Category: INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES

DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, DIVERS KINDS OF TONGUES, FAITH (THE GOD KIND OF FAITH), INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES, Kingdom Thought, PROPHECY, The Great Commission, UTTERANCE

THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES

| THOMAS HART CLEMENTS

How does one interpret Tongues? This is the question that I hear most often about Speaking in Tongues.

Tongues, for our purposes here has its first mention in the book of Mark, reading:

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; (Mark 16:17)

If you are a believer, you should be speaking in Tongues.

The second mention of Tongues is in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2.

 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)

Speaking in Other Tongues is introduced to the 120 visitors to that Upper Room meeting that day. Those gathered there were from different areas and spoke different languages (tongues). They heard their languages as being spoken by those who did not know their language (vs 5-11).

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? (Vs 12)

Peter said to them:

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

 And on my servants and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: (Acts 2:16-18)

The essence of the pouring out of the Spirit of God is Tongues. He pours it out incessantly (Acts 2:33). Visions, Dreams, Anointing, Light, Revelation, Faith, Prophecy, Power, Healing, Deliverance, Wisdom, Shalom and much more are the by-production of this “Living Water” (John 7:38).

God works by His Word (John 1:1-4). The purest form of His Word is Tongues or as He is commonly called, Unknown Tongues.

The primary use of Tongues equates to Him proclaiming those things which He decrees through His Mouthpiece; His Body, the Church even the Church Members (The Saints).

These transactions are meant to be done in private. Even when “Speaking in Tongues” happens in the church building during the Assembly it should occur in “ones own space”.

Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. (1 Corinthians 14:19)

The Bible tell us that when Speaking in Tongues in the “open” Assembly there is to be the “Interpretation of Tongues”.

The Bible says this:

If any man speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. (1Corinthians 14:27-28)

Tongues (divers kinds of Tongues with the word divers being added by the translator) with Interpretation of Tongues is equal to Prophecy. These Spoken Manifestations are given for the edification (building up), exhortation (encouraging) and comfort of the Local Assembly.  

One simple thing to remember is that when Tongues or Divers Kinds of Tongues with the Interpretation of Tongues happens GOD IS ALWAYS IN THE ROOM.

God is in the room giving the Utterance when meditational Prayer in the Spirit or when Ministerial Tongues with Interpretation happens.

HE IS GIVING THE UTTERANCE. We, His Body are a co-laborer. His Spirit works through our spirit with the natural tongue being the mechanical part or necessary apparatus for the execution. HE GIVES THE INTERPRETATION.

We do well to keep our minds (souls) out of this Spiritual/spiritual transaction.   

DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, DIVERS KINDS OF TONGUES, FAITH (THE GOD KIND OF FAITH), INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES, Spiritual Growth, THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, THE WORD OF WISDOM, WORKING OF MIRACLES

THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS

| THOMAS HART CLEMENTS

THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS                                                         

(The manifestations of the Spirit)

The Spiritual Gifts or “manifestation of the Spirit” is still an enigmatic concept or phenomenon in the Church. The simplest way that I know to describe it is that it is God doing what He wants to do when He wants to do it; “as He will”.

The activities are not controlled by the believer nor is the time or place of the manifestation. They are not gifting that are vested to any individual human. When God wants to move or interact in with created man, He does so.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits;

to another Divers Kinds of Tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. (1 Corinthians 12:4–10)

First Corinthians 12 presents The Spiritual Gifts. The Lord controls them working together with the believer. Philippians 2:13 comes to mind, reading “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

The above text uses several terms to describe the manifestations of the Holy Spirit i.e., diversities, administrations and operations. The Spiritual Gifts in operation are presented in many ways as God (“the same Spirit, the same Lord and the same God”) works through His Body the Church.

It is through the Spiritual Gifts that the Body of believers, i. e. the Church is edified, exhorted and comforted (1 Corinthians 14:3) and the work assigned to Her by Christ is completed.

The Nine Spiritual Gifts may be divided into sets of three. The Revelation Gifts reveal something, the Power Gifts do something, and the Inspiration Gifts say something.

