For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; TO ANOTHER THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
— 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
In studying these gifts of the Spirit, we have come to the end of the list: the gift of interpretation of tongues. First, we covered the three gifts of revelation or the three gifts that reveal
something: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the discerning of spirits.
Then we studied the three gifts that do something, or the three power gifts: the gift of faith, the gifts of healings, and the working of miracles.
Now we will finish our study of the three utterance gifts or the three inspirational gifts, the three gifts that say something: prophecy, divers kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues. There has been a great deal of misunderstanding about the gifts of the Spirit. That is the reason Paul said, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU
IGNORANT" (1 Cor. 12:1). As I said before, if God didn't want His people to be ignorant in the days of the Early Church, He certainly doesn't want His people to be ignorant today. Yet it is amazing the ignorance that exists among people of God concerning spiritual things.
Many people do not believe that any of the gifts of the Spirit are for us today. Some people believe that a few of the gifts are for us, but not all of them. However, if any of them are for us today, then all of them are for us today.
Also, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit gives these gifts to every man to profit (1 Cor. 12:7). God wants us to profit and spiritual gifts are one means whereby we may profit. I have never read anywhere in the Bible that He took them away from the Church. These gifts are rightfully ours today, and ignorance concerning them exists only because people do not understand what the Bible says aboutspiritual gifts.
The three utterance gifts — prophecy, divers kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues — are very closely associated. In fact, as I've said, the Bible plainly tells us that tongues with interpretation is equal to prophecy: ". . . greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret. . ." (1 Cor. 14:5). Although spiritual gifts can be closely associated, we differentiate between them and list them separately so we can better define and understand them.
As we begin our study of the last of the three vocal or inspirational gifts, let us first define them. Prophecy is supernatural utterance in a known tongue.
Divers kinds of tongues is supernatural utterance in an unknown tongue.
The interpretation of tongues is the supernatural showing forth by the Spirit the meaning of an utterance in other tongues. Also, it is not translation of tongues; it is the interpretation of tongues.
The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues
The gift of interpretation of tongues is the least gift of all of the gifts of the Spirit because it depends upon another gift — divers kinds of tongues — in order to operate. It does not operate unless tongues have been in operation.
The purpose of the gift of interpretation of tongues is to render the gift of tongues
understandable to the hearers so that the whole church congregation, as well as the one who gave the utterance in an unknown tongue, may know what has been said and may be edified thereby. Paul said,". . . greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, THAT THE CHURCH MAY RECEIVE EDIFYING" (1 Cor. 14:5).
But can't God speak to us in some other way in the public assembly? Yes, He can and does. We have other public messages given by the Spirit of God that are not interpretation of tongues; they are a manifestation of the gift of prophecy. For example, psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs are also given by the Holy Spirit through the gift of prophecy (we discussed this in chapter 18).
All these gifts operate by faith, but it takes more faith to operate in the gift of prophecy than tongues or interpretation of tongues. That is because those who operate in the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues have another person to lean on to complete the utterance. The person with the gift of tongues can lean on the one with the gift of interpretation of tongues, and vice versa. However, the one who has the gift of prophecy must have enough faith just to start giving what he has received (Rom. 12:6).
The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues In Our Private Prayer Life
In private prayer it is not necessary that everything we utter in other tongues be clear to our understanding, because Paul said, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful" (1 Cor. 14:14).
Therefore, it isn't necessary that everything I pray in tongues be clear to my understanding or be interpreted because I am not talking to myself, I am talking to God. What I pray in tongues is clear to God and that is sufficient: "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, BUT UNTO GOD: for no man understandeth him; how-beit in the spirit HE
SPEAKETH MYSTERIES" (1Cor. 14:2).
Yet on some occasions God may desire that we interpret our prayers. Paul suggests this in First Corinthians 14:13: "Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret."
There may be times, if it is as the Spirit of God wills, that we know what we are praying about in tongues in our personal devotions, and God will give us the interpretation. That is the way I first started interpreting tongues — in my private prayer life. I was simply praying in other tongues when suddenly I realized I was speaking in English, and I understood that I was interpreting what I had been praying about.
God knows what we are praying about because when we are praying in other tongues, we are talking to Him. But sometimes He wants us to know what we are praying about too.
For example, once before I was married, I was praying in the Spirit. I wasn't even thinking about getting married. I had been praying two or three hours in the Spirit when suddenly I
began to interpret part of my prayer. I realized then that I was talking to God about a wife, although from the natural standpoint, I hadn't been thinking or praying with my understanding along that line. I wasn't even concerned about getting married at that time.
I prayed in English, interpreting what I had been praying in tongues. As I did, by interpretation of tongues I knew in the Spirit that I would be married.
I knew who the girl was that I was going to marry, although at this time I had only had one or two dates with her. I also knew by interpretation that we would have two children; the first child would be a boy and the second would be a girl.
Naturally, after we were married and were expecting our first child, I told my wife, "It's a boy." We only picked out a boy's name. We didn't select any girls' names. Then when we were expecting our second child, I said, "This one is a girl." This is what I had learned in the Spirit even before we had been sweethearts.
So we see that there is a private side to the gift of interpretation of tongues that is of great importance to us personally.
There is also a public side to the manifestation of this gift. But not all of us will be used in this way. That will occur only as the Lord wills.
The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues In Public Ministry 1 CORINTHIANS 14:27
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, LET IT BE BY TWO, OR AT THE MOST BY THREE, and that by course; and LET ONE INTERPRET.
In ministering publicly in tongues in any one service, Paul is saying here that it should be done by two or at the most by three people. In other words, only two or three people at the most should participate.
The meaning of this passage is made clearer in the New International Version. 1 CORINTHIANS 14:27 (NIV)
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.
Some have asked the question, "Does that refer to three messages?" Actually we do not find the expression "messages in tongues" anywhere in the Bible. This is just a phrase that man has coined to try to explain this verse. A better term would be "utterance in tongues."
But this particular verse is talking about people, not messages or utterances: "If any MAN speak [not necessarily referring to the male gender but to any human being] . . . let it be by two, or at the most by three. . ."(lCor. 14:27).
Paul didn't actually say how much they were to speak or not to speak. He just said to let two or three people speak and let it be by course or in succession.