many Christians now believe, which is that whenever believers gather in a church, there should be no speaking in tongues unless an interpreter is present.\u00a0\u00a0By teaching that, they are trying to justify the absence of the Spirt\u2019s testimony among them.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

What Paul was actually teaching is that when someone is speaking TO the congregation (\u201cin the Assembly\u201d, as when someone stands up in a meeting and preaches or testifies) it is useless to speak in a language that the people cannot understand.\u00a0\u00a0So, if someone wants to exercise their gift of diverse tongues, someone with the gift of interpreting tongues should also be there.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Here is the correct translation of those verses in 1Corinthians 14:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I thank my God, I speak in tongues more than all of\u00a0y<\/em>ou;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. however,\u00a0in an Assembly<\/strong>, I prefer to speak five words with my understanding so that I might benefit others than ten thousand words in a tongue.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    . . . .<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two, or at the most, three, each in turn, and let one interpret,<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. but if there be no interpreter, let him be silent\u00a0in an Assembly<\/strong>, but let him speak to himself and to God.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Chapters 12\u201314 in 1Corinthians deal with issues that our generation of believers knows almost nothing about because we, the body of Christ as a whole, are so lacking in spiritual power.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We are living in a time when a true word from God is rare, and the mighty power of God is almost never seen.\u00a0\u00a0The gifts of the Spirit, which is Paul\u2019s subject matter in 1Corinthians 12\u201314, are part of a realm of life in the Spirit that we know very little about.\u00a0\u00a0(I, myself, have never seen but three people who had either the gift of diverse tongues or the gift of interpretation of tongues.)\u00a0\u00a0And Christians without the Spirit cannot possibly comprehend it.\u00a0\u00a0That is why they read 1Corinthians 14 (and the rest of the Bible) in such a way as to justify where they are spiritually.\u00a0\u00a0And that is how they read 1Corinthians 14 and come to the conclusion that all believers should be like them and not speak in tongues much, if at all.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

      It is also important to understand that speaking in tongues at Spirit baptism is NOT the\u00a0gift of diverse tongues\u00a0that Paul is talking about in 1Corinthians 14.\u00a0\u00a0All true believers speak in tongues when they receive the holy Ghost, but as I said, I have met just a few who have either the gift of diverse tongues or the gift of interpretation of tongues.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

      Here are some points from 1Corinthians 14 which most Christians overlook in their effort to explain why their religion differs so much from what is found in the New Testament:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. There is such a thing as speaking in tongues, and it is of God.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
      2. These people were speaking in tongues decades after the Spirit came (which means it was not a one-time event for just the first apostles).<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
      3. Paul spoke in tongues more than anybody in Corinth.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
      4. Paul\u2019s phrase \u201cin the Spirit\u201d means \u201cspeaking in tongues\u201d in this chapter.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
      5. Paul wants everybody to speak in tongues.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
      6. It is wrong to forbid people to speak in tongues.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
      7. The people (in this chapter) who don\u2019t understand and who condemn it when God\u2019s people speak in tongues are, as Paul said, \u201cignorant\u201d and \u201cunlearned\u201d in the things of God.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        I could go on, but the point is made.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        I hope that helps clear things up for you.\u00a0\u00a0You are to be commended for thinking about these things, discussing them with friends, and asking sincere questions about them.\u00a0\u00a0That is the path that leads to a true knowledge of God.\u00a0\u00a0Please feel free to let me know if I have failed to explain something well enough.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        Pastor John<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        P.S. You may also want to read my little booklet,<\/em><\/span>\u00a0Speaking in Tongues at Spirit Baptism<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Pastor John, I was having a conversation with someone today about speaking in tongues and how they thought that if you were going to speak in tongues that there needed to be an interpreter.\u00a0\u00a0I realized that I didn\u2019t know much about this, so after the conversation I decided to research it and ended up in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-qa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12342"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12342"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12342\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}