The Word of Wisdom is the first of the Revelation Gifts. The Word of Wisdom is not that wisdom derived from knowledge or experience or perhaps age. A future event that God reveals to man prophetically is A Word of Wisdom.

This is a Word of Wisdom:

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

“By the word of the Lord”. The coming event that he is speaking of is the rapture of the Church.

A Word of Wisdom may be given in a dream, vision or spoken directly into the spirit of an individual.

The Word of Knowledge is the second of the Revelation Gifts. It is revelation given by Holy Spirit of an existing fact where there is no natural way for it to be known to the believer.

 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.

He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming into him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, what is it, Lord? And he said unto him, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

He lodges with one Simon a tanner; whose house is by the seaside: he shall tell thee what thou should to do. (Acts 10:1-6)

Here, by The Word of Knowledge the Lord reveals to Cornelius the name and location of the Apostle Peter who would be summoned to come to his home to pray for his household.

Once I had a dream about one of the ladies in our church. In the dream the lady’s name was called three times. I knew in my heart that there was some distress involved and we contacted the lady the next day.

When we reached her, we discovered that she was out of cash and had no way to get food for herself and her children. We took her shopping and gave her some cash for her pocket.

The Lord didn’t give us details, but by A Word of Knowledge, we knew that there was something wrong and that we were to help. Reflecting further about the dream and considering the symbols used by God, I today have an even greater appreciation of the love that God had at the time for His daughter and has now for His servants.

The third Revelation Gift is The Discerning of Spirits. This operation of the Holy Spirit opens a window to the invisible world for the believer to look through. Supernaturally and miraculously, the believer is availed of transactions of another dimension. A revelation about Discerning of Spirits could appear as a vision, a trance, or in a dream.

This example of the gift of Discerning of Spirits is found in the book of Acts:

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, these men are the servants of the Most-High God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. (Acts 16:16–18)

The invisible person behind the actions of the damsel had been revealed to Paul by Holy Spirit. Ephesians chapter six tells us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). The Holy Spirit could name one or more of these unseen bad guys if you were to meet them. The Discerning the Spirits.

The first of the Power Gifts of the Spirit is The Gift of Faith. The Gift of Faith is to be distinguished from “The Measure of Faith” (Romans 12:3) and “Saving Faith” of Romans 10:17 (“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”).

The Gift of Faith transcends the faith referenced in Mark 11:22–26 which is the faith to remove mountains. The Gift of Faith is sometimes referred to as Special Faith or “The God Kind of Faith”. Like all the Gifts of the Spirit, the Gift of Faith is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit. It is an operation of the Holy Spirit administered by The Holy Spirit. The believer need only co-labor with God to the extent of being yielding and willing.

The Gift of Faith brings an individual’s level of faith to that of the Divine by the operation of God. The fulfillment of blessings and curses, alterations, creations, destructions, removals, and even the raising of the dead are manifested by this Gift. There is no limitation where the Gift of Faith is present just as “In God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).

 Here is an example of the Spiritual Gift of Faith, Paul raising Eutychus form the dead:

And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he left.

And they brought the young man alive and were not a little comforted. (Acts 20:9-12)

The second of the Power Gifts is The Working of Miracles. It can be defined as the supernatural manifestation of the power of God that alters, suspends, or in some other way controls the laws of nature.

Paul restores Eutychus to life and shakes off a deadly viper from this hand with no ill effect in Acts 20 and Acts 28 respectively. These are just two of the miracles documented in the Book of Acts.

The third Power Gift is The Gift of Healings.

In the Acts of the Apostles there is Peter’s healing of the lame man at the gate Beautiful (Acts 3:1–11) and Eneas of a palsy, recorded in Acts 9. as well as other miracles which he worked.

Paul healed a cripple in Lystra (Acts 14:8–10). “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19:11–12).

The Inspiration Gifts are for ministry. They are for the exhortation, edification, and comfort of the Church. The first of the Gifts of Inspiration is the Gift of Prophecy. Strong’s Concordance describes prophecy as “a discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; esp. by foretelling future events.”

