From my new book: Breakthrough Corporate Anointing

The Importance of this subject necessitated that I do a follow up of the earliest post. In this latter post, I will conclude by showing you how you can know if what is interpreted is correct.

This revelation came to me, not by any man under heaven, but by the Spirit of the Lord and that is why I want you to read as well as hear it here firsthand.

1 Corinthians 14:12-13

12. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church

13. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.


The above scriptural references emphasize the importance of why tongues, a spiritual gift, should be interpreted. Verse 12 of that text says, "... forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church." This means that the purpose of spiritual gifts, such as tongue, is to build or charge the body of Christ. Hence the need for interpretation of tongues: because if one should speak in an unknown tongue, one edifies himself but the church is not edified, but when one speaks in tongues and the interpretation thereof is given, it builds the church up in faith. The Bible says,"But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edififcation, exhortation, and comfort" (1 Corinth. 14:3).

Furthermore, interpreting tongues in believers’ meeting magnifies God. You see, from God’s standpoint He cannot be anymore bigger than He already is because in the book of Malachi chapter three the sixth verse, God said: “For I am the LORD, I change not...” However, God can be made bigger from our own human standpoint when we tell of his mighty works. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost fell on the disciples they spoke in other tongues and the multitude came together, and were all amazed, marveled, and confounded, because every man heard them speak in his own language the wonderful works of God. “Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God” (Act 2:11). While the disciples spoke in other tongues, God was made bigger amongst the Jews and Gentiles of that day.
In Acts chapter ten, Peter went down to Cornelius house and preached Jesus; and scripture says, while he yet spake the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. Verse 46 says "For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God..."

Did you notice the phrase "Speak with tongues, and magnify God?" This phrase implies that while they spake in tongues, someone in Cornelius congregation interpreted. Otherwise, how would Peter and company able to know that they were magnifying God? Scripture says, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto man, but unto God: for no man understandeth him...”

Peter and company wouldn't have known or understood that those of Cornelius household were magnifying God had it not been that someone in the congregation interpreted.

So the question is how do you interpret tongues that the church might be comforted?

There are three steps to be taken if you want to interpret tongues.

Step 1: Pray that you may interpret

1 Corinthians 14:13

13. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth that they should seek after spiritual gifts, such as tongues, and pray that they may interpret. You see, when we pray to do a thing, our faith is not in ourselves or in our wisdom, but our faith is in the power of God. Prayer commends our intentions unto God, and we rely on the Holy Ghost to guide us in line with the will of God.

Step 2: Believe that you can now interpret

Mark 11:24

24. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when you pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Put somewhat differently, when you pray to interpret tongues, believe, by faith in the word of God, that you can now interpret, and you can. This is no rocket science. It is faith in the word of God. Just believe you can, according to scriptures, and you can. Now your mind or intellect will fight to keep you from it, but do it on the basis of what Jesus said: "What things soever ye desire, when you pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

When interpreting tongues, if you listen to your own intellect, you will be thrown off balance. Paul said, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Corinth. 2:4-5). Put slightly differently, Paul did not base his speech on his intellect, but in the power of God. And in his letter to the Romans he told us what that power was: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God…” (Romans 1:16). The word is the power of God.

Step 3: Your interpretation must line up with the word of God

1 John 5:7

7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, The Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three agree in one.

When you interpret tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, your interpretation must agree with the word: for the Spirit and the Word agree in one.

Did you notice the last phrase in first Corinthians chapter fourteen the thirteenth verse says, "... Pray that ye may interpret? " That verse did not say, pray that ye may translate.

Friend, the Bible did not say we should translate tongues, rather to interpret tongues. There is a great deal of difference between interpreting and translating. The English dictionary defined the former as to explain or tell the meaning of, while the latter is defined as to change spoken words or written text from one language to another. When you interpret tongues, you are not changing what was spoken from one language to another; rather you are explaining what the Spirit says through the word of God.
You can follow those three steps to interpret your own prayer when you pray to God in an unknown tongue. First, pray that you may interpret. Second, believe you can interpret. And third, interpret tongues in line with the word.

The good news is that every member of the church could follow those three steps and interpret tongues in their own private prayer life as well as in the church that all may learn, and all may be comforted. “For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted” (1 Corinthians 14:31).
On the other hand, an intelligent person might ask, how do I know if what I’m interpreting is correct? You will know this in your own spirit by the inward witness. The Bible teaches that the Spirit of God bears witness with our own spirit. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). So when you interpret your prayer, the inward witness will agree with your spirit that what is interpreted is in line with the word. Otherwise, you will be pricked in your conscience, a red light, so to speak, that what you are interpreting is not in line with the word.
To be on the safe side and not get into excesses, let your interpretation be in line with the word: because the Spirit agree with the Word; and the Spirit bears witness with your own spirit.


