A note on “tongues”

A brief note on “tongues” (speaking in a language you don’t know):

• On the Day of Pentecost the “tongues” were in known languages, of which there were people present who could understand them.
• In 1 Cor. 14 there is a detailed explanation of “tongues”. Paul says the utterance in a “tongue” needs an interpretation. This indicates that such utterances were in languages unknown to anyone present.
• The interpreter needed a gift to interpret. Interpreters weren’t people who were naturally familiar with the particular language being uttered.
• Now, why would God give a message in the Chinese language to a church which spoke French?
• So, it seems to indicate that the languages referred to in 1 Cor. 14 are not known languages, they are utterances directly from the Holy Spirit in the language He uses.
• 1 Cor. 14 also asks us to distinguish between a message to the church in “tongues”, and privately praying in “tongues”, as both are described.
• In the genuine manifestation of the gift it is the Holy Spirit speaking, with zero input or contribution from the speaker.
• So, it is either the Spirit, or the flesh. It can’t be an amalgam of both.
• Counterfeit gifts are so common today that the average Christian may never have witnessed genuine gifts.
• It is foolish to base your “theology” upon whether or not you have experienced what scripture describes.