A great question to begin with is, “What is the purpose of tongues in the body of Christ today?” One may find that even in the churches that believe in speaking in tongues, the purpose and knowledge of the operation of the diversities of tongues are not fully understood. Also, there are different kinds of tongues and many have tried to lump the same set of rules on all the different kinds of tongues. That will not work. In fact, confusion may set in.
Many denominations have just not taught anything concerning tongues. There are denominations, which actually teach that this particular gift went away with the early Apostles and say that tongues no longer have a function in the modern day church. However we find instructions in the New Testament concerning speaking in tongues. Just at a glance, we find these diversities in the NT.
1. Tongues for personal edification.
2. Tongues to be given at a public gathering that will be interpreted.
3. Tongues that are a sign to the unbeliever.
4. Tongues that lead into the groaning of the Spirit.
The intent of this examination of praying in tongues is to allow the bible say what it says about praying in tongues and then attempt to bring some understanding of the diversities of tongues. We will major only on “tongues for personal edification”. We will focus on the areas of what is praying in tongues, what is the purpose of praying in tongues and what is the benefit of praying in tongues. Let’s look at the scripture promise of the gifts of the spirit.
1 Cor 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God, which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another diverskinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.
Divers is in italics and is not in the Greek text. Strongs will validate. There are several “to another” phrases from the Greek word #243. However “to another” before “kinds” is from the Greek word # 2087.
to another is #2087 heteros (het'-er-os); of uncertain affinity; (an-, the) other or different:
kinds is #1085 genos (ghen'-os); from 1096; "kin" (abstract or concrete, literal or figurative, individual or collective):
tongues is #1100 glossa (gloce-sah'); of uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication, a language (specially, one naturally unacquired):
The JWT loose translation of these words would be: “A language other than your kinfolk speak and you do not acquire this language naturally. It is a gift!
When we look at the prophesy of tongues in the Old Testament in Isaiah 28 we see Isaiah also use the word “another” in front of tongue. In our examination here, we will use “another” or “other” instead of the italicized “unknown” of the KJV.
Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Based on the above, we could simply say that praying in another tongue is to receive a gift from the Holy Spirit, which will enable us to speak another language that we have not learned with our natural mind. It is not necessary for our natural mind to form these words. Tongues just flow out of our born again spirit through our will and out of our mouth.
The Bible tells us that when we pray with other tongues, our understanding is unfruitful. Meaning that we don’t form these words with our mind and therefore we do not understand what we are saying. This will sometimes leave us feeling like nothing worthwhile is taking place. That is far from the truth!
We need to know and understand from the scripture that which is taking place in our spirit and soul, when we are praying in tongues. In the beginning we may not feel anything or see anything when we pray extended amount of time praying in tongues.
Also notice the goodness of God in this operation of praying in tongues. Isaiah 28:12 states that this is the refreshing that will cause the weary to rest. This is the aggressive peace that will begin to permeate your being, to the point that you become unmanageable by the devil.
We will look at this aggressive peace in more depth later. Also, very important is the fact that Jesus said speaking with new tongues is part of the great commission.
Mark 16:15 And he (Jesus) said unto them (the disciples), Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
The verbiage in this “great commission” is very clear that tongues should not be considered as optional. Believers shallspeak with new tongues. Is that not what Jesus said? One might ask where did the doctrine develop that teaches that tongues went away with the early Apostles or that miracles went away with the early Apostles? One will have a difficult time finding either in the Bible. That might be a doctrine of demons.
1 Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons;
One might ask, “What in the world is the purpose of praying in tongues and speaking a whole bunch of words into the air when we don’t know what in the world we are talking about?”
That’s a good question.
In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned, the law of sin and death took hold of their physical body, their soul and their spirit.
They became carnal in their mind. Of course we know that Adam’s seed was also tainted with sin and death. In the natural realm we were all born from that tainted linage. We all inherited the law of sin and death. God had a problem on His hands!
Thank God that He sent His Son Jesus to save us. Jesus was successful and made it possible for us to become sons of God and have a new linage through the Spirit of Christ. The old man of sin, which we received from the first Adam was destroyed. If we recall from John 3, Jesus told Nicodemus, “that which is born of spirit is spirit and that which is born of flesh is flesh”! God still had a problem on His hands!
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
God solved the problem with tongues. Our carnal thinking, which is enmity against God, does not get factored into the prayer of tongues. Paul explains this.
1 Cor 14:14 For if I pray in an another tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
The reciprocal truth of verse 14 is, “If I don’t pray in other tongues, then my spirit does not pray and I am left with only the fruit of my carnal understanding. Praise the Lord! Look at this.
1 Cor 14:2 For he that speaketh in an other tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries
Praying in other tongues for personal edification is “red phone” access to God. We don’t know what we are saying. Other people don’t understand what we are praying and neither does the Devil know what we are saying. Here is the golden nugget.
1 Cor 14:4a He that speaketh in another tongue edifieth himself;
edifieth is # 3618 oikodomeo (oy-kod-om-eh'-o); to be a house-builder, i.e. construct or (figuratively) confirm:
One of the simple purposes of praying in other tongues is to bypass the carnal mind so that we can be perfectly in tune with God and the kingdom of heaven and the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.
So the benefits of praying in other tongues to us personally will follow along some of the same lines as above.
Let’s look the book of Jude. Great study by the way! Jude giving instructions of how not to become apostate, as those he mentions, includes praying in tongues.
Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
We must know that any person that leans on their own understanding is subject to come up with some far out, flakey beliefs. The Holy Spirit does not teach the Word of God a thousand different ways. If you stand on any street corner in town, you can count several different types of churches, all of which teach many different teachings from the Bible, and most do not agree with each other. How did this happen? Probably the sense realm of men! Notice what the brother of Jesus says about this subject.
Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
This is only about 38 years after the crucifixion of Jesus and the early church is already losing its zeal and faith. Now, what do you think would cause those mighty men of God to begin to fade in the area of faith and miracles? Verse 4 tells us.
Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
de·ny 1. To declare untrue; contradict. 2. To refuse to believe; reject. 3. To refuse to recognize or acknowledge; disavow. 4.a. To decline to grant or allow; refuse.
las·civ·i·ous 1. Given to or expressing lust; lecherous.
We certainly have many examples of the people that have fallen in the category of operating out of the sense realm and not following the leadership of the Spirit of Truth.
The way not to fall into the trap of the “lust of other things” is to pray in tongues and Jude tells us that if we will do that simple act, we will build ourselves up on our most holy faith and we can have the mind of Christ in every area of our live. The whole key to building ourselves up on our most holy faith is to begin to understand the operation of tongues in our personal spiritual edification.
Well, one might ask, what begins to happen to us when we begin spending those extended times praying in tongues? Answering that question is what we are going for here. Once we understand the purpose of tongues for personal edification, then we can build our self up on our most holy faith as far as we want to go in the things that God has for us on this earth. God has set each believer to be the steward of his or her own edification! WOW!
We know that when we speak in other tongues that we are speaking “mysteries”! So we must have a Biblical definition of mysteries. Paul said he was made a minister of the mysteries.
Eph 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
The mysteries are the things, which were hidden in God before the foundation of the ages, which pertain to the dispensation of grace or the church in which we live and were not revealed until after the day of Pentecost.
This is why Paul said that when we pray in other tongues that we speak to God in a mystery. According to Gen 1:26, mankind has dominion on the earth.
When we speak words out of our mouth, God is able to work with these words. We know that in the natural realm. That is why we pray petition prayers with the understanding. Tongues is not praying with our understanding.
1 Cor 14:15 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.
Tongues are a legal form of prayer by men on the earth. Therefore God can legally turn around and answer these prayers back to us with the understanding of the mysteries. That is why Paul goes on the say to the Corinthian Church, that it will not profit the church in any way, if he just comes and speaks in tongues to the church. Paul goes on to say, but if I pray in tongues until I get the revelation of the mysteries, then I can come to you and give to you the things that I have birthed out of praying in tongues. Notice the things which Paul says are birthed through tongues;
1 Cor 14:6 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?
We can see from these scriptures, just what is birthed in our spirit by praying in tongues! Then that information is transferred to our mind realm in the form of revelation, knowledge, prophecy or doctrine. Then we can give those things with our understanding to others.
Any servant of God that spends extended times of praying in tongues will normally have some good information to give to us. However, anyone who is not willing to lay down man’s wisdom will still remain in the carnal realm. We must be willing to kill those sacred cows. Many times our carnal indoctrinations, which we received from our elders, will hold us in bondage to the flesh nature.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
When we are praying in tongues, the words are not being formed with our natural mind. Our mind does not understand the words we are speaking and may try to shut down tongues. Our mind does not want to release our tongue to say something when it does not understand what we are saying.
From the time that we were born and learned to speak, every word that we have ever spoken has been formed in our mind, and then, by an act of our will, we speak the words out of our mouth.
Although with tongues we do not form the words in our mind, it is also an act of our will to speak the language of tongues out of our mouth. Paul explains that our understanding is unfruitful or not engaged in forming the words in our mind.
It is very strange to us for us to speak words out of our mouth when we just don’t know what in the world we are saying.
Notice that speaking with the words of understanding and speaking with words of other tongues are both “an act of our will” to use our mouth. The Holy Spirit will not force anyone to speak with new tongues. It is an act of our will! The Holy Spirit will give us the language but it will be an act of our will to speak that language out of our mouth as happened on the day of Pentecost. The Holy spirit did not make them speak!
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (KJV)
Paul explains the operation of the understanding and the operation of the spirit to be the same as far as being as act of our will.
1 Cor 14:15 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.
Once we pray in other tongues until we have received from our spirit man into our soul man, a revelation, or some word of knowledge, or a prophecy, or a doctrine, then we will be able to use our understanding to speak, that which we have birthed by praying in tongues, to the church or to other people. Then our praying in tongues will be a profit or benefit to others. Again Paul said it this way.
1 Cor 14:6 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?
Let’ look at some examples of individuals being filled with or baptized with the Holy Spirit. First let’s look at John’s account of Jesus.
John 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Let’s look at the believers who obeyed Jesus and went to the upper room.
Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Let’s look at the praying and giving household of Cornelius, who had not even heard about being baptized with the Holy Spirit
Acts 10:31 thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them, which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision, which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Remember what John said about Jesus? Let’s hear Jesus confirm this word.
Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Okay, we are now to where the rubber meets the road! Many times we must speak to our own mind and command our mind to release our tongue to pray in tongues. Our mind may try to hinder us from speaking words that our mind didn’t form and doesn’t understand.
The following is a simple prayer for receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking with other tongues.
Heavenly Father, Jesus said that you would give the Holy Spirit to those who ask you. John said that Jesus would baptize me with the Holy Spirit. Jesus also said that one of the signs that shall follow those who believe is speaking with new tongues and I am a believer.
Therefore, I ask you Heavenly Father to give me the Holy Spirit. Jesus, I ask you to baptize me with the Holy Spirit and I receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and just as Jesus said, I shall speak with new tongues and here I go! Let it rip!
Now any sounds that are not a known language to you, speak them out of your mouth. Let them flow freely. Jesus said that out of your belly (inner being) shall flow rivers of living water.
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ for His wonderful works toward the children of men!
Compiled by Jerry Thomas 01/01/20.
All scripture references are (KJV) unless otherwise denoted.
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