MedicBravo said:

People who claim they can on their command alone are lying.

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First and the Last said:

I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences — especially the part about discernment and the danger of pride. You’re absolutely right that any spiritual gift, if it isn’t grounded in humility and tested by Scripture, can easily drift into confusion or even self-promotion. I’ve seen that too, and it grieves me the same way.


Where I think our perspectives differ isn’t on whether gifts can be misused (they certainly can), but on what the New Testament describes as the initial sign of the Spirit’s arrival versus the ongoing function of the gifts inside the church.


For me, Acts 2, Acts 10, and Acts 19 aren’t about church-service gifts like interpretation or public tongues — they’re describing what happened when someone received the Holy Ghost for the first time. Those moments weren’t about edifying the congregation; they were about God marking a transition from death to life. That’s why interpretation isn’t mentioned in any of those salvation contexts — it wasn’t a message to others, it was a sign of the Spirit taking residence inside an individual.


Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12–14, which you mentioned, is talking about tongues in the assembly, where interpretation is required for the sake of order. But the same Paul still says, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all” (and he wasn’t always doing that publicly). So I don’t see the private prayer language or the initial evidence as contradicting Paul — they’re just different categories than the public gift that requires interpretation.


I absolutely agree with you that discernment is necessary. Not every utterance in a service is genuine, and not every translation is trustworthy. But I don’t believe the misuse of a gift invalidates the gift itself any more than false prophecy invalidates true prophecy. Abuses just make us more careful, not less open.


And I also agree with you about faith in the “big things.” Most of us trust God easily in theory but wrestle in practice — even Peter sank when he took his eyes off Jesus, and he had the greatest faith in the boat. So I don’t use tongues as a measure of spiritual superiority or maturity. It’s not a badge you earn — it’s simply the sign God repeatedly used when someone crossed from the old life into the new.


At the end of the day, I’m not trying to diminish anyone’s walk with God. I’m only trying to stay close to the pattern I see repeated in Scripture. If God chose tongues as the first evidence of the Spirit in Acts, I don’t want to explain it away just because some people have misused it. The answer isn’t to avoid the gift — it’s to embrace it with humility, order, and discernment.


Thanks again for sharing your heart. These are the kinds of conversations that actually help us grow instead of just defending our camps.

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Gerbolski said:

Hi MedicBravo, by what you are saying here do you mean that people who claim that they can speak in tongues on command, without the touch of the Holy Spirit are lying, is that what you mean ?

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✔ A language directed​

• “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:2

✔ Edifies the speaker​

• “He that speaks in a tongue edifies himself.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:4

✔ Requires interpretation in church​

• “If there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church and speak to himself and God.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:28

✔ Paul accepts and participates in tongues​

• “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:18

✔ But he insists on order​

• “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:40

MedicBravo said:

Yes.
By default, it IS given by the Holy Spirit. Not when a man thinks he should.
Acts 2:1-13 at Pentecost.
God miraculously enabled believers to speak real human languages they did not previously know.

Purpose: Prayer, worship, and personal edification — unless accompanied by interpretation.
Paul gives extensive teaching about this second type:

✔ A language directed​

• “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:2

✔ Edifies the speaker​

• “He that speaks in a tongue edifies himself.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:4

✔ Requires interpretation in church​

• “If there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church and speak to himself and God.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:28

✔ Paul accepts and participates in tongues​

• “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:18

✔ But he insists on order​

• “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
  — 1 Corinthians 14:40

Biblical meaning here:
A Spirit-given prayer language used in private or public worship, but interpretation is required for congregational use.
I wonder. Every time this comes up someone "claims" they have or can with zero evidence.
If they haven't they "know someone" who has and can and again with no evidence.

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Gerbolski said:

Ya you give a good basis on the overall usage on tongues.

Thou there is a difference between other, and unknown.

Other tongues does not need interpretation, for another person will already know this or that known language, and what is said.

And of course, which I am totally sure you know, the gift of interpretation is not talking about natural interpretation.

1Co 14:28
(28) But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

This no doubt speaks of in the church, but it does not speak of total silence, but the person, which it is still speaking of in the church, can still do so as long as it is to one self and to God, which is still speaking of while in the service.

If an unknown tongue is spoken to one self and to God one can do so, no interpretation is needed but if not done towards oneself and to God, then it does need interpretation, otherwise God would not say what he just said, of continuing to speak but to one self and to God.

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MedicBravo said:

What "unkonwn tongue" is this then?
Why would God need or want to use a language to me in private that is not English? No one knows God's Playbook and whether one has any Gift doesn't make them better than the rest of us.
1 Cor 14:27-28: (27-28) Instructions for speaking in tongues publicly.
"If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God."

a. Two or three at the most: If you must speak in tongues at your church meetings, do not do much of it. Don’t focus on tongues. - There's a problem in the church where too many try to "learn" it. This leads to them being boastful and prideful of their "accomplishment">
b. Each in turn: more than one person should not be speaking in tongues to the congregation at any one time.
c. And let one interpret: don’t speak in tongues at all – even two or three at the most or each in turn – if you will not have an interpretation. - How likely is it that should it happen there happens to be someone else who naturally speaks this random Earth language? Gift of Interpretation fits here.
d. If no interpreter, "speak to God" and be silent in the church".

I've never seen it and EVERY person who claims to have or know "someone" can't provide evidence.
*Cellphones are almost everywhere and there'd be good quality video and audio.
**They also get angry when you call them out on their "I say...." with no evidence.
Too many false prophets in the church. Everybody lies and everyone has a price.

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Gerbolski said:

When that which is perfect is come

1Co 13:8-10
(8) Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
(9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
(10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

1Co 13:12
(12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.


When it speaks of seeing face to face, is it speaking seeing face to face with the bible, seeing face to face with a person, or face to face with a certain reality ?

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