1 Corinthians 14.1-25

SPEAKING IN TONGUES

(1 Corinthians 14.1-25)

This sermon is about "speaking in tongues", which was the subject of Corinthians 14.

Before I go any further, I should perhaps point out that, as far as I know, I have never spoken in tongues and nor have I experience of other people speaking in tongues. Nevertheless, it is an experience which has been rediscovered of late and brought very much to the fore, with the emergence of the so-called "Charismatic Movement" in recent years.

"Speaking in tongues" is a gift of the spirit of God. It is not new. It is as old as the New Testament itself. It was a gift which was certainly practised in the church at Corinth, to which St Paul addresses his remarks in Corinthians 14.

"Speaking in tongues" has been described as the uttering of "words and sounds which are without connection and meaning to those who utter them". It is often the result of ecstasy and frenzy which gives vent to an uncontrollable torrent of sounds in no known language.

Now this probably sounds strange to us who have been brought up in the Anglican tradition of worship, where we are accustomed to structure and order in our worship, with fixed prayers, canticles, hymns and readings, which is very much based upon the Jewish synagogue form of worship. By contrast, the early Gentile church valued spontaneity in worship, and this is a gift which the Charismatic Movement has sought to introduce into the life and worship of the church today.

Whilst Paul was addressing his remarks to a particular group of people at a particular time, what he has to say, can be helpful for us today, in trying to understand and appreciate this experience in the life and worship of the church today.

Let me first of all make some general comments in the light of what Paul has to say.

Paul does not deny the existence of the gift of tongues. In fact, he himself claims to possess the gift. Nevertheless, he does suggest that it can be very much over-rated as a gift. In fact, having stressed the prime importance of the gift of love, in the previous chapter, he goes on to suggest that the gift of prophecy is far more significant than the gift of tongues. In other words, the gift of tongues is not the only criteria one should use to judge whether a person has received the gift of the spirit or not.

Now I must admit that this comes as a tremendous relief since I have often been made to feel very much a "second class" Christian by those who would claim to have the gift. I have been made to feel inadequate in my ministry and to question whether or not I really do believe in the promises of God.

And this is precisely the reason why Paul seeks to play down the prominence that was given to the gift by those who possessed it. Those who had the gift, in the Corinthian Church, were prone to develop a certain degree of personal spiritual superiority over those who did not. On the other hand, those who did not possess it became jealous, and wanted it as a sign not only of divine approval, but of approval of those who possessed it. In other words, it had become the seedbed for disharmony in the life of the church at Corinth in the same way as it often causes disharmony in the church today.

Paul does not try and suppress its practice. Recalling his own experience of the gift, and that of others, Paul acknowledges its existence as being a gift from God but, at the same time, seeks to play it down as not being the "be all" and "end all" of Christian experience.

In fact, St Paul goes further and suggests that the exercise of the gift of tongues has severe limitations.

Firstly, speaking in tongues is unintelligible both to the speaker and those present. At the end of the day "If anyone speaks in tongues", he writes, "he is talking with God, not with men and women: no one understands him, for he speaks divine mysteries in the Spirit". (1 Cor. 14.2).

In other words, whilst it may be helpful to the person who has the gift, as a means of strengthening their relationship with God, it is not helpful to others, because no one else can understand what they are saying unless an interpreter is present. In short, it is a selfish pursuit, when exercised in the context of public worship, since it can only benefit the person speaking and no one else. This is contrary to the purpose of public worship which seeks to offer common prayer and praise to God.

Secondly, speaking in tongues can lead to confusion since it fails to communicate to others. "Suppose, my friends", says St Paul, "that when I come to you I speak in tongues: what good shall I do unless what I say contains something by way of revelation, or enlightenment, or prophecy or instruction?" (1 Cor.14.6)

He goes on to give a couple of illustrations of what he means.

Speaking in tongues is rather like members of an orchestra playing what they would like with no reference to the conductor or the music in front of them. "Even with inanimate things that produce sounds - a flute, say or a lyre - unless their notes are distinct, how can you tell what tune is being played?" (1 Cor. 14.7)

In other words, all you would hear would be a noise and you would be unable to pick out of it the melody. It would fail to communicate itself to its hearers. In the same way, says St Paul, "if the trumpet call is not clear, who will prepare for battle?" ( 1 Cor. 14.7)

Both these illustrations, of the trumpet call and of musical instruments, reminds us that the purpose of speaking is to communicate with other people. To fail to do so, is just like speaking in French to a person who understands only English.

Thirdly, if speaking.in tongues is unintelligible to the speaker and does not communicate with others, it fails to build up the Christian fellowship.

After all, this is the purpose of the rich variety of gifts of the spirit, which God has given to his people. We all have differing gifts or abilities, not for our own personal enjoyment and fulfilment, but in order to share with others in building up the body of Christ, the church.

So Paul once again, seeking to play down the gift of tongues says: "You are, I know, eager for gifts of the Spirit. Then aspire above all to excel in those which build up the church" (1 Cor.14.12)

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There can be no doubt that the Christian church has been enriched by the insight of the Charismatic Movement. There is no doubt that the cobwebs of the church and its worship needed to be blown away by the spirit of God. There is no doubt that that spirit of God has breathed new life into individuals and communities.

Nevertheless, the practice of the gift of tongues in public worship has certain limitations, as St Paul outlines in his letter to the Christians at Corinth. Firstly, speaking in tongues is unintelligible to the speaker and those present; secondly, speaking in tongues fails to communicate with others; and thirdly, speaking in tongues does not contribute towards building up the corporate life of the Christian Church.

However, the value of the gift of tongues is probably lo be found more in private than corporate prayer. The late David Watson, a prominent leader in the Charismatic Movement until his untimely death, expresses the same opinion in his book, Open to the Spirit,. He remarks that "essentially, the tongues is a private devotional language, a 'love language' if you like. It is a personal and intimate form of communication between the believer and his Lord, when the mind is relaxed, but the spirit is still praising or praying."