The other day I overheard someone talking about how they were trying to learn another language, in this case it was Japanese. To myself I thought, wow, that’s kind of cool and interesting, but right after that I had a question pop into my mind. Being that we live in the United States where probably 99% of the population understands and speaks English, my question was, Why learn a language that likely no one will be able to understand what you are speaking? I can understand if you are going to go on a trip somewhere where they speak a different language, then your language study may then pay off, but someone speaking in Japanese in the United States will most often go “un-understood.”
This is similar, in a way, to what the Apostle Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians 14, but about the speaking of tongues in the church. The speaking of tongues is an entirely different thing than just learning a second language, however, as it is the speech that comes from the Holy Spirit in a person as they communicate to the Lord, sometimes in words that may not be understood by those who do not possess the gift of interpretation of tongues.
The next passage of scripture is from 1 Corinthians 14:1-19.
“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
I 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.
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?
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?
For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
So 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.
There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Wherefore 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.
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.
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?
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
Yet in the church I 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.”
And what Paul was teaching is that if someone completely new or who knows completely nothing about the Christian faith came into the church and heard a bunch of people speaking in tongues, with no interpretation of what was being spoken, that they will not understand anything of what is going on or being said.
The speaking of tongues is a spiritual gift, to be certain, and is obviously a wonderful gift to possess, but in the church, if there was no one to interpret what was being said, Paul wrote that he would rather speak just five words that everyone could understand and grow from in than thousands of words that maybe would only edify himself.
So if you do have the gift of tongues, that is awesome! That is a very good gift to have. One just needs to remember that, in the church, there needs to be someone who is able to interpret what is being said so that the rest of the congregation may too be edified in the Spirit and may have their faith strengthened.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 