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I apologize in advance …This turned out to be much longer than I anticipated….Inner verse dribble that I thought was necessary is the culprit.
My objective was to provide information on how to interpret tongues, which includes prophecy and ended up including how to speak in tongues also.
Recently on another post Akita brought up that “No one says much about interpretation of tongues” And he’s right….there are 2 other manifestation that fall into the Worship or Inspiration category other than Speaking in tongues…. that don’t get too much attention …interpretation and prophecy.
Chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians is where Paul by revelation is setting the doctrine (right believing and procedure) for those in Corinth, where there was obvious misuse and confusion with tongues, interpretation, and prophecy.
Paul had spent about 18 months teaching the Word and establishing the truth with the assistance of Silas and Timothy along with other disciples on his first trip to Corinth, which was about 5 years prior to writing 1 Corinthians, but the need for reproof was necessary due to the practice of error that had crept into the church.
My first thought was to go through chapter 14 verse by verse, but that would be to lengthy ….so I will primarily stick with prophecy and interpretation of tongues, because the message they deliver is along the same lines.
Interpretation and prophecy both deliver a message of edification, exhortation, and comfort. It is never foretelling, reproof, or specific individual instruction, but it will build up, comfort, and exhort the body of believers present. It is inspirit action…. not revelation, not foretelling and it is not something that is prepared ahead of time….the message will always flow with the Word of God, never contradict it.
Typically, it is conducted in the church setting with groups of people who believe to operate the manifestation of either tongues with interpretation and or prophecy. I know when I use the word church setting, we get a mind picture of a fairly large congregation….. and that is available. But the book of Acts set a different stage for the word church, which translated means “called out” or “assembly” (ekklēsia). Home fellowships or group meetings was more of the norm in Acts, ( Act 2:46) and would be a good structure to replicate today.
The home fellowship is an effective means of not only moving the Word, but getting your needs met, personal growth, helping others, and seeing God work in your life. Typically, it is structured with a leader (may be the homeowner) who conducts the meeting between one and three times a week. If the Word is at the center the attendance will grow ….and when it becomes too large, it splits. There are several organizations around the US and many other countries that function in that type of setting.
______________
The most common misunderstanding of interpretation is ….how does the interpretation take place? Due to the wording in the KJV it has been understood that someone else other than the one who is speaking in tongues, interprets…. that is not the case. The person who is speaking in tongues is the one who should be interpreting…. Which is the sum and substance of the tongues spoken…. Following are the verses that have caused some confusion.
I Cor 14
14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual “gifts”, but rather that ye may prophesy.
14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual “gifts”, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
First …get rid of the word ➡ gifts ⬅ in verses 1 and 14. It was added by translators there is no corresponding Greek word for that.
The word “spiritual” in verse 1 is the Greek word (pneumatikos) meaning “that which belongs to, is determined by, influenced by, or proceeds from the spirit” (spiritual matters). Tongues, interpretation, and prophecy are a manifestation of the spirit, they are not gifts…. they are an evidence of the gift of holy spirit that you were given at the new birth. (For a more detailed explanation see this site → Tongues)
14:13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
To “pray that he may interpret” is not pray for interpretation, but rather pray that you believe to interpret. You are already equipped with the gift of holy spirit …..which means you can operate any and all of the 9 manifestation, but if you don’t believe you can, …….pray to God that you have the confidence to accept what he has already made available to you.
Note also that verse 13 states except he interpret…. not someone else. We have to follow grammatical structure, which applies to both Greek and English. When “he” applies to the person speaking we cannot change the rules of application to suite our beliefs. In order for this to reference a totally different person, it would have to read, in the third person, they …the same applies in verse 14:5 also.
14:27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course (order) and let one (heis) interpret.
The Greek text employs the word heis for → one (not hen)….. meaning “the one in the same” not someone else.
