The Issue of "Tongues"— Part 5

PRAYING TO INTERPRET

We have already spoken about the significance of the word “interpret” in this passage. There is a point that must be drawn out of verse thirteen.

“Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.”

In verse five Paul pointed out that unless the tongues speaker was to interpret the church would not be edified by the gift. Here he goes a step further. He commands the tongues speaker to pray that he may interpret (or translate). In light of the fact that the good of the whole, the edification of the church body is in view, this is not strange. Once again, this implies, if not directly points to the fact that the tongues speaker understood what he was saying when he said it. It is most reasonable to command the one who had knowledge to pray that he may interpret as opposed to first asking someone who had no knowledge of what was said to do so.

Yet the question is asked, “Why would the person that spoke and understood the message have any need to pray that he may interpret? Why not just interpret after speaking the message in tongues while the message is still on the mind? Doesn’t this argue against your understanding of this passage?”

This is a good question and demands a reasonable response. It must be remembered that tongues, like prophecy, spoke completely infallible revelatory truths from God. In order to be true to the message, the interpretation or translation must be entirely without error as well. This would require a supernatural gift from the Holy Spirit.

Suppose that an individual who spoke both of our official languages fluently was to go the province of Quebec and there listen to an address given by a speaker. How likely do you suppose it would be that he would have the ability to stand up immediately after the speech and repeat it verbatim? It would obviously be impossible! Yet this is the accuracy that infallible revelation from God would demand. The tongues speaker did not have the liberty to just “give the gist” of the message.

Far from hurting our understanding of the gift, this actually helps it. Truth is not contradictory.

SPIRIT, UNDERSTANDING, AND FRUIT-BEARING

“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful (I Corinthians 14:14).”

We come now to the passage that many Charismatics regard as the coupe de gras to the position promoted here. To many it seems that this indicates a certain mindlessness of the gift of tongues, as though the Holy Spirit bypassed the mind “to go straight to the heart” in this gift. Does it?

Much of the confusion is in regards to the term “my spirit.” The personal pronoun indicates that Paul is speaking hypothetically of himself as the one speaking tongues. We do know that Paul did speak in tongues; in fact, he spoke more in tongues than all the rest of the Corinthian believers! Paul’s own spirit is in view here. We must understand what a person’s “spirit” is in order to properly “divide”[1] this passage.

In order to understand what a man’s “spirit” is, we must look to the pages of Scripture. One passage is of particular importance in that it was written in reference to this very subject of a man’s “spirit” by the same human author who wrote this verse- Paul. I Corinthians 2:11 tells us, “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” Paul is speaking of our reception of the Holy Spirit’s teaching (illumination) here. The point being driven home here is this- our own spirits can remember, think upon, and know the thoughts of which we are conscious as no other human can; so the Spirit of God can know the things of God as no man can. The spirit of a man is a knowing faculty! It is the conscious, knowing, undying part of man, and is not divorced from thinking.

So often within the Charismatic movement people promote the idea that in truly spiritual people the Holy Spirit bypasses thinking to speak to the spirit or heart of man. In fact, it is often stated that God withholds blessing from those who do not let go of their minds in order to worship. However, God is a God who expects reasonableness from His people.[2] Rather than expecting us to abandon our mind in worship, He commands us to use it.[3]

There are many other passages which emphasize that the spirit of a man is an undying, conscious, knowing faculty: Matthew 26:41, Mark 2:8, Luke 1:47, Luke 23:46, Acts 7:59, Acts 17:16, I Peter 3:4, to name a few.

The next portion that must be dealt with is “my understanding is unfruitful.” Many take this to mean that the tongues speaker did not have a clue what he was saying. We must remember to interpret this verse and all others within their proper context. Paul has been stressing the importance of intelligibility so that the body may be edified. In this verse he is continuing the same train of thought.

Some suggest that this portion of the verse is saying, “My understanding is unknowing”, but that is not what is said. The understanding is said to be unfruitful, that is, it did not bring forth some kind of fruit. Now what fruit is lacking in the gift of tongues if it is left uninterpreted?- the fruit of edification! Paul is simply stating what he has been emphasizing all along. Spiritual gifts are for the good of the body, not the individual. Tongues by themselves are inferior to prophecy because they do not edify the whole church body, but only the individual. Prophecy builds up the whole body because it proclaims the infallible truth of God in an intelligible manner. Tongues have the same effect only when they are interpreted. Intelligibility is of vital importance because gifts are for the edification of the whole church. Thus the unfruitful nature of the speaker’s understanding is in its failing to bring forth the fruit of edification in the church as a whole.


[1] II Timothy 2:15- “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
[2] Isaiah 1:18- “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”
[3] Matthew 22:36&37- “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”