The first of the Inspiration Gifts is The Gift of Prophecy. The Gift of Prophecy is a direct communication of edification, exhortation, and comfort by the manifestation of God co-laboring with a believer. “But he that prophesies speak unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3). It is the simplest form of inspired utterance in a known language.

In the book Ever Increasing Faith, Smith Wigglesworth says this:

We see also that he that prophesies speak unto man to edification and exhortation and comfort. How important it is then that we should have this gift in manifestation in the Church in order that the saints might be built up and made strong and filled with the comfort of God. But with this as all other gifts we should see that it is operated by the Spirit’s power and brought forth in the unction of the Spirit; so that everyone who shall hear prophecy, as it is brought forth by the Spirit of God, shall know that it is GOD who is bringing forth that which for the edification of those who hear. It is the Spirit of God who takes of the deep things of God and reveals them, and unctionizes the prophet to give forth, that which is a revelation of the things of God.

Utterance in prophecy has a real lifting power and gives real light on the truth to those who hear. Prophecy is never a mind reflection; it is something far deeper than this. By prophecy we receive that which is the mind of the Lord; and as we receive these blessed, fresh utterances through the Spirit of the Lord the whole assembly is lifted into the realm of the spiritual. Our hearts and minds and whole bodies receive a quickening through the Spirit-given word. As the Spirit brings forth prophecy, we find there is healing and salvation and power in every line. For this reason, it is one of the gifts that we ought to covet.

An example of the Gift of Prophecy from the Book of Acts is found inserted below. Paul is warned against going to Jerusalem:

And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.

And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owns this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. (Acts 21:10-12)

The second of The Inspirational Gifts is Divers Kinds of Tongues. “To another, Divers Kinds of Tongues”. The original Greek text did not include the word “divers.” The translators added it. “Kinds of tongues” is how it reads with the distinct connotation of diversity meaning of different nations.

The word “Divers” is italicized in the KJV indicating that it was not in the original text but was added by the translator for clarity and emphasis. The connotation in Strong’s Concordance points to its meaning “varying ethnics or languages”.

Divers kinds of tongues are supernatural utterances of God through the spirit of a believer in a language that is unlearned by and unknown to the believing speaker.

The tongues that were spoken at Pentecost were Divers Kinds of Tongues. The Pentecost outpouring of Tongues was dual purposed; it was ministry to unbelievers and power for ministry to the believers.

Divers kinds of tongues are for public ministry. Acts 2 offers a demonstration of believers speaking a language that they didn’t understand but that was understood by some of those who were standing by. “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2: 4).

Following shortly the above passage:

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, “Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? (Acts 2:5-7)

The Interpretation of Tongues is the companion gift to Divers Kinds of Tongues. Generally, when Tongues are uttered in the Assembly the Interpretation of Tongues should go with them. Paul says this:

If any man speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. (1 Corinthians 4:27)

Interpretation of Tongues is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. What was said in Tongues is not only the utterance of the Holy Spirit, but the interpretation is also given by the Holy Spirit. Whenever there is a recitation of Tongues in the open Assembly there should be either interpretation or judging by the presiding leader.

The operation of the Spiritual Gifts represents a crucial step in the Spiritual Growth of The Church (The Local Assembly). Fulfilling The Great Commission absent the Spiritual Gifts is substantially severely hampered.

SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS THE DOORWAY TO THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS!

 

 

 

DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, DIVERS KINDS OF TONGUES, FAITH (THE GOD KIND OF FAITH), INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES, Kingdom Business, PROPHECY, Spiritual Growth, The End Time Church, THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, THE WORD OF WISDOM, Uncategorized, WORKING OF MIRACLES

THE FRAGRANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

| THOMAS HART CLEMENTS

I have noticed lately that there is a fair amount of discussion about a fragrance, a very pleasant fragrance, being experience by folks usually of the Christian variety. The stories range from false alarm accounts where what the person was smelling a timed released deodorizer in the bathroom to clear bona fide occasions where intense worship, prayer, fasting or otherwise seeking the Face of the Lord had taken place.