(Other examples of “heis” are in Luke12:52; Romans3:30)
14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
The word no in verse 28 is the Greek word mē, which is a conditional negation, depending on feeling, as opposed to the Greek word ou which would be a full and direct negation not depending on any condition, expressed or implied; based on fact.
ou is objective mē is subjective. If we were talking about someone else, (an interpreter not being there to interpret the tongues,) the word no would have to be ou, but it is not. The word for no in this verse is mē, and it referring to the person who may lack the will, or desire to interpret.
The How
If you already speak in tongues …you are there. You know that you are not thinking about what you are saying…. you are the one doing the speaking, but holy spirit is giving the utterance. What you speak is Gods business ….but that you speak is your business.
Just as you make the decision to speak in tongues you make the decision to interpret afterwards ….the words will be there, God will see to it….and the same with prophecy. You make the decision to prophecy and the words will be there ….and just like tongues ….you don’t think about what you are saying…..just speak….
Following is something I wrote for speaking in tongues…. but same principles apply for interpretation and prophecy.
How to speak in tongues ……..Interpretation and prophecy
Being born again you have that gift of holy spirit within you. It is now up to you to operate that manifestation.
Understand first that you are the one doing the speaking…….God is not going to move your lips, or take control of your vocal cords to make you speak ……our God does not possess or control people…..ever! That includes being slain in the spirit, running around, falling down and blurting out tongues uncontrollably ….the tongues “could” be genuine….the actions are from a different source. 1 Cor 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
You, by the freedom of your own will make the decision to speak in tongues, which involves all the mechanics you would use as if you were speaking your native language. By this I mean…. you move your lips, your throat, your tongue, you do the speaking, God will give the utterance.
You start and you stop at will…. Again…. it is your job that you speak, but what you speak is Gods job.
In other words, at the point you decide to speak in tongues, it is you who will do the speaking …God is not forcing your lips open, and not making words come out. This is not something you pre-formulate in your mind, the only thing you do with your mind is make the decision you’re going to speak in tongues; at which point you open your mouth and begin to speak….. as I will indicate below
Many years ago when I first spoke in tongues …..I had never heard of it… never heard it done ….I had no idea, clue, or preconceived thought as to what it was….in the vernacular…. I was clueless....
I was reading a book that said you could speak this language that God gave us ….Just thank God for it ….open your mouth and start speaking….so I did. I was barely a Christian, and I don’t think I had even read any of the Bible yet…. But, it was one of the most incredible moments in my life. My tongues have not changed, I still speak the same language (of men or of angels) that I spoke that night.
Sometimes mind pictures are helpful in understanding. The following is kind of a cross between an analogy and an allegory ….we will call a Anagory (totally made up word)
Picture a hose coming down from heaven. When you become a Christian you get this hose that is attached to your mouth (it’s a spiritual hose you can’t see it) God has opened up the spigot in heaven and your mouth acts as the trigger sprayer. Inside that hose is not water, but tongues…(interpretation and prophecy) and when you speak you are speaking the wonderful works of God. The spigot is open and the words are right there ready to flow, you control the sprayer to let those words out; you start, and stop at will, you are in control.
Remember this is only an analogy to help you develop a mind picture …..you don’t really get a hose ……you can get that at the hardware store for about 20.00 and a cheap trigger sprayer for $8.00…………… but manifesting tongues, interpretation and prophecy ……………priceless!
You can speak aloud or to yourself, and you can sing in tongues in the same manner.
One of the cool things is ….that you can speak in tongues (silently) while you’re talking to someone or speak in tongues while praying for people or situations, because you are not using your mind…. it’s in spirit action; you are not using your mind to think what your saying.
Other than trying to think about what you’re saying…. the fear of failure, or of inadequacy, is probably the two things that hold any believer back from manifesting the greatness of what God has made available.
First: God doesn’t make failures, and this is available to every born again believer. I have never seen anybody fail at speaking in tongues and I have guided hundreds into manifesting. I have seen hesitancy when people think about the first word that enters their thought …….you do not think about the words, just speak.
