No Other Name

Part Two
 
Getting back to our discussion, in the larger context of the passage, we see that the appropriate use of Tongues corporately is to be with the corresponding gift of Interpretation. If there is no corresponding gift of interpretation then there should be no corporate expression of tongues before the Body. With interpretation you then have that which is equal to prophecy (1 Cor 14:5). Regardless of how you would interpret prophecy, tongues with the corresponding gift of interpretation is equal to prophecy in importance for the edification of the assembly of believers. If you see Prophecy as Preaching God’s Word, then tongues spoken out loud and then followed by interpretation is as Preaching God’s Word. If you see Prophecy as something else, then what you see it as, is equal to Tongues with Interpretation. This all seems very clear to me and yet it is also problematic.

Here is the problem, if you cannot allow for Tongues as an active gift of the Holy Spirit for today, then how you see this text will be greatly impaired. You will not be able to let Paul say what he said and let him mean what he meant, simply and clearly. A simple reading of these three chapters causes all kinds of problems if you cannot accept the reality of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and its obvious link to the Gifts and therefore of Tongues as outlined in 1 Corinthians. I also believe that it will greatly affect how you interpret other passages, as for example Romans 12 and Ephesians 4, etc.

1 Corinthians 14:6 (ESV) Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

Take a look at this verse and see if you notice that Paul questions, rightly so, the corporate use of tongues? The question is centered around their corporate value, the edification of the corporate fellowship of believers that should come through them. However there also seems, to me at least, to be an inference to tongues and a revelation word, a word of knowledge, a word of prophecy and teaching. In other words, it may be that Paul is simply saying that what could or even should come out of corporate tongues are anyone or even all of these operations of the Spirit. There could be tongues spoken in the midst of the congregation that would then be followed up with a revelation word being given, a word of knowledge revealed, a word of prophecy spoken and or teaching resulting. These may also actually be the interpretation of the tongues given. This text along with all of these three chapters only reinforces the gifts of the Spirit and most certainly of tongues. There is no lessoning of the gifts or tongues here.

Now let me take a bit of a turn for a moment. As we has seen above, tongues is important for prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. Paul also tells us that tongues is important for personal edification and with the added and corresponding gift of interpretation, it is of significant value to the Body of Believers corporately. Also we have seen that tongues can be used of the Holy Spirit to bring forth a revelation word, a word of knowledge, a word of prophecy and a teaching word. The benefits of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and Tongues only get better and better. Wow, this is a lot of positive benefits and we’re not done. I want to look at one more benefit. Go with me if you wouldn’t mind to the book of James 3.

James 3:2 (ESV) For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

I love this passage of scripture because it is so very challenging. I do not have the space to lay out the whole text here, however I will pick out just a few verses to make my point but I do encourage you to read it all for yourself. James tells us that if one can learn to bridle or control his tongue, then he is a perfect man and able to bridle or control his whole body. However he also then says:

James 3:8 (ESV) but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

See it? No human being can tame the tongue. Apart from Christ Jesus we cannot do anything (Jn 15) of Kingdom value and importance. However in verse 2 James says that if we could, we could bring our whole body under control and come to know completeness, a becoming full grown. We know that in Galatians, that self control is a fruit of the Spirit. Now as I put all of this together, however briefly, this is where I come out. It just seems to me that the gift of tongues as with all that the Lord Jesus has given us is vital and practical.

Yes personal tongues is for self edification, corporate tongues is also for corporate edification and so who doesn’t need this edification accomplished in and with the power of the Holy Spirit? Yielding our tongues to the working of the Holy Spirit not only helps to tame our tongues but also to bring our bodies under control. I wonder if this is true of corporate Bodies. Hmmm? I for one do not see a down point. The Gift of Tongues helps in and with Prayer, Praise, Thanksgiving, our Mouths, our Bodies, and Self Control.

I have realized personally these other benefits to the gift of Tongues as well. Such as increasing my intimacy in and with the Lord Jesus, an increasing in revelation knowledge of the Word, greater power in counseling, in intercession, experiencing the manifest presence of the Lord, in becoming more and more sensitive to the moving, leading and direction of the Holy Spirit, greater and more powerful prophetic worship, and more. Again, where is the down point?

We need all that the Lord Jesus has given us, all, not just some. I genuinely believe that the Lord Jesus wasn’t yielding to the spirit of consumerism when through His Holy Spirit He made available to the Church the power of the Holy Spirit through His Baptism. No way! He knew then as He knows now, exactly what it is that we need. Who am I to say, I do not need this or that of the Lord God, or this or that of His revealed Word, or this or that of God the Holy Spirit? Just who?

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Please Note: I will follow up on these last two posts with a three part series on, “The Baptism of the Holy Spirit”. I understand that I possibly should have posted these first, however, I did not. I still pray that they will be of benefit to some and a blessing as well. I am very grateful that these posts have been found of interest and I pray of benefit as well.