What at tongues? Are they for today? What are they for and how are they to be used? Our continuing series on the gifts of the spirit.

1. Excelling
1 Corinthians 14:1-12

2. You don’t get
there by yourself
Post turtle
Pole vaulters
Businesses
Education

3. Key Verse
1 Corinthians 14:12…Even
so you, since you are
zealous for spiritual gifts,
let it be for the edification
of the church that you seek
to excel.

4. Does this edify the
whole church?
1. The needs of the
lost who are
present
(salvation)
1. The needs of the
believers who are
present
(edification)

5. Background
Tongues
Interpretation
Prophecy

6. The
beginning
• The disciples are
hiding
• Jesus appears on
Sunday evening
after his
resurrection
• The disciples
believe in him

7. The beginning (continued)
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the
Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had
said this, He breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”
John 20:22
Belief in Jesus
Received Holy Spirit

8. Notice the order
Ephesians 1:13–14a…In Him, you also, after listening to
the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—
having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the
Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our
inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s
own possession…

9. Notice the order
(continued)
• Gospel message
• Belief
• Sealed with Holy Spirit
• Promise of Heaven

10. Put another
way
2 Corinthians 1:21–22..Now He
who establishes us with you in
Christ and anointed us is God, who
also sealed us and gave us the
Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
• Established IN Christ
• Anointed
• Filled

11. There is more!
[Jesus] commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but
to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He
said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with
water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not
many days from now…but you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My
witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 1:4,5,8

12. The Physical manifestation
Acts 2:1–4…When the day of Pentecost had come, they
were all together in one place. And suddenly there
came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind,
and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire
distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of
them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was
giving them utterance.

13. Normal
Acts 8:17 …laying hands on them they received the
Holy Spirit
Acts 9:17 …be filled with the Holy Spirit..
Acts 10:6 …they spoke with tongues
Acts 11:15 …and the Holy Spirit fell on them…
Acts 13:52 …filled with joy and the Holy Spirit…
Acts 19:6 …They spoke with tongues and prophesied

14. It’s for you
Acts 2:38–39…Repent, and each
of you be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins; and you
will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. For the promise is for you
and your children and for all who
are far off, as many as the Lord
our God will call to Himself.

15. Tongues
The gift of tongues is the special
ability that God gives to certain
members of the Body of Christ
(1) to speak to God in a language
they have never learned and/or
(2) to receive and communicate an
immediate message from God
to His people through a divinely
anointed utterance in a
language they have never
learned

16. Interpretation
of Tongues
The gift of interpretation of
tongues is the special ability that
God gives to certain members of
the Body of Christ to make
known in the language of the
hearers the message of one who
speaks in tongues.

17. Back to 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 14:1–5…Pursue love, yet desire earnestly
spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For
one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but
to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he
speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to
men for edification and exhortation and consolation.
One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one
who prophesies edifies the church.

18. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even
more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who
prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he
interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.

19. Commands
Pursue love
Desire spiritual gifts
Edify the Church

20. Tongues
• Speaks to God, a private
conversation.
• Not a means of
communication but intimate
fellowship.
• Edifies the speaker

21. Prophecy
The gift of prophecy is the special
ability that God gives to certain
members of the Body of Christ to
receive and communicate an
immediate message of God to His
people through a divinely anointed
utterance.

22. New
Testament
Prophecy
Foretelling- predictive
Forthtelling- warning
Proclamation of the Gospel
Edification
Exhortation
Comfort

23. Not on par with scripture
Jude 3…Beloved, while I was making every effort to
write you about our common salvation, I felt the
necessity to write to you appealing that you contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed
down to the saints.

24. Tongues and Prophecy
Paul’s desire is for
everyone to have an
utterance
In context of a worship
service
Prophecy is better
Tongues need an
interpretation
The church must be
edified!

25. Utterances
in Worship
Services
1 Corinthians 14:26b…When you assemble,
each one has a psalm, has a
teaching, has a revelation, has a
tongue, has an interpretation. Let all
things be done for edification.
Colossians 3:16…Let the word of Christ
richly dwell within you, with all
wisdom teaching and admonishing
one another with psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with
thankfulness in your hearts to God.

26. 1 Corinthians 14:6–12
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in
tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you
either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of
prophecy or of teaching? 7 Yet even lifeless things,
either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do
not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be
known what is played on the flute or on the harp? 8 For
if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will
prepare himself for battle?

27. 9 So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that
is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you
will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, perhaps, a
great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind
is without meaning. 11 If then I do not know the meaning
of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a
barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian
to me. 12 So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual
gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.

28. Tongues doesn’t edify the body but
…if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I
speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of
prophecy or of teaching?
Revelation
Knowledge
Prophecy
Teaching

29. We are called to harmony

30. We are called to harmony

31. Needs to be clear
Flute and harp-knowing
Bugle-preparing

32. Impressions
matter
If then I do not know the
meaning of the language, I will
be to the one who speaks a
barbarian, and the one who
speaks will be a barbarian to me.

33. Not do
away with
tongues
So also you, since you are
zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to
abound for the edification of the
church.

34. What
edifies?
Prophecy and Exhortation
Tongues with interpretation
Administration and Leadership gifts
Service and Helps
Hospitality and Mercy
Teaching and intercession
The list goes on!

35. This is who
we are

36. What is your gift?
How can I use it to edify?
Am I using what God gave me?

37. Excelling
1 Corinthians 14:1-12