Gifts: Speaking in Tongues
About this series:
The kingdom of God is not a static subject, but a dynamic reality. The presence of God and his reign with his people makes an experiential difference and while that should be clear throughout the whole series, this section should especially emphasise that. Martyn Lloyd Jones’ comment about this is helpful: ‘The Christian life after all is a life, it is a power...That is the thing we so constantly tend to forget. It is not just a philosophy, it is not just a point of view, it is not just a teaching that we take up and try to put into practice. It is all that, but something infinitely more.
The topics we’ll cover are (though not necessarily in this order -please see further below):
Power (introduction - the Christian life is a life of power!)
Healing: theology
Healing: practice
Gifts: prophecy
Gifts: speaking in tongues
Salvation
Freedom
Suffering
The reason for including a week on suffering is that, as God said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). We all know that one of the greatest evidences of God's kingship as displayed in the life of his people is his power that sustains us when we suffer - it's definitely a mark of his reign.
About this talk:
One of the many ways the Holy Spirit’s activity is manifested in the lives of God’s people is in distributing gifts to each of us; gifts that, “he distributes...to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11),
“according to the grace given to each of us” (Romans 12:6). These gifts are written about in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4. It is clear that gifts are given in order to serve others and for the glory of God (1 Peter 4:10-11).
In Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Peter 4 the word translated “gifts” is charisma (Gk. χαρισμα), a gift of grace. It’s a word used for gifts such as those listed in these passages and also for the gift of salvation (Romans 6:23), the gift of marriage and singleness (1 Corinthians 7:7) and God’s grace generally (2 Corinthians 1:11). One of the charisma mentioned by Paul is the gift of speaking in tongues, which is first recorded as being given on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and then again in Acts 10 and 19. The largest treatment of speaking in tongues is given in 1 Corinthians 12 - 14 where Paul seems to be addressing a church where gifts are prevalent but are being used more with the aim of showing one’s giftedness than to serve others.
In particular Paul states that:
Speaking in tongues (and the interpretation of tongues) is one among many gifts.
Not all have the gift of speaking in tongues.
Speaking in tongues (when addressed to people in a church setting) is of no value without love as the motivating force.
Speaking in tongues is a temporary gift which will not be needed in heaven.
He speaks in tongues regularly.
Speaking in tongues is prayer from people to God; prophecy is a word from God to people.
Speaking in tongues is for personal edification; prophecy is for the edification of the church. However, if someone interprets the tongue that has been addressed to the congregation, it edifies the church, in the sense that it is now intelligible, though it is still prayer addressed to God.
Paul then expands the topic and gives practical guidelines for their use of that gift (in 1 Corinthians 14). Reading between the lines, it would appear that some are addressing the congregation by speaking in tongues as a way of demonstrating their spirituality, without consideration for any benefit to those listening. What he commands is that any speaking in tongues when addressed to people must be interpreted in order to be of benefit to the hearers.
Paul clearly encourages the Corinthians to practise speaking in tongues in two ways, both of which show that he believes it is a valuable gift, a God-given means of praying to God with one’s spirit rather than with one’s mind (in one’s natural language).
i) As a gift that enables the speaker to communicate with God for their own benefit. He writes, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you” (v 18). It appears that Paul, in private, uses this gift to speak to God and to edify himself (vs 2, 4) and he presumably is thereby encouraging others to do likewise. Private use of this gift does not require interpretation.
ii) As a gift addressed to the congregation which should then be interpreted in order to be of benefit to all who are present. It remains a form of prayer with one’s spirit (v 14), but the interpretation means that it can now be understood by those who are being addressed - the unintelligible has become intelligible. In fact Paul anticipates that this gift will be used in a congregational setting just as many other gifts will be - “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” (v 26). All of which should be practised, “so that the church may be built up.”
Speaking in tongues is a gift that a person receives (though not necessarily one that everyone receives, 1 Corinthians 12:30). And while some people find that they are suddenly enabled to speak in tongues, for most people it is a gift (like every other gift) that needs to be practised, often beginning with faltering first steps. This will be a great opportunity to not only bring teaching about this gift, but also help people to start / grow in speaking in tongues.
Audio only
