The Narrow Path Ministries

Hi everyone,

I've been following Steve's ministry for about 2 years, but I'm new to this forum!

I'm wondering if anybody here has any testimonies about being able to interpret while they pray in tongues? I usually ask God to grant me an interpretation (1 Corinthians 14:13) but so far it has been unfruitful. I would love to hear what anybody else's experience has been with this!

Welcome! It's an eclectic bunch and everyone is pretty respectful and things rarely degenerate like it can do on other forums. Interest comes and goes in various areas over time, and we haven't had much on the spiritual gifts front in a while. I hope this brings out a few new topics and increases participation from a few quiet voices of late.

My own personal experience with tongues was as a young child in the 70s. We were going to a small non-denom bible church in a small town that I look back and realize must have been some form of Charismatic church -- I can remember being "coached" into tongues of a sort and "got the merit badge" but it never was a real part of my experience. I do remember vaguely some traveling folks at the pulpit with interpreters but it was sort of a "show" to my vague memory.

I very much believe in the spiritual gifts today, but tongues to me is something more for private prayer and only in deepest needs where I'm lost and seek the spirit's guidance even in prayer. I've personally never experienced what I might think was a legitimate public use of tongues and am always skeptical but am open. I'm interested in other responses.

luke wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:28 pm

Hi everyone,

I've been following Steve's ministry for about 2 years, but I'm new to this forum!

I'm wondering if anybody here has any testimonies about being able to interpret while they pray in tongues? I usually ask God to grant me an interpretation (1 Corinthians 14:13) but so far it has been unfruitful. I would love to hear what anybody else's experience has been with this!

Dwight: Hi Luke. Welcome. My question would be: Are you talking about private prayer or public prayer? My understanding of 1 Corinthians 14 is that Paul is speaking of a public church assembly. The chapter is filled with references to the church assembly. In a public setting, Paul says that only 2 or 3 should speak in a tongue, each in turn, and one must interpret. If there is no interpreter, he must keep silent. By the way, if someone interprets, it appears from verses 16-17, that the interpretation would involve giving thanks to God, since Paul says that that is what you are doing when you speak in a tongue.

If you're speaking of private prayer, as Paul refers to in verses 18-19, then I don't know that an interpretation is even necessary. Paul says in verse 4 that one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself - I believe he means even without an interpretation. I think this is where Romans 8:26-27 comes into play.

My experience? I have given prophecies in a church assembly, but I don't recall ever speaking in a tongue publicly. Unfortunately, it seems to me that many Christian churches do one of two things: Either they don't expect or give time for the gifts, even though they say they accept them or some churches go overboard and allow too much and don't follow the proper order that Paul speaks of here. The main problem that I have encountered is when everyone is encouraged to speak in tongues all at once, violating verse 23.

I do pray in tongues in my private prayers, but I must admit, that I should do it more, following Paul's example in verses 15 and 19.

I hope that helps.

God bless you,

Dwight

Luke,

Correction on that last reference. It should be verses 15 and 18.

Dwight

Dwight,

I am referring to praying in tongues privately. In verse 13, Paul says "Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret." The way it's phrased makes it sound like the one who speaks in a tongue is also the one praying that he may interpret. I understand that most of this chapter is about church meetings, but this passage makes it sound like God might grant a supernatural interpretation of one's prayer language.

Unfortunately, there are not many charismatics in my circle, so there's never been an interpreter present for me to justify speaking in tongues publicly. I guess I'm just fascinated with this specific gift and would love to see how it operates correctly in a church setting. Thanks for your response!

God bless,
Luke

Luke,
That would be a good question for Steve on his radio program. Paul definitely seems to go back and forth from private prayer to speaking in a tongue publicly. However, notice verse 12: "So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification OF THE CHURCH." Then verse 13 begins with "THEREFORE ..." That is, because of what I just said, "let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret." So it seems to me that in verse 13 Paul is talking about speaking in a tongue PUBLICLY. Then in verses 14-15, he seems to be going back to private prayer, but in verses 16-17, he's back to public prayer. Again, in verse 18, he's definitely referring to his private prayer because verse 19 starts out, "however, in the church".

It is definitely confusing. Now I'm wondering if verses 14-15 are also referring to the public meeting, because the verses before and after are referring to a public meeting.

If you find a church that follows these instructions correctly, let me know, because I don't think I've ever been to one. We've been part of a home church since 2001 and our pastor believes in the gifts, but I don't believe I've ever heard him teach on them, so a prophecy or a "speaking in a tongue" is basically non-existent. Many years ago, he gave a "message" in tongues, which he interpreted himself. I think everyone was so shocked to hear him that the message was basically forgotten!

It seems to me that without proper teaching, no one in the body wants to wade out into these waters. I think I need to discuss this with our pastor.

Dwight

What an interesting question. I agree it would make a good call to Steve.

I had never noticed that verse before or considered interpretation as being relevant in private prayer. I always took private tongues to be in lieu of mental understanding and that if we had something to pray which we understood and had to our mind that we would simply pray it "with our mind." Paul seems to be suggesting in vv 14ff that doing both is fruitful, but it's not entirely clear he's talking about private prayer.

So, Steve's verse by verse teaching on this is at the 1:19 mark or so

https://thenarrowpath.com/audio/verse-b ... -14.19.mp3

He sees the whole passage as being a little ambiguous, but he never really addresses 13 as being about private prayer, per se.