Part 6 of 8It would be foolish for us to address the many prayers of the apostles without also observing them praying "in the Spirit". How did the apostles pray? They prayed in the Spirit. It was their perpetual practice (1 Cor 14:18)..
It is of utmost importance to note that, in Scripture, the apostle Paul subtly differentiates between two types of "tongues" in prayer: the corporate ministry of tongues (the gift of tongues), and the personal ministry of tongues (the prayer-language of tongues), that is, praying "with the Spirit" (1 Cor 14:14-15). The corporate ministry of tongues is to be coupled with it's interpretation, while the personal ministry of tongues is not. Because readers do not always discover this subtle distinction, confusion ensues and the ministry of tongues is often thrown out altogether. What a shame, considering God has ordained this gift for a divine purpose! "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear" (Isa 28:11-12).
Let's observe this distinction...
The Corporate Use of Tongues - Paul tells us that the public use of tongues is an avenue for prophetic utterance (1 Cor 14:5-6), and is therefore to be coupled with it's interpretation. And why so? So "that the church may receive edifying" (1 Cor 14:5), for "he that prophesieth edifieth the church" (1 Cor 14:4). Both prophetic utterances and the interpretation of other tongues are to be used in the church for edification, exhortation and comfort (1 Cor 14:3, 5-6). Read with me what Paul goes on to say regarding this matter: "Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret" (1 Cor 14:6-13).
The Personal Use of Tongues - Oftentimes our limited, human vernacular is far too shallow to ascribe to King Jesus the great glory due His name; often we cannot speak our heart's justice. Thankfully, therefore, God has given us a much greater and supernatural avenue - the use of heavenly tongues, even the "tongues of angels" (1 Cor 13:1). Paul has said, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries" (1 Cor 14:2). Here, Paul clearly reveals a second sort of tongues, that is, the personal private use for one's own edification: “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself… I would that ye all spake with tongues…” (1 Cor 14:4-5). Later, Paul describes such tongues as praying with the spirit: “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful” (1 Cor 14:14). He then encourages his readers to do such: “I will pray with the spirit...” (1 Cor 14:15). Though in the public ministry sector interpretation is needful, Paul clearly accredits the personal use of tongues as well; he differentiates between the two, the tongues of men, and the tongues of angels: "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit [personal tongues], and I will pray with the understanding also [corporate tongues and interpretation]: I will sing with the spirit [personal tongues], and I will sing with the understanding also [corporate tongues and interpretation]" (1 Cor 14:15). Of course, prayer and singing "with the understanding" can also apply to one's natural language, not solely the interpretation of a tongue.
In the epistle of Jude, this theme of self-edification is continued as we are further encouraged to pray in and with the spirit: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God…” (Jude 20-21a). Why would the apostle Paul go to such great lengths to teach the proper use of tongues in the church if it were never meant to operate in the church, as so many suppose? Many say that tongues served only a single purpose, to act as an avenue of judgment on the day of Pentecost. However, if this were accurate, why then does Paul himself later pray in tongues (1 Cor 14:18), subsequent to the day of Pentecost? It’s because Paul held tongues as a gift for private prayer in high regard (1 Cor 14:2, 4, 5, 15, 17-18). Men do not seem to always understand this differentiation, and as a result they reject tongues altogether. But Scripture clearly reveals the role of this great gift: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom 8:26). One would have to ignore vast portions of Scripture to say the gift and prayer-language of tongues has no present-day purpose.
Cessationism holds this distorted view of tongues for many reasons. However, I contend that the primary reason for such a disdain of tongues is the apparent foolishness that is often associated with it. But God has purposed that a foolish thing will confound the wise (1 Cor 1:27)! To the natural man, I'm sure the events surrounding the outpouring in Acts 2 appeared pretty foolish also. That's because if we approach a supernatural truth with our carnal, natural thought-patterns, we will undoubtedly come to inaccurate, carnal conclusions. Paul describes this when he says, "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things we also speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor 2:11-14). What is a "natural man"? Paul defines him as he who receives the spirit of the world, and not the Spirit of God. How can we expect to rightly discern spiritual truths if we are not even baptized in the Holy Ghost? Of course, without an immersion into God’s Spirit, anything that contradicts our natural mindsets will appear as "foolishness", because we are not discerning spiritually, but carnally. Perhaps if all men approached the God of the universe with humility and spiritual discernment, Cessationism would be but a distant regret.
To be continued...
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