Speaking in Tongues Corporately Without Interpretation

[rapturefish]

One common thing I read on forums when it comes to Pentecostals is the practice of praying corporately in tongues, without interpretation. To non-P/Cs it seems to go against what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12-14 when he says not to speak in tongues without interpretation because it confuses people and they are not edified.

I'm wondering how Pentecostals see this practice in light of 1 Corinthians and what Paul says.

 

[Adammi]

You have to see that there is a difference between giving a "message" in tongues and praying in tongues. Many times there is an interpretation, but the person to whom it is given is tempted not to give it and then give into that temptation.

 

[RevKidd]

Tongues W/O interpretation edifies the person speaking... Paul clearly outlines that.

So corporate tongues would have no corporate benefit...

Also one thing that I see many times are people praying for someone in tongues... Who is that edifying according to Paul...? But it still goes on all the times...

 

[Heinrich]

When you pray for somebody that doesn't understand your language
and you cannot speak in the language He understands...
I recon then it is more than ok to pray in tongues for that person right?
Why? Because I've been in such situations and seen God touch people even when
they cannot understand a word your saying.
So the person your praying for can be edified even if they don't understand with there minds.
But: What we must desire is to prophecy!!

 

[rapturefish]

Hm. I expected more than the responses so far.

Let me say that I believe that it is okay to pray for others in tongues if the tongues are not intended for the person's benefit. The person prayed for does not need to understand everything that is being said because people are praying to God to hear and not others. However, that being said, some prayer in understood english should be done as well for the sake of edifying the person as well, since prayer in known language does edify the person being prayed for as well as pray to God.

I tihnk often people have the misconception that a tongue always has to have interpretation to be valid and biblical. Not at all. Paul himself said that the person is edified when they speak in a tongue; nowhere does he prohibit tongues though. In 1 Cor.14 he says that if there is no interpretation a person is to sit down and speak (natural reading: in tongues) to themeselves. Nowhere does he say he was wrong to speak and not have an interpretation (how could he know) and in saying he could speak to himself, Paul implies that a tongue can be used biblically without interpretation.

Remember the context of 1 Corinthians - "in the church" as Paul says several times in ch.12-14. He is speaking of a specific setting where tongues are used for the edificatoin of the church. Now when a tongue is intended for the church, it should be interpreted. In it is for the church and no-one understands it is unloving and confusing and separates the church into the tongues-speakers and non-speakers. But not all tongues are for the church. Paul used them all the time, and he never rebuked the fact that tongues-speakers would edify themselves when speaking in tongues, even though they do not understand what they are saying. That means whenever you use tongues in a way that is not intended for the church's edification, you can use it, e.g. praying in tongues during individual worship, singing in tongues during corporate worship (it's directed to God, not to others), praying corporately in tongues (each person is praying between them and God, not to each other).

What should not be done is if several people have a message in tongues for the church and they all speak all at once and no-one interprets. It is a selfish and unwise, immature use of tongues. And this is what Paul is really getting at - tongues and any other spiritual gift in the church has to be for the church's edification, to be an expression of love to your fellow brother or sister in Christ, be it tongues or prophecy.

That is how I see it. Any thoughts on this?

RF <><

 

[rapturefish]

I'll add to that last post - I believe that corporate prayer in tongues is fine, but prayer in a language everyone can get is also a good idea - Paul himself said that when one prays their spirit prays but their mind is unfruitful, so pray with the spirit and with the mind; sing with the spirit and with the mind. I think that at some point someone should pray in a known language when everyone is praying corporately in tongues. Although this could apply to singing as well (and I believe it should), the fact is I find singing in the Spirit quite worshipful even without known words. But adding edifying words to it will edify everyone that much more.

I'm sure some outsiders will find the corporate tongues prayer a little getting used to. But it's better if someone prays in english somewhere in that process.

blessings,


RF <><

 

[theywhosowintears]

I think that if you are praying in tongues in a group that is fine...if you are speaking in tongues as a form of prophecy then it needs to be interpreted.

2 completely different circumstances...

 

[Wigglesworth]

Tongues W/O interpretation edifies the person speaking... Paul clearly outlines that. So corporate tongues would have no corporate benefit...

Everyone who prays benefits. This is a corporate benefit, just as if everyone in the church individually got a $100 gift and gave a $10 tithe from it to the church offering.

Also one thing that I see many times are people praying for someone in tongues... Who is that edifying according to Paul...? ...

Someone praying for another needs to be edified, and needs to hear from the Holy Spirit about how to deal with the prayer request.

An important point to remember is that we shouldn't do anything to cause confusion. In most of the cases I've seen when people prayed in other tongues, it was done when the others around them knew what was going on. Confusion wasn't a problem.

If ten different individuals in a row took the pulpit and delivered a word to the assembly in another tongue without interpretation, that would be confusion.

 

[John 10:10]

Rapturefish,

I believe the reason you got so little response is because the Pentecostal Church has so little experience with corporate prayer where everyone prays at the same time, whether the corporate prayer is in a known lauguage or in tongues.

Most prayer is done singularly, while everyone else either listens or trys to pray along with the person praying.

Corporate prayer where everyone prays and intercedes together to God can be and in fact is very powerful prayer, and should not be discarded as confusion.

