In previous studies, we examined the first two categories; today, we will examine the last, the Speaking Gifts of the Spirit.

 

Understanding the Speaking Gifts: Tongues and Interpretation

 

There are two variations of this gift of the Spirit. First, there is the gift of speaking in different languages, which came when the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost. Three thousand Jews gathered because of a strange noise of rushing wind outside an upper room where 120 men and women, disciples, were praying and waiting on the Lord (Acts 1:12-15). The 120 apostles and disciples came out of the room with what looked like tongues of fire over their heads. Because of their behavior, some in the crowd thought they were drunk (Acts 2:13-15) because they were speaking ecstatically in the gift of tongues as the Spirit of God moved upon them. The 3,000 were among those who had come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost from many nations. As they watched the outpouring and its effects on the 120 believers in Christ, Peter got up to share a message which they all heard in their native language.

 

⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. ⁵Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶And when this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking his own language (Acts 2:4-6).

 

The passage does not clarify whether the 120 were speaking in tongues or whether the Holy Spirit influenced the 3,000 Jews to understand them in their own language. In essence, was the miracle in the 3,000's hearing or in the 120's speaking? Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, tells us that a large crowd gathered from many nations as the disciples came out of the upper room. We read that their testimony was: “And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” (Acts 2:8). Those listening said: “we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:11). Wouldn’t you like to know what was communicated? The 120 apostles and disciples were speaking the wonders and glories of God in languages they had never learned.

 

The other form of the gift of tongues is described by the apostle Paul as a speaking gift that people do not understand, but God hears and understands: “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 14:2). In this expression of the gift of tongues, neither the speaker nor the listeners understand what they are saying, but the speaker is carried along by the Spirit and expressing what is in his heart. Some might ask, what’s the point of speaking in tongues? Paul explains that the person speaking in tongues can strengthen or build up (edify) his spiritual life: “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:4).

 

Paul expressed how highly he valued the gift of tongues, stating he wished everyone could speak in other tongues.

 

I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified (1 Corinthians 14:5).

 

He went further, saying, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.  But in the church, I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:18-19). How could he write that he spoke in tongues more than all of them unless, in his own view, he often spoke in the gift of tongues, possibly in personal prayer?

 

Paul continues to instruct the believers in the Corinthian church to speak in the spiritual gift of tongues (v. 5), but in the context of a house church that early believers attended, he would prefer they prophesy so that non-believers present can understand and be spiritually edified. “Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?” (1 Corinthians 14:6). Paul’s concern is that newcomers to the church will think they are crazy if they speak meaningless, unintelligible language. Paul writes: “So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?” (1 Corinthians 14:23).

 

This leads us to our second speaking gift of the Holy Spirit:

 

The Interpretation of Tongues

 

Paul’s concern for outsiders prompts him to tell the disciples that if a believer speaks in tongues in the church, they should pray for someone in the group to interpret. He writes: ²⁶“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. ²⁷If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret (1 Corinthians 14:26-27). If there is no one to interpret the message in tongues, the speaker should remain silent from that point on. “But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God” (v. 28). We are not talking about a person who is on hand to translate, but a person spiritually gifted who “hears” what the Spirit is saying to the church through an unintelligible gift of tongues.

 

Paul offers some "rules” for powerful Spirit-led moments when believers speak aloud in tongues. He states that no more than two or three should speak in tongues during a single service (1 Corinthians 14:27), and if no one in the meeting has the gift of interpretation, the speaker should remain silent in the church, speaking only to themselves and God (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). His main concern is that the gathering remains focused on strengthening and edifying the believers.

 

The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament

 

In a church or house church setting, why should those gifted in revelatory prophecy be encouraged to share the words they receive from the Holy Spirit? Because a spiritually stuck church can be guided to take practical steps through a prophetic word. In the Book of Acts, mission work in Europe began with a prophetic word at a leader meeting.

 

¹Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul. ²While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:1-3).

