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“Tip Of The Tongue”
Categories: CHARISMATIC/PENTECOSTAL, RELIGIONSHello. I have a question that deals with the interpretation of tongues. So here it is; I’m going to explain it the best that I can. Can a person that speaks in tongues be his own interpreter? There has been some confusion between my mother and I about this subject. It states in the Bible that there has to be an interpreter, but it doesn’t really explain past that (or if there are any restrictions on who it can be). Hopefully, you can be of some assistance. Thank you.Sincerely,
Seeking A Translator
Dear Seeking A Translator,
The problem with answering your question is that the modern practice of speaking in tongues is nothing like the Bible account of the topic. Speaking in tongues was a miraculous gift that allowed a person to speak in other actual languages (such as German, French, etc. – see a list of some of the languages in Acts 2:6-11). The modern teaching of speaking in tongues has people speaking in “hidden” or “spiritual” languages that have no bearing on society. Speaking in tongues was a tool God gave to the first century christians to help spread the gospel to people of many cultures without facing the language barrier – it wasn’t for the church’s edification; it was for evangelism (1 Cor 14:22). Modern speaking in tongues is exactly the opposite.
Furthermore, speaking in tongues was a gift from the Holy Spirit. The way that people received those gifts was through an apostle laying his hands on them (Acts 8:17-18). Since it took an apostle to convey the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gifts would cease with the death of the last person that the last living apostle laid his hands on. In fact, God promised that this would happen. Paul says that spiritual gifts would eventually perish once God had given us the complete and perfect Bible (1 Cor 13:8-9 – read more on this subject in “Gifts That Stop Giving”). So when you ask if you need an interpreter, we are hard-pressed to give an answer for an issue that is no longer applicable within the Lord’s church.
