A true gift of God is expected to be used according to His revealed will (as described in His word) and purpose for it. Because someone claims to have a gift of the Spirit, does not make it so. And if someone says he has such a gift, and the use of it does not bear evidence of how it is used in the Scriptures, I would be extremely suspect that it is the true gift of the Spirit (for God does not contradict His own word). In like manner, if a false teacher speaks in another language “miraculously”, and the hearer accurately verifies he miraculously spoke to him in a language he understood, that doesn’t match with Scripture either by virtue of the fact that it is coming from a false teacher (to whom God does not give His spiritual gifts. And as I mentioned earlier, as miraculous as something may appear, if it is not clearly supported by the whole of God’s word, it is conterfeit).

v2 of the same chapter; “He who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him”

My brother ,the misuse of God’s gifts by some do not negate His provision.

I grew up in the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. About everytime I seen the “gift of tongues” exercised. It was always contradictory to how Paul laid out the use of it.

1Cor14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1Cor14:38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

Isn’t Paul saying that the true gift would not contradict how Paul said it was to be used?

Paul refers to it’s proper use and misuse in the churches. It doesn’t profit the whole church unless there is an interpreter. Charismatics have taken this to a practice unsupported by the Scriptures. Their use of jibberish, which no one present can testify, therefore no one can say “I know this language, and this is what he is saying”, is not biblical tongues. In the early church, when they worshipped God in an unknown tongue (unknown to the speaker), it wasn’t so God could understand them, but so the people around who did not know the language could understand and worship God. That’s the reason for the interpreter. But if he’s going to get up in his group of Jews, and start speaking Russian, he’s not benefiting the church at all. There’s no need to speak Russian if they were all Jews. The point of tongues isn’t for those who all speak the same language, but for those who don’t. And if they do all speak the same language, Paul says it’s better to prophesy rather than speak tongues. Tongues is a gift to break through the language barrier. The early church were mostly Jews. How else other than through a miraculous gift of tongues can the Gospel spread from Jew to Elamite? From Elamite to Libyan? From Libyan to Roman?

My point about Ernest Angely is, if he claims to have the gift of Tongues, it is a miraculous gift, and he would automatically be speaking what God wanted him to speak in the language of those he was speaking to (as at Pentecost). If I supposedly had such a gift, and God sent me to proclaim the Gospel to, say, some Pacific Islanders for instance, He would give me the gift of speaking their “tongue”, their language. It defeats the whole purpose to speak some jibberish to them that they don’t understand, then have an interpreter to tell them what I was saying to them in their own language, because that would prove I don’t really have the gift of tongues.

It is clear from the Bible that those who know God are to share that knowledge with those who do not know God. Under the Old Covenant, the Jews were supposed to be good examples to Gentiles, and to share their faith with unbelievers. Under the New Covenant, Christians are supposed to do likewise toward those who are without Christ. This is a sharp rebuke to those who would gear their church services toward either profit or entertainment. Certainly people who trust in Christ have every reason to be joyful – especially when we congregate together. But we must be very careful of the external appearance of our worship. “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?” (I Corinthians 14:23)

The proclamation of the Word of God and prayer – not exuberant confusion – should be given the most time, the most attention, and the most emphasis whenever there is the possibility of an unbeliever coming in among an assembly of believers. “But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.” (I Corinthians 14:24-25)

When the Holy Spirit does a miracle, it will always, always, be in perfect harmony with God’s revealed word. That is, He will never perform a miracle at the hands of someone who also teaches false doctrine, nor will it be a miracle to help you indulge your flesh (like dropping a billion bucks on your doorstep), nor will it be a miracle that in any way furthers anything which is unbiblical. A miracle from God will always be to draw one to salvation, or out of mercy for God’s children to continue to do His work, or in some way to further His kingdom. There is a difference between what God does, and what He allows to happen.

And you are right: why would someone with the “gift of Tongues” need an interpreter for someone he is supposedly speaking to? A bit contradictory, isn’t it?

I really think that Paul was talking about people like Benny, Todd, etc… in these verses. The two magicians could reproduce some of the miracles, to an extent, that God was doing.

These modern “miracle men” only seem to do certain types of healings. Ones that can’t be outwardly verified. Such as regrown limbs, withered limbs, etc….

Not to mention the dribble that comes out of these mens mouths.

One thing I seen the other day on television was Earnest Angly at a crusade in Africa. He had to have an interpretor. If he has the gift of tongues why would he need an interprator to speak for him?