Rhemalight

THIS IS THAT: PART 1-They Shall Prophesy (K) The Whole Matter

I would like to pick on the phrase - this matter - that we encountered  in the case of Simon attempting to buy the power to get people filled with the Spirit, to say something further here. Acts 8:20-22. If anything we have said is to be remembered it is that speaking with tongues is only a fraction of this matter of utterance. It is not the whole matter, in other words. In fact the ‘diverse kinds of tongues’ spoken about in 1 Cor. 12 is not this speaking with tongues when you pray. That is to help you communicate with God and ‘no man’ understands you. 1Cor.14:2. And you edify yourself (vs. 4). But ‘diverse’ tongues speaks to the church to edify the church. vs. 5, 6.

Some who speak this way speak a language that is foreign to them but spoken on earth. A Chinese person speaks English or a Spanish person speaks French. There may be people present who understand it without interpretation being necessary because that a language that they know. This is possible and has been reported to happen again and again among believers. Another instance is when people speak and the hearers and the hearers hear it as if it is in a language they know yet it is actually not. Someone speaks in tongues and hear it as if it were in English. This has also been cited in certain experiences of the saints. The third case is when one speaks and when combined with the companion gift of interpretation, it is made understandable. In all these cases the bystanders or onlookers are edified. They are not stranded.

Notice that this is ‘diverse kinds’; it is not always the same thing - the tongues change. The ordinary believer seems to say the same thing all the time. If you were to hear Chinese spoken here and then you went over to two other countries and heard Chinese spoken there, you would think they were saying the same thing. That is because it the same language - not the same words necessarily. Yet if French was introduced, though you did not understand it either, you would realize that it was different from Chinese.

‘Diverse kinds’ are different kinds of languages. Paul said that “diverse tongues combined with interpretation” is equivalent to prophecy. see verse 5, 6. Both ways the church is edified but prophecy takes more faith to give out because in a sense one who interprets leans on the one who speaks tongues. Prophecy starts on an unction of its own, and in a sense, is exposed to more curiosity and criticism. ‘Let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith,’ (Rom. 12:6) means give out what you have and more will come, same as Mark 13:11. It is not you that speaks but the Holy Ghost.

This is the whole matter of utterance. Of course you could add to that teaching by the Spirit (Rom. 12:7), and exhortations by the Spirit (vs. 8); but we put all that under the spirit of prophecy because prophecy is inspired utterance in a known tongue. So this is the whole range of inspired utterance and the best of it all is prophecy. Paul said, ‘covet earnestly the best gifts.’ 1Cor.12:31. Among the utterance gifts, prophecy is the best because it edifies the church and is the most inspired and inspiring.

NEXT: THIS IS THAT: PART 1-They Shall Prophesy (L) Inspiration Vs Revelation

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