unfinishedclay,
There's self edification ( I Cor 14:4) and church edification ( I Cor 14:27-28).
Yes, Paul wrote "Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." I Cor 14:19
YET he wrote in the same chapter "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:" v22 So tongues are a sign To unbelievers Of believers. (I Cor 14:22 and
Mark 16:17). How can they be a sign if they're not spoken. Clearly, v 19 is emphasized while v 22 is basically ignored. Services can still be "decent and in order" with tongues spoken (Acts 10).
There is a distinctive difference from private/prayer language tongues and tongues for interpretation (diversities of tongues, I Cor 12:10).
This Scripture is referring to tongues for interpretation. The tongues portion that can be spoken up to 3 times and if there's no interpretation, then the tongues is stopped."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." I Cor 14:27
Thank you for clarifying. A breakdown really is what I've been needing.
I was filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues after having read a book by Kenneth Hagin and from there had begun to read/listen more from him till I stopped a little time before he had passed. And listening to other teachers in the Word, being placed in new ministries, and going through a serious series of storms (while also seeing some sisters in Christ go through some storms), I had begun to wonder about how we had been going about speaking openly on platform during fellowships based on these passages and wondering if the order by which we had been going was ever a hindrance to unbelievers (like our offspring and even some wayward spouses) among us.
I appreciate you breaking it down and plan to look at the passages again.
Is it the interpretive tongue that is the sign to unbelievers or is the unknown tongue that's for self-edification also a sign?
Although I expect to be persecuted as a believer for everything we do in the Name of Jesus and have gone through persecution, I've wondered in the past - and again recently - if I'm causing myself unnecessary persecution while at the same time causing any unbelievers to stumble with confusion (thinking I'm crazy, like Paul pointed out) and then as a result causing them to shut down from hearing the Word because they would relate on-fire faith in Christ to being strange. I've faced that before with loved ones who got turned off from hearing any Word I had to minister to them as a result of me breaking out speaking in tongues around them and so I felt I had to tone down speaking around them (unless praying for something that requires me to pray in spirit) to those loved ones and focus more on breaking down the simplicity of the gospel in order that they could hear it and believe and be saved. Then, from there, I've been trying to minister to a couple of them about being filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues now that they have believed.
And, there is spiritual warfare going on - casting out devils, some of whom return when those bodily temples aren't filled.
But among some circles I've been involved with on and off for years (within close range and also from a distance), we've been up against the following who have been among us with no expounded teaching of the Word but full exposure to tongues being spoken on platform:
1. adulterers in leadership (some of whom love to hear tongues and see manifestations, as long as no one bothers them with convicting Scriptures about their adultery)
2. drug dealers listening in fellowship and leave church unchanged and return the following Sunday for the sake of routine
3. strikers (wife beaters) in leadership who, again, love hearing tongues spoken and seeing manifestations as long as no one challenges their evil
4. ghettos surrounding our fellowships with people who really are hungry for the Word that is not being broken down in teaching
Do I have a burden for my community and for relationships? More now than ever. And it makes me question my approach - past and present. These are concerns that have made me wonder, "have we been in the order the Lord wants us to be in in order to be effective?" Also, thanks for Acts 10 which sheds light on my concerns. I do love that part of Acts and love prayer meetings like what Peter had with Cornelius and his circle after ministering to them and prayed they be filled with the Spirit. Thanks again.