 

Someone operating in the gift of prophecy may often recognize individuals whom God is setting apart for His purposes. In this way, the Body of Christ serves one another—by identifying the gifts God has placed in others and, so to speak, fanning those gifts into flame by calling them out. I have personally witnessed this while working with small-group leaders. Many of them did not initially recognize their own gifts until someone else affirmed what, to an outside observer, seemed obvious. Often, all that was needed was a word of encouragement for those gifts to be acknowledged and begin to grow.

 

A prophetic word can provide insight into counseling situations. This is invaluable when people come forward for prayer, and those praying and ministering to them sense past experiences that need to be repented of, confessed, and broken. This gift is especially helpful in a deliverance session where a person is demonized and the enemy has a hold on them through a spiritual bond, sometimes caused by words they spoke to others or by something they did in the past. When the issue is brought into the open through prophetic insight and confessed, it is broken, and the person is set free.

 

Have you ever come away from a meeting feeling that the word spoke directly to you? Have you ever received a word of knowledge or prophecy that addressed a specific need in your life? What was the outcome?

 

Testing Prophetic Words: Why We Weigh What is Said

 

Not every thought that comes into a person’s mind originates with the Holy Spirit. That is why motive and character are so vital—especially when operating in the gift of prophecy. When character is lacking or motives are impure, there is a real danger of attempting to influence or manipulate others under the guise of spiritual authority.

 

Scripture teaches us that the gift of prophecy is subject to the one who prophesies: “The spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets (1 Corinthians 14:32). This means that people do not go into a trance-like state when they prophesy—we are accountable for the words we speak. At times, people can mistakenly “practice” spiritual gifts by projecting their own issues, opinions, or emotions onto someone else. Pride can also creep in—where a person assumes that because God used them in one moment, they can then speak presumptuously in the next. But the prophetic gift must always remain dependent on the Spirit, not shaped by personal views or fleshly reactions.

 

Even the disciples occasionally misunderstood this. Take the apostle Peter, for example. After Jesus asked them how much they understood about who He is and His mission, Peter boldly proclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus acknowledged his declaration, which was guided by the Spirit, and confirmed that this insight came from the Father. However, shortly afterward, when Jesus explained that He must go to the cross, Peter rebuked Him, saying, “This shall never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22). Brothers and sisters, this shows us that we can speak correctly one moment and be led by the flesh the next if we are not attentive to the Spirit. But this doesn’t mean we should live in fear. Faith often means “stepping out of the boat.” Peter still had much to learn, but if you are unwilling to step out of the secure place with your feet firmly on the bottom of the boat, you’ll find it hard to hear the Lord tell you to place your foot on water and walk in faith. Peter was the only one willing to step out of the boat of security onto the water.

 

In my opinion, the gift of prophecy Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 differs from Old Testament prophecy. Prophetic speech in the Old Testament carried a warning for the speaker:

 

²⁰But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” ²¹You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” ²²If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

 

The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament can be wrong; otherwise, why would Paul instruct them to judge the words spoken in the church? Here is what Paul wrote about those who share words they believe are inspired by the Holy Spirit:

 

²⁹Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. ³⁰And if a revelation comes to someone who is seated, the first speaker should stop. ³¹For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. ³²The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. ³³For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace—as in all the churches of the saints (1 Corinthians 14:29-33).

 

What might have been on Paul’s mind when he wrote this? Even well-known prophets in the Old Testament sometimes got it wrong. For instance, when the Lord told Samuel the prophet to go to the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite to anoint one of his sons as the new king, his first impression was incorrect. When he saw the height and build of the eldest, Eliab, he assumed that the tallest and oldest was the one chosen by God. Here’s the text:

 

⁶When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.” ⁷But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart” (1 Samuel 16:6-7).

 

Nathan the prophet also got it wrong when King David said it was on his heart to build a temple for the Lord. Nathan thought he had the mind and heart of God and gave David what he thought was God’s approval, only to find out it was completely wrong. Again, here’s the text:

 

And Nathan said to David, ‘Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you” (1 Chronicles 17:2).

 

Later that evening, God spoke to Nathan, telling him that David’s son would build a temple. Let’s give one more incorrect prophecy, this time from the New Testament. Scripture tells us that God used a prophet named Agabus to speak to Paul the Apostle during his journey to Jerusalem's temple.