Secondly: you have the righteousness of God, which totally eliminates any possible inadequacy you might feel…..( 2Co 5:21)
One more thing you might be thinking ..is it really that simple…..yes, it is that simple, that’s how God designed it ……………… don’t try to complicate it with your mind.
And please… don’t critique your tongues as to what it sounds like; if it sounds repetitious or the guttural sounds of an African tribe… don’t worry …. REMEMBER …(and I may have mentioned this before)
What you speak is GODS business….. but that you speak…. is your business.
Ok down to brass tacks …….How?
Find you’re yourself a quiet place to sit …..close your eyes to free yourself from distractions
When Jesus gave instructions to his apostles he told them to breath in…(of coarse you may want to consider exhaling also). So breath in, breath out, normal breaths, through your mouth for a few seconds …….{this is not a hyperventilation thing}
Now pray…. something to this effect…or whatever works for you.
Heavenly Father I now receive the holy spirit into manifestation, the power from on high which you made available through your son Jesus Christ. I thank you that I can now speak the wonderful works of God ……………..
Now open your mouth and begin to speak ….don’t think about what your saying ..just speak …God will have the words there. Don’t wait for a sentence, it doesn’t come in sentences, when you speak one word, the next one will be there….. if you speak one word, you can speak a thousand….just keep going….. Remember you can start and stop at will….. you are in control. As you practice tongues in your private prayer life it will begin to flow for you as easily as your native tongue.
(You don’t need to pray every time you speak …this is just to get you started.)
.
When you speak in tongues with the intention of interpretation ….once you stop tongues you immediately begin to interpret …which will be about the length of what you were speaking with tongues.
When giving a word of Prophecy it can be as short as a sentence… or several sentences. You decide when to start … the stopping will be a natural stopping point.
One more thing: Tongues is for your private prayer life unless interpreted within the group setting, fellowship, or meeting.
You can speak and sing in tongues anytime silently.... and out loud when you are alone.
If you want to practice your interpretation and prophecy to become confident, I would suggest getting with another person or more…and practice….although you can do it by yourself….God knows what you are doing.
My objective was to provide information on how to interpret tongues, which includes prophecy and ended up including how to speak in tongues also.
Recently on another post Akita brought up that “No one says much about interpretation of tongues” And he’s right….there are 2 other manifestation that fall into the Worship or Inspiration category other than Speaking in tongues…. that don’t get too much attention …interpretation and prophecy.
Chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians is where Paul by revelation is setting the doctrine (right believing and procedure) for those in Corinth, where there was obvious misuse and confusion with tongues, interpretation, and prophecy.
Paul had spent about 18 months teaching the Word and establishing the truth with the assistance of Silas and Timothy along with other disciples on his first trip to Corinth, which was about 5 years prior to writing 1 Corinthians, but the need for reproof was necessary due to the practice of error that had crept into the church.
My first thought was to go through chapter 14 verse by verse, but that would be to lengthy ….so I will primarily stick with prophecy and interpretation of tongues, because the message they deliver is along the same lines.
Interpretation and prophecy both deliver a message of edification, exhortation, and comfort. It is never foretelling, reproof, or specific individual instruction, but it will build up, comfort, and exhort the body of believers present. It is inspirit action…. not revelation, not foretelling and it is not something that is prepared ahead of time….the message will always flow with the Word of God, never contradict it.
Typically, it is conducted in the church setting with groups of people who believe to operate the manifestation of either tongues with interpretation and or prophecy. I know when I use the word church setting, we get a mind picture of a fairly large congregation….. and that is available. But the book of Acts set a different stage for the word church, which translated means “called out” or “assembly” (ekklēsia). Home fellowships or group meetings was more of the norm in Acts, ( Act 2:46) and would be a good structure to replicate today.
The home fellowship is an effective means of not only moving the Word, but getting your needs met, personal growth, helping others, and seeing God work in your life. Typically, it is structured with a leader (may be the homeowner) who conducts the meeting between one and three times a week. If the Word is at the center the attendance will grow ….and when it becomes too large, it splits. There are several organizations around the US and many other countries that function in that type of setting.
