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GIFT OF INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES

…and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

—1 CORINTHIANS 12:10

The gift of interpretation of tongues is a supernatural ability by the Spirit to interpret in the native tongue what is uttered in other languages not known by the one who interprets. This is not translating a language but a supernatural interpretation of what the Spirit is saying through an unknown tongue. If someone is bilingual and can speak English and Spanish, they don’t necessarily possess this gift. Keep in mind that there are those who possess a natural gift or ability to learn a foreign language. But God speaks through the supernatural gift of interpretation of tongues.

Notice the gift is an interpretation, not a translation. Have you ever heard someone give a long message in tongues and when the interpretation came it seemed much shorter? A translation would be word for word what was spoken. To interpret means to paraphrase the meaning. In other words, if I am hearing an unknown tongue spoken, God will then give me an interpretation to sum up the prophetic message. That is why a message in tongues can be long while the interpretation can be much shorter.

I don’t speak any language other than English. If I overheard someone speaking in a foreign language, I would have no clue what they were saying. However, if I heard someone speaking by the gift of tongues and I was walking by the Spirit, the gift of interpretation would give me pieces of what was said and I would give a summation in known tongues of what God was saying in unknown tongues.

If someone speaks in tongues in the church, there absolutely has to be someone there to interpret or they need to be silent. In the church of Corinth, those who were speaking in tongues were told to have no more than one individual speaking in tongues and one interpreter translating at a time. If there were many people in the church speaking in tongues at the same time, there would be confusion in the atmosphere, and we know that the Lord is not the author of confusion; He is the God of order (1 Cor. 14:33). It is not edifying to the church to have several speaking in tongues at the same time with no one to interpret.

Let me be clear that there is nothing wrong with believers speaking in tongues that build themselves up in their faith, but when someone bursts out with tongues and doesn’t bring forth interpretation then they are clearly violating biblical and spiritual protocols. Biblically, tongues are a sign for unbelievers and not for the church. Paul writes, “In the Law it is written: ‘With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.’ Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers” (1 Cor. 14:21-22).

I love how the apostle quotes Isaiah 28:11-12, where the prophet Isaiah declares, “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” (KJV). Clearly, here in the Old Testament the gift of tongues is that of a known language as a witness to unbelievers, and Paul makes his point with this quote. The apostle Paul goes on to make sure of the purpose of spiritual gifts and how they should operate. He makes clear that believers should not elevate one gift over another but esteem each as necessary for the completeness of the kingdom.

A believer with the gift of interpretation of tongues can understand what a tongues speaker is saying even though he does not know the language being spoken. The tongues interpreter possessing this vocal gift of the Holy Spirit then communicates the message of the tongues speaker. God wants to speak to us through this gift, and we can hear God through the interpretation of God’s prophetic word.