Tongues have become a topic of discussion in Christian circles. Pros and Cons occur in this matter. But the Bible clearly explains as follows.
QUESTION ABOUT TONGUES:
What are tongues I have seen people speaking in tongues that neither the listener nor the speaker himself understands, please give an explanation Pastor thank you.
What is the Tongue Language?
First, we turn to 1 Corinthians 12:10 here is a list of spiritual gifts and in this list, at the end of 1 Corinthians 12:10 we can see a statement that says”To one he gave the gift of speaking in tongues and to another he gave the gift of interpreting the tongue.” So speaking in tongues is one of the spiritual gifts. Likewise, the ability to interpret tongues is also a gift of the holy spirit.
So if there is a language that the person himself does not understand, and other people also do not understand, it is not a tongue because what is called a tongue according to this verse is a language that can be interpreted even by other people.
How to use Tongues?
Let’s read in 1 Corinthians 14:26″So now, brothers, when you gather, each person should offer something that is a Psalm(spiritual gifts) others are teachings or revelations from God or the gift of tongues or the gift of interpreting tongues, but all of them must be used to build up the congregation so that the congregation is strengthened in the faith.”
Look at verses 27 and 28.”If someone speaks in tongues, let it be two or at most three people one by one and there should be someone else to interpret it. If there is no one who can interpret it, they should be silent in the congregation meeting and can only speak to himself and to God.”
Spirit Language Terms
The first condition for using tongues is that it has a constructive purpose. If we say a word that we ourselves don’t understand, other people don’t understand who we want to build.
The second condition for using tongues according to this verse is that you don’t have to have a lot of people speaking in tongues, two or three people are enough. Because it takes time too
The following must be spoken one by one, taking turns. There cannot be five or ten people at the same time, let alone a hundred people at a service event. A hundred people suddenly uttered their tongues together, we can imagine the situation. No, it is not a phenomenon of tongues. But it is said that there are only two or three tongues because it takes time, and they have to be done alternately.
Then the following condition is that if someone speaks in tongues, someone must be able to interpret. Interpreting the cool language now is translating it so that everyone there understands. In fact, in verse 28 he says that if no one can translate, just speak quietly to yourself and talk to Allah because of course, Allah understands all languages.
In 1 Corinthians 14:4 whoever speaks in a tongue that no one can interpret it, he builds himself up because only He understands, and of course God understands.
What is meant by speaking in tongues?
At the beginning, we saw that it was a spiritual gift, but let’s see more clearly what is meant by speaking in tongues.
We read in 1 Corinthians 14:10,11 “There are many kinds of languages in this world” so tongues are languages that exist above this world, not languages that come from outer space that no one on earth understands and then speak. “Even so, none of them have a meaningless sound” If I say “good night” it is a sound that has meaning if I say “good night”.
What if we say “Good night” to Korean people who don’t understand “good night” then for Korean people the word good night is a foreign language. If we speak to Korean people using Indonesian, no matter how enthusiastic they are, it will not build them up. Only I understand and only Allah understands.
Well, we read next, it says, “Even so, there is not a single language in the world whose sound is meaningless,” verse 11, “But if I do not know the meaning of that language, I will be a stranger to him who uses it and he is a foreigner.” foreign to me” notice in the 18th verse Paul says “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you.”
He had the gift of tongues more than the church at Corinth. Why? Most of the Corinthians probably only spoke Greek. Because it was in the place of the Greeks or maybe they could use other languages, maybe one or two, but Paul could speak Aramaic, he could speak Hebrew, he could speak Greek, and maybe other languages as well.
But he says in verse 19 “But in the congregation I would rather speak five understandable words to teach others than thousands of words in tongues” or language that no one else understands. Thus tongues are what exist above this world.
Speaking in Tongues is a Gift
If someone speaks in tongues, it means he has received a gift. Other people, may have to study for five years, but there are people who, with the gift of God, only need one month, two months, or three months to be able to communicate and they have to use their abilities, use foreign languages or translate tongues to build the congregation.
As happened on the day of Pentecost in the second chapter of the story, it was the phenomenon of tongues and the holy spirit really worked at that time, the apostles could speak languages or words that were understood by people who came from various places. So that is the Bible’s understanding of tongues. Thank You. (**/Pst Richard Sabuin