______________
The most common misunderstanding of interpretation is ….how does the interpretation take place? Due to the wording in the KJV it has been understood that someone else other than the one who is speaking in tongues, interprets…. that is not the case. The person who is speaking in tongues is the one who should be interpreting…. Which is the sum and substance of the tongues spoken…. Following are the verses that have caused some confusion.
I Cor 14
14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual “gifts”, but rather that ye may prophesy.
14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual “gifts”, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
First …get rid of the word ➡ gifts ⬅ in verses 1 and 14. It was added by translators there is no corresponding Greek word for that.
The word “spiritual” in verse 1 is the Greek word (pneumatikos) meaning “that which belongs to, is determined by, influenced by, or proceeds from the spirit” (spiritual matters). Tongues, interpretation, and prophecy are a manifestation of the spirit, they are not gifts…. they are an evidence of the gift of holy spirit that you were given at the new birth. (For a more detailed explanation see this site → Tongues)
14:13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
To “pray that he may interpret” is not pray for interpretation, but rather pray that you believe to interpret. You are already equipped with the gift of holy spirit …..which means you can operate any and all of the 9 manifestation, but if you don’t believe you can, …….pray to God that you have the confidence to accept what he has already made available to you.
Note also that verse 13 states except he interpret…. not someone else. We have to follow grammatical structure, which applies to both Greek and English. When “he” applies to the person speaking we cannot change the rules of application to suite our beliefs. In order for this to reference a totally different person, it would have to read, in the third person, they …the same applies in verse 14:5 also.
14:27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course (order) and let one (heis) interpret.
The Greek text employs the word heis for → one (not hen)….. meaning “the one in the same” not someone else.
(Other examples of “heis” are in Luke12:52; Romans3:30)
14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
The word no in verse 28 is the Greek word mē, which is a conditional negation, depending on feeling, as opposed to the Greek word ou which would be a full and direct negation not depending on any condition, expressed or implied; based on fact.
ou is objective mē is subjective. If we were talking about someone else, (an interpreter not being there to interpret the tongues,) the word no would have to be ou, but it is not. The word for no in this verse is mē, and it referring to the person who may lack the will, or desire to interpret.
The How
If you already speak in tongues …you are there. You know that you are not thinking about what you are saying…. you are the one doing the speaking, but holy spirit is giving the utterance. What you speak is Gods business ….but that you speak is your business.
Just as you make the decision to speak in tongues you make the decision to interpret afterwards ….the words will be there, God will see to it….and the same with prophecy. You make the decision to prophecy and the words will be there ….and just like tongues ….you don’t think about what you are saying…..just speak….
Following is something I wrote for speaking in tongues…. but same principles apply for interpretation and prophecy.
How to speak in tongues ……..Interpretation and prophecy
Being born again you have that gift of holy spirit within you. It is now up to you to operate that manifestation.
Understand first that you are the one doing the speaking…….God is not going to move your lips, or take control of your vocal cords to make you speak ……our God does not possess or control people…..ever! That includes being slain in the spirit, running around, falling down and blurting out tongues uncontrollably ….the tongues “could” be genuine….the actions are from a different source. 1 Cor 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
You, by the freedom of your own will make the decision to speak in tongues, which involves all the mechanics you would use as if you were speaking your native language. By this I mean…. you move your lips, your throat, your tongue, you do the speaking, God will give the utterance.
You start and you stop at will…. Again…. it is your job that you speak, but what you speak is Gods job.
In other words, at the point you decide to speak in tongues, it is you who will do the speaking …God is not forcing your lips open, and not making words come out. This is not something you pre-formulate in your mind, the only thing you do with your mind is make the decision you’re going to speak in tongues; at which point you open your mouth and begin to speak….. as I will indicate below
Many years ago when I first spoke in tongues …..I had never heard of it… never heard it done ….I had no idea, clue, or preconceived thought as to what it was….in the vernacular…. I was clueless....