Read, comment, and share. Don't hide knowledge, propagate it!

ocnovakmichael:


The Importance of this subject necessitated that I do a follow up of the earliest post. In this latter post, I will conclude by showing you how you can know if what is interpreted is correct.

This revelation came to me, not by any man under heaven, but by the Spirit of the Lord and that is why I want you to read as well as hear it here firsthand.

1 Corinthians 14:12-13

12. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church

13. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.


The above scriptural references emphasize the importance of why tongues, a spiritual gift, should be interpreted. Verse 12 of that text says, "... forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church." This means that the purpose of spiritual gifts, such as tongue, is to build or charge the body of Christ. Hence the need for interpretation of tongues: because if one should speak in an unknown tongue, one edifies himself but the church is not edified, but when one speaks in tongues and the interpretation thereof is given, it builds the church up in faith. The Bible says,"But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edififcation, exhortation, and comfort" (1 Corinth. 14:3).

Furthermore, interpreting tongues in believers’ meeting magnifies God. You see, from God’s standpoint He cannot be anymore bigger than He already is because in the book of Malachi chapter three the sixth verse, God said: “For I am the LORD, I change not...” However, God can be made bigger from our own human standpoint when we tell of his mighty works. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost fell on the disciples they spoke in other tongues and the multitude came together, and were all amazed, marveled, and confounded, because every man heard them speak in his own language the wonderful works of God. “Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God” (Act 2:11). While the disciples spoke in other tongues, God was made bigger amongst the Jews and Gentiles of that day.
In Acts chapter ten, Peter went down to Cornelius house and preached Jesus; and scripture says, while he yet spake the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. Verse 46 says "For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God..."

Did you notice the phrase "Speak with tongues, and magnify God?" This phrase implies that while they spake in tongues, someone in Cornelius congregation interpreted. Otherwise, how would Peter and company able to know that they were magnifying God? Scripture says, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto man, but unto God: for no man understandeth him...”

Peter and company wouldn't have known or understood that those of Cornelius household were magnifying God had it not been that someone in the congregation interpreted.

So the question is how do you interpret tongues that the church might be comforted?

There are three steps to be taken if you want to interpret tongues.

Step 1: Pray that you may interpret

1 Corinthians 14:13

13. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth that they should seek after spiritual gifts, such as tongues, and pray that they may interpret. You see, when we pray to do a thing, our faith is not in ourselves or in our wisdom, but our faith is in the power of God. Prayer commends our intentions unto God, and we rely on the Holy Ghost to guide us in line with the will of God.

Step 2: Believe that you can now interpret

Mark 11:24

24. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when you pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Put somewhat differently, when you pray to interpret tongues, believe, by faith in the word of God, that you can now interpret, and you can. This is no rocket science. It is faith in the word of God. Just believe you can, according to scriptures, and you can. Now your mind or intellect will fight to keep you from it, but do it on the basis of what Jesus said: "What things soever ye desire, when you pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

When interpreting tongues, if you listen to your own intellect, you will be thrown off balance. Paul said, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Corinth. 2:4-5). Put slightly differently, Paul did not base his speech on his intellect, but in the power of God. And in his letter to the Romans he told us what that power was: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God…” (Romans 1:16). The word is the power of God.

Step 3: Your interpretation must line up with the word of God

1 John 5:7

7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, The Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three agree in one.

When you interpret tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, your interpretation must agree with the word: for the Spirit and the Word agree in one.

Did you notice the last phrase in first Corinthians chapter fourteen the thirteenth verse says, "... Pray that ye may interpret? " That verse did not say, pray that ye may translate.

Friend, the Bible did not say we should translate tongues, rather to interpret tongues. There is a great deal of difference between interpreting and translating. The English dictionary defined the former as to explain or tell the meaning of, while the latter is defined as to change spoken words or written text from one language to another. When you interpret tongues, you are not changing what was spoken from one language to another; rather you are explaining what the Spirit says through the word of God.
You can follow those three steps to interpret your own prayer when you pray to God in an unknown tongue. First, pray that you may interpret. Second, believe you can interpret. And third, interpret tongues in line with the word.

The good news is that every member of the church could follow those three steps and interpret tongues in their own private prayer life as well as in the church that all may learn, and all may be comforted. “For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted” (1 Corinthians 14:31).
On the other hand, an intelligent person might ask, how do I know if what I’m interpreting is correct? You will know this in your own spirit by the inward witness. The Bible teaches that the Spirit of God bears witness with our own spirit. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). So when you interpret your prayer, the inward witness will agree with your spirit that what is interpreted is in line with the word. Otherwise, you will be pricked in your conscience, a red light, so to speak, that what you are interpreting is not in line with the word.
To be on the safe side and not get into excesses, let your interpretation be in line with the word: because the Spirit agree with the Word; and the Spirit bears witness with your own spirit.


Read, comment, and share. Don't hide knowledge, propagate it!

Excellent exposition. God bless you.