{"id":2281,"date":"2019-01-22T03:08:58","date_gmt":"2019-01-22T03:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/?p=2281"},"modified":"2019-01-28T00:43:28","modified_gmt":"2019-01-28T00:43:28","slug":"speaking-in-tongues-part-v-priorities-and-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/?p=2281","title":{"rendered":"Speaking in Tongues – Part V – Priorities and Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"

I Corinthians 14:1-25<\/strong><\/p>\n

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual\u00a0gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>For he that speaketh in an\u00a0unknown\u00a0tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth\u00a0him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The apostle Paul is putting spiritual gifts into proper perspective.\u00a0 Once again, he reminds the Corinthians that the spiritual gifts without charity (love) profit nothing.\u00a0 Love should motivate the gift, therefore follow after charity.<\/em>\u00a0 Paul prioritizes the gift of prophesy which is the declaration of the truth of God’s Word and the forth telling of the will of God according to the Scriptures.<\/p>\n

But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men\u00a0to\u00a0edification, and exhortation, and comfort.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>He that speaketh in an\u00a0unknown\u00a0tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Paul is comparing the end result of the gift of tongues versus end result of the gift of prophesying.\u00a0 Speaking in an unknown*<\/em> tongue edifies only the speaker but prophesying edifies the whole church body.\u00a0\u00a0Love focuses not on edifying self, but on edifying others.<\/p>\n

I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater\u00a0is\u00a0he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Please be reminded that this is being written by the apostle Paul about 55 AD.\u00a0 The judgment\u00a0coming in 70 AD had not yet fallen, so the sign gifts still had purpose and meaning to the nation of Israel and the unbelieving Jew.\u00a0 Paul is not forbidding the gift of tongues, but he prefers rather that ye prophesied <\/em>by stating greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues.\u00a0 <\/em>Why?…..that the church (the body of believers) may be edified!<\/p>\n

Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known* what is piped or harped?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound,* who shall prepare himself to the battle?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood,<\/span> how shall it be known* what is spoken?\u00a0 for ye shall speak into the air.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them\u00a0is\u00a0without signification.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Therefore if I know not the meaning* of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh\u00a0shall be\u00a0a barbarian unto me.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual\u00a0gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Wherefore let him that speaketh in an\u00a0unknown* tongue pray that he may interpret.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>For if I pray in an\u00a0unknown* tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding* is unfruitful.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Else 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\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

*Paul’s instruction through these verses is obvious, speaking with understanding (prophesying) edifies the body.\u00a0 Speaking in a tongue edifies only the speaker.\u00a0 The Corinthians were only interested in edifying themselves.\u00a0 The Corinthians were exercising their gifts without exercising love.<\/p>\n

I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that\u00a0by my voice\u00a0I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an\u00a0unknown* tongue.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The apostle Paul is not a stranger to speaking in tongues.\u00a0 He states simply that he has exercised this gift more than all the Corinthian church.\u00a0 Once again he supplies the proper perspective by stating he would rather speak five words with my understanding,……..than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the law it is written, “With\u00a0men of\u00a0other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me,<\/span> saith the Lord.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying\u00a0serveth\u00a0not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

God spoke to Israel through the prophets.\u00a0 When Israel chose not to listen to His prophets God spoke a message of judgment to them through their enemies (with men of other tongues<\/em>).\u00a0\u00a0The sign gifts which include speaking in tongues as defined in Acts 2, are for the unbelieving Jew.<\/p>\n

To sum it all up Paul simply states that the sign gift of speaking in tongues is for the unbelieving, while the gift of prophecy is for believers.<\/p>\n

If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in\u00a0those that are\u00a0unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or\u00a0one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on\u00a0his\u00a0face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Once again, in the two paragraphs above the apostle Paul compares the gifts.\u00a0 Are you able to distinguish the difference?\u00a0 Which is the greater gift?\u00a0 Which gift should be desired, the gift of speaking in tongues or the gift of prophesying?\u00a0 Which gift edifies the body of Christ, the church?\u00a0 What is it that is not understandable concerning Paul’s comparisons?\u00a0 Do we have a higher regard for Scripture\u00a0or for experience?\u00a0 Will we allow experience to trump the clear teaching of Scripture?<\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0 The scripture quotations in this article are from the KJV.\u00a0 You will notice that in the KJV, the word unknown<\/em> is italicized.\u00a0 That means it was inserted by the translators but it is not in the original text.\u00a0 If this is not explained or known by the preacher or the reader of Scripture, those individuals may make a case for a heavenly language that the\u00a0 charismatic church of our day practices.\u00a0 Whether one believes this way or not, Paul’s teaching on the gift of tongues versus the gift of prophesy still stands.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are some that believe the apostle Paul is addressing an unknown heavenly language in the text above as well as known languages.\u00a0 They make a distinction between tongue singular (an unknown heavenly language) and tongues plural (the known languages).\u00a0 \u00a0Whether you interpret this way or not, Paul’s teaching on the gift of tongues versus the gift of prophesy still stands.\u00a0 In this case it will be with an exclamation point because Paul teaches that a gift which includes understanding is edifying for all.<\/p>\n

It should also be noted that\u00a0there was a practice of speaking in a tongue or heavenly gibberish\u00a0<\/strong>in the pagan temples of worship during\u00a0 New Testament times.\u00a0 Given the influence that a culture can have upon religion, it should not be ruled out that this practice could have been transferred to the Corinthian church along with all the other cultural practices that shackled them spiritually.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 The purpose for\u00a0Jesus’ teaching, preaching and healing was so that unbelieving Israel would know He came from God, that He was and is their promised Messiah.\u00a0 His healing ministry restored those with congenital defects.\u00a0 Often those that were healed by His disciples had no clue about what was to happen.\u00a0 Jesus’ healing ministry with His disciples was so thorough it is probable there was no disease, defect, infirmity or demon possession left in the land of Israel.**<\/p>\n

For a more complete study of this topic please read\u00a0The Corinthian Catastrophe<\/em>\u00a0by George E. Gardner; copyright 1974 by Kregel Publications.<\/strong><\/p>\n

*Understanding is the key for edifying the body of Christ which is the church.<\/p>\n

**This final statement is opinion only and cannot be proven from the text of Scripture.<\/p>\n

To be continued in Part VI, as the apostle Paul lay down the rules for speaking in tongues in I Corinthians 14:26-40.<\/p>\n

…….let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…..<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I Corinthians 14:1-25 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual\u00a0gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.\u00a0\u00a0For he that speaketh in an\u00a0unknown\u00a0tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth\u00a0him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. The apostle Paul is putting spiritual gifts into proper perspective.\u00a0 Once again, he reminds the Corinthians that … Continue reading Speaking in Tongues – Part V – Priorities and Purpose<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2281"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2281"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2343,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2281\/revisions\/2343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}