I was reading a book that said you could speak this language that God gave us ….Just thank God for it ….open your mouth and start speaking….so I did. I was barely a Christian, and I don’t think I had even read any of the Bible yet…. But, it was one of the most incredible moments in my life. My tongues have not changed, I still speak the same language (of men or of angels) that I spoke that night.
Sometimes mind pictures are helpful in understanding. The following is kind of a cross between an analogy and an allegory ….we will call a Anagory (totally made up word)
Picture a hose coming down from heaven. When you become a Christian you get this hose that is attached to your mouth (it’s a spiritual hose you can’t see it) God has opened up the spigot in heaven and your mouth acts as the trigger sprayer. Inside that hose is not water, but tongues…(interpretation and prophecy) and when you speak you are speaking the wonderful works of God. The spigot is open and the words are right there ready to flow, you control the sprayer to let those words out; you start, and stop at will, you are in control.
Remember this is only an analogy to help you develop a mind picture …..you don’t really get a hose ……you can get that at the hardware store for about 20.00 and a cheap trigger sprayer for $8.00…………… but manifesting tongues, interpretation and prophecy ……………priceless!
You can speak aloud or to yourself, and you can sing in tongues in the same manner.
One of the cool things is ….that you can speak in tongues (silently) while you’re talking to someone or speak in tongues while praying for people or situations, because you are not using your mind…. it’s in spirit action; you are not using your mind to think what your saying.
Other than trying to think about what you’re saying…. the fear of failure, or of inadequacy, is probably the two things that hold any believer back from manifesting the greatness of what God has made available.
First: God doesn’t make failures, and this is available to every born again believer. I have never seen anybody fail at speaking in tongues and I have guided hundreds into manifesting. I have seen hesitancy when people think about the first word that enters their thought …….you do not think about the words, just speak.
Secondly: you have the righteousness of God, which totally eliminates any possible inadequacy you might feel…..( 2Co 5:21)
One more thing you might be thinking ..is it really that simple…..yes, it is that simple, that’s how God designed it ……………… don’t try to complicate it with your mind.
And please… don’t critique your tongues as to what it sounds like; if it sounds repetitious or the guttural sounds of an African tribe… don’t worry …. REMEMBER …(and I may have mentioned this before)
What you speak is GODS business….. but that you speak…. is your business.
Ok down to brass tacks …….How?
Find you’re yourself a quiet place to sit …..close your eyes to free yourself from distractions
When Jesus gave instructions to his apostles he told them to breath in…(of coarse you may want to consider exhaling also). So breath in, breath out, normal breaths, through your mouth for a few seconds …….{this is not a hyperventilation thing}
Now pray…. something to this effect…or whatever works for you.
Heavenly Father I now receive the holy spirit into manifestation, the power from on high which you made available through your son Jesus Christ. I thank you that I can now speak the wonderful works of God ……………..
Now open your mouth and begin to speak ….don’t think about what your saying ..just speak …God will have the words there. Don’t wait for a sentence, it doesn’t come in sentences, when you speak one word, the next one will be there….. if you speak one word, you can speak a thousand….just keep going….. Remember you can start and stop at will….. you are in control. As you practice tongues in your private prayer life it will begin to flow for you as easily as your native tongue.
(You don’t need to pray every time you speak …this is just to get you started.)
.
When you speak in tongues with the intention of interpretation ….once you stop tongues you immediately begin to interpret …which will be about the length of what you were speaking with tongues.
When giving a word of Prophecy it can be as short as a sentence… or several sentences. You decide when to start … the stopping will be a natural stopping point.
One more thing: Tongues is for your private prayer life unless interpreted within the group setting, fellowship, or meeting.
You can speak and sing in tongues anytime silently.... and out loud when you are alone.
If you want to practice your interpretation and prophecy to become confident, I would suggest getting with another person or more…and practice….although you can do it by yourself….God knows what you are doing.
