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If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God

  Good morning. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Not long after I began participating in a Friday night Bible study, which later turned into that house church l spoke of before, I began giving the tongues part of “tongues with interpretation” (we call it a “message in tongues”, but that term does not occur in the Bible, merely tongues). I had no teaching or training on how to do it. My heart would begin racing for no apparent reason, and I would get the impression to speak out loud in tongues; so I just “let her fly“. For me the next step was not interpretation of tongues but prophecy. I did not give an interpretation of tongues until years later after I moved here. Notice that it says by two or at the most three, and not at the same time, which would produce confusion. One reason would be that th...
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When you assemble, each one has a Psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.

  Good morning. Last time it was about someone entering a church, and everyone speaking in tongues. But if all prophesy (it doesn’t say whether everyone was prophesying at the same time, or one by one. Because of what follows, I assume the latter), and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he’s convicted by all, he’s called to account to by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed (if it were all at the same time, it would be hard for him to hear what was directed at himself); and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. So what should a church service be like? When you assemble, each one has a Psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. It sounds like Paul was expecting participation by everyone - maybe not all in one service, but over time they would. That is totally unlike today’s church services. Nowadays almost no one in the congregation participates l...
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So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.

  Good morning. Do not be children in your thinking (remember last chapter: “when I was a child …”); yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers (seems to imply that speaking in tongues was a natural outcome of being a believer); but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and  ungifted men (not exactly sure what is meant here, whether it means those who are saved but have not received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, or those do not operate in the gifts of the Spirit - specifically interpretation of tongues) or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? That would be a reasonable assumption and may be why Pentecostals get a bad reputation. Father make this a special weekend for the reader. Open his/her eyes to the future as to what he/she should do for his/her family.
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I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than 10,000 words in a tongue

  Good morning. Continuing with the thought of only praying with the spirit: “otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “amen“ at you giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified”. Remember the goal of a church service is the building up of the body, not just yourself. OK Paul, so do you refrain from speaking in tongues? I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all (Southern translation - y’all); however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than 10,000 words in a tongue. This does not mean that you do not ever speak in your “prayer language“ in a church service. It does mean that it should not draw attention to yourself like the example I gave when I visited my friend’s Pentecostal church. Father thank You that if we follow the leading of Your Holy Spirit in a chu...
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What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.

  Good morning. So after yesterday, what should we do about praying in tongues? What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. We should do both, and not one to the exclusion of the other. What does he mean when he says sing with the spirit? What is that all about? Before I moved to this area 30 years ago, the churches I belonged to spent time in every service singing in the Spirit. It wasn’t this tiny bit that we occasionally do almost under our breath. It was the whole congregation joining in with full volume. (my roommate and I would even do that when we worshiped together at home) It wasn’t but a couple of minutes, but it seemed like longer. After we finished, everything was very still as we basked in the presence of the Holy Spirit. (None of the churches I have been in since I moved here do that. There is almost never a pause in the service.) After a few moments of silenc...
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Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

  Good morning. Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. Just praying in tongues without an interpretation can help flush out what is clogging up your spiritual pipeline; however it does not give you any direction as to what you should do. You need an interpretation. However, when you flush out your spiritual pipeline, many times the thought will come do your mind of exactly what you should do. There is this teaching out there that says go ahead and pray in tongues; pray that you may interpret; and then whatever comes to your mind is the interpretation of what you said in tongues. They are to then take that as coming straight from God. I’m not saying that it does not work for some people; but I am alarmed at the thought of most Christians doing that. They don’t have the spiritual maturity and/or are not well grounded in the word of God. You will hear something in your mind, but it’s p...
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Good morning. Paul mentions several items that if they make sounds only, what good will that be? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. If I then do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. He’s talking about using a learned language that the hearers do not understand. So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. The whole purpose of a church service is to glorify God and to edify the body of believers. If you are speaking in your “prayer language”, out loud in a church service, you’ll be edified, but not the church. Father give the reader wisdom to help his/her family member. We know that You can make everything to work out for the good to those who believe and are called according to Your purpose.

  Good morning. Paul mentions several items that if they make sounds only, what good will that be? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. If I then do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. He’s talking about using a learned language that the hearers do not understand. So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. The whole purpose of a church service is to glorify God and to edify the body of believers. If you are speaking in your “prayer language”, out loud in a church service, you’ll be edified, but not the church. Father give the reader wisdom to help his/her family member. We know that You can make everything to work out for the good to those who believe and...
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