Wednesday 22 April 2015

Real Tongues Used Optimally

Paul never disputed the validity of the tongues being spoken by the Corinthians. Quite the opposite! He said they excelled at the gifts and came behind in no gift. Paul's issue was that the Corinthians weren't excelling at thinking about how best to express those gifts with the good of everyone else in mind during public gatherings of the church.

They were excelling at spiritual gifts, but weren't excelling at considerateness. At love. At expressing their gifts in a manner that made their church services of optimal benefit to everyone present. But there was nothing wrong with the gifts per se.

So regarding tongues, Paul reminded them that it served no purpose for the congregation as a whole, unless it was understood.

It benefitted the speaker's own spirit okay - it was a valid way to give thanks, or to bless - but church meetings are about everyone benefitting, not just about one's private devotions no matter how effective they may be to him personally.

So tongues evidently was not always understood by anyone in the immediate audience. If this was not the case, there could have been no need for the gift of the interpretation of tongues.

If an interpreter was present, he was to be given a chance to speak at least after every three speeches in tongues. Any more than three speeches at a stretch in an unknown tongue before an interpretation was given would be too non-stimulating to the minds of the congregation.

Persisting in addressing a congregation in an unknown tongue would lack common sense. Even an unbeliever knows that! The motives for someone doing so would be suspect. It would be more to big-note one's gift rather than to think about how others might be benefitting.

If no-one with the spiritual gift of interpreting was present, Paul gave two options to the speaker of the tongue: he could pray that he might interpret himself, or he could refrain from addressing the congregation in the tongue and instead carry-on speaking it unobtrusively to himself and to God (in prayer).

Just because a language is unknown to an immediate audience does not mean it isn't a language.

The New Testament mentions new tongues, divers kinds of tongues, tongues of men, tongues of angels, and an unknown tongue.

On the necessity of tongues. There are saved people who never spoke in tongues. But there are things which might not be achieved except through praying in tongues. And it is available for all who desire it.

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