The Place of Tongues in the Church

Text: 1 Corinthians 14:13-25 Theme: God gave the gift of tongues for non-believers — not to be exercised among other believers. Key verses: “Therefore let him who speaks pray that he may interpret.” (v. 13) “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.” (v. 15) “I thank God I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than then thousand words in a tongue.” (v. 18-19) “Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers.” (v. 22) “But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.” (v. 24) What God said to me: Dwayne, for some reason this has always been a divisive topic among my believers. But it shouldn’t be. The fact is that tongues — the supernatural ability to speak in lanquages one does not personally know — is a gift I gave to select believers in the Body of Christ. At Pentecost I gave that gift temporarily to many so the onlooking Jews and unbelievers would see my divine working and remember Isaiah’s prophecy regarding tongues. Clearly, according to Paul, I also give the gift on tongues to some individual believers, allowing them to pray “in the spirit.” Whether those who do not possess or exercise that gift appreciate it or agree with it is not really important to its validation. Paul himself spokes with other tongues. And to say it was a dispensational gift meant only for the apostles and 1st Century saints is unfounded. So don’t condemn or judge those humble and upright Christians who save they pray in private in tongues. That is between them and me. Your responsibility is to guard the gathering of believers where you are in charge. Tongues without interpretation serves only to confuse and tear down, not build up and convict others. What I said to God: Father, thank You for this definitive word about tongues. This has always been such a difficult and divisive topic for me and among my friends. Forgive us for wanting to pass such teaching as this passage through our own sifter of experience, understanding and personal bias. Your Holy Word speaks for itself. I don’t have to understand it or like it all. I respect and pray for those among us who exercise the gift of tongues in a scriptural and private way. May we in public always seek to build up those around us more than ourselves. That is the essence of Biblical corporate worship…