Blessings

 

[~RENEE~]

Rapturefish,

Corporate prayer where everyone prays and intercedes together to God can be and in fact is very powerful prayer, and should not be discarded as confusion.

Blessings

 

[theywhosowintears]

One common thing I read on forums when it comes to Pentecostals is the practice of praying corporately in tongues, without interpretation. To non-P/Cs it seems to go against what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12-14 when he says not to speak in tongues without interpretation because it confuses people and they are not edified.

I'm wondering how Pentecostals see this practice in light of 1 Corinthians and what Paul says.

In the light of what...oh ok I don;t need to read a particular verse to see it in teh light. The bible says that tongues do not edify the mind (we dont understand them with our brains) so we should pray in tongues and also pray to be understood.

easy as 1 2 3.

 

[rapturefish]

Rapturefish,

I believe the reason you got so little response is because the Pentecostal Church has so little experience with corporate prayer where everyone prays at the same time, whether the corporate prayer is in a known lauguage or in tongues.

Most prayer is done singularly, while everyone else either listens or trys to pray along with the person praying.

Corporate prayer where everyone prays and intercedes together to God can be and in fact is very powerful prayer, and should not be discarded as confusion.

Blessings

Really!? That's an education for me.

Of the churches I've been to of a P/C persuasion, one would pray corporately at the same time in tongues or no tongues. Another two would do likewise sometimes, and on occasion would do so only in tongues all at the same time in a small group of leaders or in a prayer meeting. The other churches would have people pray in tongues but only more quietly and not aloud when in a group.

I do agree that as long as there is no confusion as to what is going on, then it should be fine.

blessings,

RF <><

 

[brotherjim]

One common thing I read on forums when it comes to Pentecostals is the practice of praying corporately in tongues, without interpretation. To non-P/Cs it seems to go against what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12-14 when he says not to speak in tongues without interpretation because it confuses people and they are not edified.

I'm wondering how Pentecostals see this practice in light of 1 Corinthians and what Paul says.

Excellent point, rf.

Truly, there is so much poor teaching among char/pent. concerning the things of charismata.

I believe if you will check the passages you refer to, rf, you will find it pertains to individuals speaking in tongues, not a corporate exercise. (When it says "let it be by two or three," it is referring of course to a total of two or three tongues + interp., and each one one at a time.)

And while true in what you say that it may be confusing to unbelievers, if in the intimate setting of a local church service, for the sake of any visitors/unbelievers present, the pastor afterwards explains what just happened, there can be some very beautiful and edifying-for-all experiences concerning corporate tongues.

Many times during my quarter century as a charismatic, have I been in a local service where during praise and worship, innumerable tongue speakers went off into a praise--usually monotone of sorts--corporately in tongues, and it was as if we were all transported to Heaven for a moment and were listening to the Heavenly angels worshipping before the throne. In fact, on some charismatic praise and worship cd's, it is not uncommon for such a thing to happen at the tail end of a song or during an instrumental part. Glory!

Let us not put God in a box, especially when we make His written Holy Word to have a broader--or narrower--application than what was intended.

Let us also know, Truth and Christian doctrine is intended to be based upon two or three "witnesses," just one of which is the written Word--allbeit a holy and, in my opinion, inerrant one.

On the other hand, what is unholy is when a church leader control-type freak and egomaniac has everyone pray out loud in tongues, as if such, what is really an ostentacious display and stench in God's nostrils, proves to everyone, God and themselves, that they are allegedly walking in, and filled with, the Spirit, and therefore are somehow validated by the act. Sorry to say, truly. "God resists the proud. . . ."

It's all about motive; it's all about Love (more or less {-_-} ).

brotherjim@mail.com


(Sorry, whoever, if applicable: I did not read any posts after the first--if such is somehow pertinent to anything I posted above.)


[Edit+: what I was referring to, for those who have never experienced it, would be classified a singing in tongues rather than a praying per se, and is similar in witness to something along the lines of a Gregorian chant in Latin or the like--how's that for noncomittal jargon? {-_-} John 2:23-25.]

 

[SavedByGrace3]

If everyone is doing it in unison... it is fine. The whole point was to not distrub the service with a bunch of tongues messages without interpretation. If everyone is praying in unison, then the service is not being distrubed.
No problem.

 

[Br_Rhoades]

One common thing I read on forums when it comes to Pentecostals is the practice of praying corporately in tongues, without interpretation. To non-P/Cs it seems to go against what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12-14 when he says not to speak in tongues without interpretation because it confuses people and they are not edified.

I'm wondering how Pentecostals see this practice in light of 1 Corinthians and what Paul says.

The text in question is talking about the Gifts of the Holy Ghost and not the corporate praise and worship. When I first experienced ‘Pentecostal’ church my context was as a cradle Roman Catholic that was a long way from my last mass or confession. I had never been in a protestant church before in my life but my confusion was based more on the lack of holy water at the door than the activity of the people. You know the love of God was so thick that I had no confusion whatsoever about the service, the Holy Ghost was kind and loving to us. Come to think about it on the day of Pentecost only the ‘religious’ nit pickers were confused about what was going on. So would that mean that Jesus is a stepping stone for some and a stumbling block for others?