It is to speak in a language of people or angels which has not previously been learned.
It was 11am Sunday morning, half an hour into the service and Big John stood up and spoke at length in a language very unfamiliar to me. The person next to me whispered, “the Holy Spirit is talking, wait and you will hear the message in English.” I was 14 yrs of age and learning that the Spirit spoke in an unknown language but that it could be understood in English. Big John would follow the similar pattern most Sunday mornings and usually the Spirit chose 11am to speak. I had arrived at an Elim Church.
Here in chapter 12 we have tongues mentioned as one of the gifts. A gift that my Big John had. A public gift. But in a few verses time (v30) one that not everyone will have. In chapter 14 when we get to it we will read more about the personal gift, the grace of spiritual language and how it helps us in our discipleship and a desire by Paul that we all have this gift (v5).
“to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:10
Last week in the northern part of Kenya a team I was leading were praying for a group of Christians at the front of the church. They had responded to the message and were seeking more of God. As the team moved amongst them in prayer one of the members stopped totally taken by surprise because a young man was speaking English. “Let the glory of God be amongst the praises of His people.” He spoke these words twice. When we asked the leader there and then in the middle of what was going on to question the young man, we found that not only was he illiterate, but he had never spoken any English before in his life nor did he know anyone who had that language!
So why? What was going on in the move of the Holy Spirit as people were being healed by God of various sickness, as some were being saved and others set free? I’m not sure exactly but I do know that a new empowered faith came upon the team to pray for sicknesses because we knew, we had the evidence, God was here.
This gift was promised by Jesus in Mark’s gospel (16:17).
On the first day of the Church this gift was in operation.
It is listed here amongst the other gifts.
It is a gift to be received.
Like the other gifts which need each other to be effective for example faith and healing; this gift needs the next gift especially if it is the language of angels and spoken publicly.
Holy Spirit saturate my life with your presence and power as I seek this gift of tongues of men and angels. Above all I pray this for the benefit of others, for the common good, that they may know you are here. I ask for this gift not for the attention to be given to me but that Jesus will be seen and glorified. Amen.
Missions Paul 