A few months ago, I met with a friend to share with him some things that the Lord had shown me about ten years ago having to do with God’s purpose for him. The dynamics of the meeting were very powerful as it was led by the Holy Spirit. The interesting thing is that I kept sensing this fragrance. This Fragrance is not natural but is Supernatural.

The Fragrance was very strong, (though not unpleasant) and because I didn’t know at the time what (Who) it was I thought that it was the deodorant that I had recently began to use. I hadn’t had a deodorant before that carried such a strong scent and didn’t want to walk around smelling like that. It seemed pretty strong!

I added deodorant to my Costco shopping list and I thought that that would be that. But “that wasn’t that” and I still experienced the Fragrance. Then, as now, about two or three times a day He reminds me of His presence with a gentle spray of a sweet and for me unidentifiable and undeniable scent. It is as if I am surrounded with It as It falls upon me afresh. I know it is His way of reminding me of His promise of when he said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

I wish that I could say to you that the Fragrance of the Holy Spirit is like this or like that, but I just don’t have a frame of reference that I can point to. I am comfortable saying that if you know yourself to be called of The Most High and are earnestly willing and obedient, it may be that His Enabling Power has come close to you and is even as “The Spirit Upon“ for Kingdom Service (such as The Spiritual Gifts) whenever and wherever needed.

Just last week, I enjoyed this lovely Fragrance while in Sunday’s service. It was delightful and plentiful as it filled the Sanctuary. So much so that I asked one of the Saints that was sitting near me if she could smell it. She looked at me as if to say, “what planet did you just drop in from?”

I now sense the Fragrance often when just walking by people or just walking down the street when no one is in sight. Even when a car goes by. The other day I went to the Food Lion to get a loaf of Rye bread for sandwiches. As I headed to the checkout stand I sense the Fragrance as I walked by a nice lady. I walked down a little ways, and decided to go back to for a quick encounter of the Holy Ghost sort.

I told her that I was aware of a new phenomenon and asked her if she had heard of the “Fragrance of the Holy Ghost”. She gave the kind of response that spoke “well maybe or maybe not”. “Tell me more.”

I was pretty sure that she was in the Church and that she was filled with the Holy Spirit (Word of Knowledge) and she nodded yes when I verified this with her. I shared a little bit about my experience with the Fragrance and even shared a theory.

I told her that I was thinking that perhaps the Fragrance is upon the Angels, gathered on them as they come and go into the presence of God to minister to the Saints or those who shall be heirs of salvation.

We saluted each other with a “Praise the Lord” and I noticed a cheerful look on her face as I headed for the checkout.

The following is from The Book of Enoch:

And there I saw Trees of Judgment, especially vessels of the fragrance of incense and myrrh, and the trees were not alike.

And above it, above these, above the mountains of the east, and not far away, I saw another place, valleys of water, like that which does not fail.

And I saw a beautiful tree, and its fragrance was like that of the mastic.

And by the banks of these valleys I saw fragrant cinnamon. And beyond those valleys I came towards the east.

And I saw another mountain on which there were trees, and there flowed out water, and there flowed out from it, as it were, a nectar whose name is styrax and galbanum.

And beyond this mountain I saw another mountain, and on it there were aloe trees, and those trees were full of a fruit, which is like an almond, and is hard.

And when they take this fruit it is better than any fragrance.

And after these fragrances, to the north, as I looked over the mountains, I saw seven mountains full of fine nard, and fragrant trees of cinnamon and pepper.

And from there, I went over the summits of those mountains, far away to the east, and I went over the Red Sea, and I was far from it, and I went over the Angel Zotiel.

And I came to the Garden of Righteousness, and I saw beyond those trees many large trees growing there, sweet smelling, large, very beautiful and glorious, the Trees of Wisdom, from which they eat and know great wisdom.

And it is like the carob tree, and its fruit is like bunches of grapes on a vine, very beautiful, and the smell of this tree spreads and penetrates afar.

And I said: “This tree is beautiful! How beautiful and pleasing is its appearance!”

The following scriptural passage is beneficial:

And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. (Exodus 30:34-36)