TONGUES AS A SIGN (See Addendum)

tongues as a sign. This is another difficult passage. Some Bible commentators

believe the translation has confused the meaning. But I believe that the passage is

translated correctly. Paul writes,

In the law it is written, With men of other tongues

and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet

for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that

believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesy-

ing serveth not for them that believe not, but for

them which believe. If therefore the whole church be

come together into one place, and all speak with

tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned,

or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believ-

eth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he

is judged of all: and thus are the secrets of his heart

made manifest; and so falling down on his face he

will worship God, and report that God is in you of a

truth

(I Cor. 14:21-25).

The key phrase is: "Yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord."

God said that He was going to speak to the people through men of other tongues

and other lips, yet, they would not hear Him. Paul, therefore, said that tongues

are for a sign, not to the believers, but to them that believe not. However, he

points out that the tongues were not going to convince the unbelievers because

God said they would not hear nor understand what was happening.

Many believe that if God said tongues are for a sign, then the more we

speak in tongues the more we will convince people by the sign of tongues.

However, God said that they will not hear. Therefore, Paul declares that if the

whole church comes together in one place and all speak with tongues and the

unlearned or unbelievers come in, they will say that we are mad. Why would they

think that tongues were a sign? Because God said, "They will not hear me." God

is speaking through His people in tongues under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,

but the unbelievers will not accept the sign. God ordained that He would speak to

men--that tongues are a sign--but that when we speak in tongues, the people will

not believe it is of God. This was true at Pentecost ("these men are full of new

wine" (Acts 2:13), it was true in Paul's day ("will they not say that ye are mad" (I

Cor. 14:23), and it is true today. People still are not convinced by tongues-speak-

ing; they still say that tongues-speakers are out of their mind.

Therefore, tongues are a sign to unbelievers even though they will not hear.

If the unbelievers come into a meeting and everyone is speaking in tongues, they

will say that the people are mad. God said they would do this and they do. On

the other hand, if the unbelievers come into a meeting and they hear a prophecy,

even though it is a sign to the believers, they understand what is said because

they hear the Spirit-inspired utterance in their own language. They hear with

understanding and the word of God grips their hearts, and, falling down, they say

that God is in us of a truth.

Earlier I observed that the Spirit may speak through someone in a language

the speaker does not understand to a person who does understand the language,

and give that person a prophecy in his own tongue. This is not speaking in an

"unknown" tongue which must be interpreted; it is speaking in a language under-

stood by a hearer. This manifestation of tongues may convince the

unbeliever because it is not an "unknown" tongue but a prophecy in the "known"

language of the hearer, even if unknown to the speaker.

EACH HAS A CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE

How is it then, brethren? when you come together,

every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath

a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation.

Let all things be done unto edifying

(I Cor. 14:26).

It may be well to point out here that in the New Testament church, the

Christians met from house to house to edify themselves, and it was unusual for

the unbelievers to be present. One of the difficulties in the way we worship today

is that we invite the unbeliever to our services. Since the gifts of the Spirit are to

edify the body, we are presented with the problem of how to edify the body of

Christ through the manifestations of the Spirit in the presence of the unbeliever

who does not understand them. Are we to eat the good meal, edifying ourselves,

and let the unbeliever go hungry? Or, do we minister to the unbeliever and let the

Christians go home unedified? I believe this is at the heart of much of our confu-

sion today concerning spiritual gifts.

Be that as it may, Paul says that when Christians come together, every one

has something to contribute to the building up of the body. One has a psalm; let

him psalm by the Spirit. One has a doctrine; let him give his teaching. One has a

tongue; let him speak by the Spirit the mysteries to God. One has a revelation; let

him give his prophecy. One has an interpretation; let him give the interpretation

that all might understand the utterance in tongues and say "Amen" at the offering

of thanks to God. It is important that all be done for the edification of others. Let

everything be done unto edifying. So the one with the psalm would be singing in

the Spirit; the one with the doctrine would bring a teaching based upon new

knowledge; the one with the tongue would lift up a prayer or offer thanks to God;

the one with the revelation would prophesy to men for edification, exhortation, or

comfort. But it is "God which worketh all in all" (12:6), and if God operates all, all

will be done unto edifying and in decency and in order.