The Inspirational Gifts – Part 4

                             

Bible Passage:  1 Cor. 14 :5-19.

Memory Verse: “I will like everyone of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so the Church may be edified.” (1 Cor. 14:5.  NIV.)

 

Lesson’s Aim and Objective

We shall in this lesson come to see “tongues speaking” as both a vocal miracle and a devotional gift. We shall therefore be focusing on “speaking in tongues” and “interpretation of tongues”.

 

Lesson Introduction

A careful reading of 1 Cor.14 shows Paul was concerned about the exercise of spiritual gifts (and particularly speaking in tongues/interpretation of tongues and prophecy) within the Church setting. He was very desirous to see the Church built up (or “edified”), even as he made it clear that tongue speaking, when accompanied with interpretation, can achieve the same end of edifying the Church as would prophecy, vs. 3-5. Paul very much wanted to see that “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” because our “God is not a God of disorder but of peace”, vs. 40, 33. With these in mind, let us look at some of the verses in 1 Cor. 14.

• Vs. 23 tells us if the whole Church is speaking in tongues, an inquirer or unbeliever who comes in will declare everyone there to be mad. And yet that is someone we would like to come to the Lord.
• Vs. 26 lists for us the various elements that were involved in Church worship in Corinth. Someone brought a hymn, another a word of exhortation, another a revelation, yet another a tongue or interpretation. These gifts of the Spirit were diverse, but at the same time complementary. In fact it would appear virtually every member could participate, and not just a few. And all these aspects of their worship were to be exercised with a view to strengthening the Church.
• Vs. 27-28 place some restrictions on speaking in tongues “in the Church”:

o        Only two or three should do so in a meeting.

o        They should do so one at a time.

o        There must be interpretation.

But where there is no interpretation, i.e. where the opportunity for edifying the Church is not there, then the tongue speaker should either keep quiet in the Church, or speak in a manner in which he communes with God only. In so doing he can edify himself, v. 4a, and that is perfectly in order.

 

Lesson Outline 1: Tongues - a Vocal Miracle

What is vocal miracle in this context?

q       It is the ability to speak in a language that is not necessarily understood by the speaker or the hearer.

o        It is a supernatural gift of utterance which cannot be linked to any linguistic ability in the speaker.

o        Sometimes the Holy Spirit takes it a step further, as on the Day of Pentecost, when He grants the speaker the ability to speak in some language that is clearly understood by some of the hearers – but which the speaker never learnt nor understands himself, Acts 2:4-11.

What is the gift of interpretation of tongues?

q       It is the gift of the Holy Spirit manifested in revealing to the hearer an understanding of what is spoken in tongues so he can interpret it to the benefit of the hearers.

o        Without forgetting what happened on the Day of Pentecost, it is however more common that an interpretation through a human agent is needed for the hearers to be edified.

 

Lesson Outline 2: Tongues – a Devotional Gift

Some of the key features of this gift include the following:

q       It is not employed in teaching – the student (and the teacher) cannot understand what is said.

q       It is not learned – it is a gift from the Holy Spirit – and as such it cannot be taught.

q       It can be used publicly in the Church, if there is interpretation, 1 Cor. 14:27-28.

q       The primary purpose of the gift is devotional – to edify oneself as he speaks to God. 1 Cor. 14:2,4. God understands all languages and the speaker can commune with God through tongues speaking.

 

Summary: In seeking this gift, which will enhance our devotional life, let us also ask for the gift of interpretation so the Church will be edified.