 

¹⁰After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’” ¹²When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-12).

 

When we look closely at what happened to the apostle Paul, we see that it was not the Jews who bound him, but the Romans. The Jews sought to kill him, yet because Paul was a Roman citizen, the Roman authorities took him into custody to protect him and investigate the situation (Acts 21:33). This helps us understand an important principle: prophetic words are meant to be weighed and tested. They must be examined under the light of Scripture, confirmed by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, and discerned with the counsel of trusted leaders within the church. In this instance, Paul took the warning seriously, yet he still obeyed the Lord and went to Jerusalem. The prophecy was accurate in part, but not precise in every detail. Still, it may have accomplished its purpose by preparing Paul for what lay ahead. Paul weighed the word carefully and then discerned what God was calling him to do. We, too, must weigh carefully the prophetic words given to us and be guided not by the words we receive, but by the Spirit who lives within the believer in Christ.

 

Paul deeply valued the gift of prophecy, yet he also warned the Corinthian church about the misuse of the gifts and the danger of spiritual pride. God does not give useless gifts. He gives them so that we may build one another up, not to make ourselves seem more spiritual than we are. Paul writes that the gifts of the Spirit are given for the strengthening of the church.

 

³¹For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, ³²and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. ³³For God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:31-33).

 

The problem is that we try to understand what the Spirit is saying, but we don’t always get it right. If we are all encouraged to prophesy in the church, and unless we are well established and recognized as having the office of a prophet (Ephesians 4:11-12), we should follow the well-established guidelines of prophecy by Paul: “On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (1 Corinthians 14:3). If someone feels moved by the Spirit in a Christian meeting, they should ask themselves before delivering the message: will this word build up the one hearing it? Will it encourage them to continue walking with the Lord? Will it console them in what they are going through?

 

Practicing Spiritual Gifts in the Modern Church

 

This author believes that large Christian gatherings with hundreds of believers using spiritual gifts are impractical for several reasons. One reason is the time it takes for believers to freely share what God is communicating through the gifts. Another is that prophecy must be evaluated:

 

Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said (1 Corinthians 14:29).

 

This evaluation of the prophetic word is difficult to conduct in a meeting with even 100 or more believers. A leader cannot give the floor to everyone in this type of meeting. Many false prophets have gone out into the world and may try to express their own spirits rather than the Holy Spirit. It's important to recall that most early churches met in homes, led by elders who provided guidance and oversight. In this type of structure, oversight would be natural. Smaller meetings, such as home groups or smaller events, make it easier to give room for these types of gifts to operate. There are times when a person with a gift of prophecy may give a word in a large meeting, but smaller groups are better suited to this type of gift for practical reasons. 

 

Embracing the Flow of the Spirit

 

As we conclude this study, remember the tide analogy. You don’t have to manufacture the wind or the waves; the Holy Spirit is already moving. Your role is simply to put your boat in the water. Whether it is a private prayer language that strengthens your inner man, or a prophetic word that offers a "drink of cold water" to a weary soul, these gifts are tools of love. While we must remain wise and "weigh carefully" what is said, let us never allow the fear of making a mistake to lead to the mistake of doing nothing. God is more interested in your heart’s availability than your perfect accuracy. He uses the "small rudders" of our willing voices to steer His Church into deeper waters of revelation and grace.

 

A Final Thought to Carry with You

 

The same Spirit that empowered the 120 apostles and disciples in the Upper Room dwells in believers in Christ today. He wants to speak through you to build up, encourage, and console those around you. When you step out in faith this week, watch for the "fruit"—the lighting up of a face, the peace in a room, or the renewed energy in your own soul. That is the evidence that you are being carried along by the wonderful tide of God’s grace. Finally, let’s give grace to one another as we choose to step out and obey God. His Word is perfect, His timing is perfect, ours is not. He has grace for us, and when our hearts are right, He will still use us even when our delivery is not perfect.

 

Prayer: Father, we need the infilling and power of Your Holy Spirit. Put a strong desire in our hearts, a thirst for the Holy Spirit of God, that You might use us in the days in which we live. Amen!

 

Keith Thomas

 

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