Interpretation of Tongues

  Bible Study 7a

I Corinthians 12:10e

I have some experience with reading and speaking languages I was not taught as a child. Because learning one, two or three languages is easier for young people, I have an idea (call it a theory) that if we taught a baby three languages they would grow up being fluent in three languages.

As it stands today and in my past, I was taught English from childhood, Spanish from 4-5 grade through four semesters in college, and in Seminary I was taught Biblical Hebrew. I’ve been told that while there are some differences between Ancient Hebrew (Biblical) and modern day Hebrew is something like a modern person reading Old English text. I’ve read a lot of Old English Texts (try Beowolf) and it can be challenging but it is do-able.

Those languages have instruction manuals and teachers/professors who are fluent in new and old texts.

The Gift of Tongues is an entirely different type of language and kind of language. We might hear someone speak in tongues but interpreting what we hear is hidden. It is God’s language.

As remarkable as the gift of tongues seems to be, the gift of interpretation of tongues is even more helpful and remarkable.

As we previously discussed there are those within the body of believers who believe the Gift of Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues are active today and there are those who believe the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues have ceased.

As previously covered, we go back to the question ‘is it in the Bible?’

I was taught if it is in the Bible it is real.

Once again I do not have the gift of tongues or interpretation of tongues. Just because I don’t have those gifts that doesn’t mean they are not still active today.

I have known Christian Believers who told me they have the gift. I am old enough to recall the Charismatic Movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s.  “The movement is deemed to have begun in 1960 in Anglicanism (through the Episcopal Church USA) and spread to other mainstream Protestant denominations, including other American Protestants by both Lutherans and Presbyterians by 1962, and to Roman Catholicism by 1967. Methodists became involved in the charismatic movement in the 1970s.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charismatic_movement)

The movement was relatively widespread throughout the United States. I was part of one of those groups in the early ‘70’s at the time and I read a lot of information about the movement.

I learned a lot about scripture and the gifts at that time and I’m grateful for what I learned. That small beginning served me well in later years when I taught classes about Spiritual Gifts.

To this day I have experienced Spiritual Gifts in many ways and in Seminary we took tests on Spiritual Gifts and we identified our gifts. The tests we took to help us identify our gifts helped us know how to help others identify their Spiritual Gifts.

We did study tongues and interpretation of tongues from an academic perspective and that was helpful.

It wasn’t about feeling…it was about facts based on scripture.

So, the next time someone tells you the gifts of tongues and interpretation of tongues no longer exists, politely ask them to help you understand why the don’t consider those gifts are active in this world today.

Regardless of their explanation thank them and pray for them.

Remember…it’s in the Bible.

Deborah

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